People's reactions when you run

I always enjoy the reactions by children. They're honest and seem to grasp the natural subversiveness of barefooting (very young children are natural nudists too). Still get overwhelmingly negative and/or stoopid reactions by adults (99% of them are male). Sigh.

My favorite reactions are getting kicked out of stores. It's fun to make a scene, especially if you get thrown out of a vegan/hippie store for being barefoot.
I kind of hate being called a hippie. I only wear khaki pants, would a freaking hippie do that?
 
I went up the Whistlers Summit trail in Jasper National park last summer, wore my VFFs up, but figured the shale was smooth enough to try barefoot down. My daughter and I both came down barefoot, pretty much all the comments were positive, an older gentleman told us he hadn't walked barefoot since he was 11, another person told us our feet must be tough, and as I looked back one time, I spotted a woman pointing her camera in our direction, so we may be in someone's photo album! Lol
 
I love the way Ali G says respect, very funny.

da-ali-g-show.jpg

I thought he said "respek." :)
 
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I realized that no one ever comments on what I'm wearing (or not wearing)......

Apparently seeing a 5'9 215lbs chick scowling while running down the road......... Not very approachable. Lol.
 
Its funny , I've passed other runners in trail races in the rocky parts of the course and they will express concern that I might need help because I'm barefoot even though I'm passing by them in the race...sometimes they still don't get it when seeing it first hand.
 
Ran with the dogs a little bit later than normal this morning - so encountered lots more people on the trail - perhaps 20. The least reaction I got was a "good morning" and a smile. One cyclist said he had an extra pair of shoes if I wanted them. Several were interested in why I run BF - so a brief explanation enlightened them. A couple said "nice dog - and barefoot too." My response - "yup - he chewed his last two pairs!" It was a balmy 70 degrees and despite a somewhat interrupted run - a great start to the day/weekend.
 
ha! i've had people do that to me too. i told them stop doing it if hurts.
"no it hurts looking at you".
then stop cuz i'm fine.
 
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One time I passed a woman walking the opposite direction on the other side of the road. I said mornin' as I usually do to strangers (and anybody else) and she was beside herself. Reminded me of in O Brother, Where Art Thou? when Holly Hunter recognizes George Clooney on stage. Presumably it was the bare feet and not just me saying mornin'.
 
5 years into the barefoot running game, I rarely get comments now. I think it's more mental when you first start, you expect comments and maybe look for them, once barefoot running becomes second nature, you realize no one is really paying attention. I can't tell you how many times I'm waiting in a corral with 1000's of people ready to run a race and no one will notice I'm barefoot.