Hello there! Welcome to the club! How is everybody?

This is meant for those who don't like wearing shoes or other types of footwear. It's a good place to come if you want to discuss the issues you have with it. We accept those from all walks of life, be you simply uncomfortable in shoes, full-on barefooters, or anywhere in between. We also may discuss the experiences of walking sans shoes, or where you have done it in the past.

But first, we should lay some ground rules. Our sole focus here is comfort, not pleasure. That's why we ask that there be NO CREEPS on this thread, especially since there are minors here (I'm 17 as of 2/13/2021). And by extension, I would suggest that no pictures of bare feet be posted, as there is much potential for abuse and creepiness with them. Anyway, just to reiterate our #1 rule,

NO CREEPS. NO PICS.

We may add or remove other rules if necessary, and they will be updated accordingly.

Anyway, introductions. I'm Whistle, and I've only recently realized that I have a sensitivity issue to shoes. Being autistic, I do have sensitivities to touch^note I feel the areas where I have touched things infected with COVID-19 or other contaminants, and shoes "my size" tend to brush up against me too much^note coming from a Men's 12W, it makes things pretty hard. I'd barefoot all the time if I could, but winters in my state tend to be pretty darn cold^note and I have anxieties about people seeing them. Socks I don't mind because they at least keep them warm.

So come on in, kick off your shoes! I'm excited to meet you, whoever you are!

Edited by TheWhistleTropes on Feb 13th 2021 at 4:56:29 AM

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If I didn't have a gravel driveway, I'd probably go for barefoot walks all the time, truth be told. I at least love the feeling of grass between my toes.

I do like wearing socks, but really the only ones that appeal to me are fuzzy socks. Even then, I can't wear them to sleep because my feet feel like they can't breathe (I know it's weird, but it makes sense in my head.)

A lot of shoes just feel way too tight on me even after I've "broken them in". I also feel like I can't maneuver very well in them.

Admittedly, I'd recommend a nice barefoot walk. I've walked barefoot so much my soles have become so tough and callused. I used to be pained by my gravel driveway back when I was a little kid, but a few months ago I actually did so and it actually didn't hurt all that much!

It's really a deal with exposure, to be honest. Maybe try doing it more often in grass, then try it out on gravel after some time. Who knows, it might not hurt after that long!

Edited by TheWhistleTropes on Dec 23rd 2020 at 10:26:58 AM

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This is an oddly specific thread but why not, it suits me.

I would prefer go barefeet if I can help it, yeah. If not, I will wear sandles or slippers.

Shame my feet smell a lot though...

I'm a (socialist) professional writer serializing a WWII alternate history webnovel.

I understand it may be somewhat specified. But there are other specified covens as well.

We would like to give you a warm welcome! Hope you are safe this holiday!

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So I may or may not have surprised myself somewhat today.

I went out with the dog and snuck my slippers off on a couple occasions. I tried to test my theory about barefooting on gravel and, surprisingly, absolutely no pain. Pebbles got some places, but that's the worst of it. I also walked on some cinderblocks and, though I lost my balance a bit, it actually felt pretty cool. (I also put my foot on some snow and it didn't actually hurt!) I thought I was going to have kept it a whole secret until I realized that my bare footprints were in the frost on the deck...

Oh well, I guess I'm gonna be doing it in warmer weather instead. Help keep the secret secret. But it sure woke me up! But you know what, I might do it again soon!

Edited by TheWhistleTropes on Dec 27th 2020 at 12:45:46 PM

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Just a quick question for you, whether you be newbies or those who have joined already. How often did you usually walk barefoot when you were younger, and how often would you like to do so in the future?

Back in Maui, where I was born, I didn't really wear shoes until I was about six months old. I always wore shoes for pretty much ever since then, but I did notice that they sweat a lot in sneakers and such in the summertime. Since a few weeks ago, I have come to realize that I'm way more sensitive to shoes than I thought, hence why I started this club.

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I'm pretty much always barefoot inside the house only. I have flat feet that are pretty sensitive, so I don't like the sensation of grass. It doesn't help that I have a gravel driveway.

Jason has come back to kill for Mommy.

So I'm going to be quarantined for a few days because I got a COVID test.

That basically means no shoes for that period... unless I'm taking the dog out in the snow, or when my parents are awake... or when I'm going on video chat with my speech therapist or bass teacher and am anxious about them being seen (though for that I'd wear socks instead).

Eh, good points and bad points.

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A couple of brief updates, since this has been quite inactive^note and I can understand why; it is somewhat niche.

Thought I liked my slippers, but I'm just wrong. There's some block of wood or something in the insole that hurts my heels like hell and they have to be discarded almost immediately.

On the positives, there's little pain when walking barefoot, even on the concrete floor of my basement. Unfortunately, due to my later sleep schedule, I haven't been doing it at all outside lest my parents see me doing it.

Also, they are getting a lot hardier as a result and I am starting to develop what could be seen as leatheriness??? I'm sort of new to this thing, so my experience may not speak for everybody. I'll try it out some more in the spring.

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The "leatheriness" is just calluses. You get them on places where your skin experiences friction a lot - people who use tools have calluses on their hands, for example. They're pretty harmless unless they get inflamed or actually break the skin.

So, let's hang an anchor from the sun... also my Tumblr

I know they are calluses. I have had them for a while. I had just noticed the harder skin spreading to other parts of the sole and was wondering if they were getting hardier as well. I had read up that while they may start being very callusy at first, over time they become leathery in texture, protecting sensitive areas while not losing any sensation.

One thing I have noticed is that my right foot is more callused than my left, perhaps because I often do tend to lean to my right at times. But with time and repetition, I am sure they will even out somehow.

Edited by TheWhistleTropes on Jan 19th 2021 at 3:44:15 PM

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Quick question: Do you ever struggle with dry skin on your feet?

I never did, at least on the soles (I had circular spots on my ankles), but since being barefoot more often they have gotten somewhat dry. Lotion, however, does definitely seem to help keep them moist so they don't scratch at my bedsheets. Though I wonder if that would just make it hurt when you're walking outside...

---

In other news, I performed a music show on Friday and had the worst shoes on. They had a tiny bit of Dr. Scholl's insole sticking out and they dug into my heels. They were sore all throughout the next day. But at least they looked "cool" on me, I guess.

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Regarding dry feet, it's only become a noticeable issue for me in the last couple of weeks. I should mention that being barefoot indoors is just the common tradition I've always lived with which most others abide in these parts, but ^* since I'm not spending lockdown at home (I'm in school dorm) I kinda forgot that lotion existed until just yesterday tbh. My feet have been kinda deteriorating after I started picking the skin at my feet a bit like 2 weeks ago. I stopped after I realised it was hurting and somehow semi-covered wounds formed round the edges of my soles. First was one on the right foot then one on the left. I figured that it wasn't severe since it wasn't bleeding and that it was pretty much my fault, and I just bore with walking on the front sides of my feet for a while. The pain's been fading gradually and I can gladly say they don't hurt anymore :). I also finally asked someone for lotion to borrow yesterday because my left foot oddly hurt ALL around the bottom which was weird. All good now tho

So yeah I don't have much of an opinion on shoes, I just saw a question I could talk about and went for it :p

Edited by BlackFaithStar on Feb 7th 2021 at 4:42:25 AM

Pantheon Wick Cleaning | "And your Lord never forgets." - 19:64

It's all fine, don't worry. I do understand that going barefoot can definitely result in injuries, and some of them may be self-inflicted. Lotion definitely does help with it, especially when they start to get callused or get dry from exposure. I know that has helped my heels out often.

Also, if you do ever feel like trying out going barefoot, you can start doing it gradually. Simply do it more often around soft surfaces like carpet or grass, then gradually start doing it in other places, including harder floors or on sidewalks. However, you definitely should wear shoes wherever you need gloves, such as in a science lab.

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Just updated the rules. We're here for comfort, not creepiness.

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Is any reason for shoe dislike welcome?

Because I don't hate shoes per se (In fact, I'm not the biggest fan of being barefoot outside because I dislike the feeling of my feet getting dirty), but I almost wish I did because of how much trouble shoes are for me. I've always had feet that tend to ache due to... the shape of them, I think? So, as a result, finding shoes that don't inevitably make my feet cramp and ache is a goddamn nightmare. I even got these soles that are molded after my feet to support them and ease up on the pain... Which has its own issues because not all shoes have removable soles, so the shoes become even tighter.

And since finding non-achey shoes is so hard for me, I tend to wear the ones I get a hold of until they literally fall apart.

My AO3 profile. Let sleeping cats lie and be cute and calming.

Yes, any reason is welcome. If you don't like shoes for any reason, you can post here.

If you ever do want to lose the shoes more often, it's perfectly reasonable. There's many opportunities to do it, and few where they're required. Of course, I can't speak for everybody because I'm probably more touch-based than anybody.

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Doubleposting again, but I do have two big updates:

First, I've updated the rules to make it explicit that we do not want pictures of bare feet on here. We do not want others taking advantage of us, especially not those who take pleasure from feet. I should know.

Second, I've already been completely barefoot for at least 36 hours, so that's cool I guess. Really kinda seeing how my fursona handles it...

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I actually have some cracks on my heels due to my old soles actually breaking, and since it took a while before I bought some new ones, well...

It's been several months since then, and my cracked heels wouldn't heal^note Or, heel? Sorry... on their own. So, I bought this Foot Mender cream since it said it'd treat a lot of foot-related ailments, cracked heels being among them. It's expensive as hell, but it's actually working - They're starting to heal.

I have ugly, weird feet in general, but I can at least do without the cracks.

Edited by MagmaTeaMerry on Feb 19th 2021 at 11:08:13 AM

My AO3 profile. Let sleeping cats lie and be cute and calming.

That's great! I know that shoes can definitely be the cause of many health problems—for instance, since going barefoot more often I have noticed that wearing shoes does cause my heels to hurt. Like, a lot. Barefooting also does lead to a more natural gait, depending on what you find best.

Also, don't worry about the foot puns. I've made quite a few, especially in the OP.

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Took a walk outside with the dog again, but this time I actually started out barefoot. Brought my mocassins in case my feet got cold or people came along—I did see my neighbors during the walk, so that was cool. Got quite a bit of dirt on my feet when they were bare, and when I was on my gravel driveway my soles were almost stained grey. I actually didn't think the gravel would be that bad, but somehow it managed to hurt a bit. At least it did still sink under my weight, which at least lessened the impact.

So yeah, that's a pretty big step in the right direction.

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I don't like socks. I wear them so I don't get blisters but otherwise I prefer to go without them. That said, I'm diabetic and have to be careful about my feet, so I tend to walk around in slippers.

Went for my first fully-barefoot walk outside!!

Spent about ten minutes out with my dog, calling my local bagel place, and doing it all completely barefoot. My soles still got a bit gray from my walk because of the gravel, but overall it was very cool! Heck, I stepped in some snow for the hell of it and it didn't even hurt a bit!

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Can't believe I went 71 hours without anything on my feet! They feel so nice without wearing shoes! Shame it was cold and my feet couldn't handle 30-degree weather...

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