HeatherKellyB
✝️ Perfectly Imperfect ✝️
I have been through so many pairs of shoes since I started keeping chickens. I used to be a huge fan of Chuck Taylor's. I have so many colors of them and would wear them all the time. I made the mistake of wearing them while tending to the flock after coming home later than anticipated one afternoon. Embarrassingly enough the next time I wore them out I realized that poop was all along the outside of the shoe where it wasn't noticeable to me since I took them off at the door and then slipped them on quickly before running back out to run an errand. Around this same time I started learning about diseases that can be picked up and brought in to the flock on shoes. I have been through about 6 pair of rain boots since then & they always fall apart within a short time. Shoes with exposed toes are a no go for me since I have psoriatic arthritis that has taken a huge toll on my feet/toes. If I get an aggressive peck that results in trauma to the skin, several months down the road, my immune system will start attacking this area. Since it's so ridiculously hot (with high humidity) I decided to try some croc knockoffs that are closed toe open back with some small cutouts for air flow. They're so lightweight and much cooler than boots but I've found that fire ants can easily sneak into the holes and start attacking my foot before I even realize it's there! Fire ants LOVE dried meal worms and can find them in a matter of a minute or two, so I have more bumps from fire ants than I'd like. I ended up buying a pair of sloggers for myself and a a pair for my daughter. They are a little snug so like others have mentioned, if you go this route, size up 
