Bare feet - socially unacceptable??

As a child I always went barefoot. i grew up in the rural south and still got comments about it. Particularly from one aunt. Didn't really care. As an adult I go barefoot at home of course. I think it is strange and a little bit suspect that someone would wear shoes in their house. My mother does all the time. Like Cori93437 I am in Florida and it is too hot to walk on the pavement. But I will walk all over the grass barefoot. I just bought my first pair of VFF's and wear them everywhere now. They are the next best thing to being barefoot.

At the house, indoors and out, I'm barefoot. Ok, sockfoot in winter, because my feet get cold easily. If I'm just walking the block and it's not blistering hot (no, seriously, going barefoot in the summer here will give you blisters) or frigid cold, I'm barefoot. Most places have a "no shirt, no shoes, no service" thing around here, spoken or not, so I wear shoes then. I tend to drive barefoot or sockfoot. With few exceptions, if I'm at a friend's or relative's house, I'm barefoot.
I was raised barefoot. My parents really didn't care if we wore shoes outside (unless it was really cold) and would actively get onto us if we wore shoes inside when we weren't going anywhere. The idea of wearing shoes in the house or yard was something foreign to us, something you only did in houses where you might step in dog shit or prissy houses where to take off your shoes got you disapproval. Even on long car rides, mom and dad would lead by example and be barefoot. It's just how it was. I jumped off swingsets barefoot, climbed trees barefoot, mowed barefoot, and rode my bike barefoot. We never really considered there to be another way.
Even now, the phrase "take your shoes off and stay a while" has a place in Gwwk's and my home.

Huh, I grew up in an urban area and no one, to my recollection, has made any comments about my bare feet. I am always barefoot unless in public or outside in the winter.

[QUOTE=naiadknight;972030]At the house, indoors and out, I'm barefoot. Ok, sockfoot in winter, because my feet get cold easily. If I'm just walking the block and it's not blistering hot (no, seriously, going barefoot in the summer here will give you blisters) or frigid cold, I'm barefoot. Most places have a "no shirt, no shoes, no service" thing around here, spoken or not, so I wear shoes then. I tend to drive barefoot or sockfoot. With few exceptions, if I'm at a friend's or relative's house, I'm barefoot.
I was raised barefoot. My parents really didn't care if we wore shoes outside (unless it was really cold) and would actively get onto us if we wore shoes inside when we weren't going anywhere. The idea of wearing shoes in the house or yard was something foreign to us, something you only did in houses where you might step in dog shit or prissy houses where to take off your shoes got you disapproval. Even on long car rides, mom and dad would lead by example and be barefoot. It's just how it was. I jumped off swingsets barefoot, climbed trees barefoot, mowed barefoot, and rode my bike barefoot. We never really considered there to be another way.
Even now, the phrase "take your shoes off and stay a while" has a place in Gwwk's and my home.[/QUOTE]

I understand - I did the growing up thing for a long while in Killeen, and going barefoot on blacktop was just stupid.

My mom is totally okay - she just gets on me and the grandkids if we say we are freezing cold and forget to put on houseshoes to help remedy that (all other things being equal), but that doesn't happen often.

This isn't going to happen in Midland, but here in Ohio, I sometimes take a spin around the deck/house in the winter in the snow. If you get really, really warm all over beforehand (and go back inside before the feet feel painfully cold) it feels really nice - like the Scandinavian sauna thing.

It is weird from my dad and brother, as brother grew up the same way I did - barefooted whenever possible, and dad let it happen. Huh.

You drive barefoot, too?? I am going to have to try that! I somehow thought it was illegal or something - seriously!

The only time I was made to put on shoes around the house was if a storm was coming or we were under a tornado watch/warning.

I don't drive barefoot. I have small feet and it just feels better and more stable for me.

[QUOTE=Crabbcakes;972040]You drive barefoot, too?? I am going to have to try that! I somehow thought it was illegal or something - seriously![/QUOTE]

I feel like I get a better feel for the pedals and hoe they respond when I'm barefoot. That and being able to wrap my toes around the bar for the gas pedal adds to that feeling of stability and control.

I started going barefoot a lot about 6 years ago. Then I moved to FL and it was harder. Like others have said the pavement can be hot (I burned my feet once and could not even stand to walk on carpet for days because of it) and there are things like fire ants to think about in the grass. Now I am back in Vermont and am getting back to barefoot.

I am very lucky. I can go barefoot at work. I work in my sister in law's law office. She is the attorney and she is ALWAYS barefoot. Her mother is her main assistant and she is also always barefoot. People who know them and know I work there and am marrying into the family ask me if they have me barefoot yet (I usually wear something in public). I tell them I was barefooting long before I met them so I fit right in.

Last week I came home from an appointment. My shoes had been hurting me so I took them off. I pumped gas and went in to pay at our little country store in town. A guy saw this and began to flirt with me and tell me how much he liked it and how good I looked.

I guess it is socially acceptable in my neck of the woods :)

[QUOTE=PrimalPumpkin;972062] I guess it is socially acceptable in my neck of the woods :)[/QUOTE]

I have heard enough cool stuff about Vermont that I just may try the state when I am done with Ohio. Yours just ups it!

[QUOTE=PrimalPumpkin;972062]I started going barefoot a lot about 6 years ago. Then I moved to FL and it was harder. Like others have said the pavement can be hot (I burned my feet once and could not even stand to walk on carpet for days because of it) and there are things like fire ants to think about in the grass. Now I am back in Vermont and am getting back to barefoot.

I am very lucky. I can go barefoot at work. I work in my sister in law's law office. She is the attorney and she is ALWAYS barefoot. Her mother is her main assistant and she is also always barefoot. People who know them and know I work there and am marrying into the family ask me if they have me barefoot yet (I usually wear something in public). I tell them I was barefooting long before I met them so I fit right in.

[B]Last week I came home from an appointment. My shoes had been hurting me so I took them off. I pumped gas and went in to pay at our little country store in town. A guy saw this and began to flirt with me and tell me how much he liked it and how good I looked. [/B]

I guess it is socially acceptable in my neck of the woods :)[/QUOTE]

This is also a fetish... be a bit wary if he was very focused on your feet and not You in general. ;)
Just sayn.
Well, unless you like that sort of thing too... which is totally Ok.