I’m living in India – it’s almost six years now that I’ve left Europe for good – and I’m used to a life on bare soles: I haven’t worn shoes since December 2000 (with a few exceptions!) and I don’t think I’ll EVER imprison my feet again! Summertime in India means: HEAT! Scorching heat… Come in April, May or June and you’ll realize what it means if the mercury crosses the 45° C mark! But if you’re visiting Delhi and North India in December or January, you’ll be surprised how chilly it gets: 0° C aren’t really exceptional! These are the conditions my bare feet have to cope with! Hot tarmac in June, chilly mornings in January… Plus: Sharp-edged gravel, thorny weed, little pieces of glass… Rock-climbing, day-long hikes in the Himalayas (I’m travelling A LOT!)… I’m not surprised that my soles toughened over the years – it’s the natural result of a barefoot life in India! But I AM surprised HOW tough they actually got! Three weeks ago – and six years after my arrival in India: I’m leaving for my annual monsoon-trip to Europe. A 1-day stopover in Oman enables me to explore Muscat on bare soles – which is quite a challenge (black tarmac everywhere, the heat…)! It’s only in the evening that I find some time to examine my soles: They are ULTRA-TOUGH! I’ve taken a few pics, and I attach one: That’s the result of six years on Indian roads… Cool, right? Tell me what you think! If you want to read more about me and my life on bare soles or if you’re looking for other like-minded souls, check my Yahoo-Group “The Barefoot Traveller’s Tepee”! More than 700 members from different corners of the world, the largest online-collection of barefoot-links and a huge photo-section are waiting for you! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/barefoottravelling/
Awesome man. among the very toughest I"ve seen. Your years on the road and elsewhere have let you develope the kind of sole pads that can take you through anything. It would be a great time hiking with you. What kind of advice can you share? for those of us trying to achive this level of strength?
