This tribe is for all those who chose to walk barefoot--
either full-time, or part-time. If you live in a climate
that permits year-round barefooting, you are lucky.
If not, then BFing is a seasonal pursuit--and the time
from Halloween to Easter is shoddie time (when
wearing shoes is de rigueur).
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BFing is liberating. The soles of your bare feet feel
the sensations of all the physical surfaces you walk
over, e.g., cement, asphalt, gravel, dirt (dry, hard,
packed, moist, mushy), tan bark, etc. You watch
where you walk, and obviously avoid the hazards
in your path (e.g., broken glass, chewing gum, etc.).
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BFing increases the blood circulation in your feet,
and you will use foot muscles that are usually
"trapped" and not fully functioning because of shoes.
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Blisters, toe cramping, and other maladies caused
by ill-fitting shoes magically go away. Your feet can
feel, breathe, and expand as they were meant to.
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Not everyone welcomes BFing. "No shirt, no shoes,
no service" (NS3) signs appear now and then.
Avoiding confrontations means having a pair
of flip-flops handy.
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"Aren't your feet cold?"
"Where are your shoes?"
"You aren't allowed in the store. Health code, you know."
You will hear all of these and similar comments, and
become wittily and brilliantly innovative in responding
to such sayings.
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But even if you just kick off your shoes and socks
as the first thing when you get home, this tribe is
for you. To paraphrase Nancy Sinatra's old song,
"These boots were made for walking....", I might
modify it to "These bare feet were made for
walking"!
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Welcome, and thanks for joining. I'm sure we can
all share insights about walking barefoot.