"Oh my god guys", said the team in our editorial meeting. "Now we have a girl on the team, we can write about shoes." Obviously I, the only female staff member here at a PistonHeads UK, took great offence to this. But, I do like shoes. So here I am, writing about flip flops.
Ford is the official vehicle supplier of the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution), so the two brands have teamed up to turn recycled car tyres into 'message-delivering flip flops.' No, the message isn't to not wear socks and sandals; in fact, the shoes have a potentially life-saving safety message imprinted into the bottom that leave a little indentation on the sand as you walk.
The message is "float to live", which is the RNLI's key water safety advice for if you fall into open water. We know that's a very tedious link to a popular car website, but if you're headed down to Monaco for the next Grand Prix on your private yacht, one to bear in mind. Or, come to think of it, on a beach that isn't just a load of rocks and overpriced fish and chips.
Jokes aside though, and while we've got you here for a good bit of PSA, the RNLI's advice for if you're in trouble in water is to: 1) fight your instinct to thrash around, 2) lean back, extend your arms and legs, 3) if you need to, gently move them around to help you float, 4) float until you can control your breathing and 5) only then, call for help or swim to safety.
So go stomp your planet-saving, recycled-rubber flip flops around a sandy beach, spread the message of safety, and look super cool at the same time.
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