Would you run through a lightning storm without shoes?

[LisaR]

Saw a play tonight and as it ended, we were greeted by a horrible storm. It was raining pretty hard but the lightning was horrendous. People were gathered near the doors either waiting it out or waiting for someone from their party to pull up in their car.

But some didn't want to wait and made a run for it. I stood there and watched dozens of people take their shoes off and run through the parking lot. Most were female but there were a few males. These were all adults from their 20's to their 80's. There was a little old lady with a walker going through the parking lot without shoes! DH said all she needed was some aluminum foil and she would divert the lightning from the rest of us. They actually sent out a theater worker who "highly suggested" that people leave their shoes on.

The news just said there were 20,000 lightning strikes!

Am I the only one who won't run though a lightning storm in bare feet?

 

[canopynut66]

No your not----- I would not run thru lighting storm now in gym shoes as a friend of my son in laws was standing with three other men about a year ago and it was NOT raining and had thundered and all of sudden one of the guys fell to the ground and lightining had struck him and he was gone forever right there. so scares me to death since then. I had always thought if had to see lighting and niow they know when it thunders it is there.....

 

[Feralpeg]

Unless a t-rex was chasing me, I would not run through a lightening storm with or without shoes. After living in Florida for 8 years, I have a great respect for lightening!

 

[katrina1122]

Why would having shoes on make any difference? That little bit of sole between you and the ground is not going to stop any sort of electricity and it doesn't ground you either.

 

[LisaR]

Why would having shoes on make any difference? That little bit of sole between you and the ground is not going to stop any sort of electricity and it doesn't ground you either.

I am of the belief that lightning is very dangerous both with and without shoes and nobody should be running around in it when it was as bad as it was tonight. However, I do think that if you are stupid enough to run though puddles of water while it continues to pour and giant bolts of lightning are all around, that "little bit of sole" is better than no sole at all. The smart choice was to stay out of it altogether even if you had shoes on.

 

[Coconut36]

Why would having shoes on make any difference? That little bit of sole between you and the ground is not going to stop any sort of electricity and it doesn't ground you either.

I agree. Unless they had on special rubber soled shoes it really doesn't matter if they had on shoes or not should they get struck. I seriously don't see the difference in regards to footwear (as it appears we would be talking about dress shoes) vs no footwear in regards to safety during a storm.

 

[Coconut36]

I am of the belief that lightning is very dangerous both with and without shoes and nobody should be running around in it when it was as bad as it was tonight. However, I do think that if you are stupid enough to run though puddles of water while it continues to pour and giant bolts of lightning are all around, that "little bit of sole" is better than no sole at all. The smart choice was to stay out of it altogether even if you had shoes on.

Yeah the "little bit of sole" means nothing if they were struck..haven't you heard stories of people that has happened to? Most were wearing shoes and it didn't do jack to keep them safe so little bit of sole, lot of sole or none at all it really doesn't make a difference.

 

[NovemberBravo]

I wouldn't run in a lightning storm with or without shoes on.

 

[Hannathy]

well if they were dress shoes they probably greatly reduced their odds of getting hurt or killed because statistically they would have had a much greater chance of getting hurt or killed from falling running in improper foot wear than statistically getting struck by lightning!!

So see they were doing the thing that would decrease their risk of injury the greatest! (If you insist on leaving the safety of the building)


Now all common sense and half a brain says to do neither and not run thru lightning, but they did have a point in taking off their shoes.

 

[cornflake]

I'd actually think in a general sense, it might be safer without shoes. Tied-on rubber-soled shoes aside (as I think lightning will blow most shoes off your feet regardless), it'd seem to me you'd rather not have anything in its way.

Like, you'd prefer the electricity could flow through you to the ground more easily than less, if it were to strike you directly, And seems the less you have on, the less that can burn. I mean you can burn but rather be a clear conduit than clad in non-organic things that can burn and/or be affected by lightning.

It's not more or less likely to hit you depending on your footwear.

 

[meanpc]

Given the choice between running through a lightning storm barefoot or with shoes on, I'd choose the shoes. I'd think the barefoot person would provide a better path to ground.

It would also depend on what kind of structures and trees were around. If there are plenty of tree, light posts, etc. around, I would feel better than if I were running across a fairway on a golf course.

 

[leebee]

http://www.fema.gov/pdf/areyouready/areyouready_full.pdf

See pages 73-78.

Not sure why people took their shoes OFF, though; perhaps to make themselves shorter? I also just read (different reference) that golfers wearing cleats make particularly good lightning rods. Do you suppose all those dress-up shoes had cleats on the bottom?

 

[Mermaid02]

http://www.fema.gov/pdf/areyouready/areyouready_full.pdf

See pages 73-78.

Not sure why people took their shoes OFF, though; perhaps to make themselves shorter? I also just read (different reference) that golfers wearing cleats make particularly good lightning rods. Do you suppose all those dress-up shoes had cleats on the bottom?

I would think the women took them off because they could run faster NOT in heels- if I tried to "run" in heels I would undoubtedly fall.

 

[luvmy3]

Rubber soles are not going to protect you from a lightning strike. I'm not sure why people think that a one inch rubber area on a shoe will help you if 100 million volts of electricty passes through your body.

http://www.snopes.com/science/tires.asp

(Its mostly debunking the tire myth, but there is some info about rubber soled shoes).

 

[Jennasis]

I'm pretty sure mythbusters did this one already.

 

[Southernmiss]

While I don't think I'd run in a lightening storm with or without shoes, if it was storming and the rain was puddled a few inches deep on the road/street/ground I would take my shoes off so they wouldn't get soaked.

I prefer not to have my dress shoes soaked through.

 

[topolino]

If I lived in fear of getting hit by lightning I wouldn't leave the house in the morning. There are much greater risks that we face every single day than getting struck by lightning.

I'm kind of a "go with the odds" kind of person. I have as much chance of getting hit by lightning as I do winning the lottery. It's so low that I don't buy lottery tickets and I don't fear being struck by lightning.

 

[Kitty 34]

At my age I can barely run anymore......darn asthma! But even if I could I wouldn't during a lightning storm, shoes or no shoes.

 

[Pembo]

I wouldn't run in a lightning storm with or without shoes on.

Reminds of a trip to WDW where we sat in Cosmic Rays watching LOTS of people running for the exit in the pouring rain and hideous lightning. The craziest ones were the people pushing their strollers with babies in that awful storm.

We waited comfortably in CR's and after about 30 mins returned to touring, without rain and without people. It was a lovely day in the MK.

 

[Minnesota!]

Why would having shoes on make any difference? That little bit of sole between you and the ground is not going to stop any sort of electricity and it doesn't ground you either.

Yes, I would take my shoes (I am assuming heels here) off to run through a storm. I would more likely fall and hurt myself running in them vs. getting struck by lightening without them...