Unfortunately, many people are actually afraid to even show their feet. Because their feet are covered most of the time, they eventually regard them as private parts. Well, they're not! Otherwise, even wearing sandals would be illegal don't you think?

And contrary to what some are led to believe, even going barefoot in public is perfectly legal. Yes, even inside establishments like stores and restaurants! But you don't have to take my word for it. Check out this link and see for yourself. Oh by the way, in case anyone ever wondered, driving barefoot is also legal anywhere in the US.

I go barefoot as much as I can, not only at home or at the beach but just about everywhere. When it's too hot or cold, or for whatever reason I need to wear something on my feet, I would just wear flip flops which is the next best thing.

Going barefoot certainly should not be regarded as disgraceful or improper in any way. In places like New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Hawaii, and parts of the Southern US, going barefoot in public is pretty common and accepted. Most likely you will see at least a few barefooters walking around in public places everyday.

I know some people think it's gross because your feet get dirty and stuff but that doesn't bother me. It's part of the fun :) If you don't like your feet dirty, you can always wash them as often as you like. But when was the last time you washed your shoes? Talking about gross, how much bacteria and other icky stuff do you think live inside your shoes? Eeww! Something to think about, isn't it? :)

So, if you've never gone barefoot outside the house but want to give it a try, I encourage you to go for it and once again experience the joys and freedom of childhood innocence. Below are a couple of sites with more information about going barefoot.

Going Barefoot In Public Is Cool

Society For Barefoot Living

That's a good question, a legitimate concern to those who don't usually go barefoot outside the house. The answer is yes and no! Haha, don't you love that kind of answer? Well ok, let me elaborate.

There are certain situations that can make going barefoot potentially harmful to your health. However, the good news is you can take certain precautions to really minimize the risk.

The most obvious potential danger is stepping on sharp objects and injuring your foot. The things you can do to minimize this risk are just as obvious and easy.

First, you need to watch your steps. Look at the ground around you as you walk. If you see sharp objects like broken glasses or nails, simply step around them or walk somewhere else if there's a whole lot of them in one spot. Common sense, right? :) Same goes for other harmful stuff like fluids from car engines.

Another very important thing is to always keep your tetanus shots current! This is important even if you don't regularly go barefoot, since you can accidentally cut your hand or other parts of your body.

Some people worry about getting worms from walking barefoot outdoors. I'm not talking about earth worms. Although they're gross, they're not harmful. The harmful ones are parasitical worms which can be found in human or animal excrements, and can enter your body through the skin of your bare soles. These are mostly prevelant in under-developed countries where sanitation is very poor.

So if you live in an industrialized country, this is practically not a concern. Again, you should watch where you're going. Even if you're not walking barefoot, I'm sure you won't want to step on anything that looks gross :)

So in general I would say going barefoot is not medically harmful if you take simple precautions. Yes, there are always risks. Life itself is full of risks, but we don't stop living. In the case of going barefoot, the benefits and fun way outweigh the risks.

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV :) What I wrote above is based on my personal experience and knowledge. I'm not giving you any medical advice.

I recently went on vacation to Florida and I didn't even bring any shoes. All I had was a pair of flip flops which I wore about half of the time, especially in the amusement parks since they don't let you go barefoot in there. The rest of the time I was barefoot. My feet were a little dirty but healthy and happy! :)

Actually I only spent 1 week in Florida. So why did I say I didn't wear shoes for 3 weeks? Well, that's because I usually go to church every Sunday (and unfortunately I can't be barefoot or wear flip flops) but I didn't go the Sunday before I left and after I came back.

Shoes suck, bare feet and flip flops rule! :)

There are certain sports that just have to be done barefoot. Here are a few of them:

Swimming
Pretty obvious, right? Who in their right mind would wear shoes or sandals swimming? Unless of course, they jumped into the water in an emergency. But guess what! Lately some people have been wearing the so called "aquasocks" to swim. Yikes! You know what they say, "if you can't stand the heat..."

Martial arts
Almost all martial arts are done barefoot. Yeah I know, I have seen pictures of people doing it in shoes. Yuck!

Yoga
Like martial arts, yoga is almost always done in bare feet but again, unfortunately, there are exceptions. I've also seen people do it wearing shoes and socks, and nowadays they have come up with the so called "yoga socks" to protect your feet from germs, and they say it feels just like being barefoot. Come on, folks! Going barefoot is really not that bad. Unless there's a big cut on your sole, germs won't penetrate your skin. Lighten up and enjoy life the way it's meant to be!

Gymnastics
Again, it's pretty obvious most gymnasts do it barefoot although there are exceptions like with the other sports.

Other soprts
You can pretty much play most sports barefoot. You may stick out like a sore thumb, but who cares? ;)

Have you ever gone barefoot in college? I don't mean just taking your shoes or sandals off while you're sitting or laying on the grass, but walking barefoot just about everywhere on campus, including to classes.

When I was in college there were a few students who did that but at the time I was still very shy and cared too much about what other people would think of me. I envied those barefoot students but didn't have the nerve to go barefoot to classes myself. Most of my friends were conservative and they even criticized me for wearing flip flops to class.

However, I did manage to walk on campus barefoot a few times. I did it when it was dark and there wasn't very many people around. It was still a great feeling.

Anyway, I was searching for some barefoot related stuff and came across a couple of articles about students going barefoot in a couple of colleges namely, Occidental College in Southern California and Reed College in Portland, Oregon. I find that very interesting and wish I had gone to one of those colleges.

Here are links to those articles; there are some very interesting pictures there...

The Occidental Weekly - No Shoes, No Problem

Barefoot Memories