Now that I think about it the guys that are running barefoot exclusively seem to be the ones that STARTED their running barefoot, rather than the transitioning runners. That's how I started, and it's not that I'm a purist but I have no interest in running in shoes. I know of a few others that are the same way.
One of my neighbors started walking barefoot this spring after seeing me walking, then I helped her transition to gravel and trail hiking, and now she has started running. She will never have a need to use shoes as tools so as not to be losing cardio/other training levels, because she is working her way up from zero.
My wife cycles in Kean cycling sandals now, because she is riding 200 + miles per week.
But, she has no interest in walking, hiking, or running in shoes. She is only running 1 mile or less, but is thinking of building up to a 5K. If shoes made it easier she still would have no interest.
I guess we are barefooters than dabble in running rather than runners who switched to barefoot.
I remember being surprised to learn that a few of the Michigan barefoot runners I met at the First Annual International Barefoot Runners Day event in Ann Arbor had only started running a half year before, but had started barefoot, were running exclusively barefoot, and were getting faster and faster eventualy running a barefoot marathon exactly a year after taking up the sport! And, a sub-24 minute 5K!
I think the shod runners used to their times and distances don't want to sacrafice just in order to run barefoot if they CAN run in shoes. Those that can't or never did don't really care.