yes! barefoot. for 44 months straight now. while yoga is traditionally done barefoot, i have chosen to live my life completely barefoot. 
everywhere i go, i go barefoot.
there are definitely “shoe exceptions” and any temperatures below 40* is one of them. if it’s at 40 and i’m going to be out in it, then shoes are used. also raining. wet feet make lower temperatures feel that much colder. i also carry a pair of huaraches for burning hot pavement in the summer. any shoe i do wear is minimal. it has to be zero drop with flexible soles. if i can’t roll the shoe up, it’s not for me.
i’m not a good barefoot advocate though, most days if someone asks me, as they often do, “where are your shoes?” i am liable to either ignore you or ask you “where are your manners?” it depends on the day really, but honestly, it’s none of your business where my shoes are and i really don’t feel obligated to respond. people better than me may use that as an opening to further our movement, i’m just not one of those people. i’m just out here living my life, not really concerned enough about what other people are doing as to inject myself into a complete stranger’s business by inquiring about their lack of clothing, footwear, whatever.
i just can’t imagine what they expect. how do they expect the conversation to go? shall i answer with “it’s kind of a funny story…” and launch into a 20 minute farce about how i lost my shoes? shall i play on your pity and act like i can’t afford them while i rock these fabulous maui jims? i mean, what kind of answer are you looking for? some sort of reasonable explanation other than that i simply choose to not wear shoes? because honestly, i just don’t get it. you don’t know me, you’re not likely to ever see me again, and not only that but do you really care?
now i have certainly come across people with genuine curiosity and with those sincere people i will stand there and chat with you about it all day or until your curiosity is sufficiently satisfied but to the nosy old lady and the creepy guy, no, sorry. some people are so rude about it. the double-takes are extremely rude as well. yeah, i see you looking. i used to be pretty oblivious but with martial arts training comes situational awareness and so i’m checking you out checking me out. let me live and i’ll let you live. it’s really that simple.
i ditched the shoes after reading katy bowman’s book, “every woman’s guide to foot pain relief”
that was my introduction to alignment. i never could wear heels. i always wanted to because they looked so cute, just the dang ball of my foot would be screaming by the time i got to the door from my car in the parking lot. i was scratching my head wondering how women could wear those devices of sheer torture all.day.long. i just didn’t get it. oh well, not for me.
so for many years, living in florida, flip flops were the usual footwear of choice. but then this…
so after learning about all of this, i figured why not just ditch shoes altogether and just embrace my crunchy, granola self and go barefoot.
and so it is.
