Here are the questions I am regularly asked (or the comments I’m given) :
« Have your shoes been stolen? »
This question comes mainly from young people or teenagers, some people even offer me to give me theirs!
I then explain that it is a choice and that is where the questions begin to arrive.
« Don’t you get hurt? »
No, in almost 30 years of practice, I have never hurt myself.
It’s complicated to explain, but at first, we look at where we set foot but little by little, we no longer « consciously » look at the ground, it becomes an unconscious reflex, and we can enjoy the landscape without realizing that we remain vigilant where we walk.
In addition, we learn to know our plantar sensitivity, and when we feel a small pain, we know how to identify if they are simple small pebbles (it is then enough to rub the foot gently on the floor or the bottom of the pants) or a small piece of glass (it is then necessary to stop and remove it immediately, if necessary with tweezers).
It is necessary to be vigilant during strong heat in the summer that makes the ground hot according to the material (provide simple flip-flops) or negative temperatures that anesthetize the foot and make lose all sensitivity with the risk of not feeling an injury.
On the other hand, if you have a dog, walking barefoot will allow you to immediately realize if the ground is too hot for him!
« It must be painfull? »
No, walking barefoot is not masochism! The goal is not to hurt yourself, quite the contrary (if necessary, especially at the beginning, bring a pair of shoes to pass the possible difficult passages).
This practice requires walking differently from walking on the road, with more vigilance. Generally, especially at the beginning, we walk slowly because the exercise requires to better seek support and balance.
In addition, the support is different because instead of putting down, or even slamming, first the heel and then the rest of the foot, we learn to first put the part at the base of the toes (the equivalent of the pad in a dog or cat) in order to better cushion the shocks.
Admittedly, sometimes the soil can be difficult, but you will only appreciate better the return to a more pleasant soil.
Not to mention masochism, sometimes taking difficult steps can be challenging.
« It’s dirty. »
No, it’s not dirty. Certainly the underside of the foot is dirty, sometimes also a little between the toes, but it is only dust, especially in the city, and a small shower, a quick bath or simply a wipe can quickly remove this dirt.
In the countryside or in the woods, depending on the season, you will sometimes have your feet a little muddy, but as a reminder, the earth is not dirty (unless humans deposit waste). In the Middle Ages, blades were cleaned by driving them into the earth and some pay a fortune in thalassotherapy to take mud baths!
When you do gardening, without a glove, you do not consider your hands dirty because they are covered with earth, a passage under a faucet and the matter is settled.
In addition, it is much less dirty than our hands on a daily basis because, even if the dirt on the ground will be more visible on the feet, your hands touch real nests of invisible microbes (well before Covid!) and it is with these same hands that you will touch other hands or your face, or even those of someone else, your food, your groceries, your keyboard, etc…
While your feet will touch nothing but the ground.
When in doubt, I recommend in the evening a small foot bath with a disinfectant (bleach for example).
The dirt present on the feet following barefoot, has nothing to do with dirt filled with microbes and smelly.
« You may have hard foot skin, like a shoe sole. »
No. firstly because walking barefoot is not our daily life.
It is a practice that remains more or less exceptional and most of the time we walk with shoes.
And even, I have the chance since my arrival in the Netherlands, a few months, to be able to walk h24 barefoot and my skin remains that of Mr. everyone.
For this, I take care of it, and after the shower / bath, every night at bedtime, I apply restorative cream.
I want to keep the sensitivity of my soles of feet because if I had hard skin, I would no longer have the pleasure of feeling different sensations depending on the ground on which I walk, and then I might as well wear shoes …
« You are brave » (often in winter)
No, we are brave when we face something difficult.
Walking barefoot must be pure pleasure, otherwise stop!
Even if sometimes, there can be a little challenge as mentioned above.
« Is this fetishism? »
No. Fetishism is rather, especially in men, the pleasure of looking at female bare feet. This is pleasure that everyone can feel with their own feet (even if sometimes they will be rather dirty!).
A fetishist will certainly appreciate meeting a woman practicing this discipline, but in barefoot it is the pleasure felt by the person who walks barefoot that counts.
And finally, the question that calls for a long answer:
« What does this bring you? »
My answer requires a post on its own.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.