Going Barefoot

I just returned from a conference in San Antonio and have to share a few thoughts on bare feet. Being a people watcher and a foot watcher, I couldn’t help but notice how frequently people go barefoot. Now, mind you, I have no objection to being barefoot. In fact I’m barefoot as I write this post. However many people are taking this a bit farther than I’d choose to do.
     I noticed several people walking barefoot through the hotel lobby. This was a large upscale hotel in downtown San Antonio. Around the lobby, in the elevator, and through the hotel’s public areas—it didn’t matter where. Then I noticed someone in the airport walking around the terminal in bare feet. On the plane coming home were several people in their seats with bare feet. One young lady walked up and down the aisle and into the plane’s lavatory in bare feet.
     A great and informative website on going barefoot is Barefooters.org. This is the home of the Society for Barefoot Living. Give the site a look. There is a wealth of information and a state by state listing of regulations and correspondence about going barefoot.
     What Barefooters.org wants you to know is these four points:
•    It is healthy for your feet to go barefoot.
•    It is not against the law to go barefoot into any kind of establishment including restaurants.
•    It is also not against any health department regulation.
•    It is not against the law to drive barefoot.
    Several other sites are worth reading too. Parents for Barefoot Children is a great site for parents wondering how going barefoot affects their children. Natural and Healthy Barefoot Activities is also informative and includes a page of barefoot gymnastics.
    Besides the possibility of cutting your feet on glass or metal, if you have any cuts or open skin on your feet, you take the risk of picking up an infection. Another concern to be watchful for is skin that calluses over. These calluses can split into fissures, cracks in the skin. This opens the inner layers of skin to a greater risk of infection. If you step on something sharp and get a puncture wound, seek out medical care. Puncture wounds typically close up and this seals any debris, germs, or contaminants inside the wound.
    If you choose to go barefoot in public places, it’s smart to know the law. It’s also smart to take care of your feet. There is no point in getting an infection through carelessness.