Opinions on alternatives to barefooting

So, I'm sure I'm not the only one who's experienced difficulties in going barefoot in the form of unjust and unreasonable management, or even school rules that are (arguably) only established to protect themselves from a lawsuit, Which brings me to the topic of alternatives that are as close to being barefoot as possible.

Are Vibrams actually worth getting? cause I know those are legal to use in my school. I've seen 6 people wear them already, around school and dozens more who are interested in them. Those people claim that "it pretty much feels like being barefoot" but I have my doubts, plus theoretically speaking, it really
-isn't- barefoot.

or

Would flip flops be better and just slip them off whenever you can. I did this the last year and a half during school hours, but I'm wondering if there are better ways.

Yes, I know it's definitely not the same as getting that certain freedom and comfort by going truly barefoot, but in some cases you may not have a choice.
I've considered barefoot sandals too, or the "wear long enough pants" method, but I don't want the slightest chance of getting caught. I'm the type of person who doesn't want a tarnish on school records. The school would definitely do some sort of punishment. During the "Toms day without shoes," the Principal sent an e-mail to all teachers telling them that everyone who went barefoot is in violation of school laws "for safety reasons" and will be given a form of penalty for not complying.(At least it's now summer and I don't have to worry about it too much)

 

You can always trick casual onlookers into believing that you're actually wearing sandals by wearing barefoot sandals. The straps on the top of your feet create the illusion, that these must be full-fledged sandals, complete with soles.

However, that's the illusion: your soles still have full ground contact:

http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.170839525.jpg

Other possible materials and models for male barefoot sandals can be seen on the SBL (Society for Barefoot Living) Blog, maintained by SBL member Bob Neinast:

http://societyforbarefootliving.wordpress.com/2010/09/25/barefoot-sandals/

Wiggling bare toes,

~*Ganesha*~

 

Well that's exactly why I considered barefoot sandals in the first place, because of the illusion. But, I was just unsure about the extent of it's effectiveness. as I said, I don't want to take any risks getting a mark on my record of some form of penalty for something as simple as going barefoot.

If it truly does work though, that people won't notice I'm still barefoot with them, even while sitting in a 55 minute class, then those would be great.

 

I have several pair of the style in the picture, and they ARE effective. If you keep your soles to/toward the floor (as opposed to crossing your legs and fully exposing the soles), you'll be fine, even during a 50-minute class. I know the person who makes these, and I can give you her e-mail.

 

Nuspieds, can you give me that email? I would love to have a few pairs of these!

 

Done! See my PM to you.

 

I'd appreciate that email then. I'd like to try them out. Thanks for the post. (won't be able to buy any yet since I'm that teen with no money/checks/debit card/credit card.
Quick question, does he/she accept cash by mail?

 

Another satisfied barefooter!

 

Vibrams feel nothing like barefooting. I have the KSO's and although they are my favorite footwear, they do not provide the free feeling that barefooting does.

 

Thank you very much for clearing that up. And here I was, willing to spend $100 on something that supposedly feels like going barefoot, as a friend told me. Well how about that, lol.

 

Uh

 

I don't think the barefoot sandals are really unnoticeable; the few times I've worn them -not to the fact I'm barefoot, which is rarely a problem here in the Netherlands either, but just for fun- I got more looks, some people really stopped and turned to see whether I did or did not have soles on. Sure, quite a few people must've thought it was regular sandals but the ones who did notice were far, far more obvious about it. And you can't keep your feet on the floor permanently, especially from behind it's sorta obvious, so if you ever have to walk to your teacher's desk and back to your seat, not to mention you'll have to leave the classroom at the end of the hour, it'll show if he/she looks down at your feet.
If you want to try them anyways but are short on cash you can easily make them yourself, btw, it's not that difficult.

If flipflops are allowed, you can also try huaraches, also easy and cheap to make. There's kits sold for them and instructions how to online, Google them. Or go for very thin-soled mocs; Tandy Leather used to have a moccasin kit where you could just leave the sorta-thick inner sole out so you only had a very thin leather sole left.

 

I see, well I'll try everything I can.

 

I went for flip-flops at work until I got a 'quiet word in my ear' from a Board level director, so have now resorted to canvas plimsolls when walking around the office. Did try wearing sandals but they made my calves ache !

At my desk (most of the day) I'm barefoot and as soon as I leave work the plimmies are off. Lots of colleagues have been out with me barefoot and don't care a jot (very laid-back bunch).

Had one security guard stop me (on the way out interestingly) at Tesco, but couldn't be bothered to argue. Been in there a few times since without shoes and with no bother.

 

Something else to consider are footwear called "Down-Unders". These are very thin soles that stick to the bottoms of your feet. One company sells disposable ones that are very thin (a couple millimeters thick).

I've bought some to try them out. You can cut them to the size of your foot. From the top, it looks like you are barefoot, but you actually have soles on the bottoms of your feet.

Because the soles are so thin, it feels like you're walking barefoot.

I've used them in stores that I've usually been kicked out of. I cut them so that they fit most of my sole, but not my toes. Once I was challenged by a worker, and his face was in surprise when I showed him that I was indeed wearing shoes/soles. I'm sure he was disappointed that he couldn't kick me out. I just smiled and walked away.

It's kind of a twist on the footwear that hides the fact that you're barefoot. In this case you want people to think you're barefoot, but you actually aren't.

I'm not affiliated with this company, but here is the link, http://www.down-unders.com/disposables.htm

 

I sympathize with the subject of this thread but I don't honestly think there's any real substitute and you just have to accept that footwear is required sometimes (particularly at work/school). You are either barefoot or you're not, there's no satisfactory way of hiding it. With most of the above you'd be constantly trying to find opportunities to slip them off. With barefoot sandals you'd always be worrying about being "found out". I remember as a child my parents would have been appalled if they thought I went about barefoot, so I tried to adapt a pair of gym shoes by removing the soles! Of course they never stayed on and must have looked ridiculous!

So sadly for us you just have to be in circumsatnces where being barefoot doesn't matter and just go for it.:sunny:

 

Thanks for posting. That may also work, I suppose. But it's opposite of what I'm looking for. I'm trying to be truly barefoot without looking like I'm barefoot.

 

my opinion about the alternatives to barefooting is that they're either ridiculous ( barefoot sandals ) or a square betrayal of the concept of barefooting ( disposable soles ) . my vote goes for the 'just barefoot' option . if i have to add something to bareness i'd go for a toe ring, just to stress that im purposely, openly barefoot: i dont like to hide.

 

Okay well I'm exactly like that too. BUT As I said in my initial post, my High school is strongly against barefooters, that they gave penalties to those who went barefoot for that toms day without shoes event. The penalty of going barefoot "Just because I want to" would be greater. I also mentioned that I'm a person who doesn't want a blemish on my school record, and I don't want to move schools as it's one of the top public schools in Minnesota, education-wise(even if they have unjust laws, it's a great school). Which brings me back to why I put this post up in the first place. I want to be able to go barefoot without getting the crap for it. Trust me, if my school allowed it, I'd be going bare and proud. I absolutely don't want to hide the fact that I want to be barefoot, and almost everyone that I see around my neighborhood or friends from school know that. But with the risk of getting a mark on my record, I just can't waltz in barefoot to school.

 

Society is ridiculous about bare feet. People are infinitely clever. One useful camouflage is the barefoot sandal (ties over the foot, leaving the foot 95% bare). Nothing is perfect. Yes, wearing a BF sandal does leave one open to being found out ("people...clever"). But it does work more often than not ("nothing...perfect").