The yinrih's hatred for footwear truly knows no bounds. Hot pavement? Make concrete with a very high albedo so it doesn't absorb heat from the sun, or plant shade trees along walking paths to prevent the sun from shining on the path altogether. And what about Hearthside's Nightless Desert? Hearthsiders smear an insulating wax on their palms to keep the sand from burning their paws. Luckily, only Hearthside, Sweetwater, and Yih are close enough to Focus for this to be a problem. No amount of terraforming will make Focus any brighter on Newhome and beyond.

Why do yinrih hate wearing shoes? They rely much more heavily on tactile information than humans, and covering the paws is akin to wearing a blindfold. People who have to cover their paws for extended periods, such as soldiers and law enforcement wearing powered armor, must become accustomed to the loss of tactile sensation that come with wearing paw gauntlets.

The only time yinrih do wear paw coverings is when hygiene is a concern, when their's risk of lasting injury (heavy objects crushing the digits, etc), or when the paw coverings would enhance mobility, such as force projectors allowing the climbing of smooth vertical surfaces.

When paw coverings are worn, the claws may be accommodated in a number of ways. The ends of the digits may simply be left open to allow the claws to stick out, or there may be metal or plastic claw covers. Some are blunt while others mimic the shape of the claws, preserving some of their functionality. There may be a removable cap on the writing claw to allow the wearer to write while shod.

In addition to force projectors on the digits and palms, paw gauntlets have control rings on each gauntlet. These are located on the digits next to the inner and outer thumbs. The two thumbs can perform a few simple gestures, like taps and directional flicks, to actuate suit functions. Both the forepaws and rear paws possess control rings, giving a total of eight.