Living a barefoot lifestyle.....

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Humboldt-explorer

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So I was barefooting in the gym long before I started barefoot running. A good two years ahead before deciding to barefoot run.

Infact it was not until I bought five finger shoes that I decided to ditch shoes for everyday life. Then I jumped on the BF running experience. So now I not only BF run, but I BF everything. I only have to wear shoes at work which is five days a week at about six hours per shift. So the majority of my wake time is infact barefoot. It's very much a social experiment with some stores harrassing me, but many stores not bothering me.

My question to you. Do you only barefoot run ? Then wear shoes the rest of the day ? Or do you live basically a BF lifestyle all around ? Or do you live a shoe life outside of running ? What type of shoes do you wear ? I own some minalmilist shoes. I'll discuss later what shoes I own, and my purpose for having them. At this point I own more then I need. It is safe to say

I'm a BF advocate. With the new year I joined the blog culture. I should have started the blog months ago to record the social experiences I face. So I've got some catch up time in that regards with many things planned to post on my blog. I'm still working out details to meet with a local NBC reporter at end of month. As I'm running in my first organized running event, and it will be BF. I also plan to hook up with the locally owned radio station which I know most who work at it. Plan to coordinate with newspapers later in the year as my time allows. So I have promotion plans in the works to advocate the cause.

What's your story ? Do you advocate BF in your community ? Wear shoes outside of running ? BF in your daily non running routines, etc....?

I'd like to know if this group is strictly BF running focused, or if you take BF to your everyday social life ? Outside of folks seeing you run BF. Are you vocally active in promoting why convential shoes are bad for your feet, etc ?
 
 I'm barefoot all the time at

I'm barefoot all the time at home always have been, I've always been pretty anti-shoe and have lived in flip flops forever and basically continue to do so, (every place i go basically has no shoes no shirt no service plastered on doors, boooo!). I have to wear closed toed heels for work, but luckily my shifts generally don't run longer than 5 hours.
 
I am barefoot all the time.

I am barefoot all the time. I can't wear shoes with closed toes or heels, since I have Morton's Neuroma (directly caused by wearing the wrong kinds of shoes). It's a good thing I am a stay at home mom, or I would have to find some open toed, flat shoes to wear to work. If I go into stores, I wear flip-flops or go barefoot depending on the store. I have been trying to get used to running in my huaraches lately for the cold and the cold wet. Those get easier each time I run in them, not as good as barefoot though, and although I got into the high 20s/dry last year, I think I will stay in the low to mid 30s/dry this year on my runs.
 
Yeah me too. I'm the ass

Yeah me too. I'm the ass getting kicked out of stores because I won't put shoes on. My wife hates it. The only time I wear shoes is at work and even then I am in my socks.
 
For me, barefoot walking &

For me, barefoot walking & lifestyle started with the running. I walked barefoot for 1 month starting my transition into barefoot running (per Jason's training plan) and man did it stick! That month of enjoying the ground with my feet was like ...a revelation. I go barefoot everywhere when it's warm out. Currently I'm living in moccasins and water shoes, anything super-flat & flexible with a wide toebed.

I have a tendancy to shuck the shoes indoors when I know I'm going to be in one place for an extended period of time - like at the movies or at Best Buy (I always know I'm gonna be there a long time when I go with the husband, might as well enjoy the terrain! Hahahahah.) I don't even wear socks in the house anymore because my feets are used to cooler tempratures, more self-heating now.

I'm not a zealous as some, but I really don't like my feet restricted now that they're strong & sensitive & have a mind of their own!
 
i wear my huaraches

i wear my huaraches everywhere. i get lots of looks because it's cold right now and it rains a lot here. i wear water shoes to work because my boss says my kso's are "white trash". she's quite the roller coaster ride to work for. as soon as i'm done working i kick off the shoes and put on the huaraches. my daughter gets embarassed by it. i just need to work with her more to not worry about what other people think.



mike
 
KSO's are white trash but

KSO's are white trash but water socks are fine? Odd.

I'd have to say I'm a bit of a lazy, non-confrontational barefooter. I prefer to be barefoot all the time, but I have to wear shoes at school, and I'm not quite independent enough to risk getting kicked out of stores. (My parents or friends would get tired of it very quickly.) So I end up wearing my huaraches most places I go. If I'm just going to be outside I don't do shoes, except now that its cold out. Bare feet are fine for running in cold, but for walking they are not so great. My feet even start to go numb in huaraches, so I don't want to push it. And now that I got some Injinji socks for christmas I wear them around the house sometimes if its especially cold. I'm not sure if they really make a difference for just sitting around though.
 
Barefoot as much as possible

Barefoot as much as possible even before my running transition; however, I do still love my evil-for-the-feets shoes & boots. It's just that now I'm far more aware and have become so much more respectful of my feet and legs that when there is discomfort/opportunity I take them off. I wore slippers to Tahoe last weekend because my feet were still tender from a brutal BF run on icy jagged mud. No-one cared more than me and my feet.

My friends, family, boss, clients are all used to seeing me BF/socks/slippers so I feel I maintain a good balance. Well and it's 20 degrees with ice and snow on the ground and I like my shoes for going hither and thither, then kicking them off if/when I can. Keep thick socks around in case as well.

Okay, so my water shoes were $20 and VFF's $80. How is buying shoes at REI or Scheels more white trash than the Dollar-Tree?
 
Nice to see the participation

Nice to see the participation here.



I am certainly a hardcore BF advocate at this point. For me it was a long time coming. Now my shell has broken. I would feel safe saying I test the limits of stores, society, etc. I just don't see the need to wear a shoe outside of work. I also feel like the excuses I hear from some store employees on my BF. Tend to be very ignorant in why they have the policy. No doubt they feed into the many misconceptions. Luckily not all stores give me problems. In fact the stores that give me problems are in the minority where I live. Though once they approach me in a store. My natural instinct is to question them on why they have the policy. The person's reaction to this is usally to get defensive. I want to educate them. This process is very much a learning experience for me in how to reach out to them in a effective manner.

So prior to becoming hardcore I did get some minalmilist shoes. I have the following......

1. TP vivo BF aqua (suede on outside) used at work when not raining

2. TP vivo BF dharma (leather) used at work when raining

3. Vibram five finger sprint - I don't use it too much anymore. Sometime use it at work.

4. VFF treksport - I bought this as a trail hiking shoe. Now I want to BF hike. Though state parks puts crushed rock down as a top layer which is hard to walk on. Frankly BF hiking I have not done much yet. I still need to "scout" this out.

The VFF is actually what caused me to start BF running. I just decided wearing these to run was absolutely silly. So I kicked them off, and started running BF. Already two years into being BF at my gym. Daily BF came shortly after the begin of BF running.

5. paper feet sandals - I can roll them up in my pocket. Then put them on for pesky store owners. Really handy. http://www.paper-feet.com/

6. top less sandals - I just got these recently. Stores main concern seem to be the bottom of feet exposed to floor. I got these in transition for the next item. I want to show the stores how minimal I can get on my foot. Very cheap product, and works for my application. I cut them so they are closer to the size of my foot. http://www.topless-sandal.com/index.html?sandalsSid=32b95d10546fb4b96cd2519fd32621d2

7. I ordered, but have not received yet. Bottom less sandals customized made out of hemp. If I like them I'll wear em. Also ordered a hemp anklet to add to my hippie side of me. My hope is to trick the eye of the store. Have something on the top of my feet, but not on the bottom. I prefer to feel the floor when I'm in the store. So I will surely be testing the limits with the store on these. If I can get away with it I will be very happy. I'm feeling confident about it.

For a BF advocate that likes to wear shoes as little as possible. I sure do own a lot, huh ? Well knowing how often I wear them they should get a good, long life. Maybe by the time one wears out someone will actually come up with a decent design. I'm not that big a fan of my enclosed TP shoes, but the amount of time I actually wear them is limited. So I try not to complain too much. Surely they are better then any conventional shoe.......
 
  I am barefoot from spring

I am barefoot from spring to late fall or whenever winter sets in. My grocery store,wal-mart, k-mart, and otherplaces don't have a problem with me barefoot through experimentations. So, I go barefoot all the time except when it's cold. You just have to explore and see what people will say or do. You may be surprised that most don't really care. I could go barefoot all year if I wanted to. But, the cold is not comfortable barefoot. It is til it gets below zero then I cant do it. So, it's not the stores they prevent me it's me that prevents me. If you don't explore you will never know who will let you do it or who will not. And for those who will not let yuo go barefoot! Go to www.barefooters.org and get info to combat them!
 
Danjo wrote:KSO's are white

Danjo said:
KSO's are white trash but water socks are fine? Odd.

I'd have to say I'm a bit of a lazy, non-confrontational barefooter. I prefer to be barefoot all the time, but I have to wear shoes at school, and I'm not quite independent enough to risk getting kicked out of stores. (My parents or friends would get tired of it very quickly.) So I end up wearing my huaraches most places I go. If I'm just going to be outside I don't do shoes, except now that its cold out. Bare feet are fine for running in cold, but for walking they are not so great. My feet even start to go numb in huaraches, so I don't want to push it. And now that I got some Injinji socks for christmas I wear them around the house sometimes if its especially cold. I'm not sure if they really make a difference for just sitting around though.



Hey most people don't really care if you are barefoot, especially if you are young. The young I noticed rarely ever get harrassed about it! Go barefoot and be happy man!
 
 I am slowly starting to feel

I am slowly starting to feel myself cross over into wanting to live barefoot. I can't work barefoot because it break about a thousand safety rules, but I've started to really like walking back ad forth to school barefoot. Walking down to the grocery store bf ect... I haven't yet worked up the courage to walk into stores bf though. I always just slip on my huaraches or some ballet style flats I have.
 
may I suggest that to do this

may I suggest that to do this ideally we should on the ground as well as walk and run on it?



I have come to the barefoot lifestyle via earthing.

A hundred years ago a German Naturopath, Adolf just
wrote a book called "return to nature". You can find it online. It had a big
influence on Ghandhi amongst others. He advocated walking barefoot and sleeping
on the earth.

Clint Ober has just written a book called Earthing. He adovocates going barefoot. www.earthing.com.
He recommends the same thing but also sell electrical devices that do this for
you. I have just bought a bedsheet and am impressed. There are lots of
testimonials from ill people reporting spectacular results. I think the
barefoot runner Michael Sandler uses this technology. I have his book on order so I cant swear by that!



I have read Born to Run and How to Run.
 
http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/

http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/1/100709/3



A discussion thread of people trying out this technology and going barefoot
 
Danjo wrote:I'd have to say

Danjo said:
I'd have to say I'm a bit of a lazy, non-confrontational barefooter. I prefer to be barefoot all the time, but I have to wear shoes at school, and I'm not quite independent enough to risk getting kicked out of stores. (My parents or friends would get tired of it very quickly.) So I end up wearing my huaraches most places I go. If I'm just going to be outside I don't do shoes, except now that its cold out. Bare feet are fine for running in cold, but for walking they are not so great. My feet even start to go numb in huaraches, so I don't want to push it. And now that I got some Injinji socks for christmas I wear them around the house sometimes if its especially cold. I'm not sure if they really make a difference for just sitting around though.
"lazy, non-confrontational barefooter" pretty much sums up where I am, especially the non-confrontational part. I've gone into stores barefoot a few times, but I'm nowhere near the point of trying to push the envelope here.
 
wallace wrote:I have come  to

wallace said:
I have come to the barefoot lifestyle via earthing.A hundred years ago a German Naturopath, Adolf just
wrote a book called "return to nature". You can find it online. It had a big
influence on Ghandhi amongst others. He advocated walking barefoot and sleeping on the earth.



Earthing has been debunked in the archives of the SBL many times. It is pure nonsense.
 
Matt wrote:"lazy,

Matt said:
"lazy, non-confrontational barefooter" pretty much sums up where I am, especially the non-confrontational part. I've gone into stores barefoot a few times, but I'm nowhere near the point of trying to push the envelope here.

I've succesfully confronted Kroger and WalMart in the past six months when kicked out, and received apologies and explicit barefoot permission as a result.

I have approximatly a 90% success rate when challenging false authority when out and about in town barefoot.

Gyms are a different story. Yesterday I walked from my car through the parking lot in 20 degrees and snow into the gym,put on my Feelmax Pankas inside, ran 3.1 on the treadmill, and then took them off to walk outside to the car. Maybe one day the gym management will realize their "concerns for my safety" are based on sillyness.