Is it illegal to
drive barefoot in your home state?
I posed that question to my anatomy students at Liberty
University recently and the answers were shocking but not surprising. Shocking
because the vast majority of my 145 students – coming from all over the US –
firmly believe a myth. Not surprising because…. well, it’s a prevalent myth.
In case you are wondering: YES, it is legal to drive without shoes in your state because it is legal to drive a
car barefoot in all 50 states (and
the District of Columbia). I spoke with some of those students after class. Interestingly,
even though 2/3 of the class believed it was illegal to drive barefoot in their
home state, they were often quick to accept that it might be legal in other
states, but they were usually slow to be convinced it was legal in their state.
The Society for Barefoot Living was formed in 1994. Other
pro-barefoot organizations, like The Primalfoot Alliance and Living Barefoot Show, joined the scene more recently but have been around a few years now. Born to Run was released in 2009
and my book, The Barefoot Book, was published in 2010. Several books on
barefoot running also hit the shelves in 2010-11. I would like to think that
the public is becoming more informed on shoe/foot issues, but the results of my
classroom poll clearly indicate that we still have a long way to go. I still
have daily conversations with students who are amazed that I claim going
barefoot is safe and healthier than wearing shoes, and the same old questions
about germs, support, protection, etc., return afresh every semester with the sea of
new faces.
But I’m encouraged. The barefooting movement is still
young and many of my students are thrilled by what I say. They say they love
going barefoot and they seem to love the idea
of going barefoot, but unfortunately, I’ve not seen many “converts” to a
barefoot lifestyle. Perhaps they are taking off their shoes more in private
places, and I have seen more bare
feet in public places, too. And, come to think of it, I can name a few real converts – hardcore ones that
live almost entirely barefoot now. Undoubtedly, I’m just impatient. I
want everyone to have that “A-ha” moment followed by a mass shoe-burning ceremony,
but I’ll have to accept the baby steps. The wheels of change turn slowly. And
for at least one class of 145 students, I can rest assured that they all know the truth that driving
barefoot is perfectly legal!
