If the (winterbathing) shoe fits…

What gear do you need to go winter bathing?

Me in the water last Monday morning 🙂

Hmm, very little.  A nice, long, warm bathrobe.  And shoes.  Flipflops, of course, are great.  Easy to kick on and off.  Until, that is, the air temperature drops to around 4 degrees and the sand starts ‘crunching’ underfoot! ;D  So I’ve been using these surf shoes for a while.  Not because you can wear them in the sea – which of course is great on the days when there are sharp stones around – but because they keep my feet warm while I’m crossing the beach (attired only in my birthday suit and aforementioned bathrobe).   Not exactly elegant footwear, but they do the job.

Well, the only problem with these shoes is that they have started to pong.  I’ve tried everything.  Hand washing them with soap, given them a run for their money in the washing machine, tried bicarb of soda, sewed some tiny lavender scent bags to put inside them…  And still they pong!  So much so, that it’s now become a running joke with my winterbathing friend V.  “Who brought the roquefort with them?!”

This morning I decided that Enough was Enough.  So I’ve just ordered a new pair.  Though I’ve decided to try a new type.  Just as ugly.  Not neoprene but plastic/rubber.  And with holes all over for good [ahem] ‘ventilation’.  I await with baited breath (and close-pegged nose) to see if they fair any better…

Have a terrific Tuesday and don’t forget to smell the flowers! 🙂