Over millennia, ages even, we as a species have evolved to become more agile, refined, and emotionally intelligent. One thing has evidently not been eradicated from our DNA: Being a downright hater. This hate is sometimes warranted, but it often is not. One small community of students at Enloe High School has become an increasingly large target for bigots of Enloe: those who roam the halls in open-toed shoes. Foot stigma has found a habitat to thrive in at our school. You might have just let out a giggle reading that sentence, but this is no laughing matter. 

Those who go through the school day wearing a pair of stylish Birkenstocks or Tevas know they need to put on a brave face and mentally prepare for the day before walking into the building. They must brace themselves for the first “Dogs out??” or “for free??” comment, and then the next, and then the next. If they make the unfortunate mistake of letting their bare paws brush up on a classmate’s personal belongings, they know they won’t ever live it down. Even Instagram pages dedicated to Enloe feet have been instituted. They are not safe. Foot Freers trudge through campus in a constant state of fear, of dread, for the day they themselves are subjected to internet ridicule. 

I know the inner workings of this experience because I live it every day. Yes, dear reader, yours truly cannot have one day of barefooted peace at the Nest. I first discovered my love for summer shoes a year ago with the purchase of my first pair of Teva sandals. I lived in a state of open-toed bliss until the commencement of the school year in August. All of a sudden, it was not swag and slay to have your toes casually showing in public. I went back into the closet until I recently realized I wasn’t the weirdo, my antagonizers were. Riddle me this, haters: Why are you so obsessed with my Dogs??? 

Based on the information collected by the admin of Instagram account @thumbleboy, the page has received a whopping 48 comments regarding feet that were casually displayed in posts. Not to mention the screenshots upon screenshots shared on private stories on the social media platform Snapchat. This is not acceptable. What’s next for America? Community guidelines violations for mere metatarsals? Enough is enough. We all have the power within us to unleash our Dogs, but only some of us are brave enough to do it.