Last weekend, we took a short family vacation to Washington, D.C. While the primary purpose for our trip was to visit Ellen, my mom’s best friend from Harvard Medical School, we also spent a substantial amount of time taking advantage of the glory that is the Smithsonian Institution. My personal favorite of the many museums on the D.C. Mall is the National Museum of American History…and it really doesn’t need me to defend it. For almost fifty years, the museum has housed relics such as the dress Marian Anderson wore while performing at the Lincoln Memorial, a John Deere plow from the 1830s, THE Star-Spangled Banner, and, proudly and prominently displayed only a few steps from the museum entrance, the Ruby Slippers.
Seventy-five years after The Wizard of Oz came out in technicolor, it seems that Dorothy’s shoes are still just as popular as they were in 1939. I had to claw my way through a seething mass of people in order to take the photograph above; meanwhile, my OESH La Vidas attracted no attention whatsoever (or, at least, less attention than my elbows). Altogether, the experience begged the question: Ruby Slippers or OESH? Which is better? In the brief study below, I attempt to help the prospective buyer make an informed choice between the two products.
HEALTH: There is absolutely no doubt that OESH are far, far healthier than the Ruby Slippers, which have an uncomfortable and blister-making pointed toe as well as, most obviously, a heel taller than .5”. (You can read about my mom’s scientific study on the horrors of the high-heeled shoe here.) The La Vida v2.0, on the other hand, are soft, flat and unbelievably beneficial to your feet and entire body: see our Concept page for more details.
VERSATILITY: The La Vida v2.0 are perfect for a variety of exercises, including but certainly not limited to walking, running, biking, lacrosse, squash, tennis, and basketball, and can be worn over an even wider variety of surfaces: grass, asphalt, cement, stone, soil, sand, mud (just throw them in the washer and they’ll come out clean!). Meanwhile, the Ruby Slippers’ effects are limited to walking–or, if push really comes to shove, gaily tripping–exclusively over yellow brick.
ENDURANCE: The Ruby Slippers, while effective in the short-term, have not yet been proven, like OESH, to sustain long periods of use, as Dorothy only wears them for a portion of The Wizard of Oz‘s total 101-minute running time.
VARIETY: The Ruby Slippers come in only one color, “Ruby”. On the other hand, the OESH La Vida v2.0 are available in no less than four styles: White Sand, Deep Wisteria, Charcoal, and Fiji.
PRICE: The La Vida v2.0 cost $110, and they can be purchased reliably with the click of your mouse. While the Ruby Slippers are free, they are unattainable unless you have the remarkable fortuity to land your airborne Kansas farmhouse on the Wicked Witch of the East.
AVAILABILITY: We produce hundreds of new pairs of OESH La Vida v2.0 every week. There is exactly one (1) pair of Ruby Slippers, and they belong to the United States government. Sorry.
