I was just wondering what you do for 'formal' events - i.e. weddings, funerals, dinner-dances etc. Do you go barefoot to them?
I usually start off in a pair of platforms or spikey heels, and take them off halfway through. I don't care if it's not "proper" behavior for some of the ritzy socials that we attend due to my husband's line of work, and I've had a few looks at formal occasions when I went out on the dancefloor barefoot, but I could care less. They're just way too uptight, and I'm having a good time, they only wish they felt secure enough to do something like that, so :tongue: on them.
Usually bite the bullet and put on those dreaded shoes and socks. Being barefoot in such a setting would cause great embarrassment to my wife. Besides, I'm never that comfortable with formal social gatherings, so I do my best to blend in with the rest of the crowd. Women have it easy here, they wear all kinds of skimpy sandals that have their toes wiggle free yet still look fashionable. Never have been to a wedding reception where there as not been a least a couple of women dancing without their shoes. You never see a guy do the same, well at least from what I've seen.
Yeah this is one area where women catch all the breaks - men's formal shoes and women'a formal shoes are vastly different. I don't know that it will ever change - and I can't really say I would necessarily feel comfortable myself going barefoot or in flip flops to a formal event, but I'm envious of the ladies I see at those same events with their expensize strappy sandals showing off their bare feet. I also just bite the bullet and "dress up", but as soon as the event is over, my feet are bare before I even get to the car to go home sometimes. :tongue:
I dress up nicely from the ankle up in long skirts. Sometimes I wear barefoot sandals, sometimes I don't. I wore shoes to one funeral years ago when I was a beginning barefooter, it was held on an older cemetary and it just felt so utterly *wrong* to walk shod there, I won't do that again. Spirituality or religion isn't a major part of my barefooting, when I just walk the sidewalks and streets in the city it may not cross my mind for weeks, but when I do visit some holy/spiritual/respectful/ancient place, then I definitely feel something spiritual about it.
I go barefoot to all formal social events; Gubernatorial and Chamber of Commerce Inaugurations, Weddings, Funerals, you name it. I often wear traditional Thai formal clothing, so bare feet don’t appear quite as out of place as they would with Western-style pants. Also, since I’ve been showing up to these events for the last 12 years with no shoes, no one is surprised.
My black Chacos, all cleaned up, look a lot more formal at these times than flops or plain bare. If more guys attended to themselves the way you and I do, perhaps things wouldn't be so unequal.
You are so correct in the above statement Cool Spruce. It has been years since I attended a formal event such as a wedding or funeral. I conform to societal rules of dress and wear a pair of dress shoes on such occasions.
polyester flip flops with matching color natural fiber socks. eg. black on black, natural on natural. people don't notice especially the dark color foot combo. stay comfortable at all times, wear something to a formal affair that you have worn before. no use using a special occasion to break something in that you will never wear again.
i went to my cousin's wedding barefoot. no shoes in sight, i got some strange looks, but whatever, it's natural, shoes aren't if it's not winter and i ABSOLUTELY have to wear some sort of shoe, i wear flip-flops, i wore flip-flops to my grandmothers funeral. it's not like i'm offending her by not wearing proper shoes
Well, what I really meant is the Chacos, and the type of shorts I normally wear anyway, are good enough for some formal(ish) occasions. I've been to one wedding and one funeral in shorts and sandals. Not bf yet. It's hard to describe what I mean. Being clean is a huge part of it. But there's more---I'll think about it.
yeah, men are at a real loss when it comes to formal events. I usually can go out and buy a really pretty pair of flip flops. Funny enough though, all the formal events I've been to in the last while, everyone ends up barefoot anyway cuz they're all dancing a stuff, and the shoes just suck. So I guess the barefooters are lucky up here!
I haven't been to someone elses wedding or funeral etc... in a long time... but i was barefoot at my own wedding, formal wedding gown, long veil, and bare feet. I did get some of those "foot thongs" that are like an ankle bracelet with beads that go down your foot and then attatch to your toe. I loved the freedom of being barefoot beneath my gown and also the statement that it made. Hubby and I did things OUR way at our wedding, and me being barefoot was part of what WE wanted for our special day.
one_hip_mama ~ that sounded awesome! When hubby and I renew our vows (we had a really tiny cerimony the first time because I was pregnant and we want a real wedding this time) I want to have it on the beach in a really simple dress in barefeet, lol, that has always been my dream
