Eating a shoe off a bathroom floor isn’t safe—it's a recipe for serious illness due to bacteria, fungi, and whatever else might be on either the shoe or the floor. But if this is a joke or you're playing along for dramatic effect, here's a safe and humorous way to “honor” the bet without risking your health:
1. Clarify the Terms
If the bet was figurative or made in the heat of the moment, you can reinterpret “eating a shoe” creatively:
Cake shaped like a shoe – Tastes better and honors the spirit of the bet.
Chocolate shoe – Available online or can be custom made.
Edible shoe made from jerky or fruit leather – DIY and hilarious.
2. If It Must Be a Real Shoe (Still Not Recommended)
If your pride demands you "go through with it" but you're not looking to end up in the hospital:
Thoroughly clean the shoe – Scrub it, disinfect it, maybe even boil it (if it's leather, this may create a gelatin-like mass, which is how some old survival recipes worked—like in the Werner Herzog film Fitzcarraldo or the Chaplin gag in The Gold Rush).
Wrap the bottom in something edible – Rice paper, nori, or something to avoid ingesting whatever's been on the sole.
Don’t actually eat it – Chew and spit, or nibble symbolically, then call it done.
3. Prepare Physically (Just in Case)
Probiotics before and after – To help your stomach handle the microbial war you're unleashing.
Activated charcoal – Sometimes used to absorb toxins (consult a medical professional first).
Have a trash can and lots of water nearby.