Two Dead Pairs of Keens

Astypalaia is a rugged steep place, lots of gravelly dirt roads, goat paths and heavily patched paved roads. Plenty of ways to stub a toe or twist and ankle. Usually, Keen sandals with a reinforced rubber toe are the perfect shoe for the terrain. This year I did have complete footwear failure. 

The photo shows that my Keen's were tightened by the shoelace you can see safety pinned together. The lesson is that shoelaces do not withstand the rigors of sieving. We do lots of sieving at work, it entails sitting on the ground with a big bin and a small screen on your lap. You then pour small amounts of soil onto the screen and pick through it for any bone or artifacts.  Tweezers and reading glasses are also a must for me.  It is backbreaking tedious work. 

Well it seems that my shoes did not like the lateral contact with the cement floor that we sit on while sieving.  The concrete literally abraded away not only the shoelace, but the side of the shoe. Bummer.

Another reason that the shoes got tossed is that suddenly on the last few days of work, sewage spills started popping up in a couple of places on the island.  One was very close to our workplace, and we had to jump over or avoid the leaks as we went to the school.  Therefore, the footwear was also deemed unsanitary and unceremoniously thrown into the trash bin.

Andrea had two pairs of shoes go down.  The icky limestone infused puddles in the Paris catacombs killed her pink suede Puma sneakers.  The sole of the shoe started to pull away from the upper after that adventure.  Her Keen shoes were partially destroyed by the teeth of her loving Doberman, and Astypalaia put the final nail in the coffin.

More soon.