I imagine others of you experience this from time to time. Sometimes when I'm feeling less confident for some reason, I feel obliged to wear footwear and then put on flops. A recent example of this was at the weekend when I went to watch some motor racing, but knew I was going to eat out and also go to the bank etc in the nearby town centre. The pub was first for something to eat, so I put the flops on before entering, then kept them on whilst doing my business in the town. It started to rain quite heavily and I find flops lethal in the wet, but I nevertheless kept them on for a bit. Eventually I gave in to my better nature and removed them, immediately feeling much happier, relaxed, and "me" again. I don't actually believe going bf should present a daily challenge, and if you're in a mood to "wear something on your feet" then do so, we all have our different moods. However my point is once I took the flops off I realised I had had no need to put them on and I could have gone barefoot and been more comfortable in all the places I had been up to then. I felt I had let myself down and should have just left the flops at home. Does anyone else get these feelings?
Welcome to the Human Race, where we ALL wear egg upon our face! More powerful than Kryptonite on Superman...it's the hideous pull of SOCIALIZATION!
yep, that's in the realm of possible things. happens to me too that for some more or less obscure reason i feel like putting on some of the tiniest footwear now and then, but for equally unfathomable reasons i feel a total idiot shortly after when i realize that there's no reason to bother. i think it's a side effect of paranoia :leaving:
I prefer to think of flops or shoes as people on another forum do: tools. Use shoes as tools. Use them when you have to, and don't otherwise. Last Friday night my wife and I went out to dinner and then to a bar/grill to see my brother's band. I knew I did NOT want to be BF in that bar (no telling what nasty things were on those floors hah) and my wife asked me to wear them into the restaurant. So I just kept them on except while driving. Oh well, no big deal.
Thanks for the reassuring responses. It's not just me, then. I guess sometimes we're just not in the mood to take any potential hassle, so just give in to convention. Still annoying though, to get home and think "I could've gone barefoot after all". But as Patrick says, no big deal. By the way, what's this "another forum", then??
I'm also on birthdayshoes.com (minimalist shoe blog and forum but dedicated mostly to Vibram FiveFingers) and also Runner's World where I participate mostly in the barefoot running forum. I've heard the phrase "shoes as tools" on both forums I believe.
Thanks for the info, Patrick. I've only ever seen Vibram Five Fingers on the net and never seen anyone wearing them. To me they look totally ridiculous and I don't see the point. I think I'd feel more comfortable both literally and socially being barefoot than wearing those! (Plus why are they called "Five fingers" not "Five toes"?) Having said that I'm always open-minded about anything and will have a look at those forums...I may be converted!! Reading what I've just said it sounds like I'm being sarcastic about your kind reply to my enquiry...just to say I didn't mean to be, I appreciate the tips and will have a look at these forums (fora??) with interest as until now I thought this one was the only forum on the subject. Cheers. Charlie.
Well I want a pair of VFF's badly but mainly for cold weather use as I'm just not prepared to barefoot when it's freezing out. Love it otherwise but don't wish to torture myself. When it's warmer yeah I do prefer to just be BF.
I was tramping home (shod) after "de-training" (HEY, if you "de-plane" after landing, then you must...ah, screw it) AND what did i see but a BAREFOOT GUY walking his dog. Not only did I fail to stop and chat about his appalling lack of footwear, but I kept my OWN damn shoes on, especially as I was about to cross a nicely muddied field created by the recent big rains. How do you spell "Human Condition"? I-N-H-I-B-I-T--I-O-N....
At work I am forced to wear shoes - (for Health and Safety reasons) though I compromise and go for Crocs (sandals)
