I just destroyed my feet :(

Its about 31 degrees (Celsius) here and I had to walk down to the dairy to get a card to put money on my phone. Whenever I wear my boots in this kind of heat my feet get so hot and my socks are literally wet with sweat by the time I take them off, so I thought I'd just walk down barefoot since its only 5 - 10 mins away

Walking there was fine, the pavement was hot but not unbearable and i didnt have a problem, however by the time I walked back each step hurt, and when I crossed one road the tar had melted and stuck to my foot

The last couple of blocks were agony, and now that I'm home I can barely walk across the carpet. The skin on my feet, usually as pale as the rest of me, is now a bright crimson and throbbing I'm dreading what its going to be like in a few hours, they'll probably be covered in blisters

Going barefoot for the first time when its this hot was probably a stupid idea, but if a lot of you guys go barefoot everywhere then wow, your feet must really be tough

 

it was only 31c? my feet must be tough.. thats not bad at all to me.

 

I hope your feet heal soon Arlandis.

And Boogabaah could walk on the sun and not feel a thing.

 

That's only about 88 deg F, which is prime barefoot weather. Then again Arlandis mentioned crossing the "tar." If it's bright, direct sun outside, the black pavement will just soak up the rays and get extremely hot. The hot, black goo is the likely culprit, not the air temperature.

Okay, enough physics and radiant heat transfer for now,...

 

i've walked on hot railroad ties and have gotten tar on my feet.. it doesn't like to come off very easily.

and i'd do it again.

 

Cool, but to quote Deadguy

Railroad tracks might be a challenge for me. Not so much the tracks or the tar, but rather the coarse, sharp rocks of the railroad bed.

Again Boogabaah, I admire and respect your conviction.

 

Hey, Arlandis

Just take it easy for a while, take care of your feet, keep them cool and clean for now and apply either polysporin/neomyacin or mupricin ointment three times a day on the open sores for at least 10 days.

Once they heal completely, start your barefooting again in the cool of the mornings and evenings. Get some time and miles on your soles to build them up a bit and then the heat won't affect you quite so badly next time.

Also, if you're out barefooting and something is painful, (as opposed to merely uncomfortable) seek an immediate change in the environment to ameliorate the situation. High temperatures, for example, can be mitigated by either:

1. Seeking cooler shaded, light-colored, vegetated, or wet spots to rest
2. Running to said cooler spots

Also, before setting out across a wide expanse, develop a strategy in advance, should it become more than you bargained for half way through. For those whose sole are still developing, it may even be best to carry some zorries as an option of last resort.

 

i second that! man-made surfaces can be harsh on naked feet.. especially when heated up!

 

_air_ temperature is conventionally measured under shade. 31°C may mean that black tarry roads under the midday sun can reach temperatures of 50 C° and over i guess, particularly if there is a spot with good sun exposure and poor ventilation. i use to stay barefoot at least all summer long and i know that there are _certain spots_ in town and out where the pavement can get almost unbearably hot and you cant stand still for long there without getting your soles hurting or maybe even scorched , though that never happened to me. tar going hot and soft under your toes also happens. sometimes you can leave the signs of your toes on the asphalt !
the last resort is to carry a bottle of tap water to cool down your soles from time to time, weird but it works. at least until your bottle wont run dry

also, tar is severely irritating. people working with hot tar are subject to irritation of skin and tissues even if shod so guess... and barefooting requires some adaptation during the first _years_ .

 

Well I've managed to get most of the tar off, and the blisters aren't too bad

But I don't think I'll be going out barefoot again any time soon, look

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10551016

 

i can walk barefoot in the summer, but if the pavement is too hot then i try to walk on painted lines because they aren't as hot, or i'll look for grass or lightly colored sidewalk to walk on.

otherwise, you'll see me runnin hha