How would you describe a barefooter?

Someone who goes out of their way to be barefoot, especially when that’s not the norm.

How long have you been barefoot?

I’ve been an active barefooter for about 3 years.

Why did you decide to be barefoot?

I love being able to feel what I’m walking on, it feels nice and it helps keep me focused, especially when my mind is moving too fast. Feeling the ground under my soles brings me back to my surroundings and centers me in the present.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how “extreme” are you?

Probably a 7 or 8, I’ve been going barefoot for 3 years regularly around my neighborhood, in a few stores, and on hikes, but in the last few months I’ve really stepped it up, walking around downtown and pretty much being barefoot 24/7 since the middle of April.

What is your opinion on shoes and socks?

I absolutely hate socks, pretty much all kinds, they’re too warm and make my feet sweat. I don’t like most closed shoes either, for the same reasons as socks, but I’m more neutral when it comes to sandals, as long as they’re practical ones, like sports sandals.

Do you think being barefoot is socially acceptable? Why or why not?

It depends on where you are and who you’re around, but I’d say it is in a lot places, though in a perfect world it would pretty much everywhere. In my experience, being barefoot is socially acceptable at parks, at peoples’ houses/in their backyards, and in some more relaxed stores. My school is okay with it, but I know that isn’t the norm. The main reason it isn’t acceptable in some places is because bare feet are seen as dirty, which is ridiculous, considering how dirty shoes are. It’s seen as disrespectful and lewd, like a more mild form of nudity, even though it really shouldn’t be.

Have you ever not been able to go in somewhere/refused service because you didn’t have shoes on?

I’ve been given some dirty looks and had one or two comments, but I’ve never been kicked out of a store over it. That’s probably because I’ve not been to more than 6 or 7 stores/restaurants, so I’ve not stumbled onto one that’s more strict yet.

What are the best and worst reactions you have gotten? How do you deal with bad reactions and unsolicited opinions?

I’ve run into maybe a dozen actively supportive people, some of which were even barefooters themselves, which was quite fun. The wide majority of people tend either not to notice or care, or at least care enough to bring it up. The few really negative responses have been all in passing, glares or mutters, but no one’s actively confronted me about it yet. It seems like I’m rather lucky in that regard.

How do you go about feet care?

I wash my feet if they get dirty, trim my nails regularly, all the general stuff. I haven’t really found a need to do much else.

Do you wear foot jewelry?

I pretty much always wear a thin leather anklet on my left ankle, I made it about 2 years ago and it’s probably my favorite piece of jewelry. My partner likes painting my toenails sometimes, but it usually comes off relatively fast with how much I’m barefoot. Still, it’s fun and I like the look of it, so I probably have toenails painted (my favorite colors are black and silver) about half the time? I also have a pair of toe rings that I bought a while back, one for each of my second toes, but I don’t really wear them that often, because they can be kinda annoying.

Have you dealt with fetishers?

No, not that I know of, though my partner makes jokes that my feet are cute, but I don’t think that really counts.

Do you walk on everything or are there surfaces you don’t walk on?

I walk on pretty much everything, pavement to dirt and gravel to grass. I’m still building up some tolerance to really rough gravel, so I can’t walk on it for super long, but I go out of my way to do so when I get the chance, for practice.

What is your favorite surface to walk barefoot on and why?

There’s a lot of great ones, but the dirt of a forest floor is probably the best. All the leaves, twigs, and other debris make it one of the most varied surfaces to walk on. Every step is different from the last, and it’s also fun to try to pick stuff up off the ground with my toes. Sometimes you even stumble onto mud, which is wonderful in its own right.

What are the worst things you’ve stepped on?

I’ve gotten gum stuck to my soles on two occasions, as well as having to avoid glass a few times, but I’ve never run into any sort of feces, animal or otherwise. I think it’s pretty rare in the more urban areas that I usually walk in.

Have you had any mishaps?

In one of the cases of glass, I did get two small cuts, both on the ball of my foot, one of which drew blood. I had to wear a bandage around that foot for a few days, but it turned out fine in the end.

How do you handle cold temperatures?

I haven’t dealt with them a whole lot, since I only started going barefoot 24/7 in April, by which time it was averaging like 55 or 60 degrees. I’ve only really gone on shorter walks when it’s been cold, like winter-level cold, but it wasn’t as bad as I expected, and I was able to hold out for a good 10 or 15 minutes without much practice. I’ve tried walking barefoot in snow twice, and both times I found it too cold to do for more than a few minutes, but at least the texture of it was pretty fun. I plan to try to keep going barefoot as long as possible, and maybe see if I can go straight through the winter without shoes.

In your experience, what season is best to be barefoot?

Late spring was probably my favorite, May and June were the perfect balance of it being warm enough to go on long walks comfortably, without the pavement getting super hot. Rain is also pretty fun, which we get a good amount of in May, so getting to step in a bit of mud is a great bonus to the season.

How does being barefoot affect aspects of your life (love, career e.t.c)?

It’s really not changed a whole lot, I’ve always enjoyed kicking off my shoes, and most of my friends have adapted pretty well over time to my now near-constant barefooting. I’ve even gotten some of them to join in a few times, which is quite fun. My parents aren’t sure about the whole thing, but they trust me to be smart and know my limits, so it’s fine there. My partner is supportive and likes to join me as often as they can, which I love. Most other people just don’t really care much, and I don’t have a job yet, so that’s not an issue. I’ve been volunteering at a local food pantry recently, and considering half the staff are former hippies, my bare feet aren’t much of an issue to them.

What challenges do you run into (physically, socially e.t.c)?

My feet are tough enough that being barefoot doesn’t usually form a physical challenge, though on a social level it does lead me to being rather noticeable in a crowd. I know that a lot of people at school see me as “the barefoot kid”, which can be a bit stressful, but it’s never really become much of an issue. I’m sure there are a few people that have been put off to becoming my friend because of it, but that’s their problem, not mine.

What are misconceptions about being barefoot?

The biggest one that comes to mind is that everyone looks at your feet. They really don’t, beyond maybe a glance or two.

What are your fears that stem from being barefoot?

It causes me some social anxiety, considering it’s a pretty noticeable trait that sets me apart from most groups I might be in, but I’ve mostly come to terms with that.

What advantages of being barefoot have you experienced?

It’s made my feet stronger, it improved my balance, since I can actually grip the ground with my toes, it helps me to calm my mind in stressful situations or if I’m overthinking things, and it saves me the time I would otherwise need to pick out and put on shoes and socks in the morning.

What disadvantages of being barefoot have you experienced?

The social aspects, as I said before, as well as having to focus more on where you’re walking, to keep from stepping on something.

What are things to NOT say or do to barefoot people?

Criticize them, harass them, or pester them for doing something natural and healthy, for one.

How do you feel about how barefoot is portrayed in media? What are some of your favorite pieces of media with authentic representation?

It isn’t really represented very often, and when it is, it seems like there always has to be a reason. Real barefooters are almost never represented, because the whole thing with real barefooters, in my opinion, is that they just go barefoot. Some might have a reason, yes, but a lot of them do purely because they want to. Of the few real examples of characters that go barefoot regularly that I can think of, Toph from Avatar: The Last Airbender is pretty good, because her bare feet aren’t portrayed as a weakness, but as a strength. Other than that, though, I really don’t know.

What would you like to say to barefooters?

Um… hello, everybody? Keep on doing your thing?

Give tips to new barefooters and people looking to go barefoot.

Start slow with walking barefoot in your backyard, then try your neighborhood, then maybe a store or two, and eventually you’ll be up to pretty much anything.

How do you wish our society would perceive and treat barefoot people?

It would be nice if they just left us alone and let us do our thing.

What would you like people to know about being barefoot?

It’s good for your health, both physical and mental, it’s not as dangerous as you probably think, and it’s not as stigmatized as you probably think, either.

Tell your story, opinions, experiences.

Isn’t that what I’ve been doing for the last 20-some questions?