Barefoot Outside (Uk)

Sorry you think that BB...the girl I saw walked right in front as I was parking my car. It’s always nice to see others, as Charlie says we’re rare!

 

Is it nice to see others because we assume they have more in common with us than someone in shoes?

 

To be honest, yes, kind of. It's not the barefootedness per se but it shows a free-wheeling attitude to life. Plus it is also a kind of reassurance that I'm not the only crazy barefooter.
I have a feeling though that you'll disagree with me, Mr BB86. I accept my earlier post could have been worded better. My apologies, no offence meant.

 

Hi Charlie, I'm not a Mr. : )

No offence was taken and none intended from me either.. I just get a bit of a weird feeling about the emphasis a few of you put on people without shoes and was interested in a conversation about it.

I have been approached more than once purely because of my lack of footwear and have found those people tended to have more assumptions about the rest of me than most... So i began to realise what we wear or don't wear on our feet has little to do with whether we'll have anything else to talk about.

And you KNOW you're not the only one.. Even if you are, does it matter? Does it make you less crazy if there are others validating your choice? (because there are many crazy things the masses do)

I don't really disagree with you, I do notice when i see others without shoes, but I no longer think it means much and seems an unfair judgement on those in shoes.

 

Yesterday was a fun and interesting day. I spent most of the day barefoot. I did slip into sandals a few times. We went to Asheville NC for coffee and doughnuts. We then went window shopping in their downtown. Me barefoot my wife complaining she wore the wrong shoes. We left Asheville and drove the Blueridge Parkway. We hiked some of the shorter trails to see some waterfalls and other sights. I was barefoot most of the time unless the small rocks became to numerous to walk on. I would slip my sandals on for a short period. It was raining off and on all day so the trails were full of running water and mud puddles. What more could an over grown kid ask for. Mud between my toes.
I did get to listen to some loud and obnoxious ass tell his female friend that appropriate footware should be worn when hiking. Going in sandals or barefoot is a waiting for sprain to happen.
My favorite was a young woman who had three piercings on her face, make a comment of how unsanitary is is to go barefoot. I could go on about what folks think about piercings except I won’t. It her body so she can do what she wants.

 

I was in the UK recently (London, specifically) and I was surprised to see very few barefooters compared to what I expected.

From what I've heard it a far more common trend than over here in North America, but in a 2 week period I only saw one person. A young girl (maybe 25 ish) near the London Eye, walking barefoot with no shoes in sight and no bags to hide them in, and from the look of her soles she had been barefooting for quite some time. Was nice to see at least one other like-minded person.

Was it just because I was in London? Is it more prevelant in smaller cities/towns?

 

Unfortunately, I hardly see barefooters in London. It such a shame as I would love to see someone go barefoot too so we can acknowledge each other and say hello.

 

I don't think it's prevalent anywhere in Britain. I think British people, in general, are afraid of looking eccentric.

Like I said up there though, another barefoot person may be like-minded regarding footwear and nothing else, where a person who likes wearing shoes is on your wavelength about a whole load of stuff. Sooo. Let's just say hello to everyone.

 

I say hello to everyone but some are clearly repulsed as they look at my feet and ignore me (I’m decent looking and presentable, but in winter when I’m wearing shoes far more people speak to me), I just think it’s a shame so many are that judgmental, but had a few good comments today. I walked around Clumber Park and one guy said “are we breaking them in, your soles?”, his wife looked completely disgusted but we both laughed, and an old bloke later called out “you must have tough feet son”, we had a brief chat and he agreed it probably would be better for the body, he was enthusiastic but wouldn’t do it himself. The ground felt amazing there in the rain but I did have a lot of weird looks, more than normal.

I went to Meadowhall later and heard a lot of whispering (99% of the time it’s “he’s not wearing shoes”), and a shop worker in M&S came up to me as I was queuing at the till, she said “there you are walking around in bare feet and look what I’ve just picked up off the floor”, while holding a piece of glass - I just said “oh no” in a sarcastic voice, thankfully she just smiled and walked away, I think it’s embarrassing being singled out in front of other customers like that.

A highlight of the day though, while shopping at Sainsbury’s, a member of staff said to me “you’re a man after my own heart, bare feet - I love being barefoot too”. She said her husband doesn’t like her going barefoot so she does it when he isn’t with her, but goes everywhere barefoot when she can. We had a great chat, I think for both of us it wascompletely refreshing to meet someone who gets it!

 

^ i have literally never seen anyone look disgusted, repulsed, or anything like that when they see someone barefoot. seems hard to imagine.

 

That's really good you met someone who share the ideal. Sad to say, it's rare in the UK.

 

Was in Vienna a couple of weeks ago and only saw one person barefoot, a mother holding her daughter buying pastries in the market. She actually wore the traditional Austrian dress, the dirndl. She looked at ease walking as her soles were dirty.

 

At a petrol station the other day, there was a teenage lad barefoot paying for fuel then got into his car and drove off.

I was in Brighton last week, there and were 3 girls all barefoot with no shoes in sight walking through the lanes with dirty soles.

 

Despite the lovely summer we have had I have seen surprisingly few people barefoot ( drunken women carrying their high heels doesn't count). It seems there is only the legendary "Pete the feet" and myself that go barefoot in Birmingham.☹

 

I'm fine most of the day but the mornings are a bit cold for my toes. It made me wonder.. You people who go right through the winter... How do you experience it? Is your circulation supercharged? Or do you just deal with numb toes? If I jump up and down I can warm them up but especially cycling where they're quite still, in the air is really cold. Do you do a lot of jumping?

 

Every year I use to spend few days in London for shopping, visiting, etc, barefoot most the time even in winter with snow.
Next time will be on January 2019.
If somebody like to meet me, we can arrange.

 

I am a barefooter from the UK, love going barefoot out in the countryside, and love to feel mud between my toes

Barefoot in the woods by stevebecks posted Oct 13, 2018 at 2:42 PM

Barefoot in the woods by stevebecks posted Oct 13, 2018 at 2:42 PM

 

^^^ ......... yummy!!

 

It feels amazing. I bet you get some interesting comments

 

Once when I was on a trail like that in bare feet, I passed several booted hikers; one of with uttered....”hey, now that’s the way to go so you won’t get all bogged down in mud!”