My First Barefooting Experience

Hey, everyone - I've never gone barefoot in public, till last weekend... and it felt great. I was coming home from a friend's house, who lives about an hour away from where I do. It was around 1AM, and as I started on my way home I took off my shoes, as I normally do when I drive in nice weather. Half way home I was dying for drink so I pulled up to a 24 hour drug store. I didn't feel like putting on my shoes, so I decided to go in barefoot. As I walked to the store I got a little nervous, but once I was in no one noticed. It felt so liberating that I stopped off at a Seven Eleven for another water. Again no one noticed. Today I had a out of town meeting, and it let our early. I had some time to kill, so I barefooted it through a grocery store. Some people noticed, but no one said anything. On my way home I stopped off at a Food Mart and as the cashier came from the aisle to the register she noticed I was barefoot and jokingly said "hey, where are you shoes?". I told her who needs them, she agreed and then commented how "cute" my feet were. It was a pretty cool day!

 

that's awesome! i love to see how people react, and there's so many more positive reactions than bad ones. i took the ferrie across to vancouver last night, and i was barefoot the whole time. it was also my first time going barefoot in public. but it was so much fun, and there were some sweet people that just loved it. i went out to the beach with bare feet today too, and there were a lot of people. i don't recall getting any dirty looks,haha. it was really sweet, i even went in a few stores and no one even said anything. i was just suprised there weren't more barefooters around, especially at a beach on a warm day...

 

excuse my bluntness but i do not see the point in doing that.

or even, i dont see the point of watching pple's reactions.
im probably being rude or something here, but when i hear pple talking about barefooting, its like if u were telling me, oh im wearing a green beret today, man im so free, i do what i want, lets see what pple are gonna say. whoa what an achievement.
in fact, i dont give a damn if u wear a green beret or walk without shoes on, so i wouldnt even have the idea of staring at u or telling u no to do it. but i dont see whats to be proud of either..?

 

it's just much comfier, that's all man. it just feels better to some people.

 

well Crayola it is the FREEDOM to be able to go barefoot and there IS NO LAW AGAINST IT.

some peoples reactions when seeing me barefoot in a store is worse than if I robbed the place, they have such a hissy fit about ME going barefoot... I mean I'm not telling THEM how to live their lives, I'm NOT forcing them to go barefoot .. I guess it could be summed up in counter-culture.

 

I wasn't doing it to see people's reaction, Crayola. I could care less if people were there or not... actually, my main concern was not to insult anyone. However, I don't think going barefoot is insulting. Personally, I prefer to go barefoot when the weather is warmer but normally do it in my own house or on my own property, so it felt great to do it where I normally wouldn't. The fact that someone complimented me was a bonus. I'm not going to do it for the sake of doing it, but if I don't feel like wearing shoes to the store or whatever, I won't.

 

I guess some people just like having their feet trapped in shoes all day long. Must like the smell as well. Oh, well, personally I like freedom from hot and smelly feet. And, it's good to know there are other people who think the same way. I know I don't post a lot, but I read most and it's very rare to see someone who's an "antibarefooter"

 

Crayola, the problem is that so many *other* people seem to have a problem with barefooters... it's mostly a US thing, I've never gone barefoot in France but in other European countries I've not had much comment on my barefooting, especially not from people in authority. Then it is no big deal indeed. However in the US it's very common to get negative comments, there are many stores that don't allow barefooters, often based on non-existing Health Department rules against bare feet, there also is a persistant myth that it is illegal to drive without shoes... so faced with all that opposition, it automatically feels as a bit of an accomplishment to go barefoot to stores or restaurants and such, and to feel far more apprehensive about comment.

 

If people have a problem with bare feet its their problem not mine and I accept whatever consequences I receive as a result of going barefoot. So I mean I dunno what people are so worried about. They should just live and let live.

 

Right on, I glad you have a wonderful experience. Society's bull shit rules, which have no foundation in fact have created the perception that it is necessary to wear shoes. Welcome to the wonderful world of barefooting.

 

Hey, I'm in Vancouver too! well, Richmond, actually, but close enough.
Where did you walk barefoot in Vancouver? Did you go downtown?

 

Today I had a bunch of errands to run, so I got up early and didn't bother putting on shoes (I brought a pair of flip-flops in case I felt the need to wear shoes). I started out by going to the bank and dropping off a video. However, my 3rd stop was grocery shopping and I was a little weary, but I decided to just do what I felt... and when I got there I decided to stay barefoot. I shopped for an hour or so and I don't think anyone noticed. My next stop was to Best Buy to pick up a few CD's I've been wanting to get. I walked in and the first thing I saw were two barefoot girls looking at cell phones, so that made me feel much more comfortable. I ended my errands with a trip to Home Depot, which I did wear flip-flops into. As much as I enjoy barefooting it, there are certain places and times where it's not appropriate (like Home Depot or a public restroom). On my way home I stopped off at a quickie mart and got a drink. Again, when I walked in there was a barefoot girl at the counter. I didn't realize how many people go barefoot until I started doing it.

 

Hi, well i am new here but thought this would be a good place to add my first post here. when i was growing up, it was common to see most younger people (typically girls) barefoot in public. what made me think this was something different is unlike a fashion where the fabric or color may vary but something is still being worn, being barefoot is a functional difference. being barefoot is not like having on boots vs. flip flops vs. penny loafers -- in each of these cases, the foot is still wearing something so they each represent variations on shoe fashion. in contrast, being barefoot is not like wearing a different color hat (or even no hat) because there is nothing between the person and what they are walking on (duh! i know seems obvious) but that is THE key difference. even wearing flip flops is not being virtually barefoot b/c the foot is still insulated from the ground (Mother Earth) preventing an entire sense (touch) from sensing the ground underfoot. so being barefoot is not a fashion, it is a function difference which can be a fashion, political statement, etc. but results not just in a different look but a different experience vs. wearing any kind of footwear. it takes some courage to be barefoot in public (at least it was for me) b/c of the social taboos against it, tender feet at first may feel more pain then pleasure (which goes away in a cpl of weeks after the soles have 'leathered up') to the point that being barefoot is almost like wearing moccasins. the foot has a callus to protect it from most pain and danger (up to a point) but still allows one to feel the wonderful sensations under foot. enough said, hope i added something useful. happy barefooting!