Where will you be barefoot this spring/summer

I'm stuck in the frozen wasteland that is Toledo/NW Ohio and I am definitely starting to long for the return of spring/summer and warm weather. In anticipation, I am daydreaming about (and listing) some of the places I am looking forward to being without shoes.

1. Ann Arbor Art Fair- I try to attend every July. It's awesome. In addition to the art, I like goingbarefoot there because you have to board a bus at a distant location to get into the fair (getting back to your shoes is no simple matter).

2. Gen Con- I am a huge gaming geek and this is a huge gaming convention (in Indianapolis). I've never done the whole weekend in barefeet, though I was barefoot for much of this convention two years ago. I'd love to make the entire trip without shoes someday.

3. Origins- This is another gaming convention. I've not attended since I've been barefooting in public, but hope to do so this year. The part of Columbus where it is held is really quite trendy/bohemian.

4. Rib Off- This carnivorous event crops up yearly in Toledo. I've gone the last few years, but never without shoes. I did spy a barefooter there a couple of years ago.

5. Cedar Point- I've never been to an amusement park barefoot, but would like to try it.

6. The movie theatre- I routinely go to one of the local cinemas barefoot, but would like to try it at a few others.

7. Cold Stone, Dairy Queen, Baskin Robbins- I love ice cream, especially during the summer and have never had a problem being barefoot at any of these chains. Toledo also has a number of privately owned ice cream parlors (Lickety-Split, Netty's, a place whose name I don't recall that is actually in Maumee) that have been very barefoot friendly.

8. Wal-Mart- I've been turned away from Wal-Mart for being barefoot, but have also made it in a few times. I like flaunting their anti-barefoot rules. That said Target has been barefoot friendly the times I have been there. K-Mart has been the most anti-barefoot of all department stores.

9. Barnes and Noble- Again, I have met some barefoot resistance here "For the love of god, we have a cafe in here man". Borders in Anna Arbor has been very barefoot friendly; I'm not sure that will be the case for the new one here in Toledo.

10. Toledo Zoo- I made it to the zoo barefoot two falls ago. I'd like to do it again this summer, perhaps attending some of teh concerts they have there.

11. The Village Idiot- A hippie bar/pizza joint in Maumee. I've never actually gone in barefoot, though I always take my sandals off once inside. The last time I was there, they were having a "hippy hoe down". I can't recall the name of the band that was playing, but there were barefoot hippie girls dancing around like crazy...and it was cold outside too. Not to mention, the pizza is one of the three best (maybe top two) in this area.

Enough for now. I'll post more as they come to me. I am looking forward to hearing some of the places where others enjoy going barefoot, especially in the cities relatively close to here (Toledo). I'd love to use the information to plan a barefoot outing to Detroit, Cleveland, Columbus, maybe even Chicago.

Chad

 

That statement you quoted makes absolutely no sense at all. What does a cafe in there have anything whasoever to do with you being barefoot? Does the guy think you're going to go in there and start touching the food with your feet? What a total and complete idiot!

I've never had a problem going into Barnes and Noble barefoot.

 

I felt your pain. I lived in Cleveland for years so I know what it's like not being able to go barefoot for several months. The Sandusky area I felt was somewhat barefoot friendly environment with all of the summer tourists that flock there each year. I was never kicked out of any establishment for not wearing shoes. One time I was in the Sandusky Walmart and there was a guy shopping there without a shirt. Being it's a vacation destination, attitudes about bare feet might be a little more relaxed there.

Frontier Land inside Cedar Point amusement park is very barefoot friendly, you can walk around barefoot there as much as you wish. Rides such as Snake River Falls, The Raptor, Thunder Canyon and that ride with those swings that twirl you around in the air all can be done in bare feet! I've even kicked off my flip flops and walked around the other parts of the park barefooted with no problems. Just be prepard to put back on your shoes when you want to go on all of the other rides.

 

bfrank,

I agree; I thought the guy was an absolute idiot. I almost put something in my original post about what was surely an irrational fear that I would go dip my toes in someone's latte.

barefoot-boy,
Thanks for the tips. I'll definitely try to check out more of the Sandusky area than just Cedar Point. Any places that you would reccomend?

Chad

 

You might want to try any one of the many business along Route 250. I can't really think of anything specific, you might want to try some of of the restaurants in the evening hours due to the fact that these places are often crowded with Cedar Point patrons, your lack of footwear may go unnoticed. Gas stations, convenience stores and fast food places were rarely a problem. I'd always stay at the Days Inn in Milan, just off the Turnpike. In the morning, I'd have breakfast in their tiny lobby always in barefeet As it always turned out, I wasn't the only one without shoes and socks on.

My work took me out to this area every week year round. My wife and I really miss this part of Ohio, but now that we located to Arizona we can only make it up there about once a year. Bummer!

 

How is AZ for barefooting? life in general?

 

Pretty good, summertime temps are around 100 degrees, so walking on pavement in bare feet can be scorching, best to be done in mornings and evening. Winter temps are nice during the day, but it gets pretty chilly after dark. It snows in the mountains and occassionally it will snow in the city. Been here a year and a half, so I've only seen snow on the mountains.

Suprisingly I don't see many barefooters here, but lots of people in flip flops during the summer months.

 

Chad,

It's nice to see you plan ahead for spring/summer "06." You might just be the only member of this forum who has ever dared to go barefoot to the zoo I've stepped on dog poop while barefoot on more than one occasion, so I suppose what would I have to fear at the zoo except for fear itself!

Last spring the weather here on the east coast was unseasonably cold. Needless to say, I had to wait till June before the elements were comfortable enough for barefooting. As for this year, I'll be happy enough just venturing around the city barefoot Anything after that is gravy!

You obviously feel quite comfortable going to various conventions and what have you barefoot. Which brings me to my question, has anyone ever said anything to you besides that time at the bookstore that made you feel uncomfortable while you were parading around barefoot. For me, I think being asked by a tourist if I was on drugs just because I was barefoot on the outskirts of Faneuil Hall, took the cake.

Here's hoping that all members of the Hip Forums achieve all of your barefoot goals for 2006

 

Cantgobarefootenough,
Like almost all barefooters, I've faced my share of negative comments, though very few of them have come at the conventions I mentioned. I have been asked to leave Best Buy (twice), Barnes and Noble (two locations, once each), and K-Mart (once in a very uncompromising fashion).
I haven't had many problems at the various gaming conventions, though they did refuse to let me into a party/dance at Gen Con without first putting my sandals on.
Year after year, Ann Arbor Art Fair remains one of the best places I have ever been barefoot, though I did overhear someone say something about how they would never go barefoot around food vendors or something to that effect.
Enough negativity. I've also came across a few positive comments while barefooting. Once at a theatre, I left to get some snacks and some girls (much younger than myslef) said "hey that guy's barefoot. I want to go barefoot in here too".
Anyway, I hope that at least sort of answers your questions. By the way, the zoo is a great place to go barefoot. I ran acroos really no animal droppings (I stayed away form the petting zoo section), just lots of warm asphalt.
Chad

 

Dear Chad,

Thanks for your reply. Obviously, when it comes to going barefoot in public, you're one determined individual. I attempted to enter the mall at the Marriott at Copley Place barefoot on one occasion, only to be quickly pursuaded by security to put my sandals back on The shopping center is connected to the Prudential Center via a bridge and I can't tell you how times I've seen women walking along there barefoot without security having the slightest clue that they're unshod. I'm afraid to say it, but I think there is possibly a double standard in effect here. Have you noticed any female patrons barefoot at KMart, Best Buy or Barnes and Noble? Were they treated in the same fashion as you were?

You also mentioned your not so successfull experience with flip-flops at the ripe young age of four or five. I have to credit my parents for inspiring me to go barefoot. You would have to look long and hard to find a photo of me with my feet shod during my first couple of years of life. My older sister was also a positive inspiration for me. It seems like only yesterday that she marched up to the podium barefoot at her college graduation

Like I said to you before, I'll be happy enough parading around the city barefoot when spring/summer finally arrive. Anything after that is gravy. Here's looking forward to those times

 

You were lucky to have parents that encouraged you to go barefoot, mine never did. You would have to look long and hard to see a picture of me in my barefeet. Looking back I wish things were different for me at a young age on account of my foot shyness. In my opinion I lost out on a lot of fun because I would see others, mostly girls barefooted in situations and thinking to myself I wish I could do that.

Anyway, now I'm reclaiming the past and going barefoot like I never thought would be possible.

 

Yeah, I'm kinda the same way. My parents made me wear shoes even before I could walk. I see baby photos of me with tight fitting hard shoes. They prohibited me going barefoot, including inside the house. They feared the image of poverty, foot injury, and thought I'd catch cold. As a result, my feet were so deformed from shoes I couldn't move my toes and big veins were popping out of my skin that was thinner than paper and stank like no tomorrow from bacteria, fungus, athlete's foot, and plantar warts. I envied other kids that went barefoot and it became an obsession.

So now I go barefoot as much as possible and will be giving up my lucrative career largely so I can go barefoot even more often. Ironically, I stopped catching colds when I started going barefoot. And of course now my feet never smell bad anymore, they look a lot more healthy, and never have athlete's foot nor plantar warts anymore. Also, the only time I seriously injured my foot was when I was a kid wearing shoes- I stepped on a nail that went through the shoe. If I had been barefoot I would have detected the nail before it could do much damage or at least would have been more careful where I was stepping. Also, any injury I had to my feet back then took way longer to heal because the shoes caused the germs to fester. Bare feet stay dry. Another irony is that my parents forcing me to wear shoes has now caused me to become rather obsessed with reclaiming the past and could very well contribute to my future poverty.

So a lesson to parents far and wide- let your kids go barefoot!