Lately, I've been pondering the idea of walking barefoot in urban environments. Now that I've found The Hip Forums, I finally have a platform to pose this question.)
I walk all the time barefoot where I live and when I go the the stores and restaurants and seeing movies it’s all in the urban environment even when I go to see my doctor I’m barefoot I never wear shoes I’m barefoot all year around it’s a great lifestyle
Walked around NYC barefoot years ago. People looked at me like I was nuts but it was amazing. My feet got so dirty you'd have thought I painted them black.
My doctor tells me that going barefoot is really healthy and he tells me to keep it up and he says being barefoot is really healthy for your feet shoes hurt your feet and give people foot problems that are really bad . And everybody in the office are good with me being barefoot I get a lot of compliments on my bare feet and toes
Yes! I think that there is something pretty special about walking barefoot in city centres. I have done it in most Australian city's, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns and of course my hometown of Perth. I find the variety of surfaces in city centres are a constant sensory overload. From the gritty sidewalks to smooth polished arcade floors to the different textures of pedestrian malls. It's all so good. And of course expect your soles to get black as coal!
Have stated recently to walk barefoot in city centers of place where I do not live. Much earlier to build confidence to walk barefoot in places where nobody knows you. Currently still the winter season but not so cold any longer.
I must confess my public barefooting has been done where I am not known as well. But known or not I walked barefoot in public.
I also largely go barefoot where I am not known and in a few weeks I have a 3 day mini-break in Nice, France without my family. I am planning to leave the airport barefoot and not put any footwear on until I am queuing for the return flight. That will allow for new experiences like barefoot supermarket shopping and train and tram travel.
Go for it, being barefoot feels much better, not as good as walking in nature though. If you have issues with confidence I recommend starting somewhere where you don't know anybody. If you go on holiday try to do it barefoot if you are alone or with people you feel comfortable around
City center? No we have discarded needle issues. And less folks abide by the pick up your (dogs?) poop. sole covers are wise. the parks are a watch where you walk game. The tiny parks are better than larger (see needles/poop), and the grass is more resilient there. suburban zones? Mostly fine, and you can make time if you need.
Footwear was invented out of a practical needs. I haven’t thrown away my shoes, I use them when I need to and want to wear them. I avoid big cities barefoot or with shoes. I much prefer grass and hiking trails.
I have just completed my 3 days of walking barefoot in the south of France. I visited 3 cities barefoot, Nice, Antibes and Cannes, all barefoot and without taking any backup footwear with me. There was a wide variety of different surfaces, mostly pleasant, but with some challenging gravel! My feet went largely unnoticed, but when they were noticed no one seemed to give a damn. I was a bit wary of going through the monitored barriers at the stations, but either they did not notice or did not care. My brief trip to a medium sized supermarket was accomplished, but I definitely got the impression that the security guard would not have allowed me in by his expression when I left. Overall a very positive experience.
