Letter by a Rhetor

In class this week, we learned how to recognize and analyze rhetorical situations when they arise. I found it a valuable lesson since I had been having difficulty up until this point being able to find rhetoric when it is seemingly all around me. Indicative of my ignorance was that as soon as the class period ended I had a realization that some serious rhetoric was going on in my own dorm room.

It all started when I went to the gym with my roommate. He was very fond of his unorthodox shoes which encapsulated each of his toes which I could only describe as “toe socks but in the form of a sturdy, rugged low-top”. At one point in our workout I watched from afar as one of the employees approached my roommate and it turned out he had to change shoes since they would not permit him to wear his “Vibram Five-Fingered Shoes” in the gym, citing safety concerns as the reason. The dissatisfaction lingered on and he decided he would write a letter to the gym in an attempt to lift the restriction on his brand of shoe.

As I look back on the situation, it is a perfect example of exigence; the issue at hand that compels the rhetor (or sender) to attempt to make a change in order to rectify the situation. The exigence is clearly the prohibition of Five-Fingered Shoes, and my roommate plays the role of sender. Naturally his argument begins with his personal account of the incident in question. Also, he understands that his audience (the receiver) will most likely be some sort of manager presiding over the facilities or staff. Therefore he utilizes pathos to invoke outrage by explaining the behavior of the employee; he uses some of his strongest language to express his strife to a nearly hyperbolic level. He has an understanding that he cannot rely solely on pathos, however; he must use logic and commonsense to go from a complaining customer to an informed patron. Therefore, he launches into a logos-based argument through his past experiences backed by statistics he researched. Also, he makes an attempt at building his credibility through ethos by explaining his background with wearing the shoes and his experiences with accepting their benefits. As the sender, it is my roommate’s job to understand his receiver so that he can properly convey his message and settle the exigence to his benefit.

Here is the letter in its entirety:

To Whom It May Concern:

My name is (Name), and I am an active member of the (Fitness Program) and regular (Gym) attendee.  On Tuesday of this week, a gym employee approached me and asked me if I “had another pair of shoes.”  When I replied that I did not, he asked me to leave the primacies.  His objection stemmed from my Vibram Five-Finger shoes, which he claimed were against gym policy.  As I continued to inquire as to why my shoes were objectionable, unsafe, or hazardous, the employee became increasingly belligerent.  He appeared to have no basis for his request, and when I sought to understand his reasoning, he grew angry, began insulting me, and proceeded to belittle me with derogatory language.  Understandably, I sought to avoid a long cold walk back to my dorm, but eventually conceded and went in search of alternative footwear.

Upon return, I showed proof of my new shoes as to avoid future conflict.  As I walked away, I heard the employee converse with a coworker, audibly calling me a “Jackass.”  The ordeal was disappointing, not only because of his lack of professionalism, but because his request marks an end to wearing my five-finger shoes at the White Building.  As a member of the Penn State fitness program, I have worn my five-finger shoes to exercise in the past without conflict, injury, or incident.  The shoes are designed for running and lifting exercises and naturally strengthen calve and ankle muscles.  I use them for sport training and, because of stronger lower legs, reap the benefit of added agility, speed, and balance.

Appropriately, the advent of five-finger shoes has shocked the fitness world.  My home gym in Lindenhurst, Illinois is a satellite of Northwestern University’s research hospital, and the gym struggled with permitting five-finger shoes.  Eventually, the shoes became popular among the gym staff (it was a staff member who first brought the shoes to my attention). Unlike other minimalist footwear (such as water shoes or sandals), five-finger shoes are closed toed, form fitting, hardy footwear that provide adequate protection both on the foot’s sole and upper skin.  Some trainers express unease about the danger of dropping free weights on five-finger shoes; however, the thin mesh or durable upper on running and athletic shoes provides no more protection to falling weight.  A study by the University of Arkansas found that only 14.6% of fitness related injuries were foot related, and of those 17.8% occurred at the local gym.  Many of these are stress fractures and contusions found in long distance runners who simply work their feet too hard.  I have never experienced an injury from wearing five-fingered shoes; the light, heel-less strikes of running in five-fingers have improved my running style and reduced stress on my knees.

After my embarrassing encounter with gym staff this week, I felt compelled to recount my experience, if not to encourage professionalism in customer service, then to suggest a review of the gym’s footwear policies.  Five-finger shoes are not a “hippy” trend or fashion statement, they are a legitimate tool for fitness improvement and sports training.  Those individuals who wear five-finger shoes are knowledgeable of the ideals of a healthy lifestyle and dedicated to personal fitness.  I strongly encourage the (fitness program) to evaluate the benefits of all types of footwear and teach employees proper protocol in handling difficult interpersonal situations.