To want to walk barefoot in the summer (including into shops)

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I don't understand why in this country it is considered so bad to be barefoot, I have been told I am not allowed to walk into Tescos barefoot, or Waitrose, they claim it is a 'health and safety issue' because something might fall on my feet. Well if that is the case shouldn't they be banning flip-flops too? Flip-flops are pretty dangerous things really, accountable for many broken toes, ankles and feet in the summer. I have a friend who broke his ankle so badly it was like he had been in a car accident and all he had done is twisted wearing flip-flops.

So why the intolerance to bare feet? They have been outside the same as shoes so it can't be a hygiene thing and they are much safer than flip-flops.

I am sick of having to have shoes in the car just so I can walk into shops, it makes no sense to me, if I want to be barefoot I should be allowed to be!

I have no opinion one way or the other about bare feet, I see no problem with it if the path is clean though, I think it's a personal thing really. I wouldn't do it though as I have verrucas and don't want to spread them if I can help it! My podiatrist said that most people become immune to the virus that causes verrucas through exposure as they get older although they can take years to go, they can go without treatment.

My toe nails are slightly mis-shapen because I have a short big toe on my right foot and I have long second toes which can make wearing closed shoes quite painful sometimes if I haven't had my regular visit to the podiatrist but I have found that Fitflops are the best thing for me so as soon as the weather improves I start to wear them. They also help with a problem I have with my left achillles tendon which is painful because it is a little short and the small platform heel on the fitflops seems to alleivate the problem.

To me they are the next best thing to going barefoot!

"Can you stamp as hard on the brake barefoot as you can in shoes for an emergency stop? There's not as much friction between a bare foot on the pedal and a shoe on the pedal, surely?"
I've only ever had to do an emergency stop/hard braking a handful of times and it's never been when I'm barefoot, so I couldn't say either way. All I can say for certain is that my feet feel as secure on the pedals when I'm not wearing shoes as when I'm shod. I have had my feet slip once or twice, but that's always when I have shoes on.

"Both are against social norms though. Both are something a lot of people would feel uncomfy seeing around the shops"
The froth that people are getting into because someone prefers going barefoot in public is interesting, and the arguments just defy logic (and I'm not a barefooter BTW).

Dirty feet, yuk...shoes are dirty though aren't they. Feet are far easier to clean than the treads on shoes.

Dirty feet in my house...I understand that, but only if you also have a total shoe ban indoors too.

Sweat, toe jam...feet exposed to the air and allowed to breathe are not going to sweat like they would when wrapped in things that make your feet hot (and lock that moisture in), e.g. socks and shoes.

Might tread in poo or on glass...only the barefooter is going to suffer though so why does it upset others so much? I hazard a guess that if you go barefoot you're going to be a bit more careful not to tread in poo, i.e. that you will look where you're going? Easy to do at walking pace.

Health and safety in shops...people are allowed to wear flimsy sandals or flip-flops which only give a bit of protection to the soles though. If you get run over by a shopping trolley it's going to hurt unless your feet are totally covered. Flip-flops aren't going to help so why don't shops bad those?

If I saw a barefooter out in the streets I would be shocked because it's so unusual. I'd also think the person had some guts, not because they have to dodge all the poo and glass, but because so many will consider them freaks and be arseholes about it. I think the froth boils down to "you're weird and I don't like weirdos (and I don't want to use any brain energy having to challenge my thoughts on this)".

I've nothing against going barefoot - you ought to be able to do as you please. I personally would just think 'why has she got no shoes on?! Her feet must be minging' and get on with my day.
I couldn't do it though. I like to have nice smooth feet. If I was, ahem, in a 'compromising' position with DP and my feet were, er, round his shoulders perhaps, I would hate for them to be dirty or calloused.

I wouldn't turn a blind eye if I saw someone barefoot. It isn't really all that unusual, but then again I live in a hot country.

Shoes are not recommended for toddlers here. The bones in the feet are not strong and wearing the wrong size shoes are damaging. Before coming to UK I had never seen, nor even heard of a foot measuring service for kids. I also never knew that shoes came in different widths. So we don't get Startrights and all those branded types of shoes. In many of the primary schools, shoes do not form part of the school uniform. They are optional and some don't even wear any during winter. At dd's school, they are allowed to take off their shoes and socks at school and you see them all coming out at hometime carrying them. I don't allow dd to take hers off at school, but only for the reason that they get mixed up and she ends off bringing some other kids shoe home.

Oh and we do have an outdoor shoe ban indoors as we have cream carpet so anyone that walked outside barefoot would have to put socks on before they crossed my threshold!

Oh and the getting dirty feet argument. Its not a difficult to wash your feet. We have a saying that a kid with dirty feet is a happy kid . Every kid in SA can tell you the time that they stepped in a dog poo and how that feels squishing between your toes .

Hi op, you're getting a bit of a bashing on here, well done for holding your own. We're quite a barefoot family in tHe summer at home round the house or garden, and the dc's frequently play out in the road in bare feet, as do the neighbours kids. All quite normal to me.

Can I ask how far you walk in a day tho. I walk about 5-10 k everyday, at a good pace or I'd never get anywhere. I walk the kids to school, I walk to work and back, we walk to activities etc. I would never manage to do this bare-footed. In fact I would struggle just to get the dc's to school and back as the playground chaos would definitely see my feet stood on or scootered over and there is no way i could cross the gravelly road without hurting the soles of my feet. I guess I'm asking how practical it actually is to be barefoot all the time?

Fwiw, and I apologise if someone's already made this point. Bare feet have always got to be a more sensible and practical option than high heels. I really just don't get those.

I can't think of anything more grim than walking barefoot around a supermarket

I can....a normal brit street full of gob and dog shit.
OP this really made me laugh!!

Great post!

I did walk barefoot round Brisbane as a traveller it was fun I agree...

Every kid in SA can tell you the time that they stepped in a dog poo and how that feels squishing between your toes

and (vom)

This is a really interesting take on the usual - shoe or not shoe debate

OP - Perhaps being barefoot in public (other than in appropriate places, like a beach) is rather a Social Taboo here.

In some countries it is showing the soles of your feet, or the palm of your hand, etc etc

No real reason for the taboos - they just evolved in that culture.

So, when in a particular country one should observe the social conventions of that society however nonsensical they may appear to be.

Just good manners really.

*Every kid in SA can tell you the time that they stepped in a dog poo and how that feels squishing between your toes

grin and (vom)*

Its a lot better than stepping on it with your shoe on and getting in the car and the whole family doing the "right who's got shit on their shoe" scenario. .

Anyway you would just dip said shitty foot in pool, wiggle it about a bit and carry on. If your brother is swimming at the time, just remind him to dodge the doody..........

It's not really the dirt that would be an issue of me it's the glass and stones and other things that could imbed themselves in my foot. And then of course there's the matter of my feet being squashed by someone in high heels, biker boots etc. People are clumsy.

Lovely walking barefoot on the grass, in the back garden etc. but not when I'm mooching about Boots or popping in to Morrison's.

Eight pages and some really discusted comments.

Well done OP in finding a variation on the showering and sheet washing frequency threads.

But with the dog poo (and any other dirt) you can take your shoes off - how do you get into your house and bathroom with filthy feet?

I do see that there's nothing actually wrong with with walking around barefoot, and if it doesn't bother you then I suppose fair enough. I'm also unsure that it's more unhygenic to go into shops with bare feet than with shoes of some kind - as long as it's clear that if you injure yourself by eg stepping on some broken glass the onus is on you and not the shop.

I do think it's odd though. But then, I also think it's odd that people would go out in their pyjamas and dressing gowns.

I think it is dirty to be inside with shoes on so I would also think it was dirty to be inside with feet that had been walking all over town all day.

My ds has barefeet more often than not (he's a toddler so I feel that barefeet are important to help his development) but I wouldn't let him walk around on pavements or in shops with bare feet. I always wash his feet when we go inside if he has been without shoes.

I live in Edinburgh or there abouts and iv seen/noticed atleast 5 people walking with no shoes or socks on in my whole life time,even in winter.

I don't think it's weird it's a personal choice,though I can understand supermarkets point of view,just carry a pair of roll a soles in your bag for these times.

Perhaps this solves the age old dilemma of whether it's rude to ask guests to remove shoes at the door?

Although if someone were to trail their mucky, sweaty hooves through my house I can't say I'd be impressed.

Ah now you see, I think the difference here too is that most UK houses are carpeted wall to wall. That isn't the case here, most houses have tiles. Ok we have laminate mostly but its easy to clean. I do think having to worry about keeping a carpet clean changes the situation, we just sweep, mop and bobs your uncle. If the dog comes in, or the kids run in with wet or dirty feet, is not a big issue at all.

I've never trodden in dog shit barefoot but I have trodden on a slug. I don't want to try it but think dog shit would be easier to wash off.

Stripy I would probably walk to our local shop and school, they are next to each other and about 1.5km away, so a 3k round trip. Admittedly I put shoes on to run and if I were going farther I would certainly take shoes even if I didn't wear them, probably more because I would need them to slip on to go into shops.

I have walked into our local town and walked around barefoot and home, so probably covered more than that distance but its not really something I really think about. I do sometimes get heel-ache though but generally at the beginning of the summer before my feet have toughened up.

It is not attention seeking any more than wearing shoes is, in fact I would say wearing shoes is more attention-seeking because you can get very attention-seeky shoes!

It just feels nice to be outside without shoes on, it doesn't cross my mind to put on shoes unless I have to.

I was asked to leave Harrods in the 1980's for being barefoot.

I've never trodden in dog shit barefoot but I have trodden on a slug. I don't want to try it but think dog shit would be easier to wash off.

I've done both. I think the slug was more revolting because of the fact that they burst. both were equally disgusting really though.

But people used to be asked to leave Harrod's for all sorts of infractions though, because Mohammed Fayed is tyrannical and has peculiar foibles.

I was once carrying a very small leather rucksack-type handbag on my shoulder. It broke the rule that I thought was aimed at people who wear those backpacks that you'd need on an Arctic expedition. I was told to carry it in my hand because: 'Mr Al Fayed doesn't like rucksacks.'

Fair enough, I thought, I'll just put it back on my shoulder when I get inside.

I was stopped and told that if I continued to disobey I would be ejected from the store. They were obviously tracking me on security camera. Made me think twice about going to the loo - plus you had to pay.

My friend was once waiting for her husband inside a doorway. A doorman told her to leave because she was 'obviously a prostitute and you aren't fooling anyone, love.'

My friend was wearing a duffle coat and had her two small daughters with her

He doesn't own it any more. Maybe the new owners are more normal. Who puts Do Not signs up anyway, like it's a public swimming pool or you're the Mad Post It Note Lady of the office?