Goddam! I'm just a guy walking barefoot. WTF! My zipper's zipped. My clothes are all tucked in. I've showered and combed my male-pattern balding head. And I'm very intent on minding my own business, such as it is. Jeez...Just bare feet, peepul!
yeh it's not like we are walking around exposing out privates (boys and girls). Like Astro said its just feet. There are a huge number of self enabled young parents who are very annoying. I've lost count of how many times I've been hit by a stroller or tried to have dinner with a screamer nearby. I was amazed in a place where the parents came in for dinner and brought slices of pizza from another place for their brats. Huh? But my barefeet are annoying?
How do you know they were looking at you, unless you were looking at them?! As far as glancing around goes, people often look down, for navigational purposes, and to cut down on eye-contact. Also, seeing what people are wearing on their feet (or aren't!) is one of the more interesting and varied aspects of this whole business of attire. There's such a variety of shoes out there, and people seem most interested in seeing all the different footwear types/designs people are sporting out in the field, so to speak (UGG boots, Doctor Martens, Brooks trail shoes with BioMoGo mid-soles, to name just three sorts!). Shoes are one of the most varied kinds of apparel you can get. Hail to the useful shoe; a friend and contemporary of man!
I arrived on earth barefoot and always disliked even the thought of breaking in new shoes as a kid. Too painful. If shoes are a friend, who needs enemies? BTW, you might have blundered into the wrong forum. Its stupid, I know, but it happens.
Back-story is that I misapprehended the nature of the forum, but have stuck around to chip in and add a little variety ("Honour thy mistake as a hidden intention" - Brian Eno/Peter Schmidt!). Suffering plantar fasciitis, I ended up swapping regular shoes for zero-drop 'barefoot' minimalist ones. These are, or can be, quite eccentric-looking, so in wearing them I sort of stand on a bridge between you full-on barefoot people, and those who persist with traditional shoes. I get the odd funny look wearing New Balance 110s, with their wide, squashy toe-box, or Vivobarefoot RAs when in a more formal environment (they feel so good, I'll be damned if I'm going to go back to the old designs!), so to an extent I can relate to what some of you go through when in public, defying orthodoxies. I'm not sure how much I've got to contribute, but I think it's got to be a healthier situation to have more encompassing, inclusive and varied group of contributors taking part here, to guard against this wing of the forum becoming too much of a hot-house, purist retreat, consisting only of full-on barefooters. Variety, tolerance, respect for differences within general similarities of outlook and lifestyle. I think this sort of thing will make for better, more alive and vibrant discussion and debate.
Ah....never mind (Gilda Radner). The Doc Martins may have confused me, for I cannot imagine anything that might be more uncomfortable short of dropping an anvil on one's unshod foot. Do play through if you want.
Heh! Doc Martens do take a fair bit of wearing-in, as I remember from school days (put on new ones without a few cushioned plasters on your heels at your peril!). A lot of the new specialist running and trail 'barefoot' shoes, though, are instantly comfortable, and made to be. The NB 110 design had input by barefoot enthusiast and ultra runner Tony Krupicka (long hair, big beard!), who wanted a thin-bottomed, flat running shoe that would basically offer minimum necessary protection, without a lot of cushioning that would get in the way of feeling the floor underfoot (they're designed with an eye to wearing them without socks). You get an excellent 'floor-feel' wearing them, and my foot problems have, by-and-large, cleared up wearing them.
Nuispeds,I've thought it might be a double take. We don't expect bare feet generally in western society. I imagine its a "did I really see that?" stare more often than not (rude folks with nothing better to do excepted, here). Along with misinfo, like all the health department "rules." ( there really are some requirements for closed toe shoes....for employees.) People stare for all sorts of reasons. I try to assume its mere curiosity. Makes me less freaked out.
Being a one legger on crutches I am used to people staring but I do notice some do a double take when they see my bare foot. However, I rarely get any comment.
