I came with two pairs of shoes, a pair of bike shoes and a new pair of trail runners. For some reason I have not yet worn my bike shoes for any cycling, it just seems easier to wear the trail shoes. The consequence is that I have been wearing one pair of shoes for everything … pooey! The heat here means that I will pick up a pair of flip-flops and ship my bike shoes home. All I need for this climate is a pair of flops or sandals but I will hold onto the trail runners for the off-road biking. In this heat the perfect attire is akin to what I used to wear in gym class when I was six; a white pair of pumps (plimsoles), short shorts and a white vest. These were of course the days before Nike Air Jordans ruled.
I imagine the bike shoes could come in handy to work the up-stroke of the pedal action on some tough climbs but touring is hard enough without having to rip my hamstrings off too. We’ll see.
In the meantime I am left scrambling trying to find bread soda or something equivalent to deodorise my shoes ahead of my jeep tour to Tibet. There is enough social exclusion in Tibet without me joining the mix.