I think in terms of the
I think in terms of the plantar skin conditioning, those of us up North who aren't blessed with superior mind over matter skills and resort to shoes are going to face that problem with or without running. With 3 Winters as experience, I've found out that it doesn't really take all that long to build up back to top barefoot shape.
In terms of just not running, I wouldn't suggest lying on the couch, eating donuts and potato chips all Winter. I think exercise of some sort is a vital part of overall health.
However, many professional athletes and olympic athletes have an off season, where they don't do much in terms of their sport for months at a time. And I haven't seen books on training that don't advocate training cycles, where part of the time is spent cutting back on training, before ramping up for the next training cycle.
My recollection is that Last Place Jason took some time off last Winter, or at least was running only very minimally for a period of time.