I also wear my crocs in the yard all the time. Pyracantha spikes also go right through the bottoms. I removed the pyracantha because I had been cut by it for the last time. It got the last laugh because I am still finding tiny pieces of branches all over the place - well, actually, they're still finding me. :)

These stories remind me of unpleasant memories of raking around the Barberry bushes.

Omg! Made chills go up and down my body. I wear Birkenstock hiking sandals all the time. I've dropped many heavy things on my toes that peek out but never such an assault from the bottom. Good luck, I hope that heals quickly

IT did. I have a high tolerance for pain. After removal and a bandaid that staid on for 5 minutes, I was right back out there.

You're tough!

After a puncture wound in the foot do you take any precaution against

Pseudomonas?

I wear crocs outside too...so far so good..

Sorry for your booboo.

@ Albert. Does peroxide count? It has been several days and nothing is happening down there. I had a deep puncture in my hand from a old man of the desert that went south on me big time and I ended up at the doctor....$260. Next time I won't stick my hand out when it falls over off a rocked table. It can hit the floor.

I trimmed an agave today. My wife came down to remind me it was time to go to brunch. Ok sweetie but I have to clean up this pile of spikes first.

My spikes have been there for two weeks.....They are still there waiting to get me AGAIN.. I am working on furniture again and not my yard. Like I said I am the queen of half measures. I now have to drive out and get a tarp for the van seats before the next rain so I am not doing it now.

I'm glad that you were able to get the spine out of your foot! I too wear crocs in the yard...

A couple of years ago I was planting a spiny cactus and I lost control of it (Oh, I don't need to get my long gloves to do this job) and it fell on my forearm. One spine stayed in my arm for about a year before I went to the doctor. I waited until it started getting redder. One small cut and squeeze...out it popped.

I got tagged by another spike off an opuntia that I call Sid Vicious. I carried it into the porch and got tagged on the inside of my upper arm. . I saw one needle and got it out, but the other one, I missed totally. 5 months later I see a small white head in a tiny tight circle of pink skin, but it is hard. I went inside and squeezed and the white head got a bit bigger but was Hard, really hard, so I got the tweezer out and pulled and pulled and it came and came out further, and kept coming out. Never any pain. It was about 1.5" . It missed every nerve, muscle tissue and bone. It freaked me out. I felt like some animal was living in me. I remembered back to the other needle.

Maybe it's time to wear safety boots in the garden again! Did you end up keeping your croc? I bet after you remove the spike it would have looked just fine.

I put a branch through the sole of a steel toed rubber boot once. Guess it didn't have a steel sole! Didn't hurt myself, fortunately, which was good since I was a long way from my car in the woods.

This sounds more like an "agave growers beware" kind of situation. Regardless, I want all agaves!

Mara, I kind of want to meet the fiendish plant you battled. Snapshot?