Barefoot Dad

Since I was a kid i have always enjoyed going barefoot. It is a lifelong habit i find some don't understand. I go everywhere at home barefoot, heck i even enjoying doing a massage barefoot although OHS states you should do it with covered in shoes.

I find with bare feer I have better posture, the feet can work to their optimum and they work freely from the contraints of shoes.

Inspired from this years TEDxNewy experience, and the talk from the Naked Runners I just wanted to put my take on going bareboot. Going without the extras even in the home.

I have to say i do walk around the house barefoot, it feels so much more comfortable, i can't stand wearing thongs, it just feels awkward walking with them. I do have sandals which i wear down the street and obviously for work I wear covered in shoes.

But the moment you come off the shoes come, if it's a cold night i'll pop some socks on. My shoes are reasonabley large (Size 11) and are heavy, cumbersome and my wife has freom time to time complained about their size. My feet don't like synthetics and whenever I have gone with a cheaper shoe, my feet smell really bad, and I mean BAD. I would much rather go without.

I think some people fear hurting their feet by going shoeless. Sure they offer protection from if you kicking things. But i find your feet offer you more sensitivity and give you a greater sense of where your feet are, they help you feel your surroundings, a closed loop in your senses. i remember when working with totally blind all your other senses come in to play when detecting your surroundings. Your feet help you especially whin in the dark.

In my engineering days it was mentioned that in the early days of power steering, you just pointed the car and it went there. But there were a lot of broken wheels casued by hitting gutters, and other objects because there was no closed loop. It was only until a closed loop was created that this stopped where the steering system provided feedback back to the driver.

I find walking with shoes is like walking with blind feet, similar to those who park by touch, where they bump into objects and then make adjustments, this is now solved now through Parking sensors. The Barefoot running movement is all about letting the feet operate the way they have evolved into, naturally "designed" for running without impediments. When it comes to out feet we don't need to ADD anything to prevent foot injuries, we can remove the objects which prevent our feet from working to their potential.

I find nothing more comfortable than going barefoot, I love going up the back yard and hanging the washing up feeling the blades of grass through my toes.

Sure there are Bindii which can put an end to a comfortable walk. But it's not too gard to get them out of your toes. I have just found chemicals to get even with these pesk blighters. I am fortunate that they don't live up the back yeard. the front yards however we had a break out which is unknown because we never had them. But rest assured i DID get even. :)

We have a dog but he does poo in predictable places and i haven't had an issue, that said if you do accidentally step in, your feet sense you and you don't end up with it all over your feet than carry it through the house before you realise the smell (Done that before)

Another concern i have heard in the past was bees and clover, I have never had a problem(now i have jinxed myself). All I can say is that you keep your eyes open and perhaps lead with your toes so you don't heel strike and come down on clover full force that works for me.

So I am sitting here barefoot on the computer blogging, Are you doing the same??