I wonder if any barefoot people ever carved out an empire for themselves? I can't think off hand of any likely candidates.
I think shoe naysayers would have great difficulties in undertaking such a thing, because of being overly mindful of stepping on acorns and suchlike, whenever autumn swung around, and becoming fatally distracted for a moment as a result (that's the sweet thing about autumn: it's by far the best season for prospective empire builders - of the sandal or shoe-wearing type, at any rate - to get started on the job of carving an empire out, or so I'm led to believe). Acorns are to aspiring shoeless empire carver-outers as mice are to elephants, or peas hidden in bedding are to would-be-slumbering princesses.
tribulus terrestris is still the greatest fiend. oh, btw these forums are mighty broken too. The font in the editor is so small i hardly can read anything of what i'm typig.