I'm glad to say that I seem to be in the minority on this being one of those deal envious of Kyle and Luke being able to barefoot pretty much 24/7 ! The weather where I am in the UK I not conducive to it a lot of the time ... ... luckily I grew up by the sea so managed to go around barefoot in the summer a lot more than most. School was a no-no, though I managed to do a fair bit of PE barefoot -- I think the balance bit Luke mentions is correct -- I was the clumsiest teenager about in trainers yet doing Judo, in the gym or the summer when "I forgot my trainers" and did PE barefoot I seems to stay upright for longer ! A lot of my friends did not quite get it -- though some thought my tough(ish) soles were cool. I am amazed that Kyle mentions cutting his foot on glass, I guess his feet are way tougher than mine so it must have been a nasty bit of glass ! I've not seen the program, but I bet shoe buying was not fun !
yeah, thats a good point about the glass-after 15 years of being barefoot 99% of the time, you'd think nothing would be able to cut thru it.
Friends are always asking me how long they have to go bf before they get tough soles-I don't know-mine certainly never stay tough, and if Kyle's don't, maybe it's impossible
-but then i've read several accounts of barefooters who break glass with their feet and suffer nary a scratch...
I have a picture somewhere of a Moroccan boy crushing glass bottles for tourists as a sideshow barefoot -- he must have rock hard pads ! I'm sure Kyle's feet usually cope with glass after all those years ! I think kids / teenagers have some sort of biological advantage -- I am lucky my feet toughen quickly and more than most peoples; but when I was at school / college my soles seemed to go from winter to summer mode really fast, whereas now they take a bit longer and don't seem quite so thick and padded (and I'm only just over 30 !). I taught some sports science at a summery school for couple of days last summer; me and one of the 11 year olds were barefoot a lot -- I think walking on pavements gave me harder skin but he won in terms of natural thickness; I'm sure by the end of the summer he would have outclassed me J I'm going to Kenya later this year; I'm sure a barefoot life will have produced some impressively tough soles ! I am hoping to go barefoot a bit out there, but looking at the terrain the kids run / walk over I have some serious catching up to do ... ...
The piece (or shard) of glass I stepped on looked like the piece of a bottle. The reason why I cut my foot on it is because the sharp end was sticking up. There is a trick to stepping on glass. First step, don't rub/shuffle your feet on the glass 'cause that can make the glass slice your foot with ease. just stomp down on it. It's easier to do with tiny shards (each about the size of a cubic centimetre) ratnher than giant chunks.
The same goes with a knife. We were camping one time and I was trying to cut a cucumber but I noticed it wouldn't cut. (foolishly, I didn't bother to notice that I was holding the knife upside down [the two sides looked the same]) I just kept pressing and nothing happened and then I tried sawing and *swwippp*. That happened twice. So a trick you can do with a knife is just press it to your skin. Depending on how hard you press, you won't get cut unless you move it (or make a slicing motion)
I hope you didn't do too much damage ? Glass left lying around is a nightmare -- especially when there are so many more sensible places to put it ! I like your advice "just stomp down on it" -- I wont be trying that just yet -- it is winter in England and my feet are probably rather soft compared tom yours though lack of barefooting : - ( Also if after 14 odd years you suffer damage my barefeet are going to fare less well with only bits and pieces of time in the summer ! You have an amazing opportunity which it is cool you have used -- what do your friends think (I know that passers by will make odd comments !) -- how tough has a whole child/teenagerhood made your soles ? are there any surfaces that you avoid ?
be careful in kenya-some of those african and Eastern countries dont have the best sanitation & such and stepping in human feces (sorry no nice way to put it) is a great way to catch worms and various other worse diseases. Hope this doesnt sound racist, but the truth is less 'civilized' countries (or even some areas of the more civilized ones) call for extra caution. Nothing you dont know, i'm sure...
what will you be doing in kenya?
I am going to visit some charity projects that my church has supported over the years; so i'll be getting to see the people in real homes and at work; hopefully some schools since i used to be a teacher; plus a safari ! I think i''ll have to be very carefull where to go barefoot - though i do want to feel africa under my soles a bit ! I certainly won't be going barefoot in the Kibera district whcih is informal housing; i know that the small children and teenagers do go barefoot through the mess and rubbish - but i assume thier imune system is used to the local bugs etc plus after maybee thirteen years hardly wearing shoes their soles must be incredibly thick and much much tougher than mine; i doubt that in a month my pads will catch up of all the advantages school kids in the west have, it's a shame most will never realise what it is like to be able to walk about barefoot comfortably on tough feet !
I was at a pool recently (my first time swimming with a suit on in 20 years, btw-and my first time ever on a water slide) and it was sad to see how many kids could hardly even walk barefoot around the pool area-stepping so gingerly-only a couple that seemed to be walking normal, like they're used to barefooting...
I'll be going to a friends house in the country today for a party-hope it's nice out so i can bf all day-and sure i'll get several comments on it...
I know she was bf at the grammies-and I hear she prforms barefoot most if not all of the time-what are the arias?
she's going to be the new gap jeans model-mmm, jeans & bare feet, my favorite look...my tao is rising...
Kids having problems barefoot around a pool is sad ! Having been in teaching and done youth work i can think of few teenagers that would go barefoot at all outdoors; which is silly since those that did soon got tough feet and would be happy on punishing gravel whilst thier mates had to be shod ... ... I cannot think of many barefoot musicians either ? Even with the skater fashion being popular and skating having a barefoot past there are no barefoot skater boys/girls on tv !
i turned a gal onto your site today-she just joined the society for barefoot living, of which i'm a member, and mentioned that her son, 2 or 3 or therebouts, won't wear shoes and she's encouraging this, so told her i know a family with two perfectly normal boys who've never worn shoes-'perfectly noraml', I said-see, i'm willing to lie for my friends-LOL
i say more discrimination-man seems to be getting more insecure, not less-and ruder-and between the two they're not going to let anyone be free and happy in any way...
inside joke-there was a poster here from milwaukee, joanne or satan or something like that, cant quite remember her name, who didnt like my posting, and drove me away for a while. i'm very sensitive...
now that i have a computer at home I'm always barefoot when i post (and usually naked, heehee) and that makes for a happier buddy, and therefore happier posts. hope it lasts...
here in SE Texas, it is starting to get too hot to barefoot on asphault, cement I can handle and asphault for a short time.
the only time I don't really go barefoot is when I go to the Buddhist Temple in Houston. I wear my flip flops to keep the feet clean and when I enter the temple I have to remove them, the flip flops that is I just don't feel right "tracking" in dirt with the feet and wearing flops done out of respect for the Temple by keeping the feet clean.
now when I leave the Temple to go home .. that is a whole other matter. NO SHOES.
Hey, in an email today from the Society for Barefoot Living, read about some new members-one of whom is named Kyle Abbott! But this KA is 22, in Colorado...still, maybe theres something in the name that shuns shoes...
Oh no! I'm caught in my own web of lies! Ok, I guess I have to admit it. I'm Kyle Abbott all right, but I'm not 15. I'm 22, living in a apartment filled with sooooo much furniture, I can't move anywhere without sitting down.
I own the biggest pair of clodhoppers that martha stewart could make two deep fryers out of them.
I never brush my teeth, I just rinse out my mouth with Jack Daniels when my teeth don't look yellow enough.
I own a segway.
I stole hundreds of Yen at a community airport.
I think taking baths and eating toast is a good combination.
I once had a pair of boots (looked like frankenstein shoes) that must've weighed 10 pounds each-not exagerrating-most uncomfortable things i ever wore...
funny, while i've been sick lately i havent felt like barefooting-not usually something i think about, but i find muself just putting on sandals...one reason, to avoid hassles (since i couldnt talk to argue my point if confronted)...really when ill is when i should go bf more, heal faster when your feet are in touch with the earth- draw from it's power...but when i'm sick i dont think straight...
Wow.
I've always hated wearing shoes, and only done so when needed. I have never thought of this as an issue really.. just a preference. I have to say, I find the idea of a "society" based on living without shoes sorta humurous..
I am in no way trying to offend anyone, btw. Just thought I'd share the fact that it brought a smile to my face.
I'm actually very glad to know that I am not alone in my dislike for shoes, and that there are actually a whole lot of people out there who share that view.
[cite] dairyberry808:[/cite]Is that all Wal-marts or just your Wal-mart?
I'm tempted to try
Dakine! You no get stink eye if you wear rubbah slippah!
I have seen some really young kids barefoot in the Kona Wal-Mart but no adults yet.
I guess I'm too anal to go barefoot most of the time. Even on a Barefoot Cruise I wore sneakers...
The craziest thing I saw was people walking over rough lava to see the fresh flows at the volcano here. Even the rubber on my shoes was getting tacky from the heat and yet still people wore flimsy flip-flops (slippers). I realize ancient Hawaiians had bare feet, but I guess I'm just spoiled. I'm getting closer to barefoot though, just not quickly.
Contacted this week by a reporter from the Portland newspaper, interested in doing an article about barefooters. Shame they feel this worthy of a write up, but i'll do it for the chance to expose the hypocrisy and lies some stores sell as law and facts, and to give kudos to the ones that dont care what i'm wearing as long as i'm well behaved and spending money by the fistful.
I'll keep you up to date on how it goes.
Talked to that reprter today-she's pretty nice, but completely naive as far as barefooting goes. I gave her the facts (as only I know them) and we had a nice half hour chat, Hopefully it'll be more informative than exploitative, but any press is good press.
Was fascinated to hear that what set her on the idea of doing the story was a friend of hers who was having foot problems, and his doctor blamed shoes and directed him to go barefoot, which he now does and loves, including at work.
How funny though that i work hard, help raise a kid, have many unique opinions and ideas and accomplishments, and what gets me in the paper is the fact that i dont like shoes...strange world we we walk on...
Y'know, the only reason I wasn't going barefoot all the time before was because my driving instructor said it was illegal to drive that way, and everywhere I normally go says, "Shirt and shoes required."
I decided, after randomly seeing this thread updated, to just google "barefoot" and came up with a site that said it really isn't illegal to drive barefoot.
I'm definitely going barefoot and just keeping a pair of sandals handy from now on (or at least until my mum decides I need some shoes :roll:).
Comments
Friends are always asking me how long they have to go bf before they get tough soles-I don't know-mine certainly never stay tough, and if Kyle's don't, maybe it's impossible
-but then i've read several accounts of barefooters who break glass with their feet and suffer nary a scratch...
The same goes with a knife. We were camping one time and I was trying to cut a cucumber but I noticed it wouldn't cut. (foolishly, I didn't bother to notice that I was holding the knife upside down [the two sides looked the same]) I just kept pressing and nothing happened and then I tried sawing and *swwippp*. That happened twice. So a trick you can do with a knife is just press it to your skin. Depending on how hard you press, you won't get cut unless you move it (or make a slicing motion)
what will you be doing in kenya?
I'll be going to a friends house in the country today for a party-hope it's nice out so i can bf all day-and sure i'll get several comments on it...
she's going to be the new gap jeans model-mmm, jeans & bare feet, my favorite look...my tao is rising...
Free living or continous discrimination?
and this is me in a GOOD mood, folks-LOL
Yeah, I meant that to come out that way, it's been a long week at work. but tomorrow is Friday. yippie, the weekend is nearly here.
now that i have a computer at home I'm always barefoot when i post (and usually naked, heehee) and that makes for a happier buddy, and therefore happier posts. hope it lasts...
here in SE Texas, it is starting to get too hot to barefoot on asphault, cement I can handle and asphault for a short time.
the only time I don't really go barefoot is when I go to the Buddhist Temple in Houston. I wear my flip flops to keep the feet clean and when I enter the temple I have to remove them, the flip flops that is
now when I leave the Temple to go home .. that is a whole other matter. NO SHOES.
peace out,
bob
I own the biggest pair of clodhoppers that martha stewart could make two deep fryers out of them.
I never brush my teeth, I just rinse out my mouth with Jack Daniels when my teeth don't look yellow enough.
I own a segway.
I stole hundreds of Yen at a community airport.
I think taking baths and eating toast is a good combination.
Okay, I see the confessional is closed.
P.S
Darn!
I've always hated wearing shoes, and only done so when needed. I have never thought of this as an issue really.. just a preference. I have to say, I find the idea of a "society" based on living without shoes sorta humurous..
I am in no way trying to offend anyone, btw. Just thought I'd share the fact that it brought a smile to my face.
I'm actually very glad to know that I am not alone in my dislike for shoes, and that there are actually a whole lot of people out there who share that view.
J-lynn
Dakine! You no get stink eye if you wear rubbah slippah!
I have seen some really young kids barefoot in the Kona Wal-Mart but no adults yet.
I guess I'm too anal to go barefoot most of the time. Even on a Barefoot Cruise I wore sneakers...
The craziest thing I saw was people walking over rough lava to see the fresh flows at the volcano here. Even the rubber on my shoes was getting tacky from the heat and yet still people wore flimsy flip-flops (slippers). I realize ancient Hawaiians had bare feet, but I guess I'm just spoiled. I'm getting closer to barefoot though, just not quickly.
I'll keep you up to date on how it goes.
Was fascinated to hear that what set her on the idea of doing the story was a friend of hers who was having foot problems, and his doctor blamed shoes and directed him to go barefoot, which he now does and loves, including at work.
How funny though that i work hard, help raise a kid, have many unique opinions and ideas and accomplishments, and what gets me in the paper is the fact that i dont like shoes...strange world we we walk on...
I decided, after randomly seeing this thread updated, to just google "barefoot" and came up with a site that said it really isn't illegal to drive barefoot.
I'm definitely going barefoot and just keeping a pair of sandals handy from now on (or at least until my mum decides I need some shoes :roll:).