I once saw a very detailed article on what to do if under threat of lightning. Here is what I recall:
(1) Get away from high ground. (Duh.)
(2) Get away from trees. (Duh.)
(3) Do not go for low, low ground or any ditch. A very small local high piece of ground in a general lowish ground is good.
(4) Do not lie down.
(5) Squat down.
(6) Put your heels together and spread the balls of your feet apart.
The latter non-obvious, points is because a strike will cause enormous local current near the ground in the immediate vicinity. Yes, the discharge wants to neutralize against ground, but the ground itself is not a good enough conductor to necessarily dissipate the full charge quickly. The discharge will therefore fly along the ground"as best it can.
What you want to do is avoid letting the powerful surface currents run right through your heart or head. Lying down is therefore bad. Putting your heels together might short circuit a current flow along the ground, while away from your torso. Being on a very smallish hill increases the chance that you can ride above the worst of near strike. A ditch or other low point puts your head and torso exactly where you do not want to be.
In a true emergency, like if your hairs are already standing on end, sounds like all of the above should be discarded, with the exception of 5 and 6 - squat down, heels together, balls of feet apart.
Unless you could jump and roll away from the tree or something.
(1) Get away from high ground. (Duh.) (2) Get away from trees. (Duh.) (3) Do not go for low, low ground or any ditch. A very small local high piece of ground in a general lowish ground is good. (4) Do not lie down. (5) Squat down. (6) Put your heels together and spread the balls of your feet apart.
The latter non-obvious, points is because a strike will cause enormous local current near the ground in the immediate vicinity. Yes, the discharge wants to neutralize against ground, but the ground itself is not a good enough conductor to necessarily dissipate the full charge quickly. The discharge will therefore fly along the ground"as best it can.
What you want to do is avoid letting the powerful surface currents run right through your heart or head. Lying down is therefore bad. Putting your heels together might short circuit a current flow along the ground, while away from your torso. Being on a very smallish hill increases the chance that you can ride above the worst of near strike. A ditch or other low point puts your head and torso exactly where you do not want to be.
And, yes, your shoes are irrelevant.