Barefooting - through my eyes
Each of my feet carries me around on a collection of 18 muscles, 28 bones, and a whole lot o' sole.
Splayed toes are a well-documented characteristic of "primitive" indigenous people, and camels - well, thanks to growing up largely without shoes on my feet, I've got 'em too!
These days I jog barefoot, I drive barefoot, and I go shopping barefoot. But contrary to popular opinion, I am not crazy, I did not forget my shoes, and I am not breaking any laws. In fact, I am part of a fairly passionate virtual community, most of whom are considerably more hard-core than me.
People react to me jogging without shoes as if I'm participating in some kind of bizarre extreme sport. I'm not. Humans have been doing it for millenia (albeit without broken glass littering the ground). Running barefoot certainly requires conditioning, but it is not a superhuman feat.
What's more, many relevant professionals (i.e. the physios, podiatrists, and physiologists who aren't sponsored by the sports-shoe industry) agree that running barefoot is beneficial for feet, ankles, shins, and especially knees. Don't take my word for it, though. Go ahead and try a search for "barefoot running" on Google.
But before you abandon your shoes, be warned going barefoot as a rule requires thick skin (and I'm not talking about the soles of one's feet any more). My bare feet have seen me shut out of places ranging from the local cinema to the national war memorial.
Am I really the only one who recognises the absurdity of being viewed as socially unacceptable for refusing to wear $200 shoes that were manufactured for a pittance in some soul-destroying sweatshop? What a sad society we have created for ourselves.
COMMENTS:
I've only ever received one piece of direct feedback regarding my attitude to bare feet, from "Ralphiscool" (you can read his strange message below). But recently I discovered that the text from this page has been reproduced on another barefooting website at http://www4.geometry.net/sports/barefooting_page_no_5.html (link current at June 2006)
Ralphiscool wrote:
"I dont mean to be rude...but your 4th toe is crooked on each foot in that it curves way in almost under your third toe. Also your 5th toe is bent with the nail toward the outside of the foot. Doesnt this bother you walking around and baring your feet in public with less than perfect feet. Dont mean that as a dig just curious. I know if I had feet that had a few crooked toes I would not bare my feet in public. Well anyways wish u luck. Bye."