p1.best.com!shellx.best.com!not-for-mail
Subject: alt.lifestyle.barefoot FAQ [2/2]
Date: 10 Apr 1996 12:10:05 -0700
Summary: Frequently Asked Questions about living barefoot

Archive-Name: barefoot-faq/part2
Posting-Frequency: monthly (on the 10th)

   
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                   SECTION 4: GETTING BY IN A SHOD WORLD 
                                       
   
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Q14: What can I say to passers-by if they make a comment? 

   If it's just a comment, ignoring them is always an option. If they ask
   a question, ignoring them is still an option.
   
   However, being polite usually helps and some barefooters have gotten
   into some interesting conversations. Maybe you can even make a few
   converts!
   
   The responses get nastier or weirder the farther down the list they
   are. It depends on your mood at the time. (Some of the responses can
   be used in response to more than one comment.)
   
     * You're barefoot!
          + You're not!
          + You're observant!
          + You're right!
          + Thanks for the tip.
          + No shit, Sherlock.
   
       
     * Why aren't you wearing shoes?
          + Don't like 'em.
          + They make my feet sweat/stink.
          + My feet like the fresh air.
          + My feet were hot.
          + One less thing to do in the morning.
          + Why aren't you wearing gloves [hat]?
          + To annoy people like you.
          + Why do you care?
          + I'm allergic to them.
          + I'm not wearing a tie either.
          + I'm off-duty.
          + I'm opposed to wasting petrochemicals/leather.
          + I'm performing a scientific foot-toughening experiment.
          + If I don't keep in contact with the ground, I build up a
            static charge.
          + My feet were jealous of my hands.
          + I'll give you three-thousand guesses.
          + They are a conspiracy by multi-national plastic and leather
            merchants.
          + I knew I had forgotten something!
   
       
     * Why are you barefoot?
          + I like the way it feels.
          + It's much more comfortable.
          + I think it looks cool.
          + I want to toughen my feet.
          + It's good for my feet.
          + Because feet are beautiful.
          + It gives me this wonderful feeling of freedom.
          + I want keep in touch with the earth.
          + Because I'm not wearing shoes [duh!].
          + Try and work it out.
          + Because I m not concerned with your contempt.
          + Dunno.
          + Because you don't pay my salary.
          + I'm in a time-warp from the '60s.
   
       
     * Where are your shoes?
          + At home [where they belong].
          + I don't know. [Have you seen them?]
          + Somewhere else.
          + What do you mean? These are God's Reeboks.
          + On vacation.
          + Don't have any.
          + My what?
          + What are shoes?
          + Up there. [Said while pointing up.]
          + Aliens took them.
   
       
     * Aren't your feet cold?
          + Not unduly.
          + No...My feet are cool!
          + Obviously not.
          + Aren't your feet hot?
   
       
     * Nice shoes.
          + Thanks.
          + Very comfortable too.
          + Do you like them? My parents made them for me.
            
   
   
   
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Q15: Is it legal to drive barefoot? 

   YES!!! (At least in the United States and England; I don't know about
   other countries.) The statement to the contrary is urban folklore and
   believed by so many people, even some police officers. However, if you
   call either your local or state police and ask them, they will say
   it's legal. If the cop on the phone says otherwise, ask him/her to
   give you the statute number. S/he won't be able to and then will admit
   their mistake.
   
   One guy actually did write to all 50 states asking the question. All
   the letters he received back are available via anonymous ftp from:
   
     ftp://ftp.cathouse.org/pub/cathouse/urban.legends/legal/driving.bare
     foot
     
   
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Q16: Why don't many stores permit bare feet? 

   There are a few reasons:
    1. Mind-set. Some store-owners have hangups about bare feet for
       absolutely no good reason. Many people are brainwashed into
       thinking you need to wear shoes. They just can't handle the
       concept of bare feet out on the streets. People tend to dislike
       what they don't understand.
       
       Note that mind-set varies with locale: In the Chicago area, for
       example, many large chain stores and supermarkets forbid bare
       feet. If you go to warmer climates like California or Florida,
       barefooted people are much more common so nobody thinks anything
       of it. Also, if store-owners chased out barefooted customers,
       they'd be doing that all day long.
       
       On a more global scale, countries like Australia and New Zealand
       are very barefoot friendly. Many, many people go barefoot
       regularly everywhere. Nobody cares and they think it's completely
       natural (which it is).
       
    2. Alleged health laws. I have written to my township and my county
       and state health departments. There are no laws stating that
       customers may not be barefoot in any kind of store including
       food-service establishments. I know others in other states who
       have done the same research: nothing.
       
       I know a guy who complained to the health department in CA about
       McDonalds displaying the sign, "No Bare Feet by Order of the
       Department of Health." It turned out that McDonald's removed the
       signs (in CA) and wrote a letter of apology to guy who complained!
       
       
       For an exercise, I called the headquarters of a large supermarket
       chain in the Chicago area. The woman on the phone was just as
       ignorant: she thought it was illegal to go barefoot into stores. I
       asked her to give me the statute number (knowing full well that
       she couldn't because it doesn't exist). She said she'd have to
       call me back. She actually did and told me that there is no law,
       but it's their "store policy."
       
       Of course, the bottom line is that a store-owner can refuse to
       serve you for any reason so long as it isn't sex, race, religion,
       veteran status, sexual orientation, etc, etc. Bare feet,
       unfortunately, are not "covered" by anti-discrimination laws. But
       you can spend your dollars elsewhere.
       
       As an aside, what does health have to do with it? Do they sell
       food off the floor? Yes, when I go barefoot, the soles of my feet
       get very dirty...so what? Are shoe-soles any cleaner? Dirt is
       dirt. At least I wash myself daily which is most likely more than
       people wash the soles of their shoes.
       
    3. Broken glass. Store-owners are so afraid that you will step on
       broken glass and sue them, that they just forbid bare feet
       altogether. In one respect, this is a ridiculous thing to say. For
       avid barefooters, broken glass is not too much of a problem. The
       soles of my feet are very thick and tough, the way they are
       naturally supposed to be. I rarely injure myself with broken
       glass. The store-owners, however, don't realize this.
       
       In another respect, I do have some sympathy for them. The USA is,
       by far, the most "sue-happy" country in the world. And the worst
       part is that dumb-ass juries enable people to win! There was a
       case where one neighbor borrowed another's lawnmower. The guy
       decided that his hedges needed a trim, so he picks up the
       lawnmower while it's still running and, needless to say, injures
       himself very badly. He sued not only the lawnmower manufacturer,
       but also his neighbor for failing to warn him that picking up a
       running lawnmower was dangerous. He won! Given such verdicts, the
       store-owners are just protecting themselves.
       
       Even if I were to cut myself, I would not sue. I am a big boy and
       realize the possible consequences of my actions and realize that
       most things that happen to me are my fault.
       
   
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Q17: Which stores do permit bare feet? 

   Despite the above answer, there are many stories you can go barefoot
   to. From my personal experience: most any (non-chain) shop in a strip
   mall, Baskin Robbins, laundromats, pizza joints to pick up your pizza,
   the Post Office, Subway, video stores, among others.
   
   I try to give these places my business. No shirt, no shoes, no money!
   
   
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Q18: What do you wear when you are forced to wear shoes? 

   Soft-soled (treadless) moccasins: there's just a thin layer of leather
   between you and the ground. Unfortunately, they don't work well when
   they get wet since they absorb water. For wet conditions,
   Birkenstocks. (I don't like rubber-soled Tevas because they make my
   feet sweat and stink -- kind of against the whole point of wearing
   sandals.) I was able to find soft-soled moccasins at a
   western-clothing store. Another source is described below.
   
   [The following was contributed by Don Weber <ToughFeet@aol.com>.]
   
     Soft soled moccasins may be purchased from Tandy Leather Company. If
     there is no store near you, then request a catalog from:

.Tandy Leather Company
.Advertising Department
.Box 791
.Fort Worth, TX 76101

     They are a bargain at under $10. They come in the form of a kit
     that you sew together yourself with shoe laces.  It's easy because
     the holes are already punched for you. Make sure you get the ones
     without those stupid hard soles stitched to them.  The foam insole
     can easily be ripped out as well.

   [Another good thing about soft-soled moccasins is that they can be
   folded up and easily stuffed into a fanny-pack. This way, you don't
   have to carry shoes, but you have them in case you are forced to wear
   them.]
   
   [Don also likes Knoppy Birkenstocks.]
   
     Super Knoppy Birkenstocks may be ordered from any store that sells
     Birkenstocks. They rarely stock Super Knoppies because very few
     customers order them. Think of them as a sandal with very wide, but
     blunt and rounded, plastic nails sticking up from the footbed. These
     "nails" are called "knops." They breath better than any soled
     footware I know.
     
   
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Q19: Is there such a thing as soleless footwear? 

   Yes -- three items that I know of. The first are "Bare Bottoms" or
   soleless sandals. You can get them from:

        Name:           Bare Bottoms
        Catalog No.:    21488
        Supplier:       American Science & Surplus
                        3605 Howard Street
                        Skokie, IL 60076
        Hours:          M-F 8:00am-5:30pm (central time)
        Phone:          (708) 982-0870
        Fax:            (800) 934-0722
        Colors:         dark brown, light brown
        Price:          $1.00/pkg (2 pair)
        Payment:        Check (continental US only), MO, MC/VISA
        
   From the description:
   
     A pair of 1/2" x 33" leather straps with a buckle on one end and a
     couple of small slits with brass studs along the way. The idea was
     to thread the strap around your big toe and arch passing through the
     slits on the way. Viola! Something that looked like a sandal but
     wasn't. Perfect to get into a "No shoes, No service" spot. Made in
     1967 for the anti-establishment soleless folks.
     
   A GIF is available showing them being modeled (by me) from:
   
     ftp://ftp.barefooters.org/alb/barebots.gif
     
   The second are "Hawaiian Sno-Shoes," also a type of soleless sandal.
   These are more intricate than Bare Bottoms. They look around your
   "index toe" and your ankle. A catalog of these, in various styles and
   colors, may be obtained by writing to:
   
     Hawaiian Sno-Shoes
     301 Moose Hill Road
     Monroe, CT 06468
     
   A graphic is available at:
   
     http://members.aol.com/bhthom/hawaiian.htm
     
   The third are "Barefoot Gaiters," leather coverings for the tops of
   your feet and your arches: the toes, balls, and heels of your feet
   remain bare. These are good for warmth. If you can't get these
   ready-made, a good leather crafter can make them for you
   inexpensively. Or, if you would like to make them yourself, there are
   detailed instructions on pp. 74-78 of The Barefoot Hiker (see the
   Reference section).
   
   
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                            SECTION 5: REFERENCE 
                                       
   
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Q20: Is there anything published about bare feet? 

   Yes. An excellent book:

        Title:          The Barefoot Hiker
        Author:         Richard K. Frazine
        Publisher:      Ten-Speed Press
        Year:           1993
        ISBN:           0-89815-525-8
        Price:          $7.95 US
        Order direct:   1-800-841-BOOK
        
   It's a "how-to" book on barefoot hiking, a _very_ pleasurable
   experience. You get to _feel_ the ground, soft soil, grass, fuzzy
   moss, and mud squishing between your toes.
   
   But it's also on bare feet in general, thoughts, perceptions,
   attitudes, etc. It's a great little book...and at $7.95, it's a
   bargain.
   
   [See Q21 for information on how to contact Richard.]
   
   There's a wonderful essay about the simple pleasure of bare feet in
   the book, "Endangered Pleasures," by Barbara Holland, Little, Brown,
   and Company, 1995, ISBN 0-316-37057-6. It expresses the way I and many
   other barefooters feel. An excerpt of this essay is available on my
   web page devoted to bare feet located at:
   
     http://www.best.com/~pjl/personal/bare_feet.html
     
   More information about the book is available at:
   
     http://www.best.com/~pjl/personal/books/index.html#endangered
     
   The rest of the book is well-written and humorous; I highly recommend
   it.
   
   There was an essay written in 1914 entitled "The Barefoot League," by
   James Leith MacBeth Bain. He wrote about both the pleasures and
   societal difficulties of going barefoot. It seems that some of what is
   true today was also true in 1914. The essay is available via:
   
     http://www.barefooters.org/writings/
     
   Also on the same web page are some writings of Dirty Sole Society
   members: a sort of a "best of" collection.
   
   
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Q21: Are there barefoot groups? 

   Yes. There are a group of barefooters on the 'net:
   
   The Dirty Sole Society:
          The Dirty Sole Society, of which I am a member, is a group of
          folks who prefer life unshod. There is a "recruiting" ad posted
          monthly to alt.lifestyle.barefoot and to other newsgroups.
          Watch for it! Or, you just write me. An excerpt from the ad:
          
..Real-life stories, experiences, trip-reports,
..thoughts, feelings, and tips having to do with
..bare feet and barefootin' as well as upcoming
..barefoot-related events are the sort of
..material we discuss.

   They also have their own web page:
          
     http://www.barefooters.org/
     
   that, among other things, has trip reports along with photos.

   Barefoot Hikers
          These are groups of folks who prefer to hike barefoot so they
          can feel the various textures of the ground. The chapters that
          I know of are:
          
          + East San Francisco Bay, CA -- Mike Berrow
            <SCJB27A@prodigy.com>
          + South San Francisco Bay, CA -- Paul J. Lucas
            <pjl@barefooters.org>
          + Ontario, Canada -- David Francis <dfrancis@barint.on.ca>
          + Thomaston, CT -- Richard K. Frazine <BHTHOM@aol.com>
          + Emporia, KS -- Peter Rupprecht <perderkr@cadvantage.com>
          + North Carolina -- Phelps Gates <pgates@nando.net>
          + Portland, OR -- David B. Opperman <dbo@pcx.ncd.com>
          
          The Barefoot Hikers also have their own web page:
          
.     http://www.barefooters.org/hikers/
     
          with links to regional chapters.
          
   Barefoot Waterskiers
          These are people who love the indescribable rush they get from
          feeling of the pressure and flow of the water's surface as
          their feet glide over it. They have their own web page:
          
..http://waterski.net/foot/BarefootPage.html
     
   Windjammer Barefoot Cruises
          Windjammer Barefoot Cruises <windbc@windjammer.com> is a
          company that has cruises on masted sailing ships wherein you
          are encouraged to go barefoot the entire time. How about that?
          A vacation especially for barefooters! Write them for more
          information or visit their web page:
          
..http://www.windjammer.com/
     
   
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                                 END OF PART 1
                                       
                                END OF DOCUMENT
