Those nasty shoes (long post)

Ok, this is an article I wrote for another website, and I felt it would do well in this forum. Enjoy.

You may have a favorite pair of shoes that you wear almost every day. The shoes are stretched out and conform to the shape of your foot, but they are starting to develop a foul odor. Even your feet smell rotten when you remove those shoes after wearing them for several hours. Maybe you think "it's time to get new shoes". But sadly, your new shoes will suffer the same fate and your feet will continue to suffer. First it's the itching, and then the burning sensation. It's athlete's foot. It's caused by a fungus and buying new shoes won't cure it or prevent it.


So now you go out and buy some over-the-counter medications that claim to cure and prevent athlete's foot. But somehow this pesky little fungus finds it's way into your new shoes and onto your feet again. And so the cycle continues. Itching. Burning. And more money spent.
Why do you allow this to continue? Why do you allow yourself to suffer? And most importantly, why do you keep paying for this kind of torture? It's easy and inexpensive to break this cycle, but the footwear industry doesn't want you to know that. And the pharmacuetical companies which make the so-called cures don't want you to know it either. But I'm gonna let you in on the secret. And you can even begin treatment right now for free. Start by removing your shoes and socks so your bare feet can breathe. Now, keep reading.

Athlete's foot is caused by a fungus, and all fungi need warmth and moisture in order to breed and live. When you wear shoes your feet will sweat because the body heat radiating from your feet is trapped. So now we have a moist, warm environment in your shoes. This is a perfect breeding ground for the fungus that causes athlete's foot, and once it settles in, it will thrive. That over-the-counter ointment or powder may aleviate the symptoms for a period of time, but if you keep wearing shoes the fungus will continue to haunt you.

Here, I will list a few easy (and inexpensive) steps to eliminate and prevent athlete's foot.
First, you will need to wash your feet. Start by soaking them in warm, salt water.
Then give those feet a good scrubbing with an anti-bacterial soap.
Next, rinse them with cool water, and dry them with a towel.
They may still feel damp after this, but that's not a problem. Since you are going to leave them bare, air will complete the drying process.
Now, simply, do not wear shoes or socks unless you absolutley have to.
And if you do need to wear shoes, then just repeat this process as soon as you can after removing those stinky, sweaty, fungus infested, foot killers that you call shoes.

What I am suggesting is living a barefoot lifestyle. Now I know what you are thinking. You think this is just too simple. You might even say to yourself, "I can't go barefoot all the time because it is illegal to drive barefoot and a violation of health department regulations to go barefoot in stores and restaurants". Well, are you ready for a surprise? It is NOT illegal to drive barefoot. And furthermore, there is NO health department regulations preventing you from entering any establishment with bare feet. OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) does have requirements concerning footwear on employees at most places, but no regulations for patrons. While some some places may have a company policy that prohibits bare feet, there are certainly no laws against it.

If you don't believe me, or want to know more, then visit The Society for Barefoot Living at http://www.barefooters.org . Their website has a wealth of information and will be able to answer most, if not all, of your questions about the barefoot lifestyle. Hopefully this will be the beginning of a happy new life for your feet. It's also better for the environment, but I won't get into that here.

Leave Only Footprints
(Not shoeprints)

Your Author,
Earthwalker

The next time someone asks you "why go barefoot?", you can use this as a good reason.
Peace, love, and barefoot freedom to all.

 

It actually works too because I did have athletes foot 10 years ago when I always wore shoes and those powders and sprays would not work.
It starting spreading to the top of my feet so Iwent to my doctor who actually told me not to wear shoes at all or at least wear sandals if I have too.
I decided not to wear shoes at home and only sandals in town and it was gone within a few weeks.

For the last year though I have been going to town barefoot too with no problems untill the last 2 months where I was suddenly told I need shoes in 3 different places that I never had problems with in the last year. They are not saying anything about health code but rather that they are liable or something like that. I was told in a toy store "You might step on a tack". Dont think they sell tacks there.

 

Oh fear the mighty tacks! Stepped on one, lifted my foot, pulled it out and walked on. Hurt for a few steps but later that day when a friend asked I couldn't find where it'd happened. Hardly a disabling injury.

 

I know I have stepped on a few in my home and they dont bother me . Its those pesky squeamish managers that it bothers.


I wonder what would happen if I went in there with one already in my foot and when they said it I showed them .

 

Barefooting has also helped in my case. From time to time I would get a touch of athletes foot and my feet always seems to smell no matter what I've tried, sprays, lotions you name it. The problem was so bad that my wife called my footwear "thermo-nucleolar". It came down to her telling me to get rid of those stinky shoes, wear flip flops and go barefoot whenever I can. My feet are happier as well as her nasal senses, it's a win-win situation.

 

earthwalker- great writing!

 

Thank you very much.
I love your screen name.
Peace, love, and......................barefeet.

 

That's an excellent article, Earthwalker. I was just curious, what was the other website that you put the article on?

 

Thanks for the compliment. The other site was created by the boyfriend of one of my very good friends on the east coast. Here's the link...........
http://www.enshroud.net/index.php
The article is located in the section called "Baring your soul". There is also a forum to post messages there. You have to be registered, but it's free.
Peace.

 

Thank you. BTW, what part of Oregon are you in? I live along the Oregon/ Idaho border.