Comments when going barefoot

Thinking it back over, what I usually do is something like a thumbsup, with a happy smile to go with it, not much for words. Once it worked favorably. A guy in a bike shop in Bar Harbor repaired bikes barefoot, apparently with the approval of the shop owner. He was easy to talk with, and I saw him several times in other places, including on one of the island boats. As I always mention, my love of shorts in all seasons gives me lots of practice. Only difference is, I've never (Yet) seen a NO SHORTS sign, so no one ever questions that part. It's more of a "you're crazy" or "how do you do it?" thing. I notice some ikky stares, but I also notice some wonderful "checking out" stares. Fellow shorts wearers are often uncommunicative, but I do connect with some.

Bfrank's valid point is that it shouldnt' be so special to find others like ourselves; it should be normal. It's too bad that it isn't, and my compulsion is to connect. But I get the point. That's like me being on a hiking trail and feeling I have to connect with all fellow hikers. We're a minority, but not when we're on the trail.

 

I'm astonished that a young woman like yourself would get the kind of negative comments you receive. Our culture puts up with barefootedness more with women your age than with anyone else. I can sort of see why, being an older guy, but sort of not. My big thing (everyone here is probably tired of me saying this) is to remove the gross-out factor and try to be as clean as possible. I doubt my feet look as nice as yours, but they look a hell of a lot better than most my age! And cleaner than most at any age. If people STILL object, then it's something else they're scronked up about.

Also, maybe your psych instructor enjoyed seeing them. Why not? Doesn't necessarily mean she's lesbian, though she might be---it's something I enjoy seeing, anyway.

 

Another thing you can tell them, because it's true, is that it's shoes that will give your friends a fungus, not going barefoot. Quite the reverse of what they think. Turn it around on them.

 

I get loads of comments -while it's rare for people to be offended or grossed out by bare feet here in the Netherlands, and 'no shoes, no shirts, no service' signs are non-existent, people do ask loads of questions. I get 'aren't your feet cold' or 'did you forget your shoes' very, very often. I just give a brief, one-line answer like 'no, they're fine'/'If I were cold I'd wear shoes' or 'I never wear any'/'I don't need any'... that usually does it, no more needed... I get a little tired of the comments sometimes even though they're not negative, but on the other hand reading about all the negativity in the US I guess it could be worse...

 

You don't know how lucky you are. Well, actually, I suppose you do know. I don't know what's happened to us here in the US. We still call ourselves the freest nation on earth. Some ways, maybe yes. But there are these flaws. I always cite the "control freaks" idea. But why do we have so many of them? They would enforce things very nicely whether there were laws against barefooting or not. Damn it I hate this part about us. Worse, the real conservatives have a thing about anklets and toe rings and even sandals. Apparently foot binding is the "right" way. I give up.

 

I am of the firm belief that this is just another symptom of the larger problem of unreason and intolerance pervading our country as a result of certain ideologies becoming ingrained in our culture. Ignorance seems more and more prevalent every day, and those people who are not hardcore one way or the other and might actually fight for our cause are too busy or too distracted to care. This sort of environment encourages apathy among the general public, but it also empowers certain people to feel that they are entitled to tell everyone else how to live. In many ways we're going backwards. However I have hope for things to change: the Internet.

Maybe it's cliche to think of it in these terms, but I truly do have hope that this technology truly will live up to its potential to use the spread of knowledge to kill that apathy and ignorance, or at the very least, allow those of us who DO care to find each other and in that way, be supported in our attempts. So Cool Spruce, don't give up - We need you!

 

I guess I'll never give up. I just get discouraged. We have people in this forum who tell us there is no problem in their very civilied lands. There is progress, but I wonder whether it's the one foot forward, two steps back. While it's not totally barefoot, I see the flops phenomenon, for BOTH genders, as an increasingly widespread and multi seasonal thing, and shorts, while they are now much longer on boys and young men than I remember in my youth, at least their acceptance has spread to all, (well, most) walks of life, unlike when I was younger, and is also multi seasonal. I love that. Even in the winter, even in a place like where I live.

But somehow, with all this loosening up, really bare footedness elicits the worst intolerance I've personally tasted. Even anger, disgust and rage sometimes. It's like fighting the long hair stigma again. Ugh. I've been through some of this before.

 

Wow I really dug how positive you kept things !!!
Well said !!