Why go barefoot

by Jonathan Y

"Why do you go barefoot?" That's a common questions people ask when they meet someone walking around in bare feet. Have you ever taken your shoes off after a long day at work or school? How did it feel? I bet most people enjoy the freedom of being barefoot after their feet have been cooped up in hot and restrictive footwear for hours. In fact, many would take them off at every chance they have even if just for a few minutes. Don't you wish you could be barefoot all the time?

Kids actually know best. They love to go barefoot. Well, at least until they're taught that they need to wear shoes when they step out of the house or even inside the house in some cases. First they rebel and take off whatever footwear is on their feet whenever they can. Then they get yelled at or punished by adults until they finally form the habit of wearing shoes. To me that's really sad.

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 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 modern 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. But probably the biggest reason is that they think it's against the law (which is a myth)! We will address those issues one at a time in a different article, but here are the reasons why I go barefoot.

The top 10 reasons why I go barefoot

10.  Saves me money by not buying shoes and socks
9.   Saves time and more practical
8.   Builds my confidence - it does take confidence to be different
7.   I'm more relaxed
6.   My feet are healthy - no infections or deformities from wearing shoes
5.   My feet don't sweat and stink
4.   Great sensations - I'm able to feel whatever is beneath my soles
3.   I feel free and natural
2.   My feet get dirty - yep, it's cool to have dirty feet :)
1.   It's simply fun!!

Want to learn more about going barefoot? Click here to learn the basics, and then you can decide if you want to live the barefoot lifestyle.