Going Barefoot is Fun and Cool

 

Going barefoot is encouraged at my home on the web where the sun always shines.
So welcome, bare your feet and have fun!

Enjoy your visit and

Have a wonderful day!

About Going Barefoot

Have you ever walked barefoot along a sandy beach, on the grass in a park or even your own lawn? Did you enjoy it? I bet you did. Well, most folks would anyway. I know a few have such an aversion to being barefooted for whatever reason that they refuse to have their feet exposed, let alone touch the ground at any time. Heck, they even wear socks to bed! They probably take shower wearing slippers too! :( They certainly are missing out on life's simple pleasures and I feel sorry for them. However, the majority of people do enjoy going barefoot because it feels good and liberating.

What about going barefoot in public? The only public places where barefooting is not frowned upon in most western societies are the beach, swimming pools, and perhaps some parks. Most people don't go barefoot any other places for various reasons such as being afraid of getting their feet dirty, catching diseases, stepping on sharp objects, being ridiculed by others or being thought of as poor, low class, or even crazy. And probably the biggest reason is that they think it's against the law (which is a myth)! Let's address those issues one at a time, shall we?

Afraid to get your feet dirty? Well, duh! Of course, your feet are gonna get dirty if you walk barefoot outside your house but that's part of the fun. Believe it or not, quite a few barefooters (myself included) think it's fun and cool to have dirty feet. And if you don't like it you can always wash them as often as you like throughout the day which is no big deal.

Now compare that to wearing shoes all day long. If your feet sweat, at the end of the day you (and whoever else is near you) probably won't be able to stand the smell. Yuck! And how often do you actually wash your shoes? Not very often I bet, 'cos you would ruin them by washing. So the inside of your $h%*s (yes, it's a dirty word to us barefooters :p) becomes a culture medium for all sorts of bacteria and fungi (germs) which love warm, moist, and dark places! So do you now see why going barefoot is actually healthier?

What about "athlete's foot?" Some say you get it by walking barefoot in locker rooms. Well, what happens is most people put on their $h%*s before leaving the locker room. So whatever fungus your bare soles picked up will thrive inside your $h0es and cause problems. But if you were to remain barefoot the fungus won't last long in dry air.

Another concern I keep hearing is that you can get parasitic (e.g. worm) infection by walking barefoot outdoors. This mostly happens in under-developed countries where parasites abound and sanitation is very poor, and you walk around barefoot on soil contaminated with human feces. I know, eeww! So if you live in a modern developed country this shouldn't be a concern.

While we're on the subject of health, I should also mention that most, if not all, of the foot problems caused by wearing shoes such as calluses, hammer toes, bunions, and other foot deformities can be prevented and alleviated by going barefoot. In addition, some people who have flat feet have noticed improvements after they go barefoot for a while.

OK, moving on... Stepping on sharp objects. I have to admit this is a tough one. Everything carries a risk but many people are willing to take risks for the fun and the thrill of doing certain things like bungee jumping, sky diving, or car racing. The risk of dying or getting seriously hurt from stepping on sharp objects while walking barefoot is much, much less than that of the other activities I just mentioned.

First of all, after going barefoot on a regular basis for a while, your feet become tough; the skin of your soles grows thicker and more resistant to sharp objects that they most likely won't even penetrate. Second of all, a seasoned barefooter is usually more alert and sensitive to the surrounding that often times they "instinctively" avoid stepping on sharp objects and other harmful or yucky stuff like chemicals, bugs, animal doo doo, etc.

On the rare occasion that you do step on a sharp object and get hurt, it's really not that big a deal. You most likely won't die :) Just wash the wound clean with soap and water, alcohol, or other antiseptic solutions you have and then put on some antibiotic ointment and a band-aid to cover it. If it's a small cut, you most likely can continue walking barefoot with the band-aid on until it heals completely. Otherwise, you may have to put up with wearing sandals for a couple of days.

One very important thing is to keep your tetanus shots current. This is important even if you don't go barefoot regularly. Hey, even your finger could get cut working on your car or your house, right?

No how 'bout being ridiculed or looked down by others? Well, firstly there is nothing immoral, disgraceful, or even improper about going barefoot even in public. It's not like you walk around with no clothes on. Your feet are bare and just like your hands, they are NOT private parts although some people like to think they are (it's their loss, though!). Going barefoot is not against any religion. In fact, some religions actually encourage it.

Secondly, while it's true that in many third world countries people are always barefoot because they can't afford shoes (that's actually one way they enjoy life despite their circumstances), there are places such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, most parts of Hawaii, and some parts of the Southern US where going barefoot in public is common place and accepted. These are not poor countries and folks walk around barefoot in public as a matter of personal choice and others are ok with it. In Hawaii I very often see people driving nice cars and wearing nice clothes walk barefoot into stores. Besides, how many barefoot homeless people have you actually seen? Very few, I bet!

Now what about being considered "crazy" for going barefoot in public? If by that you mean eccentric or a little weird, so what? Most people have their own idiosyncrasies that make them different from others. Just look at the celebrities :) It's no big deal to be different and actually cool as long as you don't hurt anyone. If by "crazy" you mean mentally disturbed, that's a little different. But how many barefoot mentally disturbed people have you seen? Again, not very many I'm sure. I've heard stories of other barefooters being stopped by police because they went barefoot in public, not because it was illegal but the police just wanted to make sure they were "sane" and doing ok. Cool! :)

Lastly, who gives a f*ck what others think anyway! It's just their opinion. There are gazillions of opinions in this world and if we let all of them dictate the way we live our lives we won't even last a day.

Is it against the law to go barefoot in public? Nope! At least not anywhere in the US. Those that say otherwise, are either totally ignorant or are lying to you to cover their own prejudices against bare feet. There is not even a health code that says you can't enter establishments barefoot. I'm sure you have seen signs posted at the door of stores saying you can't go in barefoot "By Order of The Health Department." That's a complete lie! You can check out the following link to verify that going barefoot is legal in the US.

I understand that establishments have the right to set their own rules as to how their customers should dress, like certain fancy restaurants require men to wear suit and tie but they don't say it's by order of whatever government agency! Therefore, they should not create "phantom laws" concerning bare feet! *They* should actually be reported to the authorities for using the government's name to lie!

Driving barefoot is also perfectly legal anywhere in the US. There are no laws against driving barefoot. Again, you can visit the link for reference.

Phew! Isn't it a relief to know that going barefoot is not against the law? So whatcha gonna do? I would start going barefoot everywhere! :)

If you have never done it before, you would probably have a certain degree of apprehension and that's understandable. So I suggest you start slowly, like some call it taking baby steps. If you have never been barefoot even inside the house except when taking shower or sleeping (some people are actually like that for whatever reason) then obviously that's the place to start. Just start walking barefoot in the house when you wake up in the morning going to the bathroom, getting your coffee or breakfast, and so on. Don't put your $h0es or even socks on until you're ready to leave for work or school. Then as soon as you get back home, take off your $hoes and $ocks and relax. I'm sure your feet will appreciate it.

The next step would be to walk barefoot outside your house like in your yard, getting the mail, etc. and begin to enjoy the sense of freedom and appreciate the sensation as your bare soles touch the earth. Believe me, there's nothing like being able to feel the different textures and temperatures of the surface you walk on. Let nature caress your feet.

Another thing to consider is taking part in some exercises that are done in bare feet such as swimming, yoga, and martial arts just to get yourself to feel comfortable being barefoot with other people around. Those exercises have a lot of benefits and are fun to do anyway.

When you get a little more comfortable you can start expanding your barefoot adventure to the neighborhood. If there is a nearby park where you can stroll in your bare feet, that's even better. You'll probably start noticing other people's reactions to your going barefoot. Some may smile, some may give you a dirty look, some may gasp in shock but still not say a word. Yet others may say something to complement you and express their wish that they too could be barefoot. If it helps, you can try carrying a pair of shoes or flip flops in your hand so that people think you're barefoot because your feet are hurting or tired. Who knows, some may actually follow suit! :)

On occasion you might hear some snide remarks from those that are less well mannered. That might be nerve rattling to some the first few times but after a while you'll learn to dismiss them and continue going barefoot and enjoying your life :) Like I said earlier, don't give a f*ck about what those a$$ holes think of or say about you!

You may also want to join a barefoot hiking group in your area. Barefoot hiking is really an adventure in itself and is worth exploring. If there is none in your area, maybe you can start one :)

After you become even more comfortable and confident, you may want to start going barefoot into establishments. Again, start slowly. Some people prefer to do it in a different town where nobody knows them and that's fine if that suits them. You could probably start visiting a less crowded store or a small fast food restaurant to buy something real quick and leave. Then you gradually walk your way to large grocery stores, the mall, even the bank and other restaurants. Again, you may feel nervous the first few times, but you will feel more at ease with practice.

I must warn you though, that the potential for confrontation is greater in establishments. Managers and employees alike may tell you it's against the law to go in barefoot and you may have to defend yourself (some non-confrontational barefooters would just walk away). That's when a copy of the Health Department letter of your state (you can print a copy of it for free from the reference page mentioned above) comes in handy. It would serve as a hard black-and-white proof that you're not breaking any law by going barefoot.

Some people, for whatever reason, would never actually go barefoot into establishments and that's perfectly fine. You do what you're comfortable with. Remember you do it because it feels good and if you feel uncomfortable in certain places it beats the purpose, right?

In closing, if you've never gone barefoot in public and you want to, I strongly urge you to try it. You've got nothing to lose except your $hoes, he he he! Who knows, you may even get addicted to it like me and start going barefoot everywhere all the time :) So have fun, bare your feet and enjoy life!

By the way... have you ever heard of barefoot sandals? They're really cool. You can wear them to casual parties such as a barefoot wedding and sometimes even to not-so-casual parties because they can actually fool people into thinking that you're wearing sandals when you're not! Many barefooters wear them to stores and other establishments that require shoes and most of the time get away with it :)

Here's a couple of quotes encouraging going barefoot...

"... Barefoot, we're almost always at peace. We're gentle and tolerant with our fellow man. Stress and anxiety evaporate and grief itself seems bearable as long as our feet are free ..."
~Barbara Holland~ in Endangered Pleasures: In Defense of Naps, Bacon, Martinis, Profanity, and Other Indulgences

"and forget not that the Earth delights to feel your bare feet and the Winds long to play with your hair"
~Kahlil Gilbran~

Well, what are you waiting for? Kick off your $h%es, $ocks or $andals now and start walking barefoot. Even the earth will appreciate that, and certainly will you! :)  Just like the girl in this story...

It was a warm evening, and a teenage girl and her friends were looking for some excitement in their last days of summer vacation. So they decided to go to the fairground that happened to be in town. The girl was wearing a tank top and shorts, and was barefooted. In the fairground there was a fortune teller's tent and the girl decided to check it out and experience what it was like visiting a psychic. The woman in the tent told her to sit down. So she sat in a chair, propping her bare feet on an adjacent chair. Then she heard an angry voice: "Hey, get your dirty feet off my chair!" You can read the complete story about the teenage girl and the fortune teller (this story is not really about going barefoot but is very interesting nonetheless).

I'll continue to add cool stuff to this site. So please bookmark this page and check back often.

Interesting comments about going barefoot

Following are a few of the comments people left in my guestbook:

I'm a 28-year-old high school English teacher and all my students know me as "Ms. Feet" because I'm always barefoot in the classroom and most of the time around the campus. I haven't warn shoes to a video store in years and I also frequent the grocery store, the Subway sandwiches, Baskin-Robbins, the mall, the miniature golfing place, and Cal State Long Beach (where I'm attending night classes as well) in my most barest of feet. I've also gotten away with walking around Disneyland barefoot, but 9 times out of 10, they'll ask me to put my flip-flops on before I get on the rides. But I love being barefoot and hope you do too! Yay for summer!

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It's really great that you love going barefoot. It's a great way to live. I didn't start going barefoot until I was in Middle School. My parents didn't like us running around barefoot. It was some sort of "image" thing for them. I would get away from my house on my bike, and could go barefoot then. When I started driving, I went even more places barefoot. Ever since then I've gone barefoot as much as possible. When I do have to wear shoes, I mostly wear rubber thongs (flip-flops).

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In New Zealand and Australia a lot of people go barefoot during Spring and Summer,
and in Queensland year round. Just returned from a holiday in Hawaii Big Island
and Oahu Waikiki. Loved going barefoot everyday. Surprised to see not as many
barefooters as expected. Most wore jandals or sandals. Hotels stated they wanted
guests to have footwear. I ignored this.

You can read more interesting comments or write your own about your views or experiences with going barefoot here.

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