The One-Shoe Decree
Read the storyNew uniform regulations have been imposed on every women's sport: every female athlete is required to have one bare foot while the other remains shod. Furthermore, the stands must be empty and the playing fields small. This was decreed by a billionaire artist who took over women's sports to realize her own twisted vision—driven by the fact that she herself wears only one shoe to show off her bare foot and the foot-care products she markets. Her corporations, which specialize in women's foot care, seized control of the sport; while the athletes agreed to the high salaries offered, they are now required to play every sport—including field hockey—with one foot bare. (Here is how it works in practice: the billionaire mandates this only for the field of play; on the bench, athletes can wear two shoes and two socks as usual, but when the coach shouts "You're in," the athlete kicks off the shoe and sock.)