The Beginning

So how did all of you barefooters get into barefooting?
I never used to be barefoot at all until I was about 15. I even slept with socks on until then. Then when I was about 17, I started to be barefoot all around the house. I enjoyed the feel of it, and all of the sensations. Recently, this whole summer, I have gone barefoot as much as possible. Almost everywhere. the only place I have worn any type of footwear has been to work, and to fine dining restaurants.
What made you start barefooting, and what are the reasons you do it?

 

Good topic, for many years I thought I was all alone on this one, but it's nice to know I'm in good company.

I was a closet barefooter for many years, wanted to go barefoot but was just too embarrased for anyone to see my feet. Going barefoot was limited to my bedroom and if I was in the adventurous mood, skipping the shoes and walking the dog around the neighborhood....at night. Way back in the fifth grade, I forgot to wear tennis shoes for the first day of gym class. In spite of that, I was supposed to remove my shoes and socks, but lucky for me I somehow got away with keeping my shoes on. I would have been mortified for the girls to see my feet and toes! Speaking of which, I recall some girls wearing open toed shoes to school, I always thought to myself, aren't they embarrassed exposing their feet like that?

Anyhoo, at 15 I started dating, as it turned out, my first girlfriend loved to go barefoot. When going over to her house, she always insisted that I removed my shoes at the door, sometimes she answered the door barefoot, that's when I felt a little anxious. One time I made the mistake of going over to her place wearing my high top sneakers without any socks. Sitting outside on the grass, barefoot as she was, seeing that I wasn't wearing socks, she yanked off the shoes and had me go barefoot too.

Over time and getting some encouragement to go barefoot, it got easier the more I did it. Some time later I lived next door to a woman 20 years older than me who often went barefoot. Though she never suggested I do the same, seeing her barefoot during every Ohio summer was enough for me to follow her as an example and just do it!

 

I loved going barefoot as a kid...

I loved going outside barefoot and my parents pretty much let me do it. If we went anywhere I put shoes on...but we didn't go out of our little world often. I'd wear shoes to school, but would take them off while sitting at my desk.

I have very wide feet, always have, so shoes were uncomfortable. It is just this summer that I really started going barefoot ALL THE TIME. I just kinda figured...why the heck am I wearing shoes? What's the point? So I just stopped.

 

sadly....i was born with out shoes ...it just seamed to start from there

 

I've always gone barefoot .. I dunno it's prolly because I grew up in the south and me and my friends went barefoot all summer and lost the shoes as soon as school let out.

 

It has been building up slowly all my life. I've gotten better at this as I've gotten older. What's happened in recent years is daring to be bare in more and more public places, simply because I can't believe it's all right for them to tell us what we will do or wear, and also because most places feel good underfoot. What I've done for many years is extend the season at both spring and fall with sandals. This prolongs the time till the inevitable (hard winter) when I must work outside and take care of myself.

 

When I was little, and pretty much all my life I loved running around barefoot.

When we'd go to WV to visit cousins in the middle of nowhere, me and my cousins would run around the woods barefoot.

I started going EVERYWHERE barefoot at the end of spring. But now it's getting cold.. my toes are freezing. So I'm gonna have to whip out the slip-ons soon.

 

Pritty much all my life i have been running around barefoot.. and when my family would take me to mcdonalds or something i would take my shoes off in the car.. hahah rebellious kid i sure was.. haha

 

As a kid I'd always like running thru the grass barefoot but I didn't really start getting into going barefoot until the beginning of this summer. I took a belly dancing class and always went to class barefoot and then I'd drive home barefoot. Now on occasion I'll walk around campus barefoot and I think it's alot of fun.

 

i was always barefoot as a lil one haha. but now not as much. idk why. i love going barefoot and i should do it more often. But i just wear shoes when i go places, like stores or school or somehtin.. other than that i dont wear shoes that often. in winter i wear shoes cuz my feet get cold, and i wear socks... i hate when my feet are cold. haha but thats ok.

 

Thanx for the replies.
It's always nice to know why people are into doing certain things.

I really wish I could go on a consecutive barefoot lifestyle, and try it out.
The only major thing that gets in my way is my job. I have to at least wear flip flops most of the time. I finally asked if I could work barefoot, and they said due to insurance policies, No. It's not sooo bad though, because I usually have the flops off during work, but I put them on when I am wandering around the building.

Other than work, there are a few restaurants that I can't get away with going in barefoot, but I could give those up. My job on the other hand, I can't. I mean I could if I really wanted to, and try to find a place that permits bare feet on the job, or I could try to work from home, but I love my job too much to leave.

But if it wasn't for that, I would love to see how much, and how long I could go completely bare. I haven't tried it in extremely cold weather yet, but I don't think it would bother me. Last few winters when I go outside for something at home, I did it barefoot, and it was a little intense, but I think I could handle it out and about.

Any of you gone a good length of time consecutively barefoot?

 

had a room mate when i was about 19-he went barefoot most places and always around the house-until then i'd wore socks all the time inside, and never bf outside-but i had a sorta crush on him so started barefooting like him, but only inside-took me a few more years to brave the great outdoors

 

Maybe you could ask them if there was a way you could sign something to releive them of any liability if you get hurt and then you could get around their insurance policy. If you agree that you wouldnt sue them if you got hurt then they have nothing to worry about. I doubt youd get hurt anyways and even if someone could try to sue them for somethin stupid like that it probably wouldnt go anywhere so even with their insurance policy I dont think they got anything to worry about.

Usually if you ask someone who works at the place you wanna go barefoot if you can do it, theyll say no. Most likely if you go barefoot anyways they wont say anything to you. Best advice for the future, just dont ask anyone and go barefoot and just see what happens, most likely noone will say anything to you.

If you go barefoot enough in cold weather your feet will toughen up and the cold wont be so bad for them, unless its like freezing temperatures outside.

 

I thought about that, but the problem is that I work for an aluminum manufacturing and engineering company. I do work in the business office, but there are several times I need to go into our warehouse factory to look at stuff, or discuss things with co-workers. We also have a machining shop, and there are lots of little aluminum shavings in some of the hallways on the carpets from when the machinists travel through the building. This is why I keep a pair of sneakers around. If I am running network wire, or fixing a computer in the factory, sometimes I am out there for a few hours at a time.

Trust me, I never ask. I go in, and see what happens. A few places have told me I needed shoes, so I go to my car, and get the flip flops out. I see no point in arguing, and trying to tell someone how to run their business. I could easily quit going to those few restaurants, but I enjoy them, so wearing flip flops from the door to the table, isn't too bad. as soon as I sit down, I take em off anyway.

That's true. I have built up a great level of tollerence, I usually go outside, and stand on my wet lawn for about 15-20 minutes before I go to bed. It keeps me warm all night long. (I have seen an article that explains how that works.) I also believe that if you are out barefoot in cold weather, and your feet are pretty cold, the rest of your body will be warmer than if you were to be wearing shoes. Mainly because the blood flow is a little stronger when your head and feet are cold, and because even if it's really cold, if you are wearing socks and shoes, your feet will perspire. Even if it's very minimal, your socks get damp, and your feet are enclosed in a soggy cold environment without proper airflow, your body absorbs that, and you stay cold as well.
I haven't tried barefooting in snow yet. I have stepped in it for a few minutes, but that was all. We don't get much snow in my area anyway. Just lots of rain.

 

Fangz,

I'm glad you work in a place that at least allows flops. Major improvement over so many other places. I know it isn't quite barefoot, but---anything's better than---

Now, if they'd only allow shorts. That the big one for me. I've fought a long time to earn that freedom. I remember when people used to "tell" me I had to wear long p**** That one ain't gonna fly with me ever.

As for flops into the pesky restaurants, I agree that it is almost good enough, and easier not to ruin things by arguing. It's worth a private discussion behind the scenes with someone in charge, some day, explaining the logic and illogic, reminding them what you told us, that you like their place and you are a regular. I don't know if it will work, but it is worth a try. Still, I know that slipping into flops for those few places won't kill me.

What does kill me is the thing that's bothered me all my life: being TOLD that I have to do something. Makes me insane. And plus, now I'm too old to be told what to do. Not like I ever do anything truly immoral or illegal; that would be different. Being TOLD how to dress simply enrages me. But I keep my fight mostly behind scenes, in person, email, phone, whatever. I've made some progress that way.

 

Amen. As far as barefeet in public places, a lot of the problems stem from society's description of what is right or wrong, whether they are correct or not. Too many stereotypes exist that get in our way, ie. bf are a sign of poverty, bf are a health risk, etc. There are those members of society that are absolutely disgusted at the sight of bf and they have that right, but they don't have the right to make society dictate, based on their belief alone, the actions of others. Noone likes a conflict, which is why many of us are somewhat shy when it comes to entering shops or restaurants barefooted. I've found that smaller towns, particularly down here in the South, are more accepting to an extent. I've walked into our local hardware store all summer with bf and the store owner hasn't said a word. However, the Subway in the same small town boots me back out to my car to put my flops on. Go figure.

As far as restaurants go, what's the difference if you are bf when you enter or wear flops into the place and kick them off under the table?

 

Good question.



I always take my flip flops off under the table in restaurants that don't allow bare feet. I don't see how flip flops are any better or "Healthier" than bare feet.



I have no problems going anywhere in public barefoot; I will go anywhere I can. I got over the shyness a quite while ago.



However, I do respect businesses, and rules. If I need to go somewhere, and they say no bare feet allowed, I see no point in arguing, I will walk back to my car, and put on the flip flops. I keep a pair in both of my cars at all times for cases like these.

Who am I to protest about it? I see no good in fighting with the store manager, or owner about how dumb their rules are. The thing that is important, is that it is their operation, and they set their own rules and regulations. I don't think anyone has a right to dispute over the issue.



Making someone wear shoes is not classifies as cruelty. And what, you're only in the store for a short period of time, it ain't gonna kill you to put something on your feet for that time frame.



I don't really even see a point in trying to reason with someone behind the scenes either. True, in some cases you could possibly make them change their minds, but more so than none, you will lose, and they won't even care.

I don't want to waste my time, or anyone else's on the matter.



It's like if you go to a fancy restaurant where a tie and jacket are required, people don't fuss about going in there, wanting to wear T-Shirts or Shorts etc.

They know the environment, and they deal with it. Bare footers should be the same.



I have seen some bare footers do a great deal of pissing and moaning about not being permitted at some places, and they just ruin it for the rest of us.

Sorry to say, but people do stereotype, and if a bare footer acts all immature, and pisses someone off, unfortunately, they will think that all bare footers are that way, and that's how the discrimination builds up.



If you walk into a store, or any other place of business and they tell you you have to put on shoes or leave, the best thing to do, is say ok, and either leave or put on some shoes. Arguing, or distributing rude comments will get you no where.

 

Since I was a kid I always went barefoot at home.
In the last year, specialy this summer, I went anywhere barefoot just because I felt so good without shoes and i like the feeling of going barefoot. but when
i'm going on a small trip with some friends I wear my sandlas.

going barefoot gives me a great feeling

 

I started going barefoot by accident a few years ago. I spend a cold weekend at the beach in sandals without socks. A sandal strap broke and the rest is history. I found that I could walk in outside temps of 26F. The unexpected snowstorm on the last day introduced me to snowfooting.

 

I respect rules when they are practical and make sense. I dont respect them when people make them because of some personal issue or just because they feel like it. If a business is going to have a rule then it really should have a practical reason for it that makes sense. I dont think they should have a rule if its just some personal vendetta against the customer because they have some personal pet peeve about what the customer does.

Youre the customer, you have every right to let a company know how you feel about the rules if you dont think theyre legitimate. You shouldnt fight with the manager about how "dumb" their rules are necessarily, but just how impractical they are and how they serve no purpose even being there. A manager should not deny a customer service over some simple personal squabble over something that customer is doing. its not worth losing money or a potential customer over something so silly.

The most important thing to remember is that youre the customer there and they exist to provide you a service and serve your needs. Without you they wouldnt make a profit and wouldnt exist very long. They need to learn to be understanding and considerate of your feelings instead of just being self absorbed and only thinking about themselves.

To some people it might be and who are they to decide what is cruelty and what isnt? The point is they have no right to tell you what to do with your own body, you have dominion over that and besides wearing shoes or having a rule requiring you to wear shoes is entirely unecessary and their time would be better spent tending to your needs and not worrying about their own personal stereotypes.

Thats not the point, it doesnt matter how long youre in there. The point is, they have no right to tell you what to do with your body and theres no reason for them to have such a friviolous rule in the first place.

If they know that their rules are having a negative impact on their customers it might make them stop and rethink their policies and make them realize that their rules actually affect some people. If you say nothing to them they will think everyone is happy with their rules and everything is okay, you need to let them know this isnt the case and that if they dont change their rules its entirely possible that more people will find their rules unreasonable and they could lose business and customers as a result of this.

Its not a waste of time to give them your input, thats what they want and what they need.

Some do, I wouldnt want to go to a restaurant and have someone TELL me I need to wear a tie and jacket just to sit down and eat a meal.

Those fancy restaurants many times are for a specific group of people, the places that ban barefooting are for everyone and not everyone is keen on being forced to wear shoes there.

Maybe they just go about it the wrong way. Their voices still need to be heard and people need to realize that their incessant requirement of shoes is totally outrageous and unecessary. I honestly think if making people's day bad for just one day gets us the right to go barefoot freely where we wish then its worth it, sometimes you gotta rustle people's feathers a bit to get what you want. If they would just let us do it in the first place we wouldnt need to resort to such extreme measures. They bring this upon themselves.

If im barefoot and another person next to me who is also barefoot acts immature im not going to let someone label me immature as well, that other person is immature simply because they are immature and it has to do with that individual person and has nothing to do with him being barefoot because he would be immature even if he had shoes on and it has no reflect on how I am because I am far from being immature and I dont need people stereotyping me otherwise.

I would simply say that im just coming in here to buy something and I would say that if me being barefoot is really that much trouble to them that I will simply take my business elsewhere and they will suffer because of it and I would ask them if thats something they want and are willing to receive just to rid themselves of one barefoot customer. I beleive they would rather get the business instead of making a stupid mistake over such a trivial matter.