Tweets

It’s So Hot Outside That People’s Shoes Are Shrinking In The Sun

In case you haven’t heard, climate change is ravaging the planet, melting glaciers, threatening entire species with extinction and setting records for the hottest temperatures ever recorded. One result of global warming we didn’t quite expect? Shrinking shoes.

But that’s exactly what happened to Twitter user @Autumn_Kamrie, who recently shared a story about a pair of Nike slides ruined by the hot Kentucky sun.

@Autumn_Kamrie’s images have racked up nearly 800,000 likes since she first posted them Aug. 22. The photos show what looks to be a pair of child-sized Nike flip-flops. Upon closer inspection, though, @Autumn_Kamrie realized the shoes were actually a size 9. In other words, they were hers.

Much to her dismay, they had simply shrunk after being left inside the car.

According to HeatKills.org, a vehicle’s interior temperature can reach 104 degrees after being parked for just 30 minutes on a sunny day. The Independent reported that on the day @Autumn_Kamrie posted the photos, outside temps were roughly 88 degrees.

When temps are between 80 and 100 degrees, the inside of a car can climb to anywhere from 130 to 172 degrees—more than hot enough to shrink the polyester- and rubber-constructed slides.

Much of Twitter found the shrinking shoes hilarious.

https://twitter.com/TheRealJokeStar/status/1164930526463123456?s=20

Some users shared their own stories of shrinking shoes and other personal items lost to scorching car temps.

https://twitter.com/timaKnowsBest/status/1164865933598498816?s=20

As for what @Autumn_Kamrie should do about her shrinking shoes, these Twitter recommendations speak for themselves.

In all seriousness, hot car temps can pose a serious threat to passenger health and safety way beyond shrinking your kicks. In 2018, a record number of 53 children died after being left in a hot vehicle, according to The National Safety Council.

Moral of the story? Don’t leave anything in the car you can’t easily replace—whether that’s a pair of Nike slides or something infinitely more precious.