Foothold on the Future

There are teachings in tea leaves, foretelling in fortune cookies, signals in the wrinkles of hands. But for some in Silver Lake, there’s no better barometer of things to come than a twirling podiatrist’s sign at the corner of Benton Way and Sunset Boulevard.

Known locally as “Happy Foot, Sad Foot,” the sign is a back-lit rectangle that rotates above a podiatry office called the Foot Clinic. On one side, a cartoon foot grins while raising a tiny fist in triumph. On the other side, the foot grimaces as it hobbles on a flimsy crutch.

Some swear by the sign’s prognostic power. It all depends on which side you see first. If you first glimpse happy foot, you’re guaranteed good fortune, or at least a passing rush of reassurance. But if you first see sad foot, watch out. The fates, or at least the feet, are aligned against you.

According to Dr. Barry Richman, the original clinic owner who based the design on a patient’s sketch, the sign’s only power is attracting customers.

“People can make up any kind of craziness they want,” Richman says, “but I did it just for fun.”