Hello everyone, I've been lurking around here for the past couple of months now. I actually found this forum after cutting the grass barefoot, and then looking online to see if anyone else has done it or if I'm weird haha. More on that below. Anyway, my name is Patrick. I'm 31 years old and I live in the southeastern USA (where it's HOT as HADES right now!!!!) with my wife and 19-month old son, and I work as an intern architect, in the process of becoming licensed. The GSR94 refers to my 1994 Acura Integra GS-R that I've had since 2001. I use this name pretty much on all internet forums so no need to change. :sunny: Anyway, I'm really new to the whole barefoot lifestyle. I remember back in architecture school, over 10 years ago, there was this new girl a couple years below me who ran around campus barefoot, always. At first I thought it was kinda weird, but kinda cute at the same time. We're pretty good friends, but I think she started wearing shoes more often after graduating college, especially after starting work in an architecture office. I've always been one to wear shoes, almost everywhere, all the time, even in the house. It's not that I was uncomfortable without shoes, it's just how I've always done it. Plus I'm one who always laces up and ties shoes, and taking them off when you come in the house only to have to tie them again to go back out was a hassle so I just never took them off during the day. I didn't even have a pair of GOOD flip-flops until just 3 or 4 years ago. Well, this summer things went a bit different for some reason. I think it was the first really hot day we had when I needed to cut the grass. I just didn't want my feet all hot and sweaty, so I was like ah F it! I'll just go barefoot! And man what an awesome feeling that was, walking behind the mower through the freshly-cut grass. And to anyone worrying about safety, the blade on my mower cuts off as soon as you let go of the handle, and the handle is WAY far back from the deck, so I don't think it's an issue. Plus shoes offer no real protection from a spinning blade anyway. I think that was back in May or so, and ever since then I've been barefoot every evening, weekend, or vacation. If I'm not at work or at church on Sunday, no shoes or socks. I usually just keep my flip flops in my car when I go into a store. Cutting the grass, out in the yard, around the house, driving anywhere on the weekend, all barefoot. And speaking of stores, I only just a few weeks ago got the nerve up to go into a store barefoot. I've been in a couple of gas station convenience stores, Auto Zone, Aldi grocery store, but that's really about it. We shop at WalMart because our income kinda dictates it, and frankly I'm a little skurred to go in there barefoot. Just a couple of weeks ago my wife and I took our first vacation in almost 3 years, to see the STS-135 launch in Cape Canaveral, the final flight of shuttle Atlantis and the US Space Shuttle program. I packed my Nikes and a pair of socks just in case, but never used them. I was barefoot most of the time, flip flops a few times, for the WHOLE 5 day trip. Of course we also hit the beach, as well. And I went barefoot when we went to have breakfast in the hotel lobby, despite the sign that said footwear required by order of the health department (which I know is a lie lol). I was greatly honored to be a part of history on 8 July 2011. And let me tell you, the grass on the lawn at Kennedy Space Center is some of the best I've ever seen for barefooting. Unfortunately my wife doesn't think so much of me going into establishments barefoot. She think it's "redneck" and is embarrassed by it. Oh well, guess I have to do it when I'm by myself. However our son is barefoot just about 24/7. My wife puts his sandals on occasionally for an outing where there might be stickers in the grass or something (and even less occasionally his shoes and socks) but for the most part this summer he's been barefoot which I read is very good for the development of young children's' feet. Well I guess that's long enough hah. I'll leave you with this pic I shot with my Nikon D70s with an 80-200 lens at full zoom, while barefoot on the lawn at Kennedy Space Center. The astronauts are back now, landed at 4:57 CDT Thursday morning 21 July. The program is over after a 30-year run, but man what a run they had.
Welcome then, although it seems you're already doing more than I have when I started roughly a year ago. lol
Great to hear from a noob, welcome to freedom! :hurray: One of the very few times i will actually wear boots is when i'm cutting the grass. Strimmers (weedwhackers) and petrol mowers with spinning blades have an annoying tendency to fire stones in all directions and they really do hurt when they hit you on your feet or toes (tried it once).
Haa, I know the feeling, with people being embarrassed to accompany you barefoot. I think it's great fun when old people recognize me as one of those dirty hippies they hated for being free just after they themselves buckled down and got a job and joined suburban america.... My accompaniment rarely sees it my way, though. Not sure what I'll do about school this fall, I've taken to hardly wearing shoes at all, unless I'm visiting my probation officer. But I think I'll probably get a lot of shit for it on campus. But I think I'd wear shoes to cut the grass.... I like my feet too much to bare them in that sort of situation.
Great day today. I wore flip flops for about an hour today but that was it. Went to the in-laws, gas station convenience store, Auto Zone, Sonic Drive-In, all barefoot and some of it in the rain.
Welcome. Nice to hear from someone else in this region of the country. Hope you enjoy your stay. Also, in for more info on the GSR.
Lol well I've been driving it over 10 years and it has 303K miles on it, all original engine and trans. Still capable of 35+ mpg on road trips. This is one of the better pics I have of it. Also have been a member of Honda-tech.com nearly 10 years and a moderator there almost 3 years.
Hmm, kinda sexy. But my 240 rapes it, with it's every single panel damaged, destroyed paint, absent subframe bushings, and all :leaving:
Hi Patrick! I was going to start my own thread, but our situations are so similar that I decided to reply to yours instead. Welcome to the forum! I am a 29-year-old husband and father who started barefooting last summer. My wife said one night that I had nice feet, so the next day I didn't put socks on. She made another admiring comment, and the rest is history. I started by being barefoot in the house, then up to the end of the driveway, and now I only wear sandals inside stores. I know I can go barefoot, but I'm not there yet. I have a two-year-old son, and he's barefoot almost all the time. My wife is neurotic and she sometimes gets his sandals on before I can chew her out (again), but I insist he be barefoot for health reasons. Plus he hates his shoes, so it's easier anyway! I love going for walks with him, and after it rains he loves to splash in the mud puddles, so I join him. I LOVE splashing in the puddles and getting all dirty, but I can't really justify it unless I'm with my son haha. A thirty-year-old man splashing barefoot in a mud puddle is weird and maybe perverted, but a thirty-year-old father splashing barefoot with his son is a sweet man who is willing to get dirty to have fun with his child. *Sigh*, what a world we live in. Going barefoot has been quite a large change for me, and I must say it has been amazing. Taking a hike around the neighbourhood, walking through a stream, driving, and of course puddle-splashing, all these things that were already great have been so enhanced by removing shoes from the equation! One of my favourites is walking down the side of a busy route during rush hour, or walking downtown in my small town at lunchtime. I must confess that after so long believing feet should be covered, I am a bit of an exibitionist about it! It's not exactly walking around nude, but I do get a thrill out of barefooting that is, if I am to be completely honest, is somewhat of a turn-on. I think this will fade away eventually, as it becomes more 'normal' in my mind to be barefoot, but for now it's actually quite fun to feel a little 'naked' in public. Anyway, I didn't really mean to go on so long, but welcome to the forum!
