Going Barefoot

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients,  Jan, 2001  by Jule Klotter

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Going barefoot in public is frowned upon in the US. Children are usually the only ones to feel the world through their feet, and they are constantly reminded to put their shoes on. The Dirty Sole Society (www.barefooters.org) was formed a few years ago as a support group for adults (and their children) who want to experience the freedom and comfort of walking barefoot in public. Many of its 600+ members go barefoot year round. The web site includes scientific studies about the positive effects of going barefoot. It also reports that, contrary to common belief, most states do not have laws that require people to wear shoes while driving a car or in stores, restaurants, or workplaces -- although businesses can set their own policies that prohibit bare feet.

An article in the New York Times says that barefooters accept responsibility for any injuries caused by walking unshod and not watching where they step. For some, going barefoot has resolved painful foot problems. For others, barefooting appeals to the nonconformist within. Some just appreciate the sensory information that comes through the soles of their feet and the feeling of connection to the earth. The Dirty Sole Society website has a place where people can share their experiences, which include being expelled from public places for going barefoot and encounters with prejudice: barefooters are assumed to be poor or uneducated.

"The Barefoot Seek Wiggle Room" by Pam Belluck. The New York Times, July 12, 2000

COPYRIGHT 2001 The Townsend Letter Group
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