First barefoot walk...

Well, after seventeen years of being in hot yucky shoes, I was walking home from school, through a subdivision, finally said "fuck this shit", and took them home and walked home barefoot. I passed many people, who didn't look twice. The sidewalk was warm, and felt very nice. So after that, I decided to barefoot hike the forest trail behind my house. What an experience... different feeling every time I took a step, mud, gravel, grass, cool creek, flat rock. It was wonderful. I finally got home, and then suddenly realized "Ow. My feet hurt like a bitch." I guess I need to go with baby steps first. My feet hurt for a few days, but once they feel better I'm going to try this barefoot walking thing again. And now that school's out, I can as much as I want. I must say, Kentucky is excellent for barefooting. Not much glass, except in urban areas, and plenty of soft grass, and wonderful hiking trails. I'm definitely looking forward to my next barefoot excursion, and I hope my feet forgive me for my seventeen years of modesty.

 

Good for you! I too was about 17 when I decided that barefoot is better. People just don't know what they are missing out on. Sometimes you just got to say "ok shoes and socks, off ya go!"

Keep 'em bare

 

I've been in hot yucky shoes for 16 years now, and one day it was really hot so why put on these damn shoes I thought. The walk to the busstop was wonderfull it was a really nice feeling, I felt very free. On the bus everybody was looking at my feet and were going WTF? but I didn't care I just smiled looking at their shoes. At school everybody was looking weird at me and giving comments like bum,etc.. The teachers didn't mind tho but then the principal called me to his office and he wasn't very pleased with me going barefooted. Then I asked him why and after a long pause he said that if I stepped in glass or something he was going to have to pay. So now I can't go barefooted to school anymore.

 

I can't go barefoot in school either, it really sucks. But I've found a way to compensate: I put on flipflops and take them out under my desk. They're on the floor beside my feet if I get a warning. Better than nothing...

 

Can't wear flipflops either, they say it's safety regulations, you can easily trip on the stairs,etc...

 

well take the flipflops off going up/down the stairs. I think it is crazy for schools to be so restrictive.

 

You'll love college. While not as common as it was a few decades ago, there are still a few people on almost every campus who go barefoot a lot.

After finals for one spring quarter, I got up the nerve to throw away my only pair of shoes (they were falling apart) and all of my socks. It was a little strange because for the first time in my life I had to go everywhere barefoot because I didn't have any shoes. Not even sandles. I was barefoot 24/7 for over a month and never got any grief from it, aside from the occational stare.

 

i've never tried going barefoot at school. i've always assumed they would make a deal out of it...but i guess i'll never know if i don't try.

 

Well... I took another walk on Monday. I walked a few streets in my neighborhood. When I got back, my feet rather hurt, and I found that I had a blister on the side of my heel... how does that happen, the sidewalk wasn't that hot, it was in the mid 70s outside. I probably walked too far.

 

Still not used to it maybe? I don't know. One thing to look forward to is the apparent contradiction: as your feet toughen so things don't hurt much any more, so, also, do they sensitize to the feel of different surfaces, textures. It's an amazing ability to "taste" the surfaces thru increased sensitivity, while also getting tougher. I don't know how it works, but it really does.

 

I think I'm just not used to it, and I walked too much. I've ony taken two barefoot walks so far. I'll keep trying to toughen my feet. I think the blister was 'cause my jeans leg was a little too long, and that part of my heel stepped on that the whole time.

 

Well, I had my third walk just now, same place as last time, and no blisters or anything, feels rather nice.

 

And I just finished my fifth walk barefoot, covered a few more streets than the last four. My feet are getting much tougher, and I got my first comment today, although it wasn't very nice.

 

Good progress! You've come a long way already. Keep it up. What sort of comment? Only place it happens to me is in some stores. And only if it's a control freak who can't wait to run and tell the manager. Like 'hall monitors' of schools long ago. (Give a kid or a store employee a little power---)

Outside of stores, I've only ever had one yucky comment. Some park tourist where I work saw me pruning shrubs in the brick arrival garden. She already looked angry about something. Said, "oh noooo---you should have shoes," in a rather unpleasant way ---I said, 'no I shouldn't, and neither should you." She looked even more pissed, and I finally said, "Look, this is a place I work, everyone's fine with it, no one tells me not to. And your foot problems would be better if you weren't in shoes all the time." Of course I really didn't know if she had foot problems, but I took a shot at it and I'm sure I was right. She went silent. I hate things like this, and I'd never take any one on, unless they "start it," or if I see harm being done to park plants, etc. That can get me testy.

Usually it seems like I am either ignored, or sometimes checked out. The checking out part is fun. And sometimes I get compliments, or questions about why the gravel isn't hurting me, how can I take it, and so on. High on my list this spring was a teen aged girl who said "I love your tanned feet." That's very nice, believe me. More often, a nice couple will talk with me about my work, and then they'll remark on how lucky I am to have a job with plants, in a park, and can be barefoot as a bonus. You will get some of this good stuff, too, just wait!

 

Well, I live in a very conservative Christian neigborhood, and being a little different like me (taking barefoot walks at 7 in the morning) isn't "normal", I guess. The guy was like "You should put some tennis shoes on, young man". I don't even have tennis shoes, when I do wear shoes, they're Earth Shoes. I think tennis shoes are the ugliest things that anyone could think up...

 

Interesting. It's condescending, even at my age (on the rare occasion I still hear the words, "young man" it can spell trouble.) Depends on whose saying it and the tone of voice.

Since I live in a cold climate, my shoes for winter normally are some sort of running shoe or the low cuts nowadays being favored for hiking ( instead of the type of hiking boots I knew in my backpacking youth) I just need to avoid frostbite and I have to deal with deep snow sometimes, since I work outside. Tennis shoes, if I got you right, are, indeed, ugly. Also interesting is that hiking sandals have come into favor for us backpacking/hiking types. This was unheard of awhile ago. I'm looking forward to some hiking sandal hiking this summer. How much of those hikes will be done barefoot, we'll see!

As for earth shoes. I've heard about them since the mid-1970s. Know little about them. While this is a barefoot forum, I'm still interested to hear how they are good---especially since I have the Maine winter to deal with.

 

Oric,

Just thought of a short funny story for you. One recent summer while my son and I were riding our mountain bikes on the carriage roads in Acadia Nat'l Park, something we often do---we were low gearing it up a steep section. A woman probably a little older than me said, "you do all this biking barefoot?" She seemed friendly and I was in a good mood, so I called back, "that's not all I do barefoot!" I looked back to see her reaction and was rewarded to see her grinning from ear to ear. It was worth it. You will score some good ones sometimes.

 

Hahaha, yea, I imagine, once I keep going, I'll meet some friendlier people. The one comment hasn't stopped me, I still walk by his house every morning barefoot- he hasn't been outside, so no problems.

 

I do the flip-flops at school, but I sually leave them off and carry them around campus. nobody seems to care. I work retail, so I have to wear shoes, incase secret shoppers come in, and they -have- to be closed toe... Oh well. Barefoot or flip-flops everywhere else.

 

Honey, you have to take those baby barefoot steps first (pun intended). I attended college in the late 70's and early 80's. You will get the "look" but you will be able to attend class barefoot. Trust me, no one will care. Those that give you grief, fuck them. You will encounter many cool and accepting people. Good luck to a future barefooter