Archive for the ‘Personal Experiences’ Category
A Backwards Look at Liability
I’ve been told on several occasions to be careful how I promote barefoot activity. The concerned persons say I might end up liable if people end up hurting themselves. This is a completely backwards and thoroughly confusing concept to me.
How is it that our society’s collective thinking has gotten so twisted that we now believe that I could be liable if people use their feet as nature intended and that shoe companies are free from liability for weakness, stiffness, skin conditions and other ailments that are caused or exacerbated by their products? Do you see how topsy turvy that thinking is?
Things That Make You Go Hmm…: The Barefoot Edition
One of the most frustrating things for me as a barefooter is that so many of the claims criticizing barefoot activity are made without the critics giving any thought to what they are actually saying. I know that the following observations are a bit snarky and pointed, but they’re worth thinking about:
Lots of people have told me that they successfully went barefoot “all the time” as a kid, playing on rocks and gravel, in dirt, and around all kinds of dangerous things. Then they insinuate that the flat, smooth surfaces of the adult world (e.g. concrete, asphalt, tile, linolium and carpet) are too dangerous for going barefoot.
Hmm…
Barefooting in the First Snow Fall in Toronto this Season
I can’t really say I am an accomplished “winter barefooter” by any account since I’m very much a summer type of guy through and through. However, living in Toronto, Canada, I must endure long and cold winters every year. And, every year, I do at least a minimum amount of barefooting outside to keep both my sanity and my feet in some sort of a decent shape for when the warmer weather comes.
We had our first significant snow fall last night and throughout the day today so I decided I had to go out for a few minutes and enjoy some of the white stuff before it gets all hard, slippery and dirty.
I took two videos with my cellphone and I thought I’d share them here – please excuse the poor lighting on the first video, since it was taken last night at about 1 am. The Sound is not the greatest either – I’m still figuring things out with this new phone.
In both cases the temperature was about -5°C with a windchill factor of about -12°C. Overall, the experience felt good; my only wish is that I could do longer barefoot outings in the winter. I guess, like anything else, I need to get used to it and build some tolerance as I go.
Here are the videos, I hope you enjoy them:
Dec. 6, 2010 – 1:30 am
Dec. 6, 2010 – 2:45 pm
Keep ‘em bare, keep ‘em happy.
Barefoot Moe
Bare Feet v. ‘Barefoot’ Shoes: The BIG Difference
I’ve got a bone to pick with some people. When barefoot running, Vibram Fivefingers (VFF) and other minimalist shoes became so popular, the lexicon used to describe how we cover — or don’t cover — our feet became muddied. Search Twitter or read news articles about the phenomenon, and you hear people talking about “barefoot shoes” or how they are loving running “barefoot” with their VFFs.
As confusing as it is to call something barefoot when it’s obviously not, the issue gets even worse when people tell their friends, “Wearing (fill in the blank minimalist footwear) is just like being barefoot.” Those of us who subscribe to fully bare feet are often asked, “Why not just wear flip flops? Isn’t it the same?” My answer to both of those questions: “No, it’s not the same.”And let me give an example why…
Don’t Get Cold Feet About Bare Feet As Cooler Months Approach
Many people are open to the idea of going without shoes in the summertime, but get “cold feet” about the idea of baring their feet in the fall and winter months. It’s true that we humans would typically prefer to be warm instead of cold. That said, there are still ways that you can get yourself — and your feet — more comfortable with the idea of going without shoes as the days get shorter.
Among questions regarding broken glass or fungal infections, another concern that we barefooters regularly hear about is cold feet. “Don’t your feet get cold?,” one person may ask. Another may state, “I’d like to go barefoot more often, but I can’t stand for my feet to get cold,” or “My feet get cold really easily.”
