Though shiny thong sandals were on Alison Ernst’s feet, it was an orange and black athletic shoe that she chose to pull from her purse and throw at Hillary Rodham Clinton last Thursday during some industry convention speech in Las Vegas. If the flying shoe was an Asics, Adidas, New Balance, NIke or Puma, it could have been made at a Yue Yuen Industrial factory in China, Vietnam or Indonesia. Those wondering how a seemingly infinite stream of new styles from the world’s biggest brands appear on shelves with such rapidity- consider Yue Yuen a manufacturing power pitcher- employing over 400,000 workers to meet brands’ needs, and faraway demands of sneaker super-consumers camped in long lines outside stores on new-release eves.

Law enforcement meets workers. On the other side of the world they meet buyers.

Monday, at a Yue Yuen production facility in China’s Guangdong province, a number of thousand workers organized a strike. Issues pertaining to pay, social security, and other workplace concerns landed on the negotiating table. Read what U.S. based not-for-profit organization China Labor Watch announced about the situation. One wonders what a Yue Yuen worker might think if they’d seen coverage of a Supreme Nike Air Foamposite release in New York City a couple weeks ago that was shut down due to safety concerns (crazy line).  Whether supplying in Guangdong or demanding on Lafayette Street, I’m confident things will proceed in a peaceful, fair direction. There’s never been a better time to be cognizant of the true purpose of footwear- the truth of what you’re buying and making. What does it mean to you? Does your relationship to a certain brand come from deep within? More likely, it’s a certain style you like. Let your sensibilities guide you.

Less more much?  LIke what you like. Explore best versions of styles you gravitate toward.

A liar is someone who claims they never searched for the perfect shoe. Why pay attention to the craft of your footwear the way you pay attention to your health? They are you. That nicely boxed product could be an investment, not disposable socks with tread stuck on them to be Ebayed or Craigslisted- rather like property or hairstyles that flux with you. Popdiatry imagines footwear as an almost extra skin. Like horse’s hooves, they become your exo-layer on this giant treadstone Earth, providing shelter for two vessels requiring air, water and sun. Think of our ancestors walking long before the days of branding. What would they think of Old Navy two dollar flip-flop sales ? Would they think we’re brilliant eagles for selling a pair of foam-molded vessels on an electronic-bidding site?

It may help dodging flying shoes if you avoided wearing high-heels like the ones pictured in the coming-soon image for “Killer Heels: The Art of the High-Heeled Shoe “- an exhibit exploring chopines, stilettos and life showing this September at Brooklyn Museum (curated by Lisa Small). Killer like killer app, not killer like the Texas woman who was convicted last week of killing her boyfriend using a high-heeled shoe for a tomahawk. Apparently, certain types of high-heels contain a mysterious power that raises wearers’ superego- if not center of gravity- while increasing the risks of injuring the ankle and/or developing knee osteoarthritis. The taste for danger explains a little. From what I hear these babies are often uncomfortable, and unsupportive to the point you’ll see gals barefooting through public parks carrying rather than sporting. Even Dr. Scholl’s compares them to evil monsters in their new Dreamwalk insoles for women advertisements.

Dear Dr. Scholl, I would like a prescription for one Dreamwalk promotional USB stick to give to my aunt for Christmas.

 What do I like? What you like. There is no right shoe.

In a continuing effort to foster understanding about why humans wear mega-heels for prolonged periods, I look forward to watching some of the short films that will be presented along side the objects at the Brooklyn exhibit. Hopefully no one will be buzzed by a flying platform shoe, or threatened by that Louboutin Printz; wearing some protective gear couldn’t hurt- maybe some boots with wings would emit mercurial yin for the high-heeled yang, and enable flights to neverland- a world where everyone has a few really great pairs of shoes and the people who made them are happy.

Hopefully you are happy with your footwear. Why suffer for or of it?