Where Have All The Barefoot Hippies Gone?

I belong to the barefoot in public group on MySpace:


http://groups.myspace.com/barefootlife

One of the members posed a question. Aren't hippies supposed to go barefoot? He attended the grand opening of a big hippie store in NJ this weekend, and of the hundreds of hippies that showed up, him and his son were the only ones who came barefoot. I have noticed this as well, when I am out and about all of the hippies I see are wearing sandals or flip-flops. I feel so all alone being the only one with bare feet. Can someone shed light on this mystery? Where have all the barefoot hippies gone?

 

It's a different time, new age of litigation, new attitudes. It's a real treat to me when I see anyone else barefoot in public. Almost too much of a treat, it's so rare. Of course, turning the question around, I don't see that anyone is "supposed" to do anything, even if it's a thing I'd like to see more of.

Only other thing I can think of is the often discussed divide between those of us who like to be as clean as possible, and those who love the opposite black soles.) They are probably the majority, but I don't know. Flops keep you off the worst of the urban grime, but then they can generate a grime of their own, unfortunately.

 

While I've not been to the US mainland for other than very brief (thankfully) visits for more than 15 years, I do remember that events such as Rainbow Family Gatherings and Grateful Dead concerts would see 50% or more of the crowd barefoot. Perhaps store openings and such attract a different crowd.

I'd be interested, however to hear from someone who's been to a gathering in recent years. Is barefooting still the norm there? I would hope so...

 

"hippies are suposed to..."

be free to wear shoes or not.

we're not all stereo types.

 

I don't see it so much in terms of stereotyping. It's more a matter of hippies' tendency to be open-minded, environmentally aware, self-assured and in touch with our bodies. These positive attributes tend to manifest in a higher proportion of us embracing the manifest benefits of the barefoot lifestyle.

 

Ok- you got my curiosity up.

What are "the manifest benefits of the barefoot lifestyle"?

Personally, I generally wear soleless moccasins.

 

• Medical Benefits
• Aesthetic Benefits
• Practical Benefits

For more great examples, spend a bit of time reading the posts in this forum, or pop over to .NPR for a great new program promoting the barefoot lifestyle

 

I still think it's the fashion industry, mainly the shoe industry, young people today are more in tune with whats fashionable, and lets face it shoes are a big fashion item, i personally won't wear what everyone else wears mainly Reeboks & Nike's, walk around any mall and 90% of people wear these. That's the main reason i won't buy them, because everyone else has them, i like to be different, although i wear flip-flops all the time & that's not too different, but at least you're not wearing clunky shoes & socks.

 

I guess it's no longer chic to go barefoot outside. I remember 15 or so years ago I'd see at least 6 other barefooters with dirty feet in the Village (NYC). I met an ex-gf on the street in the Village. We both loved going barefoot everywhere. At the end of the day you couldn't tell which of us had the blacker feet! Today you'd be lucky to see someone who took off their shoes to walk in the fountain. A sad sign of the times. Even at concerts, street fairs, etc you hardly ever see any barefooters. The Dead shows were great for meeting barefoot hippies with filthy, tough feet. They are gone, both the band and the hippie followers. I couldn't say the last time I saw someone shopping barefoot.

 

street fairs, ren fests, concerts, etc. as another poster stated, years ago you would see a few people barefoot. usually i must look long and hard to find another barefooter. many times i am the only one. it really is sad. i agree, young people are to interested in what's fashionable.

 

Agree, you have to blame it on the shoe industry, it all started with Adidas back in the mid 70's with their waffle print sneaker . Before that time there were only a few popular brands of athletic shoes, such as P.F. Flyers, Keds and Converse. Many of us had basically had two kinds of shoes, your dress shoes for church and school and tennis shoes for gym class. If you didn't want to wear either one, you just went around barefoot. Some years down the road, we now had an athletic shoe made for just about any kind of activity, I mean you just couldn't go jogging in your basketball shoes now could you? Playing tennis in your running shoes? shame on you!

Finally the shoe craze made it to sandals. Someone got the idea of placing velcro straps on a pair of flip flops. Soon just about everyone had to have these new fangled sandals, and flip flops followed soon after. The popular of sandals has killed the barefooting, as people think why should I go barefoot when I have all of these flip flops and sandals to choose from.

There ya have it!

 

Interesting coming upon this thread. I had forgotten about barefootin in the '70s. I was young, living the alternate (Hippie) lifestyle and often walked the streets of New Orleans barefoot.

Yes, my soles would be black and part of the tops would get grimy in the hot humid, sweaty streets.

However, I did not like having to locate those annoying little slivers of glass that found their way into my soles. The really small ones that could not be seen and had to be searched with my special very pointed tweezers.

May be the reason I like something on my soles.

 

Sorry for the thread resurrection, but I am equally disappointed in not being able to find very many people going barefoot around campus or around town. And I live in a listed "hippie town", Lawrence, KS.

Since I have a really laid-back summer, I sit around and "people watch" outside, and I walk around campus - all barefoot. Just seeing barefoot people is a rare sight - some days I don't see any, and other times, just one (other than myself). I haven't had a day where I've seen two people going barefoot (not counting myself). Maybe I'm just not out enough, but most likely, it's a rare sight. I think I'll try to get some sleep early tonight and go to campus in the morning - maybe all the summer classes are held fairly early.

Flip-flops, in their various forms, are just too popular now - no one wants to go barefoot anymore

 

I don't wear shoes!

 

i wasted years waiting for the barefoot thing to come into fashion. people is more likely to get a set of piercing rings around their assholes than shedding those damned shoes. and guess why? because by means of *adding* something they show they paid good money for that, even if it's a golden artichoke in their ass they can use it to build up their trembling ego. in brief it's a status-symbol of some sort. on the other side going barefoot you do the opposite operation, you *have something less* which cant be tolerated in the society of greed and money. plus you must have self confidence and a strong ego to stand the reactions of bystanders and since the vast majority of the people around is made up of common cowards and philistines we are not going to spot barefoot people around unless they get so poor that they cant afford shoes. I hope for this to happen soon.

The only "barefoot hippies" i've seen around in my life date back to the 80s.

 

last gathering i was at there were a few barefooters around other than myself but i recall being constantly cautioned against it

 

hi im a barefooter since last year i would like to meet people who rejects shoes,my mail is crome_232@hotmail.com
thanks

 

I only wear shoes when the environment calls for it. I mean, it'd be rather tenacious (stupid) to go barefoot in a place where their glass all over the ground, eh? Fuck that.

 

I am right here.

 

Yes, is so natural that to many people dismay from pollution, especial on dirty asphalt, near to container for waste, even in forests and along rivers.
Specially me, from strange and disguised looks of "they" other !

But risk from forest walk is acceptable, when path is animal build et