Are Barefooters Hard Wired to go Barefoot?

Why is it that some of us prefer going barefoot than wearing shoes? And I don’t mean because of how great it feels or for various health reasons. All of those benefits are available to anybody who tries going barefoot for a while.

Yet only a small percentage of the populace decides to not wear shoes or any foot coverings. None of my family or friends goes barefoot. And for sake of argument, let’s put into the mix that we are talking about going barefoot in public. I do assume family and friends go barefoot in the shower, at least.

I go barefoot everywhere and don’t give it a second thought. It’s not unusual to me nor something I consider special. What would be unusual is if I went grocery shopping wearing shoes.

So it occurred to me that "barefoot people" must have different thoughts both consciously and subconsciously. So for now I will just go with the theory that some of us are hardwired to go barefoot, while most are not.

 

Perhaps we are simply more adventurous to begin with?

 

Interesting thoughts. I think my tendency was developed when I stayed with another family for an extended period when I was about 6. Happened to be during the summer, and the teen girl in the family loved to be barefoot. I really liked her, and I think it started then.

 

I think you are into something here as ever since I can remember I have always preferred my feet to be bare. Walking around barefoot in public just feels natural and normal for me.

 

I've always liked feet as long as I can remember. As with some others here it also stated with me seeing others especially girls going barefoot. It's such a wonderful feeling, I'm glad it never dulls my senses.

 

You hit it out of the ballpark with that comment. For example it is totally natural and normal for me to grocery shop barefoot. The last time I wore shoes in a supermarket I felt rushed, and irritated. When I shop barefoot I am relaxed and tend to take my time.

Why is it natural and normal to us but the vast majority of the population will never go barefoot in public.

 

I wouldn't say this is the gospel truth. I'm barefoot now, but 20 years ago it would've been nigh impossible for me to even consider. Then I converted to bare feet about 15 years ago. So what does it make of this theory? Things change, circumstances change. And along those, preferences and attitudes.

 

I think lots care about what others will think. I still struggle with this sometimes, but less and less so.

The health benefits are underrated. A family member is a natural healer, they have many times simply advised clients to just take off their shoes and socks for a while during the day (amongst other things), many of them are older and from a different generation where they were of the mindset you have to wear something on your feet, even at home. Some of the success stories are quite remarkable. I have forgotten, I will have to ask them to share with me again.

I for one don’t get back pain anymore. If I do it’s from something obvious like working on a car for a whole day, or moving house. The day to day niggling back pain is gone!

 

It’s social convention - most people do what everyone else does and part of that is wearing shoes. They simply don’t consider that you can go barefoot anywhere - the mindset is if you go outside you must wear a shoe. We must be willing to question some social conventions and be quite brave to go against the flow.

I see far less barefooters now than about 10 years ago though. I remember seeing 3 in one spring day back in 2011, two women in woodland and another shopping in Tesco, and this was midland Britain. I remember seeing a barefoot guy shopping in town with his family that year too, looked totally chilled. Saw plenty of others around too, but also walked past two girls walking a couple of miles into town barefoot a year later. They didn’t have shoes at all and saw them walking back later. I just don’t see that anymore, the last time I saw another barefooter in a shop was years ago. Something has changed in the last decade for sure

 

I have been following forums, chats and websites devoted to barefoot living for 25 years. Despite all the optimism thru the years, it has never come back to anything like the level up to say, around the early '90s.

 

I second that. Back pain, knee pain and hip pain have gone away since I started living barefoot four years ago.