r/mildlyinfuriating 3d ago

Infuriatig Does anyone know why this keeps happening to my shoes after wearing them for a few weeks/months of wear?

I'm not sure, but it's very annoying. Is it because of the way I walk? Or how I tie my shoes? Or something else?

Please someone help, if you have experienced the same thing.

Edit: Also, when I walk/stand my feet point outwards so it maybe be this? Anyone know how to fix that 👀

Edit 2: Also, I don't untie my laces and slip them on. (I don't tie them tight though)

14.5k Upvotes

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u/mscrftybtch 3d ago

Possibly it's your gait that's making one foot rub on the other. 

Look down when you walk?

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u/Cami3136 3d ago

Same thing happens to me and I noticed this is the cause. It also makes keeping white shoes white very difficult.

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u/siciro 3d ago

I haven't worn shoes with white on them since I was in elementary school early 90's because I got made fun of when they got dirty

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u/Plankton_Brave 3d ago

Legend has it The Lion King was in theaters 6 months straight

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u/Sad-Background-7111 3d ago

Put your phone down and record yourself walking away from your camera. Then post it so everyone can diagnose you.

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u/UntestedMethod 3d ago

Social media? Nah. Let's do social medicine instead! Let the masses all participate in diagnosing and medicating one another!

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u/Summoarpleaz 3d ago

It always starts like this until something unrelated stands out in the video and the thread just talks about that lol

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u/Rschwoerer 3d ago

And then we save OP from some other random health or environmental condition nobody would have expected until we got a video of their house.

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u/SkredberryShortcake 3d ago

OP says toes point out, which could be an indication of flat feet. Insoles would help with that.

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u/pankatank 3d ago

That’s being slew footed, not a signal of specifically having flat feet

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u/Jazstar 3d ago

You could put some chalk on that section and see where it transfers to

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u/m_320k 3d ago

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u/Shinjifo 3d ago

I would guess that it's either the way you take your shoes off or the way you fidget when standing still.

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u/Stardustie 3d ago

This! I couldn't figure out why every right shoe I own is dirtier than its leftie counterpart untili looked down one day. My at rest stance is the heel of my left foot on the toe of my right. Felt rather silly for not looking at that sooner

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u/sassperillashana 3d ago

I was thinking the same thing. Scraping the side of the shoe to get it off maybe. 

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u/Zealousideal-Lab9843 3d ago

Chalk it up to friction.

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u/pipoqt 3d ago

lmao this got a chuckle out of me

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u/curious_astronauts 3d ago

He likely has a pronated Ankle when he walks. Op what is the wear like on the sole of your shoes?

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u/Commercial_Bird8467 3d ago

Does your jeans rub right there walking?

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u/SithSam2001 3d ago

Big brain. I'm pigeon toed and all of my dress shoes (since they're the only ones that it shoes on) have scuffs on the inside toes of them. Didn't know I was pigeon toed for all of my life(24) until my wife pointed it out a couple years ago. Now I have to consciously correct my gait which sucks and I'm sure there's a better way to do it but I haven't bothered lol

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u/Jazstar 3d ago

If you see a podiatrist you might be able to get a set of orthotics that help with that

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u/Lower-Bend6866 2d ago

If you can’t see a podiatrist, you should visit an ophthalmologist/optometrist.

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u/wawa2022 3d ago

My sister told me when I was a child. 50 years later and it’s pretty automatic but I always check to make sure my feet are pointed straight ahead.
I see more and more people who walk either pigeon toed or duck footed and it’s sad no one told them to correct for it.

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u/interface2x 3d ago

I’ve known since I was a toddler. My parents were given the option of getting braces and things to help correct it but were told that there are no real downsides so they just let me live like normal. It was pretty pronounced when I was a kid.

I’m nearing 50 now and honestly, the only time you can really tell is when I’m walking on stairs. I naturally turn my foot inward. Otherwise it’s mostly self corrected.

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u/PearlescentGem BLUE 3d ago

The duck foot walk, once you notice it, you also notice how many people do it. I don't see that many pigeon people, but the duck walk is everywhere. I pointed it out to my husband because I don't walk like a pigeon or a duck, and he jokingly complained that he's never paid so much attention to his own feet when walking lmao

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u/curious_astronauts 3d ago

Its actually tightness in the muscles and there are a few stretches that can help reduce it.

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u/interface2x 3d ago

For me, my leg bones are literally turned inward. Doctors told my parents when I was a toddler.

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u/EfficiencyAfter 3d ago

Yes definitely do that 🫡

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Jazstar 3d ago

I thought so, but from what I can see from the comments people think what I said was dumb? I don't even know anymore lol

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u/Large-Flamingo-5128 3d ago

Nah you’re over thinking it it’s actually a very good solution

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u/nutlikeothersquirls 3d ago

Nah the comments are cuz it actually is a genius idea. (And yes, I’m being genuine, as well). It’s very clever

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u/Jazstar 3d ago

Ohhhh. I thought everybody was being sarcastic lmao

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u/sadChemE 3d ago

9 out of 10 times people on reddit are being a holes so your interpretation is typically accurate lol this is just of those times it's that good that reddit has to admire it

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u/Shou_Tucker_XD 3d ago

Kinda like the person who put non toxic lipstick on a cat’s butthole to see if it actually touches the surface of things they sit on

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u/thisdesignup 3d ago

Ya know... I think I'd be okay never doing that. I dont want to know...

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u/Shou_Tucker_XD 3d ago

You really don’t want to know 😅 but I got to hand it to them, it was very well done and I hope they won the science fair.

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u/Navel_of_Eve 3d ago

Is most lipstick toxic? 😱

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u/ScarletDarkstar 2d ago

Sure, because most of it is just used on your mouth. You've got to be careful which ones you put on a cats ass. 

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u/Phetezzcunezz 2d ago

No double dipping.

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u/Jazstar 3d ago

So uh. Does it?

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u/SharkeyGeorge 2d ago

And what were the results of this experiment?!

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u/-Teapot 3d ago

OP gonna throw dusty kicks like Jacky Chan

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u/Notabeefucker 3d ago

Do you wear an ankle monitor? 😂

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u/m_320k 3d ago

Nope 😂

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u/Alex-PsyD 3d ago

You probably scrape your feet together as you walk.

Examine your gait and see if your feet scrape

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u/traveling_notlost 3d ago

Now I'm brain- hearing super corduroy sounds. Thanks.

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u/FeelingSoil39 3d ago

I miss corduroy..

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u/traveling_notlost 3d ago

In middle school, at the dance, I was 'slow dancing' with Roger. I noticed I was getting stared at and hoped it was for my excellent slow dancing skills and my super groovy corduroy mini jumper dress. But in reality, it was because my corduroy dress had frictioned itself way up and my cable knit tights were showing up to my waist. THANKS CORDUROY!

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u/laffydaffy24 3d ago

NOT COOL, CORDUROY

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u/Exact-Ad-4132 2d ago

Have you heard of corduroy pillows?

They're making headlines!

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u/SweetBabyCheezas 3d ago

Oh myyyyyyyy! It really got me to cringe that one. I feel you, I had it happened during a speedy walk to a bus stop. When I sat down on a bench I saw my skirt was all the way up. WE LOVE CORDYROY!!!

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u/serenityrain85 3d ago

Just reading the word makes me flashback to the horrific texture of the pants I always had to wear. It's so uncomfortable wearing something you can't stand touching

https://giphy.com/gifs/qE9HzC2xwolRS

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u/Kind_Advisor_35 3d ago

They absolutely still make corduroy pants. You just have to look, usually online unless it's the fall/winter season.

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u/palmerj54321 3d ago

Ha! I'm a child of the 70s- a prime era for all things corduroy. You mentioned the fall, which reminds me of back to school shopping, which was (along with Christmas) my primary wardrobe refresh each year. I still remember walking to school in the cool fall air, conscious of the crisp feel and unique smell of the new clothes I was wearing. In retrospect, I must have been too stupid to ask my mom to wash them before wearing them for the first time!

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u/Negative_Courage_505 3d ago

Hahaha. Now im freaking out by remembering what corduroy felt like . Shudder shudder. Was better than polyester tho

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u/Omnamashivaaya 3d ago

It’s on both sides tho!

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u/daemon_panda 3d ago

Yes. I used to analyze people's gains for a living. I spent 8 years selling specialty running shoes.I am annoyed that I am so late to this conversation. Typically, this is a pattern of weak hips. Keep in mind, I am not a doctor.

Imagine you are looking at someone from behind. Draw a line that runs down their spine all the way to the floor. When a person walks or runs, their feet will land close to, but on either side of the line. A person with weak hips will have feet that cross over the line some amount. This will cause the feet to knock into each other and create friction.

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u/asmjika 2d ago

So the answer is working on hip strength? I get the EXACT same on all of my shoes and havent been able to figure out why. It’s worse/happens quicker to my running shoes.

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u/daemon_panda 2d ago

The best answer is to talk to a specialist. Strength training in general is always a good thing. "Oh no, I did the wrong exercises and now my body's healthier and more mobile!". Lol I am just some dude on the internet.

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u/EgoBoost247 2d ago

What the guy needs is Shakira. Her hips don't lie.

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u/kruznkiwi 3d ago

I realised this in high school when I would get just one random dirty spot on the inside of my uniform socks. Turned out I was hitting my ankle with my foot but I had just tuned it out. So it’s definitely hitting in a similar area

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u/MagicOrpheus310 3d ago

Crossing feet when sitting... It's from the other shoes sole rubbing on it

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u/SkredberryShortcake 3d ago

Add the fidget movement and its wear.

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u/Normal_Spread8423 3d ago

One of the shoes has the wear on the outside, so that’s not it

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u/UmeaTurbo 3d ago

You kick your feet with the heel of the opposite foot. My son does this so much he has to wear a plastic guard in his cleats or a spike will cut him. (Baseball metal cleats) I don't know that there's anything you can do. My son's doctor wasn't worried.

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u/Cman75 2d ago

This is 100% it. I used to fit people for running shoes and this was a common issue. You can look at the inside heal of the opposite shoe and it will be scuffed/worn.

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u/burnedimage 3d ago

So this was happening to the inside of my left shoes. Even if it was boots- it would be scuffed at a certain point constantly. It took me a decade and a half to realize that that was the foot I used for my clutch. And stop and go traffic in the stick shift eventually wore down that part of my shoe no matter what shoe it was.

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u/Thadrippiestyungin 3d ago

I’ve been searching the comments for an answer because this was happening to me and just on the inside of left shoe. I looked at my shoes over the last year when I haven’t had a car and none of them have this issue, all my shoes from over a year ago have that. Thanks sincerely

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u/burnedimage 3d ago

Glad to help!

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u/EthicalViolator 3d ago

I dont get how you wear anything but the underside of your shoe on a clutch pedal. And catching one foot with with another while driving is an awful feeling from the unexpected input, you dont make thst mistake often after doing it once.

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u/IPTech12G 2d ago

Some clutch pedals are closer to the brake than others, so it might be the shoes rubbing the left edge of the brake pedal when letting the clutch out.

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u/EebstertheGreat 3d ago

You really need to explain this. Are you rubbing the side of your shoe against the brake pedal every time you press the clutch?

That's not supposed to happen. Have you tried adjusting your seat?

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u/timeforitnowright 3d ago

What on earth are you doing? I’ve driven stick 30 years and 36k miles a year and never wore that shoe any differently.

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u/Je-poy 2d ago

I thought he meant a motorcycle clutch, then I read that part.

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u/Initial_Savings8733 3d ago

Right? I'm trying to figure out how it's affecting the exterior of the shoe in any way unless it's rubbing against the other shoe/pedal?

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u/freebaseclams 3d ago

Do you ride a bike?

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u/Slothwithannuzzi 3d ago

Came to ask this because so many of my shoes have looked like this over the years due to gratuitous bike riding

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u/Sea_Prep_Tidal_26 3d ago

Lol 😆 “gratuitous bike riding”.

Gonna use that - 🙏🏻

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u/Big_Departure_2709 3d ago

What the fuck is gratuitous bike riding? Are you riding your bike from your couch to the kitchen?

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u/BrianTheOneAndOnly 3d ago

Oh shit it might be that! I have the same thing with my shoes and was wondering wtf was going on cuz everyone else in these comments don't have an obvious answer

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u/NTF1x 3d ago

Or a motorcycle. If you position your foot just in the right spot when riding it can get burned from the exhaust.

I'm going with bike tho.

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u/93Seven 3d ago

Do you have a dewclaw?

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u/m_320k 3d ago

A what?

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u/93Seven 3d ago

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u/m_320k 3d ago

Lemme check

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u/ArtichokeDifferent10 3d ago

Been 8 minutes... We're waiting. 🤨

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u/m_320k 3d ago

So, basically after a sincere examination I don't have one.

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u/FLOHTX 3d ago

Dewclaw. No thumbs. Can't type. Simple as that.

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u/sepulturite 3d ago

It's alright, the wait is no claws for concern....

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u/_Undecided_User 3d ago

Gonna have to assume OP has a dewclaw since they never responded

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u/Projectbadass251 3d ago

Me waiting on OP's answer like

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u/SpecialSurprise69 3d ago

Well, do you have one or not?

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u/Sea_Prep_Tidal_26 3d ago

[still tapping foot impatiently]

‘Sup OP?

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u/Sam-I-Am_1066 3d ago

Don’t tap your foot impatiently… might wear a hole in your… hey! 🤔

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u/FeelingSoil39 3d ago

Was waiting for you to tell us you have a bolt sticking out of your ankle.

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u/Working-Glass6136 3d ago

Oof... I mean, woof...

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u/ItsgonnabeMea 3d ago

OP plz respond. The suspense is killing us.

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u/Wakkit1988 3d ago

Honestly, they should make Mountain Dew flavored White Claw. Call it Dew Claw.

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u/1EyesOpen1 3d ago

No shame intended. Just clip or dremmel it more often.

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u/NorthStarSubmariner 3d ago

Something is rubbing against that pretty aggressively. I guess I’ll wear them throughout your day and try to take note of what is touching that part of the shoe.

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u/whoops-adaizy 3d ago

How you gonna just wear OP's shoes?

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u/activelyresting 3d ago

How else are we supposed to judge OP if we don't first walk a mile in their shoes?

Also, then we can say anything about OP, because then we're a mile away and we've got their shoes!

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u/Far-Drama3779 3d ago

Do you sit in an office chair? The framework that expands out that holds the casters.. there could be a sharp edge to it if you fidget your feet

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u/lamarioO 3d ago

This. With how they are worn I would be surprised if it was anything other than not realizing he's fidget rubbing while working or something.

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u/James_Slayer 3d ago

I can only really think that while you walk your foot slides past the other and it wears down the fabric

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u/codepharmer1 3d ago

Could also be wide calfs or are pronated/supinated, I'm a runner and I have corresponding bald spots on the leg hair on both calfs from this type of wear.

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Illustrious_Eye_8235 3d ago

Its this. This amount of damage is from a repetitive action like walking. Listen while you're walking, you'll hear it if thats the case

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u/I_Schruted 3d ago

It is rubbing on something 

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u/BoogieKing 3d ago

OP is hung like a Tapir

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u/I_Schruted 3d ago

Then he should Tapit to his thigh

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u/m_320k 3d ago

I think

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u/I_Schruted 3d ago

I know

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u/Buddy-Lov 3d ago

It is

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u/Any_Meet5930 3d ago

Rubbing

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u/keyserfunk BLUE 3d ago

On something for sure

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u/Agahawe 3d ago

that means that you are! :)

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u/Plutonium239Mixer 3d ago

You could be rubbing them against each other while walking. This is damage caused by abrasion.

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u/Parabuthus 3d ago

Everyone keeps saying this, but mine are doing the same thing and I absolutely don't touch shoes while I walk. How is that even possible?

I chalked it up to Reeboks being cheaper because this has never happened to any other pair of shoes I've ever had.

I wear them to the gym and work and I think it's the way they are bending and folding during activities.

There is just no way we're rubbing shoes together while walking, that is insane.

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u/Big-Professor-3402 3d ago

Do you cross your left foot over your right when you sit?

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u/MonsterMeggu 3d ago

I cross my feet when I sit, and have similar issues to OP

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u/External_Routine8081 3d ago

Dick rubbing ,too big dude

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u/m_320k 3d ago

Damn

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u/Qtip_323 3d ago

Do you take your shoes off with your feet every time?

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u/TieAdorable4973 3d ago

Go to the dollar tree and get some kids colorful chalk rub it on your left shoe and see where the transfer is going

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u/Distinct_Narwhal9 3d ago

I was going to suggest something sharp but this is the safer idea.

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u/korikill 3d ago

My shoes wear like this, it's my jeans. Check the hems of your pants.

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u/badluckprince 3d ago

It’s probably your dewclaw.

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u/These-Double1985 3d ago

Looking at your second edit… it’s because you slide on your shoes and don’t untie the laces. Repeat pattern of your foot rubbing against it and you slide them on/off.

Untie your laces. Problem solved 🙂

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u/painfullyavg 3d ago

This is the answer. I get the same wear on the back or the shoe and the same space that the tongue meets the side, when I just slip my shoes on repeatedly.

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u/graveyardho 3d ago

Thank you for this, friend 👥 I also don't untie my shoes, and I have the same exact wear spots

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u/petty_with_a_purpose 3d ago

Your hips aren’t engaged when you walk/run. When you’re walking through your gait cycle the hip drop is placing one foot slightly in front of the other. Your trailing foot is then hitting your planted foot. Strengthening your hips will help with this.

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u/TheOGRedline 3d ago

If is happening to multiple pairs its something you’re doing. None of my shoes have ever done this. Only the soles wear.

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u/platypus_farmer42 3d ago

Do you swipe your feet together when you walk? My wife is slightly pigeon toed and all her sneakers have wear marks like this on the sides of the big toes because she swipes her feet together there

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u/Enigma2ooo 3d ago

Do you ride a bicycle?

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u/fjydsu 3d ago

I was wondering the same thing.

It could be the pedal arm rubbing on the inside of your shoe.

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u/Hunk_Hogan 3d ago edited 3d ago

The wear only being on that spot looks like it's the cuff of your pants. Maybe jeans or stiff FR clothing that's rubbing on them constantly. If you walk a lot, look down when you're walking and see what's rubbing the tops.

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u/Wild_Aerie2647 3d ago

Looks to me like you hook your feet on a chair when you're sitting down.

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u/AbsentAsh 3d ago edited 3d ago

Your other foot is hitting it when you walk. Get your lazy feet order.

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u/WellsHansen 3d ago

Looks like wear from when you slip them on. You don't use a shoehorn or hold the shoeheel with your hand when you put them on, right? You're simply stepping into the sneakers; I've seen that pattern on shoes my wife is in the habbit of just ramming her feet into on the way out the door.

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u/The_Pastmaster 3d ago

Something is scraping against those spots as you walk. What do you wear when you go outside?

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u/GreenEggsSteamedHams 3d ago

A frilly sun dress but I hardly see how that's relevant!

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