Barefoot
Encyclopedia
Barefoot is the state of not wearing any footwear
. Being barefoot is regarded as a human's natural state, though for functional, fashion and social reasons footwear is worn, at least on some occasions. The wearing of footwear is exclusively a human
characteristic and is a feature of many human societies, especially outdoors and not in an exclusively private context. Many people do not wear footwear in their home and some expect visitors to do the same.
Many people regard the wearing of footwear as a sign of civilization
and being barefoot as a sign of poverty
. However, even when poverty is not relevant, some still choose to be barefoot, at least in some situations.
There are health risks and benefits associated with going barefoot. Footwear provides protection from cuts, abrasions, and bruises, from objects on the ground, as well as protection from frostbite
and parasites like hookworm
. However, some shoes can limit the flexibility and mobility of the foot, and can lead to higher incidences of flat feet or toes that curve inwards. Walking barefoot also results in a more natural gait, allowing for a more rocking motion of the foot and eliminating the hard heel strike and generating less collision force in the foot and lower leg.
Many stores, restaurants, and other public venues have dress codes against bare feet. While private business owners are free to set their own policies, many also cite nonexistent health regulations, though these typically are requirements that pertain to employees, not customers. Many people also believe that it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle
barefoot, though there are no laws in the United States
, Canada
, the United Kingdom
and other places against it.
There are many sports which people play barefoot, including running
, water skiing
, beach volleyball
, gymnastics
, and martial arts
.
In modern language, someone who prefers to not wear shoes in public is known as a barefooter. The term may also be used to describe someone participating in certain sports, such as barefoot skiing
or barefoot running
.
, Hindu
and Greeks
, saw little need for footwear, and most of the time, preferred being barefoot. The Egyptians and Hindus made some use of ornamental footwear, such as a soleless sandal
known as a "Cleopatra", which did not provide any practical protection for the foot. The ancient Greeks largely viewed footwear as self-indulgent, unaesthetic and unnecessary. Shoes were primarily worn in the theater, as a means of increasing stature, and many preferred to go barefoot. Athletes in the Ancient Olympic Games participated barefoot – and naked. Even the gods
and heroes were primarily depicted barefoot, and the hoplite
warriors fought battles in bare feet and Alexander the Great conquered half of the ancient world with barefoot armies.
The Romans
, who eventually conquered the Greeks, and adopted many aspects of their culture, did not adopt the Greek perception of footwear and clothing. Roman clothing
was seen as a sign of power, and footwear was seen as a necessity of living in a civilized world, although the slaves and paupers usually went barefoot. There are many references to shoes being worn in the Bible
. During wedding
s of this period, a father would give his son-in-law a pair of shoes, to symbolize the transfer of authority.
During the Middle Ages, both men and women wore pattens
, commonly seen as the predecessor of the modern high-heeled shoe, while the poor and lower classes in Europe, as well as slaves in the New World, were barefoot. In the 15th century, chopine
s were created in Turkey
, and were usually 7-8 inches (17.7-20.3 cm) high. These shoes became popular in Venice
and throughout Europe, as a status symbol
revealing wealth and social standing. During the 16th century, royalty started wearing high-heeled shoes to make them look taller or larger than life, such as Catherine de Medici or Mary I of England
. By 1580, even men wore them, and a person with authority or wealth was often referred to as, "well-heeled".
The phrase "Barefoot and pregnant
" is now used to illustrate a woman's traditional role as a homemaker
and thus her lack of opportunities to socialize or to have a career outside of the home. It was first used in the early 20th century, possibly by Dr. Arthur E. Hertzler (also known as the Kansas Horse-and-Buggy Doctor), promoting a hypothesis that:
Bare feet have also come to symbolize innocence or childhood, and this may be one reason why hippie
s often went barefoot during the counterculture movement of the 1960s
. The connection to childhood and innocence, as well as the simple joys of country life
, are embodied in the poem The Barefoot Boy, by John Greenleaf Whittier
, published in 1855. Additionally, the book, Dancing Barefoot, by Star Trek: The Next Generation
actor Wil Wheaton
, features five short stories that chronicle his journey from childhood and youth through to maturity and self-acceptance.
, Master Jinshen, a Buddhist
monk, walks 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) per day barefoot as a reminder to others that pursue a material life to protect and be concerned for Mother Nature
. He also states that he does this to follow Buddhist rules, lead the people to the path of virtue, and to develop his Buddhist spirit. It is also customary in Judaism and some Christian denominations to go barefoot while mourning. Some Christian churches practice barefoot pilgrimage
traditions, such as the ascent of Croagh Patrick
in Ireland at night while barefoot (although the nighttime part is no longer encouraged).
In many religions, it is common to remove shoes when entering a place considered holy. For example, in the Book of Exodus, Moses
was instructed to remove his shoes before approaching the burning bush:
Foot washing is also associated with humility in Christianity, and Jesus Christ is depicted in the New Testament
washing the feet of his disciples as a way to serve them during the Last Supper
. Christians that practice foot washing today do so as a way to bring them closer to Jesus and to fill them with a sense of humility and service. Muslims also wash their feet before entering a mosque
or other place of worship, as well as before prayers. Roman Catholics also show their respect and humility for the Pope
by kissing his feet, in a similar manner in which Hindus show their love and respect to a guru
by touching his bare feet (also called pranam). It is also customary to show your respect by walking barefoot around Raj Ghat, the monument to Mahatma Gandhi
. Both United States President George W. Bush
and Pope John Paul II
paid him this honor. During the Imperial Japanese period, removing one's shoes in the presence of a person of higher status than you was a sign of showing your own humility and respect towards their status.
Christian congregations of men and women that go entirely barefoot or wear sandal
s include the Discalced
, like the Discalced Carmelites
(1568), the Feuillant
s (Cistercians, 1575), Trinitarian
s (1594), Mercedarian
s (1604), and the Passionist
s.
– c. 1200 BC. It is often used as a rite of passage
, as a test of an individual's strength and courage, or in religion as a test of one's faith. Today, it is often used in corporate and team-building seminars and self-help workshops as a confidence-building exercise. Firewalking implies the belief that the feat requires the aid of a supernatural force, strong faith, or on an individual's ability to focus on "mind over matter". Modern physics has largely debunked this however, showing that the amount of time the foot is in contact with the ground is not enough to induce a burn, combined with the fact that coal
is not a very good conductor of heat.
had its roots in the holy dances of the legendary seductresses (apsaras) of ancient Cambodia, and attained its high point during the Angkor
period in its interpretations of the Indian epics, especially the Ramayana
. Cambodian dancers were well-born women of the king's harem and danced barefoot, with the feet turned outwards and the legs slightly bent at the knee to cushion the movements of the upper body. The unimpeded movement of the foot was essential to the art. When the land was invaded by the Thai, the dancers were taken to the Thai court where their art was adapted and continued to flourish.
The barefoot dance movement of the early 20th century challenged the received laws of classical dance and the broader laws of social decorum. For decades, the bare foot had been perceived as obscene, and no matter how determined barefoot dancers were to validate their art with reference to spiritual, artistic, historic, and organic concepts, barefoot dancing was inextricably linked in the public mind with indecency and sexual taboo. In 1908, Maud Allan
shocked and fascinated London theatre-goers with her barefoot dance of desire in Salome and scandalous tributes positioned her as the embodiment of lust. For many, barefoot dancing represented not only the freedom and horror of modern sexuality but the progress and decline of high culture.
California
n Isadora Duncan
revolutionized dance in the western world by jettisoning the tutu
and the pointe shoe of classical ballet
, and scandalizing audiences by performing works of her own choreography in flowing draperies and barefeet. She anticipated the modern women's liberation movement by urging women to rid themselves of corsets and matrimony. Duncan divorced the bare foot from perceptions of obscenity, and made a conscious effort to link barefoot dancing to ideals such as "nudity, childhood, the idyllic past, flowing lines, health, nobility, ease, freedom, simplicity, order, and harmony". She believed her utopian dance vision and program would ameliorate the perceived ills of modern life and restore the world to the imagined perfection of Ancient Greece.
The 1954 film, The Barefoot Contessa
, tells the fictional story of Maria Vargas (portrayed by Ava Gardner
), a Spanish Cabaret
dancer of simple origins who frequently went barefoot. She was cast in a movie by writer and director Harry Dawes (portrayed by Humphrey Bogart
) and becomes a major star. In 1978, Ina Garten
purchased a specialty food store in The Hamptons named Barefoot Contessa
, after the movie. She liked the name because it went well with her simple and elegant cooking style. She sold the store in 1999, and wrote her first book, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, which became one of the best selling cookbooks of the year. She would go on to write more cookbooks, and in 2002 started production of a television show on the Food Network
, also named the, Barefoot Contessa, which continues to run.
In the latter half of the 20th century, many singers, both male and female, have performed barefoot. One of the first singers to become well known for singing barefoot on stage is Sandie Shaw
, who became known as the Barefoot Pop Princess of the 1960s. Jimmy Buffett
is also known for performing barefoot at concerts as well, promoting an island/beach bum lifestyle, and Cesária Évora
of Cape Verde
is known as the Barefoot Diva for her habit of performing sans shoes. Other performers include(d) Ronnie Van Zant
, Erykah Badu
, Björk
, Deana Carter
, Jewel
, Patti LaBelle
, Cyndi Lauper
, Jonny Lang
, Natalie Merchant
, Anne Murray
, Linda Ronstadt
, Joss Stone
, Shakira
, and Gwen Stefani
. Some singers may believe that being barefoot allows them to better channel their vocal energy – a theory based on the teachings of the alternative medicine
of reflexology
. Others may do so to provide a more relaxing atmosphere and to calm them down.
Joan Whisnant, Tony Meléndez
, and Mark Goffeney
have also played the guitar
on stage barefoot, with their feet, since they were born with no arms. Similarly, in 2008, Jessica Cox became the first person with no arms to use her bare feet to fly an airplane. There are also armless artists who use their bare feet to paint, including Peter Longstaff and Simona Atzori
, who is also a dancer.
larvae (found only in warm, moist climates), can also easily burrow through a bare human foot. Athlete's foot
is also spread by people walking barefoot in places where the fungus
is likely to grow, such as around swimming pool
s, public showers, or locker rooms. However, the fungus only develops under the right conditions, such as when people fail to properly dry their feet after swimming or showering, or when they wear tight-fitting shoes when their feet are sweaty.
In cold weather, shoes also provide thermal insulation, protecting against frostbite
. Other issues that could develop as a result of frequently going barefoot may include calf pain, Achilles tendinitis, or plantar fasciitis
. Blisters on the feet may occur in the first few weeks of going barefoot, until the skin has become more robust. In addition, individuals with diabetes or other conditions which affect sensation within the feet are at greater risk of injury while barefoot.
A 2006 study found that shoes may increase stresses on the knee and ankle, and suggested that adults that walked barefoot may have a lower rate of osteoarthritis
, though more study is required to elucidate the factors that distribute loads in shod and barefoot walking. A 2007 study entitled, "Shod Versus Unshod: The Emergence of Forefoot Pathology in Modern Humans?", published in the podiatry journal The Foot, examined 180 modern humans and compared their feet with 2,000-year-old skeletons. They concluded that, prior to the invention of shoes, humans overall had healthier feet. A 1991 study found that children who wore shoes were three times more likely to have flat feet
than those who did not, and suggested that wearing shoes in early childhood can be detrimental to the longitudinal arch of the foot. Children who habitually go barefoot were found to have stronger feet, with better flexibility and mobility, fewer deformities like flat feet or toes that curve inwards, and less complaints. Walking barefoot enables a more natural gait, eliminating the hard heel strike and instead, allowing for a rocking motion of the foot from heel to toe. Similarly, barefoot running usually involves an initial forefoot strike, instead of on the rear of the foot, generating smaller collision forces.
One alternative to going barefoot is to wear thin shoes with minimal padding, such as moccasin
s or thin sandal
s, which result in similar gait to going barefoot, but protect the skin and keep dirt and water off. Some modern shoe manufacturers have recently designed footwear to mimic the barefoot running experience, maintaining optimum flexibility and natural walking while also providing a minimum amount of protection. Such shoes include the Vibram FiveFingers
, the EVO shoe by Terra Plana, and the Nike
Free.
, business establishments would deny admittance to barefoot hippie
s arguing that health regulations required that shoes be worn. This led to a belief by many in various nonexistent OSHA
or local health department regulations preventing people from going to stores, restaurants, and other establishments without shoes. However, those regulations that exist apply only to employees, and not customers. Similarly, there are no state health codes that require customers to wear shoes, as was demonstrated by a project undertaken by The Society for Barefoot Living in 1997, and again in 2002. Individual businesses, however, are free to refuse service to customers without footwear or clothing that they deem inappropriate, as stated on "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service" (or similar) signs that have been used in the past, and individual cities and towns may also require certain footwear in public places. In August 2009, Burger King
admitted that it took this rule perhaps a bit too far when employees at a Sunset Hills, Missouri
restaurant asked a woman to leave because her six-month-old baby was barefoot.
It is not illegal to drive a motor vehicle while barefoot. Some people speculate that driving barefoot increases the risk of an accident if bare feet slip off the pedals. It is legal throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom to drive barefoot. However, in some jurisdictions, police officers may ticket you for other things if the fact that you were driving barefoot or in flip flops/high heeled shoes hindered your driving and/or resulted in an accident.
From "This Little Piggy
" to cage fighting, the bare foot has found a place in sports, recreation, and play. There are several recreational activities one can participate in while barefoot. Those involved in water sports such as swimming
and water polo
almost always participate barefoot due to the difficulty of swimming with footwear. Other common activities performed barefoot include hiking
, running
, water skiing
, beach volleyball
, surfing
, tubing
, gymnastics
, and martial arts
. Wrestling
is another sport that can also be done barefoot. Although most modern Greco-Roman
and WWE
wrestlers wear shoes, sumo wrestling, Yağlı güreş
(oil or "Turkish" wrestling), and mud wrestling
are commonly done while barefoot. Fiji
an wrestler Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka
of the WWE has also wrestled barefoot as well. American football
is also not traditionally a barefoot sport, though several placekicker
s have preferred to kick barefoot, including Tony Franklin of the Philadelphia Eagles
and Rich Karlis
of the Denver Broncos
. The two schools of thought involved in barefoot placekicking were that the lack of a shoe provided the kicker with a better "feel" for the ball itself, and therefore greater control over its trajectory. The second theory is that shoes and socks absorbed kinetic energy, and kicking flesh-to-leather created more torque
.
barefoot from June 21, 2000, to October 3, 2001.
In European nations, including Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland and the United Kingdom there are barefoot parks, or barefoot walks. These parks are kept clean and maintained on a regular basis, so that barefoot hiking can be done in an environment suitable for people who are habitually shod. Barefoot parks usually include a lot of adventure stations, allowing visitors to experience the feeling of different soil textures underfoot; wading through rivers, brooks, or ponds; exercising foot gymnastics
, balancing
and climbing. The Barfußpfad (barefoot trail) at Bad Sobernheim in Germany attracts just over 100,000 visitors annually, and has seen approximately 1 million visitors since its inception in 1999. Seoul
, South Korea, also has 158 barefoot parks, allowing people to relax in a natural environment. This concept was first developed in the 19th century by Sebastian Kneipp
, one of the founders of the Naturopathic medicine movement. He believed that applying your feet to a different range of natural stimuli would have therapeutic benefits. This is also related to the ancient practice of reflexology
, practiced in China for thousands of years for relaxation and to promote longevity.
, including well-known athletes Zola Budd
of South Africa and Abebe Bikila
of Ethiopia
. Todd Ragsdale, of Talent, Oregon
, set the world record
(pending confirmation by Guinness World Records
) for the longest distance run barefoot on June 5, 2010, as part of the Relay for Life
fundraiser for the American Cancer Society
. He logged 102 miles (164.2 km), or 413 laps on the South Medford High School track, barefoot. The fastest person to run 100 meters (325 feet) on ice
while barefoot is Nico Surings of Eindhoven, Netherlands
, who ran that distance in 17.35 seconds on December 8, 2006. Laboratory studies suggest that, due to the lack of extra weight on the feet, the energy cost of running barefoot is reduced by 4%, resulting in lower oxygen
consumption. There is evidence that wearing traditional shoes while running leads to heel strike gait
, which, in turn, leads to higher impact. This is hypothesised by some, to lead to greater risk of injury, and there is some evidence for it being correlated with some forms of injury. Barefoot running encourages the runner to switch to forefoot strike and may reduce the risk of knee damage. Barefoot running can also be dangerous, especially to runners who do not adequately prepare or give their feet time to adapt to the new style. Many injuries are still possible, such as Achilles tendon
, plantar fascia
, or stress fracture
s in the metatarsal bones or lower leg. Barefoot runners who do not prepare their bodies could provide, "a stimulus plan for podiatrists, orthopedists, and physical therapists."
The official position on barefoot running by the American Podiatric Medical Association
states that there is not enough research on the immediate and long term benefits of the practice, and that individuals should consult a podiatrist with a strong background in sports medicine to make an informed decision on all aspects of their running and training programs.
originated in Winter Haven, Florida
, in 1947, when slalom skier A.G. Hancock tried to step off his ski. The same year, in Cypress Gardens, Florida
, competitive skier Richard Downing Pope, Jr., became well-known in the sport of barefoot skiing. The first barefoot skiing competition was held three years later, at the 1950 Cypress Gardens Dixie Championships. In 1978, skiers from ten nations competed in the first World Barefoot Championships in Canberra
, Australia. The same year, the American Barefoot Club (ABC) was formed, which governs competitive barefoot skiing events in the United States.
Footwear
Footwear consists of garments worn on the feet, for fashion, protection against the environment, and adornment. Being barefoot is commonly associated with poverty, but some cultures chose not to wear footwear at least in some situations....
. Being barefoot is regarded as a human's natural state, though for functional, fashion and social reasons footwear is worn, at least on some occasions. The wearing of footwear is exclusively a human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
characteristic and is a feature of many human societies, especially outdoors and not in an exclusively private context. Many people do not wear footwear in their home and some expect visitors to do the same.
Many people regard the wearing of footwear as a sign of civilization
Civilization
Civilization is a sometimes controversial term that has been used in several related ways. Primarily, the term has been used to refer to the material and instrumental side of human cultures that are complex in terms of technology, science, and division of labor. Such civilizations are generally...
and being barefoot as a sign of poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
. However, even when poverty is not relevant, some still choose to be barefoot, at least in some situations.
There are health risks and benefits associated with going barefoot. Footwear provides protection from cuts, abrasions, and bruises, from objects on the ground, as well as protection from frostbite
Frostbite
Frostbite is the medical condition where localized damage is caused to skin and other tissues due to extreme cold. Frostbite is most likely to happen in body parts farthest from the heart and those with large exposed areas...
and parasites like hookworm
Hookworm
The hookworm is a parasitic nematode that lives in the small intestine of its host, which may be a mammal such as a dog, cat, or human. Two species of hookworms commonly infect humans, Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus. A. duodenale predominates in the Middle East, North Africa, India...
. However, some shoes can limit the flexibility and mobility of the foot, and can lead to higher incidences of flat feet or toes that curve inwards. Walking barefoot also results in a more natural gait, allowing for a more rocking motion of the foot and eliminating the hard heel strike and generating less collision force in the foot and lower leg.
Many stores, restaurants, and other public venues have dress codes against bare feet. While private business owners are free to set their own policies, many also cite nonexistent health regulations, though these typically are requirements that pertain to employees, not customers. Many people also believe that it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle
Motor vehicle
A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...
barefoot, though there are no laws in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and other places against it.
There are many sports which people play barefoot, including running
Barefoot running
Barefoot running is running while barefoot—without wearing any shoes on the feet. Running in thin-soled, flexible shoes, often called minimalist running, such as moccasins is biomechanically related to running barefoot, but alters sensory feedback from the plantar mechanoreceptors...
, water skiing
Barefoot skiing
Barefoot skiing is water skiing behind a motorboat without the use of water skis, commonly referred to as "barefooting". Barefooting requires the skier to travel at higher speeds than conventional water skiing...
, beach volleyball
Beach volleyball
Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, and martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
.
In modern language, someone who prefers to not wear shoes in public is known as a barefooter. The term may also be used to describe someone participating in certain sports, such as barefoot skiing
Barefoot skiing
Barefoot skiing is water skiing behind a motorboat without the use of water skis, commonly referred to as "barefooting". Barefooting requires the skier to travel at higher speeds than conventional water skiing...
or barefoot running
Barefoot running
Barefoot running is running while barefoot—without wearing any shoes on the feet. Running in thin-soled, flexible shoes, often called minimalist running, such as moccasins is biomechanically related to running barefoot, but alters sensory feedback from the plantar mechanoreceptors...
.
Historical and religious aspects
Many people in ancient times, such as the EgyptiansAncient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
, Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
and Greeks
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
, saw little need for footwear, and most of the time, preferred being barefoot. The Egyptians and Hindus made some use of ornamental footwear, such as a soleless sandal
Sandal
Sandals are an open type of outdoor footwearSandal may also refer to:* Sandal Castle, site of the Battle of Wakefield in the Wars of the Roses* Sandal, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England* Sandal, Afghanistan* Šandal, village in Slovakia...
known as a "Cleopatra", which did not provide any practical protection for the foot. The ancient Greeks largely viewed footwear as self-indulgent, unaesthetic and unnecessary. Shoes were primarily worn in the theater, as a means of increasing stature, and many preferred to go barefoot. Athletes in the Ancient Olympic Games participated barefoot – and naked. Even the gods
Twelve Olympians
The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon , in Greek mythology, were the principal deities of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades were siblings. Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, and Artemis were children of Zeus...
and heroes were primarily depicted barefoot, and the hoplite
Hoplite
A hoplite was a citizen-soldier of the Ancient Greek city-states. Hoplites were primarily armed as spearmen and fought in a phalanx formation. The word "hoplite" derives from "hoplon" , the type of the shield used by the soldiers, although, as a word, "hopla" could also denote weapons held or even...
warriors fought battles in bare feet and Alexander the Great conquered half of the ancient world with barefoot armies.
The Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, who eventually conquered the Greeks, and adopted many aspects of their culture, did not adopt the Greek perception of footwear and clothing. Roman clothing
Clothing in ancient Rome
Clothing in ancient Rome generally consisted of the toga, the tunic, the stola, brooches for these, and breeches.-Fibers:The Romans used several different types of [fiber]s. Wool was likely used most often, as it was obtained easily and was rather easy to prepare...
was seen as a sign of power, and footwear was seen as a necessity of living in a civilized world, although the slaves and paupers usually went barefoot. There are many references to shoes being worn in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. During wedding
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
s of this period, a father would give his son-in-law a pair of shoes, to symbolize the transfer of authority.
During the Middle Ages, both men and women wore pattens
Patten (shoe)
Pattens are protective overshoes worn in Europe from the Middle Ages until the early 20th century. Pattens were worn outdoors over a normal shoe, held in place by leather or cloth bands, with a wooden or later wood and metal sole...
, commonly seen as the predecessor of the modern high-heeled shoe, while the poor and lower classes in Europe, as well as slaves in the New World, were barefoot. In the 15th century, chopine
Chopine
A chopine is a type of women's platform shoe that was popular in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. Chopines were originally used as a patten, clog, or overshoe to protect the shoes and dress from mud and street soil....
s were created in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, and were usually 7-8 inches (17.7-20.3 cm) high. These shoes became popular in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
and throughout Europe, as a status symbol
Status symbol
A status symbol is a perceived visible, external denotation of one's social position and perceived indicator of economic or social status. Many luxury goods are often considered status symbols...
revealing wealth and social standing. During the 16th century, royalty started wearing high-heeled shoes to make them look taller or larger than life, such as Catherine de Medici or Mary I of England
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
. By 1580, even men wore them, and a person with authority or wealth was often referred to as, "well-heeled".
The phrase "Barefoot and pregnant
Barefoot and pregnant
"Barefoot and pregnant" is a phrase most commonly associated with the controversial idea that women should not work outside the home and should have many children during their reproductive years. It has several other meanings as well. It is a figure of speech....
" is now used to illustrate a woman's traditional role as a homemaker
Homemaker
Homemaking is a mainly American term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping or household management...
and thus her lack of opportunities to socialize or to have a career outside of the home. It was first used in the early 20th century, possibly by Dr. Arthur E. Hertzler (also known as the Kansas Horse-and-Buggy Doctor), promoting a hypothesis that:
Bare feet have also come to symbolize innocence or childhood, and this may be one reason why hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
s often went barefoot during the counterculture movement of the 1960s
Counterculture of the 1960s
The counterculture of the 1960s refers to a cultural movement that mainly developed in the United States and spread throughout much of the western world between 1960 and 1973. The movement gained momentum during the U.S. government's extensive military intervention in Vietnam...
. The connection to childhood and innocence, as well as the simple joys of country life
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
, are embodied in the poem The Barefoot Boy, by John Greenleaf Whittier
John Greenleaf Whittier
John Greenleaf Whittier was an influential American Quaker poet and ardent advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. He is usually listed as one of the Fireside Poets...
, published in 1855. Additionally, the book, Dancing Barefoot, by Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
actor Wil Wheaton
Wil Wheaton
Richard William "Wil" Wheaton III is an American actor and writer. As an actor, he is best known for his portrayals of Wesley Crusher on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, Gordie Lachance in the film Stand by Me and Joey Trotta in Toy Soldiers...
, features five short stories that chronicle his journey from childhood and youth through to maturity and self-acceptance.
Religious aspects
In many religions, bare feet are often seen as a sign of humility and respect, and some religious practitioners may have taken a vow of poverty. The art of many cultures throughout the world shows a person without shoes symbolizing poverty. In ThailandThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Master Jinshen, a Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
monk, walks 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) per day barefoot as a reminder to others that pursue a material life to protect and be concerned for Mother Nature
Mother Nature
Mother Nature is a common personification of nature that focuses on the life-giving and nurturing aspects of nature by embodying it in the form of the mother. Images of women representing mother earth, and mother nature, are timeless...
. He also states that he does this to follow Buddhist rules, lead the people to the path of virtue, and to develop his Buddhist spirit. It is also customary in Judaism and some Christian denominations to go barefoot while mourning. Some Christian churches practice barefoot pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
traditions, such as the ascent of Croagh Patrick
Croagh Patrick
Croagh Patrick , nicknamed the Reek, is a tall mountain and an important site of pilgrimage in County Mayo, Republic of Ireland. It is from Westport, above the villages of Murrisk and Lecanvey. It is the third highest mountain in County Mayo after Mweelrea and Nephin. On "Reek Sunday", the last...
in Ireland at night while barefoot (although the nighttime part is no longer encouraged).
In many religions, it is common to remove shoes when entering a place considered holy. For example, in the Book of Exodus, Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
was instructed to remove his shoes before approaching the burning bush:
Foot washing is also associated with humility in Christianity, and Jesus Christ is depicted in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
washing the feet of his disciples as a way to serve them during the Last Supper
Last Supper
The Last Supper is the final meal that, according to Christian belief, Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "communion" or "the Lord's Supper".The First Epistle to the Corinthians is...
. Christians that practice foot washing today do so as a way to bring them closer to Jesus and to fill them with a sense of humility and service. Muslims also wash their feet before entering a mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
or other place of worship, as well as before prayers. Roman Catholics also show their respect and humility for the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
by kissing his feet, in a similar manner in which Hindus show their love and respect to a guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
by touching his bare feet (also called pranam). It is also customary to show your respect by walking barefoot around Raj Ghat, the monument to Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
. Both United States President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
paid him this honor. During the Imperial Japanese period, removing one's shoes in the presence of a person of higher status than you was a sign of showing your own humility and respect towards their status.
Christian congregations of men and women that go entirely barefoot or wear sandal
Sandal
Sandals are an open type of outdoor footwearSandal may also refer to:* Sandal Castle, site of the Battle of Wakefield in the Wars of the Roses* Sandal, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England* Sandal, Afghanistan* Šandal, village in Slovakia...
s include the Discalced
Discalced
Discalced is a term applied to those religious congregations of men and women, the members of which go entirely barefoot or wear sandals, with or without other covering for the feet. These congregations are often distinguished on this account from other branches of the same order...
, like the Discalced Carmelites
Discalced Carmelites
The Discalced Carmelites, or Barefoot Carmelites, is a Catholic mendicant order with roots in the eremitic tradition of the Desert Fathers and Mothers...
(1568), the Feuillant
Feuillant (monks)
The Feuillants were monks of the Cistercian order who established an abbey in the diocese of Rieux in 1145.The abbey was named Notre-Dame-des-Feuillants and the name came to be applied to the monks too. Pope Gregory XIII established the Feuillants as a separate congregation in 1589 under their...
s (Cistercians, 1575), Trinitarian
Trinitarian Order
The Order of the Holy Trinity is a Catholic religious order that was founded in the area of Cerfroid, some 80 km northeast of Paris, at the end of the twelfth century. The founder was St. John de Matha, whose feast day is celebrated on 17 December...
s (1594), Mercedarian
Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy
The Royal, Celestial and Military Order of Our Lady of Mercy and the Redemption of the Captives also known as Our Lady of Ransom is a Roman Catholic religious order established in 1218 by St...
s (1604), and the Passionist
Passionist
The Passionists are a Roman Catholic religious order founded by Saint Paul of the Cross . Professed members use the initials C.P. after their names.-History:St...
s.
Cultural aspects
Incidences and attitudes towards barefoot walking vary between countries and cultures. In Australia and some parts of the United States, where taboos against barefoot walking are strongest, it is not unusual for people to wear the same shoes indoors and outdoors, and for guests to keep their shoes on when visiting other people's houses. In contrast, in many cultures such a behavior is considered inappropriate, if not rude. It may be acceptable to wear outdoor shoes in public places (e.g. museums or libraries), but people are usually expected to go barefoot, or wear socks, inside dwellings. In some countries, e.g. in Japan, Germany, or Scandinavia, the host is expected to provide light slippers for all visitors. This practice serves the purpose of minimizing the amount of dirt and mud brought in from the outside.Firewalking
Firewalking is the practice of walking barefoot over hot coals. It has been practiced by many people and cultures in all parts of the world, with the earliest known reference dating back to Iron Age IndiaIron Age India
Iron Age India, the Iron Age in the Indian subcontinent, succeeds the Late Harappan culture, also known as the last phase of the Indus Valley Tradition...
– c. 1200 BC. It is often used as a rite of passage
Rite of passage
A rite of passage is a ritual event that marks a person's progress from one status to another. It is a universal phenomenon which can show anthropologists what social hierarchies, values and beliefs are important in specific cultures....
, as a test of an individual's strength and courage, or in religion as a test of one's faith. Today, it is often used in corporate and team-building seminars and self-help workshops as a confidence-building exercise. Firewalking implies the belief that the feat requires the aid of a supernatural force, strong faith, or on an individual's ability to focus on "mind over matter". Modern physics has largely debunked this however, showing that the amount of time the foot is in contact with the ground is not enough to induce a burn, combined with the fact that coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
is not a very good conductor of heat.
Arts and entertainment
Many singers and dancers perform on stage barefoot. The classical dance of CambodiaCambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
had its roots in the holy dances of the legendary seductresses (apsaras) of ancient Cambodia, and attained its high point during the Angkor
Angkor
Angkor is a region of Cambodia that served as the seat of the Khmer Empire, which flourished from approximately the 9th to 15th centuries. The word Angkor is derived from the Sanskrit nagara , meaning "city"...
period in its interpretations of the Indian epics, especially the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
. Cambodian dancers were well-born women of the king's harem and danced barefoot, with the feet turned outwards and the legs slightly bent at the knee to cushion the movements of the upper body. The unimpeded movement of the foot was essential to the art. When the land was invaded by the Thai, the dancers were taken to the Thai court where their art was adapted and continued to flourish.
The barefoot dance movement of the early 20th century challenged the received laws of classical dance and the broader laws of social decorum. For decades, the bare foot had been perceived as obscene, and no matter how determined barefoot dancers were to validate their art with reference to spiritual, artistic, historic, and organic concepts, barefoot dancing was inextricably linked in the public mind with indecency and sexual taboo. In 1908, Maud Allan
Maud Allan
Maud Allan was a pianist-turned-actor, dancer and choreographer remembered for her "famously impressionistic mood settings".- Early life :...
shocked and fascinated London theatre-goers with her barefoot dance of desire in Salome and scandalous tributes positioned her as the embodiment of lust. For many, barefoot dancing represented not only the freedom and horror of modern sexuality but the progress and decline of high culture.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
n Isadora Duncan
Isadora Duncan
Isadora Duncan was a dancer, considered by many to be the creator of modern dance. Born in the United States, she lived in Western Europe and the Soviet Union from the age of 22 until her death at age 50. In the United States she was popular only in New York, and only later in her life...
revolutionized dance in the western world by jettisoning the tutu
Ballet tutu
A tutu is a skirt worn as a costume in a ballet performance, often with attached bodice. It might be single layer, hanging down, or multiple layers starched and jutting out.There are several types of ballet tutu:...
and the pointe shoe of classical ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
, and scandalizing audiences by performing works of her own choreography in flowing draperies and barefeet. She anticipated the modern women's liberation movement by urging women to rid themselves of corsets and matrimony. Duncan divorced the bare foot from perceptions of obscenity, and made a conscious effort to link barefoot dancing to ideals such as "nudity, childhood, the idyllic past, flowing lines, health, nobility, ease, freedom, simplicity, order, and harmony". She believed her utopian dance vision and program would ameliorate the perceived ills of modern life and restore the world to the imagined perfection of Ancient Greece.
The 1954 film, The Barefoot Contessa
The Barefoot Contessa
The Barefoot Contessa is a 1954 film about the life and loves of fictional Spanish sex symbol Maria Vargas. It was written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and stars Humphrey Bogart, Ava Gardner and Edmond O'Brien....
, tells the fictional story of Maria Vargas (portrayed by Ava Gardner
Ava Gardner
Ava Lavinia Gardner was an American actress.She was signed to a contract by MGM Studios in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew attention with her performance in The Killers . She became one of Hollywood's leading actresses, considered one of the most beautiful women of her day...
), a Spanish Cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
dancer of simple origins who frequently went barefoot. She was cast in a movie by writer and director Harry Dawes (portrayed by Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
) and becomes a major star. In 1978, Ina Garten
Ina Garten
Ina Rosenberg Garten is an American author, host of the Food Network program Barefoot Contessa, and former White House nuclear policy analyst...
purchased a specialty food store in The Hamptons named Barefoot Contessa
Barefoot Contessa
Barefoot Contessa is a cooking show that premiered November 30, 2002 on Food Network. This popular show is hosted by celebrity chef Ina Garten. Each episode features Garten assembling dishes of varying complexity. Though her speciality is French cuisine, she occasionally prepares American, Asian,...
, after the movie. She liked the name because it went well with her simple and elegant cooking style. She sold the store in 1999, and wrote her first book, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, which became one of the best selling cookbooks of the year. She would go on to write more cookbooks, and in 2002 started production of a television show on the Food Network
Food Network
Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
, also named the, Barefoot Contessa, which continues to run.
In the latter half of the 20th century, many singers, both male and female, have performed barefoot. One of the first singers to become well known for singing barefoot on stage is Sandie Shaw
Sandie Shaw
Sandie Shaw is an English pop singer, who was one of the most successful British female singers of the 1960s. In 1967 she was the first UK act to win the Eurovision Song Contest...
, who became known as the Barefoot Pop Princess of the 1960s. Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
is also known for performing barefoot at concerts as well, promoting an island/beach bum lifestyle, and Cesária Évora
Cesária Évora
Cesária Évora is a Cape Verdean popular singer. Nicknamed the "barefoot diva" for performing without shoes, Évora is perhaps the best internationally known practitioner of "morna."-Early life:...
of Cape Verde
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
is known as the Barefoot Diva for her habit of performing sans shoes. Other performers include(d) Ronnie Van Zant
Ronnie Van Zant
Ronald Wayne "Ronnie" Van Zant was an American lead vocalist, primary lyricist, and a founding member of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd...
, Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
, Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, Deana Carter
Deana Carter
Deana Carter is a country music artist who broke through in 1996 with the release of debut album Did I Shave My Legs for This?, which was certified 5× Multi-Platinum in the United States for sales of over five million...
, Jewel
Jewel (singer)
Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet...
, Patti LaBelle
Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
, Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
, Jonny Lang
Jonny Lang
Jonny Lang is a Grammy award-winning American blues, gospel, and rock singer, songwriter and recording artist. Lang's music is notable for both his unusual voice, which has been compared to that of a forty-year-old blues veteran, and for his guitar solos...
, Natalie Merchant
Natalie Merchant
Natalie Anne Merchant is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She joined the alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and left it to begin her solo career in 1993.-Early life:...
, Anne Murray
Anne Murray
Morna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies....
, Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
, Joss Stone
Joss Stone
Jocelyn Eve Stoker , better known by her stage name Joss Stone, is an English soul singer-songwriter and actress. Stone rose to fame in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, which made the 2004 Mercury Prize shortlist...
, Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
, and Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...
. Some singers may believe that being barefoot allows them to better channel their vocal energy – a theory based on the teachings of the alternative medicine
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
of reflexology
Reflexology
Reflexology, or zone therapy, is an alternative medicine involving the physical act of applying pressure to the feet, hands, or ears with specific thumb, finger, and hand techniques without the use of oil or lotion...
. Others may do so to provide a more relaxing atmosphere and to calm them down.
Joan Whisnant, Tony Meléndez
Tony Melendez
José Antonio Meléndez Rodríguez is a Nicaraguan American guitar player, composer and singer and songwriter who was born without arms. His mother took Thalidomide while pregnant, which caused his disability. Meléndez has learned to play the guitar with his feet.-Career:Meléndez began playing and...
, and Mark Goffeney
Mark Goffeney
Mark Goffeney is an American musician from San Diego, California, known as “Big Toe” because, being born without arms, he plays guitar with his feet. He is lead guitarist and vocalist for the 'Big Toe' band and played the principal role on Fox Television's Emmy-nominated commercial...
have also played the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
on stage barefoot, with their feet, since they were born with no arms. Similarly, in 2008, Jessica Cox became the first person with no arms to use her bare feet to fly an airplane. There are also armless artists who use their bare feet to paint, including Peter Longstaff and Simona Atzori
Simona Atzori
Simona Atzori is an Italian artist and dancer who was born in Milan. She was born without arms, and uses her feet to draw, write and perform all other daily activities....
, who is also a dancer.
Health implications
There are numerous risks and benefits involved with going barefoot. Since there is no artificial protection of the bare foot, some of the possible issues include cuts, abrasions, bruises, or puncture wounds from glass, nails, rocks, or thorns. Poisonous plants, animals, or parasites can enter the body through the cuts on an injured bare foot – footwear can be valuable in protecting them. HookwormHookworm
The hookworm is a parasitic nematode that lives in the small intestine of its host, which may be a mammal such as a dog, cat, or human. Two species of hookworms commonly infect humans, Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus. A. duodenale predominates in the Middle East, North Africa, India...
larvae (found only in warm, moist climates), can also easily burrow through a bare human foot. Athlete's foot
Athlete's foot
Athlete's foot is a fungal infection of the skin that causes scaling, flaking, and itch of affected areas. It is caused by fungi in the genus Trichophyton and is typically transmitted in moist areas where people walk barefoot, such as showers or bathhouses...
is also spread by people walking barefoot in places where the fungus
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
is likely to grow, such as around swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
s, public showers, or locker rooms. However, the fungus only develops under the right conditions, such as when people fail to properly dry their feet after swimming or showering, or when they wear tight-fitting shoes when their feet are sweaty.
In cold weather, shoes also provide thermal insulation, protecting against frostbite
Frostbite
Frostbite is the medical condition where localized damage is caused to skin and other tissues due to extreme cold. Frostbite is most likely to happen in body parts farthest from the heart and those with large exposed areas...
. Other issues that could develop as a result of frequently going barefoot may include calf pain, Achilles tendinitis, or plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is a painful inflammatory process of the plantar fascia, the connective tissue on the sole of the foot.Longstanding cases of plantar fasciitis often demonstrate more degenerative changes than inflammatory changes, in which case they are termed plantar fasciosis. The suffix...
. Blisters on the feet may occur in the first few weeks of going barefoot, until the skin has become more robust. In addition, individuals with diabetes or other conditions which affect sensation within the feet are at greater risk of injury while barefoot.
A 2006 study found that shoes may increase stresses on the knee and ankle, and suggested that adults that walked barefoot may have a lower rate of osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis also known as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease, is a group of mechanical abnormalities involving degradation of joints, including articular cartilage and subchondral bone. Symptoms may include joint pain, tenderness, stiffness, locking, and sometimes an effusion...
, though more study is required to elucidate the factors that distribute loads in shod and barefoot walking. A 2007 study entitled, "Shod Versus Unshod: The Emergence of Forefoot Pathology in Modern Humans?", published in the podiatry journal The Foot, examined 180 modern humans and compared their feet with 2,000-year-old skeletons. They concluded that, prior to the invention of shoes, humans overall had healthier feet. A 1991 study found that children who wore shoes were three times more likely to have flat feet
Flat feet
Flat feet is a formal reference to a medical condition in which the arch of the foot collapses, with the entire sole of the foot coming into complete or near-complete contact with the ground...
than those who did not, and suggested that wearing shoes in early childhood can be detrimental to the longitudinal arch of the foot. Children who habitually go barefoot were found to have stronger feet, with better flexibility and mobility, fewer deformities like flat feet or toes that curve inwards, and less complaints. Walking barefoot enables a more natural gait, eliminating the hard heel strike and instead, allowing for a rocking motion of the foot from heel to toe. Similarly, barefoot running usually involves an initial forefoot strike, instead of on the rear of the foot, generating smaller collision forces.
One alternative to going barefoot is to wear thin shoes with minimal padding, such as moccasin
Moccasin
A Moccasin is a form of shoe worn by Native Americans, as well as by hunters, traders, and settlers in the frontier regions of North America.Moccasin may also refer to:* Moccasin , an American Thoroughbred racehorse-Places:...
s or thin sandal
Sandal
Sandals are an open type of outdoor footwearSandal may also refer to:* Sandal Castle, site of the Battle of Wakefield in the Wars of the Roses* Sandal, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England* Sandal, Afghanistan* Šandal, village in Slovakia...
s, which result in similar gait to going barefoot, but protect the skin and keep dirt and water off. Some modern shoe manufacturers have recently designed footwear to mimic the barefoot running experience, maintaining optimum flexibility and natural walking while also providing a minimum amount of protection. Such shoes include the Vibram FiveFingers
FiveFingers
Vibram FiveFingers are a type of minimalist shoe manufactured by Vibram, originally marketed as a more "natural" alternative for different outdoors activities . The footwear has thin, flexible soles that are contoured to the shape of the human foot, including visible individual sections for the toes...
, the EVO shoe by Terra Plana, and the Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
Free.
Laws
A number of myths have existed from time to time about regulations requiring the wearing of footwear. In the United States, during the period of the counterculture movement of the 1960sCounterculture of the 1960s
The counterculture of the 1960s refers to a cultural movement that mainly developed in the United States and spread throughout much of the western world between 1960 and 1973. The movement gained momentum during the U.S. government's extensive military intervention in Vietnam...
, business establishments would deny admittance to barefoot hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
s arguing that health regulations required that shoes be worn. This led to a belief by many in various nonexistent OSHA
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. It was created by Congress of the United States under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, signed by President Richard M. Nixon, on December 29, 1970...
or local health department regulations preventing people from going to stores, restaurants, and other establishments without shoes. However, those regulations that exist apply only to employees, and not customers. Similarly, there are no state health codes that require customers to wear shoes, as was demonstrated by a project undertaken by The Society for Barefoot Living in 1997, and again in 2002. Individual businesses, however, are free to refuse service to customers without footwear or clothing that they deem inappropriate, as stated on "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service" (or similar) signs that have been used in the past, and individual cities and towns may also require certain footwear in public places. In August 2009, Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
admitted that it took this rule perhaps a bit too far when employees at a Sunset Hills, Missouri
Sunset Hills, Missouri
Sunset Hills is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 8,496 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Sunset Hills is located at 38°32'8" North, 90°24'14" West ....
restaurant asked a woman to leave because her six-month-old baby was barefoot.
It is not illegal to drive a motor vehicle while barefoot. Some people speculate that driving barefoot increases the risk of an accident if bare feet slip off the pedals. It is legal throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom to drive barefoot. However, in some jurisdictions, police officers may ticket you for other things if the fact that you were driving barefoot or in flip flops/high heeled shoes hindered your driving and/or resulted in an accident.
Sports and recreation
This Little Piggy
"This Little Piggy" or "This little pig" is an English language nursery rhyme and fingerplay. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19297.-Lyrics:The most common modern version is:-Origins:...
" to cage fighting, the bare foot has found a place in sports, recreation, and play. There are several recreational activities one can participate in while barefoot. Those involved in water sports such as swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
almost always participate barefoot due to the difficulty of swimming with footwear. Other common activities performed barefoot include hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, running
Barefoot running
Barefoot running is running while barefoot—without wearing any shoes on the feet. Running in thin-soled, flexible shoes, often called minimalist running, such as moccasins is biomechanically related to running barefoot, but alters sensory feedback from the plantar mechanoreceptors...
, water skiing
Barefoot skiing
Barefoot skiing is water skiing behind a motorboat without the use of water skis, commonly referred to as "barefooting". Barefooting requires the skier to travel at higher speeds than conventional water skiing...
, beach volleyball
Beach volleyball
Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
, surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
, tubing
Tubing (recreation)
Tubing is a recreational activity where an individual rides on top of an inner tube, either on water, snow, or through the air. The tubes themselves are also known as "donuts" or "biscuits" due to their shape.-Water:Tubing on water generally consists of two forms: towed and free-floating, also...
, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, and martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
. Wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
is another sport that can also be done barefoot. Although most modern Greco-Roman
Greco-Roman wrestling
Greco-Roman wrestling is a style of wrestling that is practised worldwide. It was contested at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been included in every edition of the summer Olympics held since 1908. Two wrestlers are scored for their performance in three two-minute periods, which can...
and WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
wrestlers wear shoes, sumo wrestling, Yağlı güreş
Yagli güres
Oil wrestling , also called grease wrestling, is the Turkish national sport. It is so called because the wrestlers douse themselves with olive oil. It is related to the Uzbeki kurash, Tuvan khuresh and Tatar köräş...
(oil or "Turkish" wrestling), and mud wrestling
Mud wrestling
Mud wrestling is defined as physical confrontation that occurs in mud or a mud pit. The popular modern interpretation specifies that participants wrestle while wearing minimal clothing and usually going barefoot, with the emphasis on presenting an entertaining spectacle as opposed to physically...
are commonly done while barefoot. Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
an wrestler Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka
Jimmy Snuka
James William "Jimmy" Reiher is a semi-retired Fijian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Originally from the Fiji Islands, Snuka wrestled for several promotions in the 1970s and 1980s. Snuka is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having been a...
of the WWE has also wrestled barefoot as well. American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
is also not traditionally a barefoot sport, though several placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
s have preferred to kick barefoot, including Tony Franklin of the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Rich Karlis
Rich Karlis
Richard John Karlis is a former American Football placekicker who played nine seasons for the Denver Broncos, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Detroit Lions in the National Football League from 1982 to 1990...
of the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The two schools of thought involved in barefoot placekicking were that the lack of a shoe provided the kicker with a better "feel" for the ball itself, and therefore greater control over its trajectory. The second theory is that shoes and socks absorbed kinetic energy, and kicking flesh-to-leather created more torque
Torque
Torque, moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....
.
Hiking
People of all ages and all over the world can participate in barefoot hiking, gathering for walks through forest and hiking trails sans footwear. Barefoot hikers claim that they feel a sense of communion with the earth and enjoy the sheer pleasure of feeling more of the world with their feet. There are several clubs throughout North America practicing regular barefoot hikes, including the Barefoot Hikers of Minnesota, Seattle Barefoot Hikers, East Bay Barefoot Hikers, the Barefoot Hikers and Grass Walkers of Greater Kansas City, and the Barefoot Hikers of Connecticut. Two sisters, Lucy and Susan Letcher, even hiked approximately two thirds of the 2175 miles (3,500.3 km) Appalachian TrailAppalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
barefoot from June 21, 2000, to October 3, 2001.
In European nations, including Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland and the United Kingdom there are barefoot parks, or barefoot walks. These parks are kept clean and maintained on a regular basis, so that barefoot hiking can be done in an environment suitable for people who are habitually shod. Barefoot parks usually include a lot of adventure stations, allowing visitors to experience the feeling of different soil textures underfoot; wading through rivers, brooks, or ponds; exercising foot gymnastics
Foot gymnastics
Foot gymnastics are games and exercises intended to strengthen the muscles of legs and feet, improve the motion sequences of walking and sports, support therapy of varicose veins and dorsal pain...
, balancing
Equilibrioception
Equilibrioception or sense of balance is one of the physiological senses. It helps prevent humans and animals from falling over when walking or standing still. Balance is the result of a number of body systems working together: the eyes , ears and the body's sense of where it is in space ideally...
and climbing. The Barfußpfad (barefoot trail) at Bad Sobernheim in Germany attracts just over 100,000 visitors annually, and has seen approximately 1 million visitors since its inception in 1999. Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea, also has 158 barefoot parks, allowing people to relax in a natural environment. This concept was first developed in the 19th century by Sebastian Kneipp
Sebastian Kneipp
Sebastian Kneipp was a Bavarian priest and one of the founders of the Naturopathic medicine movement...
, one of the founders of the Naturopathic medicine movement. He believed that applying your feet to a different range of natural stimuli would have therapeutic benefits. This is also related to the ancient practice of reflexology
Reflexology
Reflexology, or zone therapy, is an alternative medicine involving the physical act of applying pressure to the feet, hands, or ears with specific thumb, finger, and hand techniques without the use of oil or lotion...
, practiced in China for thousands of years for relaxation and to promote longevity.
Running
Many leisure and competitive runners have been known to run barefootBarefoot running
Barefoot running is running while barefoot—without wearing any shoes on the feet. Running in thin-soled, flexible shoes, often called minimalist running, such as moccasins is biomechanically related to running barefoot, but alters sensory feedback from the plantar mechanoreceptors...
, including well-known athletes Zola Budd
Zola Budd
Zola Pieterse, better known by her maiden name of Zola Budd , is a former Olympic track and field competitor who, in less than three years, twice broke the world record in the women's 5000 metres and twice was the women's winner at the World Cross Country Championships...
of South Africa and Abebe Bikila
Abebe Bikila
Abebe Bikila was a two-time Olympic marathon champion from Ethiopia. A stadium in Addis Ababa is named in his honor.-1932–1959:...
of Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. Todd Ragsdale, of Talent, Oregon
Talent, Oregon
Talent is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. The population was 5,589 at the 2000 census and 6,680 as of July 1, 2009.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, set the world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
(pending confirmation by Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
) for the longest distance run barefoot on June 5, 2010, as part of the Relay for Life
Relay For Life
Relay For Life is the main volunteer-driven cancer fundraising event of the American Cancer Society. Originating in the United States, the Relay For Life event has spread to 21 countries. Relay events are held in local communities, campus universities, military bases, and in cyberspace...
fundraiser for the American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
. He logged 102 miles (164.2 km), or 413 laps on the South Medford High School track, barefoot. The fastest person to run 100 meters (325 feet) on ice
Ice
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
while barefoot is Nico Surings of Eindhoven, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, who ran that distance in 17.35 seconds on December 8, 2006. Laboratory studies suggest that, due to the lack of extra weight on the feet, the energy cost of running barefoot is reduced by 4%, resulting in lower oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
consumption. There is evidence that wearing traditional shoes while running leads to heel strike gait
Gait (human)
Human gait is the way locomotion is achieved using human limbs. Different gaits are characterized by differences in limb movement patterns, overall velocity, forces, kinetic and potential energy cycles, and changes in the contact with the surface .- Foot strike :One variable in different gaits is...
, which, in turn, leads to higher impact. This is hypothesised by some, to lead to greater risk of injury, and there is some evidence for it being correlated with some forms of injury. Barefoot running encourages the runner to switch to forefoot strike and may reduce the risk of knee damage. Barefoot running can also be dangerous, especially to runners who do not adequately prepare or give their feet time to adapt to the new style. Many injuries are still possible, such as Achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
, plantar fascia
Plantar fascia
The plantar fascia is the thick connective tissue which supports the arch on the bottom of the foot. It runs from the tuberosity of the calcaneus forward to the heads of the metatarsal bones .The often painful condition plantar fasciitis is an inflammatory condition of the plantar...
, or stress fracture
Stress fracture
A stress fracture is one type of incomplete fracture in bones. It is caused by "unusual or repeated stress" and also heavy continuous weight on the ankle or leg...
s in the metatarsal bones or lower leg. Barefoot runners who do not prepare their bodies could provide, "a stimulus plan for podiatrists, orthopedists, and physical therapists."
The official position on barefoot running by the American Podiatric Medical Association
American Podiatric Medical Association
The American Podiatric Medical Association is a professional medical organization representing Doctors of Podiatric Medicine within the United States. The organization was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Approximately 80% of podiatrists in the US are members of the APMA...
states that there is not enough research on the immediate and long term benefits of the practice, and that individuals should consult a podiatrist with a strong background in sports medicine to make an informed decision on all aspects of their running and training programs.
Water skiing
Barefoot skiingBarefoot skiing
Barefoot skiing is water skiing behind a motorboat without the use of water skis, commonly referred to as "barefooting". Barefooting requires the skier to travel at higher speeds than conventional water skiing...
originated in Winter Haven, Florida
Winter Haven, Florida
Winter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,487 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 estimates, the city had a population of 32,577, making it the second most populated city in Polk County...
, in 1947, when slalom skier A.G. Hancock tried to step off his ski. The same year, in Cypress Gardens, Florida
Cypress Gardens, Florida
Cypress Gardens is a census-designated place in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,844 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, competitive skier Richard Downing Pope, Jr., became well-known in the sport of barefoot skiing. The first barefoot skiing competition was held three years later, at the 1950 Cypress Gardens Dixie Championships. In 1978, skiers from ten nations competed in the first World Barefoot Championships in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, Australia. The same year, the American Barefoot Club (ABC) was formed, which governs competitive barefoot skiing events in the United States.
See also
- Barefoot doctor
- Barefoot in the Park (film)Barefoot in the Park (film)Barefoot in the Park is a 1967 American comedy film.Based on Neil Simon's 1963 play of the same title, it focuses on newlyweds Corie and Paul Bratter and their adventures living in a minuscule sixth floor walk-up apartment in a Greenwich Village brownstone...
- Colton Harris-MooreColton Harris-MooreColton A. "Colt" Harris-Moore is a criminal and former fugitive from Camano Island, Washington. He was charged with the thefts of small aircraft, a boat, and two cars and in the burglaries of at least 100 private residences in various locations around the Pacific Northwest of the United States...
(also known as the "Barefoot Bandit") - Dress code
- Flip-flops
- Foot fetishismFoot fetishismFoot fetishism, foot partialism, foot worship, or podophilia is a pronounced sexual interest in feet. It is the most common form of sexual preference for otherwise non-sexual objects or body parts.-Characteristics:...
- SandalSandalSandals are an open type of outdoor footwearSandal may also refer to:* Sandal Castle, site of the Battle of Wakefield in the Wars of the Roses* Sandal, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England* Sandal, Afghanistan* Šandal, village in Slovakia...