Kusai Ashi 臭い足 Vol. 1 - Ino Yamanaka and Why Naruto-style Sandals are Amazing(ly Stinky)

Hey guys!

First off, would like to once again thank all of you guys for the chance to be able to write on the blog. And to my friend, KingsSideCastle, who gave the "OK" signal" to post some stuff for everyone. :D I understand not many people are into stinky feet, and that's perfectly understandable. After all, "to each, his/her own". But I decided to focus on the element of foot odor since it is somewhat an expected thing to consider: that all feet, sooner or later, are bound to smell bad. And there are people who prefer feet to be stinky, if that's how they want it. Hopefully, you guys will be able to explore more on why feet are so awesome. Not just because they look really pretty and tantalizing, but also because they have a smell that some people prefer. That certain, cheesy, stinky smell!

And speaking of Kings, one of his all-time favorite anime (and this generation's equivalent to Dragon Ball), Naruto, is about to end on the manga, and it is expected that the anime will follow suit after its last and biggest arc. After more than a decade, the series will reach its deserved conclusion, but my, will we have to miss on so many things. We will certainly miss all our favorite characters, storylines, and even the fan service. And for Kings, he will soon miss out on three very important aspects of the series: Sakura Haruno, Ino Yamanaka (his absolute favorite character), and of course, the feet and sandal scenes.

I covered some of the bits of the Naruto-style sandals back in my old blog, but now Naruto is coming to its end, I believe it's high time to give these sandals a very close look on why they will be missed. And it wouldn't be a 臭い足 post without talking about why they are more likely to stink a lot, wouldn't you agree? =P

Now let's look at the best possible example around (and Kings-approved): Ino Yamanaka.

Naruto author Masashi Kishimoto has stated in an interview before that he wanted to draw the sandals since he likes to draw toes (and I can't blame him, they look very nice). And while by definition, they look like sandals, here are some things to consider:

1. They used a design similar to shoes but with open toes. Now being in shoes for a long time can really get your feet stinky, even if toes are open
2. Ninjas are tremendously active, meaning running, jumping, and being on their feet are part of their job descriptions.
3. While sandals are said to usually prevent foot odor, there are cases wherein feet are sweating while wearing sandals or flip flops for a long time. It has happened many times already with other people

So if you put these factors all together, then it is definitely inevitable that all the feet in the Naruto universe will tend to be really, really stinky. Maybe even akin to the smell of apple cider vinegar, stale foot sweat, or downright cheese. Now no doubt, the ladies of Naruto are really pretty and diverse, but their feet are bound to just smell bad, all things considered. Even Ino, who works at a flower shop, is expected to have stinky feet. Well, you get the picture.

While other characters wear general ninja footwear pre and post-timeskip, there are really rare exceptions. Like this girl:

It's bad enough that shoes and sandals tend to smell bad, but with Sakura's boots, the smell is just downright explosive to the nose! Anyone who wears boots for a long time can attest to this, and with the fact that she's just as active as a physically dominating ninja, well, imagine the sweat being exerted from her dangerous soles.

Of course, there are other characters with more diverse footwear. Like this fan favorite character:

You can never talk about Naruto without even mentioning about Hinata. Pre-time skip, she used standard-issue sandals like the rest of the characters. But post-timeskip, she began exposing more of her feet with her more strap-oriented sandals. Now whether her feet really stink is up to debate, but I'd like to think that they smell just as bad considering her active nature as a ninja and the fact that sandals can still stink regardless. It's like sweat marinating the feet in a pan, the pan being the sandals she wears.

And finally, the exploration of a possibly domineering ninja:

Over the years, Temari had the most change in as far as outfit is concerned, and with that, her footwear. And with a ninja like Temari, in a hot country like Suna, foot odor is always expected, especially with her calling as a ninja. Now you might be wondering: why did I use this picture? Simple: Imagine Temari taking her sandals off and making Tenten smell her sandals in this position? Smelly, stinky, sweaty sandals. You're welcome :D

What's so wonderful about Naruto is that there is so much material to cover, even when the inevitable end of the series happens. And there are just so many sandals to cover in this one little post, that we had to limit it to just 4 stunning kunoichi. And we have the legendary Kishimoto-san to thank for all the memories, and for all the stinky sandals!

As a bit of a side recommendation, if you have time, give this interactive a chance:

http://www.writing.com/main/interact/item_id/1905112-Footslave---the-History-of-Stenchlandia

It's not everyday you get to see an original story that is not only engaging, but includes so much foot odor, you may even practically smell them. Particularly, the story of Maria is engaging, and with the masterful writing of saicrit and Afan, it is definitely an engaging read if you don't have anything to check on for a while.

Whose feet do you think should be included in any future kunoichi stinky feet focus? For that matter, whose feet or footwear do you want me to focus on? Feel free to post a comment or suggestion, as hopefully I can make improvements on any future posts. Thanks! :D