How many of you feel totally at ease....

when going barefoot in public? Or do you feel anxious/nervous about what people might think or say to you?

Having been a barefooter for about 8 years, for the first time I seem to have hit a point in my life where I feel just totally chilled about going out and about barefoot - I really don't give a crap about what other people think or say about it. Even my wife doesn't go on to me about it anymore - she just accepts it as one of my little "quirks" god bless 'er, and my kids want to be "just like daddy".

Today I totally forgot that I wasn't wearing shoes - it just felt totally normal - don't think that's ever happend to me before.

Rob

 

it probably felt normal,cos it is normal.

 

when i do go barefoot in public (which isn't often) i kinda embarassed, but i can handle it mostly

 

why do ya feel embarassed?is it because other people make ya feel that way.theres no need ta be embarassed bout your feet.feet are normal an we were all born with barefeet anyway.barefeet are the most comfortable shoes in the world.ha! ha!enjoy!

 

thats amazing! i hope to feel comfortable enough with it one day..

 

well roamy it just aint the norm for a guy around here. but i got come backs for those who make comments.

BTW: ur from ireland! thats where my ansestors are from!

 

well roamy it just aint the norm for a guy around here. but i got come backs for those who make comments.

BTW: ur from ireland! thats where my ansestors are from!

 

i hope you do too.its your life an your feet.do your own thing.

 

well ta me thats weird,that people hava problem with others walkin' in their bare feet.thats nuts!maybe different countries think different.its normal here.no one has ever taken any notice a me when i do.maybe they have more important things on their minds than whos wearin' shoes or not.ha! ha! what part of my country are your ancestors from?

 

Still quite self concious about it to be honest, to the point im hardly ever barefoot as much as id like to be. South london can be harsh, im sitting on a night bus right now and someone just threw a bottle at it! Those people dont strike me as very accepting of anyone whos different!

 

i hear in europe barefooting is more common than in the U.S. as for my ancestors, i have no clue. the only one who knew was my grandmother and i didnt ask her about it before she passed

 

Well OP, I'm still pretty new to being barefoot, so I definitely still think about what others are thinking, but I can still enjoy myself with whatever I'm doing, beyond being barefoot. When I first started, I found it difficult to think of anything else other than "Holy crap, I'm not wearing any SHOES!!!". Now I am able to forget that I'm not wearing shoes, but only for very short intervals (minutes or less). I guess you gotta start somewhere.

I always carry my pepper-spray and my trusty Spyderco PM, so while I do worry about comments, getting kicked out of stores, etc., I never have to worry about being defenseless in any kind of violent encounter. I have never had to use either, but they're always ready if I ever need them.

 

Even though barefooting is a more common thing to do over here (central Europe), or has been - before the flip-flop fashion trend has turned dozens of potential barefooters into wearers of plastic sweat sponges with straps - I still get weird looks from people very often. In the beginning days of my spring and summer barefoot ventures into town, I felt singled out, scrutinized by everyone, judged as a weirdo... it helped me a great deal to be barefoot in a little group with other barefoot people, which kept me from feeling alone and to build up confidence in accepting my "weirdness" as just being me, myself and I.

Nowadays, if someone stares at my bare feet with disbelief and then stares into my face, I lock eyes with that person, staring directly into their face, until they look away - which happens quite fast, too. It's kind of a stare-down contest, the same thing male dogs do for dominance reasons.

Scornful comments are blanked out by my MP3 player - it also helps to have your favourite music in your ears rather than any wiseguy's "Hey, where's yer shuz?" question.

Wiggling bare toes, confident and proud,

~*Ganesha*~

 

At ease enough that I don't even think about it.
Never noticed anyone ever reacting to my feet.

 

It took me about 2 years now i dont worry what people think, the only comment i get is about the tattoos on my feet.

 

I think I'm pretty much at the same stage as Rob. I sometimes forget I'm bf, my partner just accepts it, and her daughter likes to copy me. If I'm honest I suppose I do still feel less confident in places where there are "authority" figures, eg security guards and railway staff...I'm still kind of waitng for them to say something and still haven't got my reply worked out for if they do. Fortunately the only place so far where I needed to have a reply ready was the dreaded Tesco. I even felt confident enough to go to London to meet some old friends, not all of whom know I go bf. There were initially a few surprised comments, but the subject was soon dropped.

I think one of the tests of confidence is whether you carry "emergency" footwear, which I long since stopped doing. That way you are forced to brazen out any situation, which increases confidence.

I agree with the positive comments in this thread, and maybe the answer is some of us think too much about it and should just do it!

 

i slowly turned primal embarassment into quiet contempt for the public in general and their sheep herd dynamics. i agree in this with some anarchist literature, the choices of the masses are irrational and driven by childhood conditioning, a good part of it being sex or sex related conditioning. also, an overwhelming majority of people is made of cowards, and dimwits rule.
human masses also choose blatant prowlers, nation-wrecking leaders(see below for specimen) and when a war is declared , popular masses leave in arms to fight and die without a reason. masses trust commercial ads, commercial tv and make little questions about sensitive things but run amok after vile matters. western masses go shod. and I should feel embarassed about what those retards 'think' ? lol. some huge lol .

 

eh, I'm very used to it but its been about 5 months since i stopped wearing shoes. Like Ganesha, I am a bit self conscious in the beginning days of the BF season. And like sailor, I forget that I have tattoos on my feet and become aware that that causes some looks. But then so do very black soles. And I totally agree with charlie that not having an emergency pair is the way to go.

I do sometimes find anticipating going somewhere where I might get kicked out makes me hot. Something about taking that humiliating barefoot walk out of the store is attractive to me (sexually). Maybe cause then i know someone's staring at my dirty soles as I make my retreat? I know...It's weird. I've often wondered if anyone else feels like that. There was one poster on these threads who had mentioned that they get aroused showing off their dirty soles in public places, so maybe it isn't weird.

 

you could do your family tree and find out that way.they might have come off the famine ships generations ago possibly.

 

I love walking around barefoot, I always thought it was something to be proud of but never knew why. Alot of people do ask me if it hurts, but my feet are so used to it I dont even notice. It just feels great to walk around so natural, shoes are just wierd.

But unfortuantly the weathers getting colder everyday here so almost time to start wearing socks and shoes =/