Now here's a topic that will cause a debate - well it certainly did when I mentioned it on SBL. Shoes with no soles. I have a couple of pairs of trainers / pumps which I have cut the soles out of. From a glance they look like ordinary shoes but my soles are totally bare to the ground. I love being barefoot as much as possible but there are times when you have to have footwear and I find that my barefoot shoes are great for getting into places that would refuse me if I was barefoot. Anyone else have barefoot shoes or any comments on them?
I use barefoot sandals (just ties over the top of the foot to suggest that there is a pad attached under the sole. 'Course, one ain't. Barefootin' into stores will usually rile one fukkin busybody, so BF sandals do tend to minimize that. Not all places all the time, but enuff places I go routinely that I "never leave home without it" (God bless you, Karl Malden).
This idea reminds me of doing the same when I was in my early teens and too shy to go openly barefoot, and that was way back when people DID go barefoot sometimes! I modified at least two pairs of plimsolls in this way but they weren't a success: it was actually embarrassingly obvious what I had done, besides being virtually impossible to keep them on. I remember one day discovering my mum had found them and thrown them out. Goodness knows what she thought, she never said anything!
I have a pair of converse I cut the soles out of, for going places where barefeet are banned, such as bumper car/dodgem rides and Disneyland. Then I have barefoot sandals with straps over the tops of feet looking like sandals. No soles on either. Can fool many people
If you cut the soles out carefully leaving a small bit at the toe end just enough for your big toe and second toe to "grip" this will keep the shoe on your foot and prevent you tripping up. Also if you leave a tie bar across the narrowest part of the sole this will keep the shoes shape( soft canvas shoes lose their shape when the sole is cut out and look wide). Alternatively instead of a tie bar you could put a strengthener around the profile of the upper (under the tongue). Like I said I prefer barefoot but when needs must I wear these. I have used them for quite a few years and nobody has noticed.
I'm curious about where you need these? I'm a fellow UK barefooter, mostly 24/7 except for the odd occasion, I've not had any problems anywhere. I've travelled all over the UK and no issues. Sure I've had the odd Supermarket ask me to be careful, Health & safety etc etc. But I've never been refused, abused or throw out of anywhere.
You're lucky, Madesh. Most supermarkets around here will now throw you out (used to be just Tesco, now they're all at it) I have been barefoot on the dodgems, though...was expecting a comment but didn't get one
I'm having trouble visualizing this. Are you leaving a bit of sole for toes and heel? How thick are the soles? I'd think sway backing your feet would be tough on your plantar fascia. (As are heels, for that matter, arching it.)
I went barefoot on the dodgems/bumper cars 2 weeks ago. Instant black soles due to the graphite on the floors.
The soles are completely cut out apart from a small area at the toe end. This is so that the tip of the big toe stops the shoe from flipping up when walking. the thickness of the sole at the tip is only about 1/16" thick so as not to chaff the toe. In all 99% of my soles are bare to the ground only the tips of my big toes are "covered". They are basically foot covers as I walk in them as I would totally barefoot. I will post pictures when I can work out how to upload them from my phone - can't get it to work!
