my mom always had us put on our sneakers inside the house during thunderstorms. Some say it’s an old wives tale...
It's an old wives tale. This woman's flip flops did nothing for her IMHO; you'll note she was still shocked. Lightning has too much power behind it to be bothered by a thin layer of rubber; after all it's already traveled through thousands of feet (sometimes several miles) of insulation (air) before it hits ground.
Of course it is!
Many people think that a car is such a safe place to be because of the big rubber tires. In fact, that's not true.
It's true that a car is a safe place to be in a thunderstorm, but the tires have nothing to do with it.
The steel structure of the car acts as a "Faraday Cage" and the lightning does not hurt those inside the car.
Don't get struck in a convertible.
There was a case a few years ago where some people were struck by lightning while driving in a pickup truck. The people in the cab were fine, those in the back were all killed.
Tires don't help.