bare feet

[Brains]

As a teenager the soles of my feet were like leather.
I didn't put on shoes for days at a time, not just on holiday but around town as well. Even odd bits of broken glass were not a problem.
I certainly remember going on a demonstration where we walked from Trafalgar Square to a festival in Brixton (a good five miles or more) without shoes as the Police commented on it.
I also remember climbing Pen-Y-fan barefoot as the mountain guide at top with a whole bunch of squaddies equipped for the artic was amazed (and probably shocked)
I still have no problem driving or cycling bare foot but the feet are not as hard as they used to be.

Once you have conditioned your feet, walking any distance over most surfaces is not really an issue

 

[Tigerbiten]

I once went ~10 month without wearing shoes, late teens after leaving school.
The only reason I started wearing shoes again was the fact there was 2" of snow on the ground ......

I've had to wear shoes at work for the last 30 years, as it does to much damage to your feet if a horse stands on one without shoes on.

I wander around the house all the time without shoes on but don't go out enough without them on to harden my feet up enough.

 

[iAmiAdam]

I get my bike out and put it back barefoot, does this count?

 

[661-Pete]

I get my bike out and put it back barefoot, does this count?

Only if you can tell us where your bike's 'feet' are....

 

[iAmiAdam]

Only if you can tell us where your bike's 'feet' are....

It doesn't wear them all the time, but just below the BB, It insisted on wearing shoes till two weeks ago too.

 

[summerdays]

As a kid I used to walk home from school and then put my shoes just before our road - until one of our neighbours told my mum. As an adult I do it around the house all the time until it gets so cold I need slippers, and I will usually potter around in the garden and the neighbouring road barefoot. My husband tells the children off for doing it but then kind of looks at me to say back me up - how? given I am usually barefoot at the time. In summer I'm a sandal/flip flop person so will flick them off and walk barefoot on the ground/road/beach/etc if its not too hot.

 

[brokenbetty]

hah! I wondered if the broken heel thing would come up!

Not broken heels, broken feets. It's ok while you're still out dancing and drinking, but once that long walk home starts and the booze shoes start to fade...ow ow ow

 

[ComedyPilot]

Bare foot as often as I can. I wear flip-flops most of the year, from March to November.

 

[Piemaster]

Barefoot around house /garden for me and as much as I can at other times. MrsP complaining about dirty footprints at moment though - its easier to take off a pair of shoes than get feet completely dry when coming in from the garden.
I've just had a 4 day conference and am now desparate to spend some time unshod, wriggle my toes in some dew soaked grass.
Never understood the beach thing "ooo,ow,ouch" across a pebbly beach to get to a nice smooth pavement then put shoes back on again. Quite odd to me

 

[slowmotion]

As a kid, I would wander about on the beaches of Cornwall over rocks and pebbles without a thought in the world. Alas, as age creeps in, you lose the fatty stuff on the bottom of your soles, and it becomes a bit painful in similar situations.

Feeling the wind between your toes on a sunny holiday is magic however, but I adore putting on warm socks as the evening chills.

Walk the streets as you wish, but placing yourself in social situations where people have to observe your toes for a longer period...no thanks.

As Frank Zappa observed " What's the ugliest part of your body?...some say your nose, and some say your toes...."

Others may complete the line.

 

[Fnaar]

By some cruel accident of nature the middle toe on my right foot is almost the same size as the second toe next to it... It sticks out like a sore thumb

 

[asterix]

Never used to wear shoes during summer in Cyprus except in school. In winter used to put the sandals on when it was wet.

Since coming to the UK my feet have never really warmed up enough to go barefoot.

 

[Ghost Donkey]

Have vibram five fingersbeen discussed on here before? I love mine, grossly over priced but that won't stop me buy another pair when the current give up the ghost.

I've just had a pair of the classics in the post. I like the theory behind running in them so thought I'd treat myself. I currently run badly (not really a heel striker if you consider that a bad thing but I have a lot of vertical movement in my stride) so am curious to give them a go rather than continuing to pound around in my heavy duty padded trainers which in fairness have done the trick so far for low mileage. I don't want to highjack the thread with the big trainers are evil argument some barefoot aficionados like to bring up. I'll be running in them in the local park in the morning. I'll start on grass and try a bit on the concrete path. You can get a pair of Nike free for less but I fancied these first. Might get some frees later or just some lightweight racing flats

What I don't like is the prices we pay here compared to the states.