Lots of people have told me that they successfully went barefoot "all the time" as a kid, playing on rocks and gravel, in dirt, and around all kinds of dangerous things. Then they insinuate that the flat, smooth surfaces of the adult world (e.g. concrete, asphalt, tile, linolium and carpet) are too dangerous for going barefoot.
Hmm...
Hmm...
Lots of people think it's "gross" or "disgusting" to go barefoot, but then put shoes on that their feet have sweated in day after day and which act as incubators for problems such as athlete's foot and toe fungus.
Hmm...
Going barefoot in a store is supposedly very unsafe and a high risk for injury, yet high heels -- which put 20,000 women a year into hospital ERs and often have no traction at all on their soles -- are acceptable footwear.
Hmm...
Many people claim that they "hate feet" and can't stand the sight of them, yet they're fine when others wear open-toed shoes. It's only when the small amount of shoe material is removed that the sight of the feet is offensive. The exception: bare feet are rarely hated at the pool.
Hmm...
Countless women have told me that they don't go barefoot because they have "sensitive" feet, yet are willing to wear shoes which cause regular pain and blistering in and on their "sensitive" feet.
Hmm...
Podiatrists and other experts say that there's no evidence to support claims that running barefoot leads to less injury. There is also no evidence to support claims that running with standard cushioned shoes causes less injury, yet they are fine recommending those.
Hmm...
Many people think that going barefoot puts feet at a high risk of injury, yet many people regularly close car doors, use sharp steak knives and scissors, light matches and more without wearing protective gloves.
Hmm...
Naysayers claim that there's loads of broken glass, sharp rocks, nails, and even hypodermic needles strewn about all over the place, yet they can never point out where any of it is when asked.
Hmm...
Though many podiatrists say that our bare feet aren't capable of properly supporting us, countless athletes successfully compete barefoot in gymnastics, martial arts, dance, running and more.
Hmm...
Some people believe it's inappropriate for someone to shop a store barefoot, yet customers are regularly allowed with offensive shirts and tattoos, bad body odor, loud children and more.
Hmm...
A common thought is that bare feet may make business floors excessively dirty. A person who regularly goes barefoot cleans their feet at least once a day. People who wear regularly wear shoes rarely, if ever, clean the soles of their footwear.
Hmm...
You know who -- or what -- is allowed barefoot into a store? Service animals. It may be "no shoes, no service" for people, but guide dogs are allowed on the very same unsafe floors AND they cannot be made by management to wear protective booties, per a blog post I wrote a while back.
Hmm...
Speaking of bare feet being inappropriate, it used to be that women should only wear skirts, children should only speak when spoken to and flip flops were only for the pool or shower room. My, how things change.
Hmm...
Do these things also make you go "Hmm..."? Does it give you a different perspective on bare feet? What would you add to the list? Am I off base with some of them? Please leave your comments in the section below.
Image: graur codrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Here are some more:
ReplyDeleteStore employee says "you can't be barefoot in here". Why? He replies, "you could drop something on your foot". Then you look around and see 50 people in there with flip flops on, some of which have straps only a quarter inch wide. Are these made of titanium and have a protective force field around them??
Hmm...
Many elementary schools and high schools did not allow students to participate in the "One Day Without Shoes" charitable event. Many students were complaining on the internet how they were required to have shoes on at all times, and there were no exceptions even for one day. Those who run the school said the liability risk was too high. Unbelievable. These are schools that have football teams - a sport that injures countless students every year across the country. Sometimes permanent injury results from football, like paralysis, and worse than that, death. Many kids have DIED playing football over the years. And that is not a liability???? How could educators have such a lack of critical thinking? What would someone who got hurt going barefoot sue them for? The cost of a box of bandaids?
Hmm...
I read many times on the internet - "barefoot in the store? On the street? Sidewalk? Mall? Restaurant? Ewww! You are going to spread foot fungus all over the place! One person complained that someone was exercising barefoot in a gym mat that she was touching. Another exclaimed "barefoot in a store? Huh? If I saw someone barefoot in a store I would not enter that store! Yet people go to beaches. On that sand, thousands of people have:
1) Arrived wearing shoes that were never washed and they walked all over cites with. They walk with them on the sand. Then they take them off at some point and walk barefoot with hot sweaty feet that were in those shoes all day. All over the sand.
2) Some arrive barefoot after being barefoot everywhere all day and walk on that sand.
Then people put cloth blankets down and sit on them. They touch that sand with their hands. Kids play it, lie down in it, bury themselves in it. And they put food right there on the blanket, not worrying about all those germs around them. What is sand? Just a type of soil. Plants and trees grow in it. Has an entire ecosystem of microbes in it. And seagulls do not use toilets last time I checked.
Hmm...
Here's another one:
ReplyDeleteMany beach resort towns are lined with beach front stores which regularly receive barefoot customers every day. They don't have "shoes required" signs and they welcome the barefoot customers.
But go one or two blocks inland, and many stores have the "shoes required" sign, with the usual liability excuse. How come this is not an issue at the beach front stores??
Hmm...
I haven't made up my mind about barefoot running yet, but my opinion is favorable thus far. If you have them, could you please point me in the direction of journal articles etc. that support barefoot running??
ReplyDeleteFor the record, I run in dunlop volleys; It's about as close as I care to come to barefoot running at the moment, considering the kind of crap you'll find along my route.
Email me please :)
Try not to think so much of the stupidity and try to hear what they are actually saying. I think more people would like to go barefoot but are too shy. I think they find it hard to admit their shyness so they find out different reasons not to go barefoot. It´s like the childish reaction, when some children think others shoudn´t do activities they are afraid of doing, so for that reason to protect their feelings tell how bad and dangerous it´s to do that activity.
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