Going barefoot – good for you and the environment

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Do you remember running barefoot through the grass as a child? I sure do and we did not just go barefoot only through the grass but were barefoot a great deal.

Going barefoot is better for your feet than wearing shoes, which is something that should be rather obvious and should go without saying for we were made without shoes.

Although having grown up going barefoot much of the time if not most of the time when a child the fact that I spent a number of years in the armed services and have been wearing boots and such for extended periods has, alas, done my feet no good. Hence I use every opportunity nowadays again to go barefoot.

Yes, you do end up stubbing your toes, if, like me, you are a little accident prone and clumsy, but one just has to be a little careful and all is well. Outside that is obvious also the case and one has to look so as not to step into glass and such like.

As a child I went barefoot for most of the time bar when it was real deep winter and the soles of my feet were hardened then. Nowadays they are, despite the fact that I am going barefoot a great deal, they no longer are as much due to having to wear shoes and boots.

In fact I have to wear boots with steel toe caps most of the time because of health and safety regulations and thus it is great to get out of them when getting home and just walking barefoot, including into the yard and garden.

Unfortunately, unlike in some countries, it is not really acceptable to go barefoot into the village or town here and especially not into stores and businesses. However, where possible, and especially when it comes to the kids, going barefoot should be the norm and encouraged.

It also, obviously, saves money in way of shoes and repair of same, where they still can be repaired, as most of them, today, are made in such a way that repair is not possible.

And the fact that fewer pairs of shoes and boots are required it also has a smaller footprint on the Planet – pardon the pun.

Go green – go barefoot.

© 2011