5 Surprising Facts About Prison Shoes
Published April 14th, 2021
Legally speaking, people sentenced to jail will have to wear clothes or uniforms that the government issues. Part of this uniform requirement is prison shoes. For several years, inmates from all over the United States have been required to wear sports canvas sneakers as part of their official jail uniform. Government-issued jail uniforms are explicitly designed for inmates to stay in line with safety protocols and contraband control. This article will discuss five surprising facts that you may not have known about prison shoes.
The Facts About Prison Shoes
1. Inmates Call It “Air Patakis”
Prisoners are known to make up names and give references to many things they come across in prison. As an inside joke for prisoners in New York, the canvas shoes that are part of their uniform are usually referred to as “Air Patakis.” Inmates gave the shoes this name after the former New York governor, George Pataki. Pataki had started handing out sports canvas shoes as prison shoes more regularly during his time as governor, thus the name “Air Patakis.”
2. They Can Be Very Uncomfortable
Being in prison can become a pain, what with the unstable bed and dirty toilet and all. Add on the fact that the uniform most likely is made of low-quality material; prisoners are bound to get uncomfortable. Prison shoes are not comfortable. Former inmates have shared their experience in jail and reveal that the shoes they give you make your feet sweaty and are very likely to provide you with foot odor and fungus. Also, prison shoes are slippery and have no support system whatsoever on your feet which causes calluses and sores.
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3. Prison Immediately Throw Them Once They Get Out
Most people do not like to be reminded about the bad times in their lives. This goes the same for inmates. Once they get out of jail and finish their sentence, inmates tend to leave everything behind, including the shoes they wore during their time. Besides, who would like to keep old, worn-out shoes that aren’t even high-quality? It has become somewhat of a ritual for inmates to immediately toss their shoes in the trash as soon as they are released.
4. Designed to Lessen Security Risks
Much like the clothes that prisoners wear, the government and officials design their shoes to ensure that they cannot sneak any contraband or weapons into jail. This safety design ensures that prisoners do not smuggle anything illegal or dangerous in prison, such as drugs or sharp objects. Moreover, prison shoes are made specifically to make it hard for the person wearing them to run fast. As most people would know, some prisoners are always looking for an opportunity to escape, so a pair of shoes that make it hard to run is a smart move of the designers.
5. Inmates Rarely Get Issued New Pairs
Life in prison is not exactly a trip to paradise. Prisoners have a limit in access to a lot of things, such as what things they can keep in their rooms, what food they can have, and what clothes they can wear. For most jails, inmates only receive a new pair of shoes once their current ones are already worn out or completely ruined. This goes to show how you have to take extra care of your belongings when in jail.
Those are five facts about prison shoes you probably didn’t know about. Some people hear the word ‘jail’ or ‘prison’ and immediately understand what prison life is like. From the term inmates use to refer to their shoes to what they do with them after serving their time, ordinary people are not aware of a lot of things. Life in jail is far more complex than we think, so keep in mind the different complications you might face before committing a crime.
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About The Author
Krizzia Paolyn is an SEO Specialist with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. It has always been her passion to share her voice, and at the same time, to encourage other people to speak up.
