Shopping in public in barefeet to me is so cool and defintely casual.I only wear shoes if i am convinced they will make a big deal about it.
When we lived in a remote country area, it was not uncommon to not bother with shoes walking to the local shop. But since living in London, the only time that we walk around barefoot is when visiting Jane's family on the west coast of Ireland. Being 2 miles from the next nearest house, we are unlikely to meet too many people on the road. We can even drive 10 miles to the nearest town without passing another car.
With Sears and JC Penny are hovering near bankruptcy, no one in any of those stores has given me any grief anytime I went there barefoot over the past year or so. Same goes for older shopping malls with a lot of vacancies. There were two in my area and I went there barefoot several times
Until the 1980s, bare feet were common in every mall I ever visited during the summer. Sometimes whole groups of people together and couples barefoot, not to mention shirtless males. And until the 90s barefoot and shirtless (for guys, alas) was the norm in many groceries. It always amuses me reading these people who find these practices so strange in NZ and Australia. I can always tell they must be under about 40 or they wouldn't think anything of it. Hippyphile
Even though malls had "No Shirt, No Shoes" type signs for years--I saw one around 1972, they were completely ignored and it really only started getting enforced in the late 70s. The first time I was kicked out of a mall for being barefoot was 1979. The first store I remember that did not welcome bare footers was Radio Shack. Others didn't seem to care. I think also the obsession with athletic shoes started about the late seventies. Cheap flip flops (remember those squishy things with the cloth straps) also came c. 1978. I bought my first pair at Sears! They came in a plastic mesh bag, like potatoes. At least in some neighborhoods, mostly working class, the shirtless and shoeless phenom continued through the 1990s and was common at groceries, drug stores, fast food places, even hardware stores. Not really sure what caused the change. In my neighborhood in the 70s and 80s, almost everyone (no exaggeration) under 30 was barefoot in the summer. Going shopping, on a trip or visiting friends, you would not have thought of taking shoes. It may be somewhat that more people have air conditioning now. We didn't at the apartment building where I lived, and scanty clothing was common during the hot months. And you wouldn't change just to go somewhere! And just my opinion, there were not as many of the oppressively hot days as now. It really was possible to cross streets or stand in parking lots during the day time without getting burned! Summer seems like it was shorter then too.
it is not uncommon in taiwan to be barefoot. some large departments stores, government buildings, schools and churches will send you away. outside is no problem and small busy stores like 7-Eleven and McDonald's don't hassle you often for being bare foot. most people expect you to remove your footwear if you enter their home. i carry a pair of flip flops in my pocket book if scolded but remove them as soon as out of sight of complainer
