I’ve always enjoyed being barefoot, but it’s only recently that I’ve really adopted it as part of my lifestyle. When I was younger, I had bunions on the joint of both my big toes and was always self-conscious about how my feet looked. Awhile back I was having pain in those joints, and a podiatrist surgically straightened my toes. I never realized how bad my feet hurt until the pain was gone. With the correction I am pain-free and no longer self-conscious about my feet. Now I love going out barefoot and making up for lost time! When I venture out barefoot, I’m not trying to prove anything; it’s just that it’s comfortable. Living in the southwestern U.S., people are a bit more casual than in other parts of the country. There are very few signs on businesses indicating footwear is required, and I’ve actually found being barefoot is tolerated or even accepted. I go into groceries, shops, public buildings, etc. very nonchalantly. I’m not self-conscious about being barefoot, and I do nothing to invite a confrontation. If there is going to be a negative interaction, it will be because of someone else’s hang-ups. I do nothing to try to conceal my feet. I’m a professional, always clean, wear shorts and decent t-shirts. My position allows me to work from home quite often. I’m a bit older (50-ish), and I imagine my age and well-kempt appearance helps keep people at bay. I actually believe being barefoot in establishments has resulted in a level of politeness and courtesy that I wouldn’t receive if I was part of the shoe-wearing majority. It suggests a certain honesty and vulnerability. I’ve never had an employee say anything about me being barefoot, but rather have been greeted with smiles and sincere, warm comments (“Thanks for coming in today”!). I’ve only overheard one negative comment, and that was from a customer in a grocery store who didn’t have the nerve to say it to me directly. I turned down an aisle near an older man. He looked pretty old-school, conservative, and had on long-sleeves, long pants, and boots – no way he was showing anything! As I passed, he uttered just loud enough for me to hear, “He’s barefoot” with a tone of disgust. I had no reason to respond, so I just ignored his comment and continued. As far as the whole “dirty sole” thing, I am certainly on-board. I think that before surgery I was envious of people with attractive feet who went barefoot. Their dirty soles showed this was a lifestyle choice they embraced. Now that I’m no longer self-conscious about my feet, I’m almost always barefoot, and my dirty soles make me feel like I’m part of the crowd I used to envy. Personally, I think that many of the shoe-wearing majority are envious that we have the free-spirit to go barefoot in public – they wish they had the resolve to do it. I can’t say I’m militant about being barefoot. If I’m going somewhere where footwear is expected (e.g., nicer restaurants, hardware stores (no nails or staples in my feet, please!), etc.), I willingly put on flip-flops. If it’s more upscale, I have the appropriate closed-toe shoes. No point in inciting a confrontation, and I feel certain settings demand a more formal appearance. I’m also not barefoot in the cold. My bare soles on icy pavement doesn’t sound comfortable! Every year I look forward to the spring thaw and shedding my shoes!
Welcome Straight Toes! I for one applaud your attitude. You say you have only "recently" made barefooting part of your lifestyle. What do you mean by recently?
Colorado. It's may not be considered southwest by some, but it's got a pretty liberal, open-minded acceptance of lifestyles.
us older folks can get way with a bit more purely because we're not so self-conscious about our own skin. dunno about you, but my feet hurt less and my back not at all - period. I still wear shoes from time to time (averaging two days out of seven) and I travel all over the country. I'm amazed how much faster I can walk than the shod folks. Read a passage Re: westerners seeing native hawai'ans for the first time; they were revulsed and nauseaous at the nakedness, the bare feet, and the sunburnt skin. I guess a Victorian would be pretty revulsed at my backyard, then! I can't stand wearing shoes anymore. waay too restrictive. Whose great idea was it, anyway?
I travel a fair amount as well. I can't say I'm as crazy about this job as others - work-wise that is, but working from home is a REAL plus. Shoes aren't my idea. Some seem to think bare feet are disgusting, but the comfort is worth it! As I said in my original post, I've found very few who are openly offended by bare feet, and most react favorably.
Is that true all over the state or just in Boulder? (I've heard about Boulder being a hippie college town, and I've heard that they love the outdoors in Colorado, but that's about all I know about Colorado.)
Yes, Boulder is certainly unique, but despite their efforts, I consider it pretty conservative when compared to the likes of UC-Berkeley! No, I find Colorado in general to be pretty non-judgmental and tolerant, especially along the Front Range.
StraightToes, It sounds like we are very much alike in age and most everything else. Only difference is I try very hard to keep my feet clean, whether it's a "thing" I have or if it's because I want to make sure "the offended" don't have that as a gross out factor to use against us. Another difference is I live in a much colder climate, well, more like the altitudes much higher up than your particular Colorado location! Thus I extend the season as much as I can. And even in somewhat more formal situations here, during the warmer 2/3 of the year, I consider my Chacos or flops to be better than real shoes by a long shot. The 1/3 of the year that is genuinely locked in frigid conditions provides me ample opportunities to get my "shoe fix" needs met. Bleh. I am always happy to hear from others of us in the older group. I've always been a free spirit, but on looking back, with pangs of regret, there is so much more freedom I could have claimed in my youth which I am claiming now! I've always worn shorts, all my life except in deepest winter, and even now I do that too, but I could have liberated my feet longer ago than I did, (which is longer ago than you did.) Yes, it's possible to make up for lost time, and to enjoy the lovely way in which it seems to prolong youth! Go for it!!
I think we're of similar mind. As far as climate, I agree it would be rough to stay barefoot year-round. I've read about people going out in the snow. We've had a few 30-40 inch snows since I moved to Colorado. As much as I despise shoes I don't see myself standing thigh deep with a snow shovel just to maintain the lifestyle! Yeah, I'm making up for lost time. It's a shame it's fall and getting colder; we've still got a few warm days left though. I'm already looking forward to April/May and the warmer weather returning.
I still haven't done the establishment thing yet. I can't imagine there'd be too much fuss, unless I went to an establishment where someone I know works. That would be weird. And I have to chuckle at the old man just saying, "He's barefoot."
For me, going out in public resulted from two things. One is that while I wasn't a constant barefooter years ago, I did do it occasionally. Once I became less self-concious about my feet (see my original post), I put those hang-ups behind me. The other is convenience/comfort. Often I'd be ready to run an errand and had to run upstairs just to get flip-flops. I thought, "this is stupid, why not just go barefoot and see how it goes." Once I realized it was no big deal, I don't even think about it anymore - and it's so comfortable! Further, I've gotten more positive reactions than negative. Perhaps it's just one of the benefits of getting older - you just don't give a rip what others think! As far as the older guy in the grocery, he was a crusty old coot. Whether it's politics, religion, lifestyles, or sports teams, people have their opinions about what's best and you're not going to change them- at least not without a ridiculous amount of effort. If he didn't like my bare feet, that's fine. He didn't lash out at me, and other than his muffled comment, he left me alone. He was probably in a bad mood because his boots were pinching him!
