The Barefoot Criminal

I came across this: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2189145/Podiatrist-banned-Tesco-insisting-walking-store-barefoot.html About a Podiatrist here in the UK who had the same problems. I found Steve's site and entered into email correspondence with him regarding his success. (http://www.stepfree.co.uk/). After he had provided me with the relevant laws and regulations (There are none) And he had offered me advice on how to deal with them I went into our local store and asked to see the manager. He came out with the same old Blarney about Health and Safety and risks of me suing them for injury.

Dog, could you please add this podiatrist's contact info to our Barefoot-Friendly Doctors & Specialists Map? We would much appreciate it.
 
A month ago I went to a small theater inside of Tivoli (Copenhagen). At the entrance of Tivoli I was told that I couldn't get in due to no shoes. I asked why and they said it was written in the 'park regulations' that you must wear shoes at all times being in the park. I asked where I could read this and apparently it was stated on their website. Anyhow I was escorted to the theater by a guard to make sure I didn't walk around the park! After the show I was given a printout of the regulations and there it was. They also said it was due to insurance law suit in case of injury from being barefooted! I got really mad but didn't know what to do about it. Guess I'll just stop going to Tivoli.
 
They also said it was due to insurance law suit in case of injury from being barefooted! I got really mad but didn't know what to do about it. Guess I'll just stop going to Tivoli.

I would check the laws in your country. I do some volunteering work for English Nature (Conservation work). They told me on the second time that I went to work for them that I had to wear shoes for safety reasons. Apparently I wasn't covered by their insurance unless I was wearing shoes.

Fortunately I happened to know that if insurance companies insist on footwear they insist on proper protective footwear. (safety shoes). Unless they insisted that all volunteers wore safety footwear they were mistaken.

To put it in a simple to understand format. If you were to tread on something that damaged your foot and you were wearing plimsoles, they could not say that they were not responsible. The responsibility to ensure that the park is safe is theirs. Unless the park insisted that all people visiting were wearing EU standard safety footwear there is no difference between barefoot and any other shoes. No insurance company would make this rule.

I have done a brief internet search and am fairly certain that this is a universal thing as far as insurance companies are concerned.
 
Thank you all. I have very much enjoyed this discussion. I dont feel that there is enough support for the barefoot community yet for me to push the issue, but it might be fun to find out which places are tolerant.

What I really dont get. Is how people feel that shoes are cleaner than feet. We walk over the same ground and bring that ground in here. And all of you are "protected" from my "gross" feet by your happy shoes. So whats the problem? Are you really that upset because you are afraid I might get hurt? If so, Id suggest you spend your efforts on the guy sweating while he lifts his 3rd case of soda into his cart.
 
Psychology of Belief Disconfirmation Paradigm
http://www2.psychology.uiowa.edu/classes//31106/notes/Belief-Disconfirmation_Paradigm.ppt
http://organisationdevelopment.org/social-psychology-conflicting-beliefs/

The faulty logic is:
People should wear shoes.
This must be for good reason.
Thus, feet need protection.
And, feet are covered in germs.
People who don't wear shoes are fools who need to be reminded that their feet need protection or are inconsiderate and spreading germs.

Psychology shows that the brain like any other device or instrument is prone to errors and must be tuned or calibrated to avoid errors in judgement or perception. Unfortunately, most people have not studied logic or science and are not aware of the studies indicating that shoes cause foot deformities. Hence, the misinformed opinions against barefooters.
 
What a load of crap about being barefoot...here you just get looks,like in a restaurant it ok in a clothing shop it isn't??I carry flip-flops around 'cause I have no patience with people nagging me...:)
I started doing the same thing. Just the fact that I have "shoes" with me, but not on my feet has reduced the stares, glares, and confrontations. :cool:
 
Recently I did a 5mile Halloween themed run. I did it as Disney's Wreck it Ralph, so clearly I did it barefoot. Then afterwards, the family wanted Chinese food, but I forgot my flip flops. We drove an hour home with just the couple bucks I had on me.

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. I recently bought some NUFOOT. Its a neoprene bootie. I wore it at work with some looks, but no comments. Then I wore just socks at work at night, no issues. I was thinking about the store issue. Minimalist shoes like VFF and flip flops are so close to barefoot, it might be fun to blur the lines. You know, come in with almost nothing on your feet, but Oh, wait. Theres something on your feet? - I dont know. Id love if it wasnt an issue.