Hi all, Im new to the boards but im glad ive discovered them, I didn't realise barefooting was so popular. I love going barefoot when im alone but i never go barefoot in company. My second toe on one of my feet is curved (bent, odd shaped, whatever you want to call it), i think its a result of being made to wear slightly to small shoes as i was growing up. I am very self concious of my feet, i wish i could wear flip flops or go barefoot in public, but if i did i would feel like everone was looking at me thinking i was deformed. I go barefoot on the beach but im always hiding my feet, no one has ever said anything about it but i always think they are looking at them. I would love to be able to go barefoot all the time but i just feel that my feet are too ugly, im always checking other peoples feet but i never see anyones like mine. Hopefuly when I settle down with a partner they will love and accept me the way i am and i will be able to go barefoot freely, but at the moment i hide my feet so much that whenever im barefoot i feel almost naked! Has anyone had a similar problem to myself? Ric
Dear Ric, I can understand your problem/shyness. I don't have very beautiful feet myself, but it's not about 'nice feet', it's all about 'nice feeling' of freedom. Personally, I don't think that people will constantly check your feet, that's mostly 'between your ears'. I guess everybode will have something at his/her body that doesn't please him/her. But think about this: you'll have to live with this pair of feet your whole life long, they will carry you through your entire life, why should you deny yourself the joy of going barefoot? In the end you'll probably regret that you you didn't go for it! I have accepted my feet with 4 curved toes and enjoy being barefoot as often as I can!
I had a similar problem. My big toes were bent and made me very self-conscious. Nonetheless, I would occasionally go barefoot or wear flip-flops but felt everyone was looking at my feet. My feeling was these were the cards I'd been dealt, and I could either make the best of it or hide. A few years ago I had some severe pain in my big toes and went to a podiatrist. After some discussion of the options, we agreed corrective surgery would be the best fix. The surgery straightened my toes (hence my screen name). That was five years ago and I've never regretted it. Now I'm barefoot most all the time (weather permitting)!! In other words, enjoy going barefoot and screw everyone else!
That sounds like: Hey, you have to undergo corrective surgery first, before you can say "Screw everyone else!" I don't think you mean it that way, but it could be read as such by someone self-conscious about his feet...
Thanks for the replies. Im sure you did'nt mean get corrective surgery either Straight toes. I have to admit I have looked into it before though, but I don't think I could go through with it, it seems pretty painful. As enjoylifeasmuchasyou says its not all about having nice feet, im sure a lot of people feel they have ugly feet, but as long as you learn to love them youself who cares what everyone else thinks I feel I am getting a bit more confident about being barefoot, one day im sure ill be a fully fledged barefooter!
Hmm, I never considered hidden meaning in what I said.... No, I don't think corrective surgery is a necessity. I was going barefoot and/or wearing flip-flops before having the surgery, but I was still a bit self conscious. So yes, you can say "screw the world" no matter what your feet look like!! Having the surgery boosted my self-confidence though. That probably says more about my own personal insecurities than anything else.
Besides, you said the surgery was for severe pain in the toes, which was a very good reason to have gotten it
Oh yeah, I didn't realize how bad my feet hurt until they stopped hurting!! They could keep me awake at night. I've told several people that having my toes fixed was one of the best moves I ever made - from a pain perspective. The aesthetic improvement was a nice plus though!!
I think more times than not, the only people disgusted by our feet are we ourselves. It is like someone complaining about the color of their hair or that he has gone bald etc. Most people accept these things as part of you and see nothing wrong. As far as people looking at your feet, while it probably makes you uncomfortable, think of it this way. Most people tend to look at things they like. If they don't like something, they tend to avoid looking at them. So I would suggest that if people are looking at your feet, they probably like them!
