The Beginning of a Barefoot Journey

I've been going barefoot for years - hiking, running, walking... just living barefoot as much as possible. Along the way I've been able to talk to people and even convince a few to join me. But since the publication of my book my opportunities to "evangelize" for healthy, barefoot behavior has skyrocketed!

I love hearing stories from people who've been enlightened, encourage and emboldened to spend more time barefoot because of The Barefoot Book. One of my students has recently begun her own barefoot journey. Laura, welcome to the world of barefooting... may you enjoy every step of the way!

A Success Story

Here's a story someone submitted to the SBL recently. Names & places have been changed to protect the innocent!

Hello.
My name is Steph, I'm 20-years-old, and I've been a member [of the Society for Barefoot Living] for quite some time but never really posted much and I slowly fell back into wearing shoes (sometimes it's just hard to stand up to the masses).

Today though, I want to share with you all a story of fears, a small step forward, and what I consider a major success. For many days I've sat in my car outside of my college before class, and I've worried myself to death over what people will think and say [if I go in barefoot]... submitting to fear I eventually slide on the flip flops and walk to class. I'm a socially fearful person- It's been difficult for me to break from what's considered "normal."

A few days ago I broke down and ordered a pair of barefoot sandals... Today I put them on, told myself people would think I had shoes on (and at a glance that's exactly what they do), left my sandals at home, and went for it. I was reading the barefoot book as I walked, distracting myself from hearing any comments. Eventually I ran into a friend from high school. He looked at my feet (knowing me for only wearing flip flops through High School), and said "cheater." We laughed, I showed him my book, and I felt a little better. As I waited outside of class another student looked, looked again, and said "... those aren't flip flops are they? What's on the bottom?" so I showed her my naked foot. She asked about it, I told her about being healthy and comfortable- Busted twice in less than 10 minutes, and if there were any rude remarks I never heard them.

I know many SBLers tell the newbies to just do it, but that's more difficult for some than others. I know barefoot sandals aren't the best solution and I hope to wean myself off of them eventually, but for now their good practice to keeping my cool knowing I have no shoes on, and the good comments are going a long way.
Who knows, maybe my story will even help someone else.

Thanks for reading,
Steph
***
And that, folks, is why I wrote the book. Way to go Steph!!! And oh yeah, I wear barefoot sandals, too. They are great!

On The Menu...

I have received a very special accolade this weekend: A menu item has been named in my honor at a local restaurant!

The New London House is a landmark restaurant in the greater Lynchburg area. Shirley Hartman opened the restaurant nearly 40 years ago and since that time the steakhouse has won numerous awards. Their filet mignon rivals the best of the best in town and their ribs are second-to-none. The staff is friendly and the atmosphere is casual - yes, I dine there barefoot! The New London House has a bar, private dining rooms and a patio for those perfect summer nights.

So, if you've never been to The New London House, check them out! They are located at 4312 New London Rd in Forest, VA. If you like surf-n-turf, order the Barefoot Professor (pork BBQ ribs & steamed shrimp) and if the weather is warm sit out on the patio. And oh yeah... kick off your shoes!!

First Barefoot Running Injury?

I may be suffering from my first bf running injury since I started running bf in 2007. I just got back from a short 3-mile run. Throughout most of the run - and even more now - my tibialis anterior muscle on the right leg is killing me (well, it hurts). The left leg is fine.

This has never happened to me before, but I've run less this summer than in the past 3-4 years (ironically because my book has kept me so busy). I'm training for a 10-mile race in September, so I can't take too much time off. :-( Oh, well... push through it? Erghh.

Barefoot Hiking is Awesome!

If you have never tried barefoot hiking, do it! Hiking along a well-worn nature trial in your bare feet is one of the most delightful things I've ever experienced. For me it's a spiritual experience. On such hikes I often think of Jesus walking barefoot through the gardens in and around Jerusalem, or Adam and Eve exploring Eden. The oneness you feel with nature just makes it easier to feel more connected to God. Maybe that's one reason God told Moses to take off his shoes in His presence (Exodus 3:5)!

Sure, if your feet are tender and fragile from wearing shoes it will take time to adjust to the new sensations under foot, but not long. Newbies that join me on hikes move quickly past the fearful tip-toeing around to walking naturally within a mile. Once your feet are toughened up you can explore nature freely, enjoying the touch of the earth but not fearful of the next "ouch." You can even run through the trails with the ease of a deer.

Yeah, I'm going out for a hike... see you later!

An Issue of Safety? Really?

warning: I was a *tad* angry when I wrote this!

I recently saw a news clip* of a British Columbian teen who was left stranded at a bus station late at night because the bus driver refused to let him on the bus barefoot. Thus, the teen, Carl A., is left alone at 11 p.m. watching the bus drive away. He has no cell phone and may find himself walking the 6 miles to his home. He borrows a cell phone (from strangers late at night?) to call for a ride.

So what was the problem with being barefoot? It was dangerous according to the BC Transit Authority. After all, the teen could have stepped on glass in the bus and cut himself, then hold the transit system liable.

Let's talk about safety... and liability.

Safety:
According the bus driver, it was safer to leave a lone teenager stranded at a bus stop late at night 6 miles from home than to just let him ride barefoot. The floor of the bus is apparently more hazardous than the streets the boy is left to walk upon going home. And it must be safer to walk barefoot in the middle of the night through town then to sit with all those thugs on the bus, right? In my opinion, high heels are so dangerous they should come with warning labels (I'm not kidding), but would the bus driver refuse to take a woman in stilettos? Flip flops are incredibly slippery when wet. Would he refuse those wearing flip flops on rainy days. The issue is not one of safety.

Liability:
No doubt the bus driver felt the transit authority could be sued if the boy cut his foot on that glass all over his bus. But is the bus system less liable by leaving him stranded? If the teen did manage to injure his foot on the bus, he would not win a lawsuit - after all... he was barefoot! But if this were my son and he was mugged or beaten - or worse - because he was forced to walk home, I would definitly hold the bus system culpable! The boy had even already paid the fare before he was ousted from the bus!

This was a gross lapse of judgement on the part of the bus driver. Carl, I'm sending you a free, signed copy of The Barefoot Book and I hope you can use it to educate the BC Transit Authority! Walk well young man.

*available on youtube here.

Hot Foot Syndrome

In The Barefoot Book, I discuss a condition I call "hot foot syndrome." Even though I coined this term, I don't particularly like it. Before I explain why, let me first describe what it is...

Hot foot syndrome (HFS) is "a condition in which covered feet feel intolerably hot and cause the sufferer to feel uncomfortably warm throughout the body." (BFB, pg. 39).

Why do I not like the term?

Well, a 'syndrome' is a set of conditions that collectively indicate a disease or abnormal condition. Although a 'set of conditions' can be associated with HFS (e.g., hot feet, red/swollen feet, a discomfort from feeling too warm, and a feeling of dizziness), those conditions do not reflect a disease or abnormal condition. Indeed, they reflect the body reacting normally to a physical assault - the shoe. I suspect the same set of conditions could be elicited by wearing thick wool mittens for hours on a hot summer day.

The feet, like the hands and head, are made to radiate heat from the body. This is evident from the distribution of sweat glands on the body (the most concentrated number of glands being on the scalp, palms of hands and soles of feet). Thus, it's not surprising that a person could feel uncomfortably hot, have red/swollen feet and feel dizzy from enclosing their feet in shoes and socks all day. Indeed, it's in fact surpising that so few people suffer from HFS - a testimony to the incredible adaptability of the human body.

As for what to call this shoe-aggravated condition (other than HFS), I still don't know. Any suggestions?