Barefoot lifestyle FAQ

If you have general inquiries about barefooting/barefoot living in of itself, (as in, not my lifestyle personally), please check out this link, courtesy of my friends are barefooters.org :)

http://www.barefooters.org/barefoot-faq/

Why did you become a barefooter/why do you enjoy being barefoot? 
It's a large part of my spirituality; I feel much more grounded and in tune with my senses, the earth, and my surroundings. Plus, it's naturally healthier for my feet.


When did you become a barefooter/how long have you been doing this?
  It started sometime in my early childhood, but there was no official time I can pinpoint. It's been there as long as I can remember.  I always hated shoes as a child and would never pretty much wear them unless I was made to. I "officially came out" as a barefooter in 2014. Here's the blog post about it! :)



Are you barefoot everywhere, 24/7? 
  No, unfortunately, as much as I'd like to be. I simply can't with the climate where I live varying from 20-115 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year. I wear shoes for protective/safety reasons in cold weather as well as at times during the Southern summer when the pavement is close to a ridiculous 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

 Some places also have a dress code or signs that state shoes must be worn, which can get complicated. I don't enjoy confrontation, and the stress generated by arguing the legality and/or enforcement of such policies (even if I am "in the right") often overrides the therapeutic comfort of being barefoot. Living in an urban location, being hassled to the point of being asked to leave is sadly common. Also, honestly, there are some places where I prefer not to absorb and welcome the energy of the surroundings.

  I am barefoot more often than not. Pretty much all of the time at home (with the exception of fuzzy socks in winter), all the time at festivals/events unless the weather or venue prohibits it, and maybe about 65% of the time everywhere else in public,  depending on where we are going and the temperature.

  At my day job I am required to wear my closed toe work shoes but find myself slipping them off when customers are not present or I'm sitting at my desk.





Can your feet handle terrain such as gravel, hot pavement, or snow/ice?

  Can they handle, yes.
  Will I tolerate, not always.

While the soles of my feet are very tough and accustomed to rough terrain like gravel (which doesn't bother me at all), there are times when I will put on foot protection in places where danger may be present, such as nails, burrs, or broken glass. Also for weather conditions, to avoid frostbite, heat blisters and burns, or anything beyond discomfort, which distracts from the experience.

My barefoot lifestyle is about freedom, comfort, and connection with my senses and the Earth. It is not about suffering, pushing or expanding limits, exhibitionism, or anything of that nature. While there are days I may tolerate that may be a tiny bit outside of my ideal comfort zone, I don't push far past what I feel naturally comfortable with because that defeats the purpose of why I do it for myself.

 I will occasionally make photos or videos barefoot on burning pavement, snow/ice, broken glass, etc, for various reasons. It may be a part of a larger artistic shoot, an occasional display of strength (what I CAN do as opposed to what I prefer to do can be quite neat), or content made for a specific niche of my audience. However, as I stated above, putting myself/my feet through extreme situations isn't something I do in my personal life, outside of my content creation. If that ruins your fantasy, just pretend you didn't read that. :P I like to be comfortable.



What surfaces do you enjoy walking on the most?

  Freshly tilled dirt is my ultimate favourite (it's sooo soft and fluffy!), but obviously, that's not too commonly found. I like most of surfaces, but my favourites are soft plush grass, cool marble floors, and warm (not hot!) streets or sidewalks.



Are your feet ticklish?

 No. After years of barefoot walking and toughening, my feet very used to stimulation. They are sensitive and have a lot of feeling, but they don't have a ticklish reaction.

 Honestly, I dislike tickling as a whole. No judgement, just not a fan.



Do you have a...*ahem*, thing for feet?

No, not personally.

I think my feet are really pretty (but I feel the same way about most of my body, especially my hair and hands), and they are very important to me in my spirituality/daily life. Plus, a big portion of my audience are fans of them. All these reasons add up to why you see sooo much of my feet compared to other individual body parts.

I can also appreciate the beauty of another woman's feet if they are aestheticlly pleasing to me, but I enjoy virtually all parts of the female body, so it's not like they're singled out there either.

I absolutely adore some animal feet, but that's...not quite the same context as the original question. I think some are soooooo cute! Kitty jellybean toes are my favorite.




What do you think of fans who are...*ahem* into feet?

 That's nothing new.  I don't mind at all as long as it isn't presented to me in a way that's offensive, vulgar, or otherwise disrespectful. Just like anything else.

With the percentage in my audience as large as it is, I don't mind taking some extra steps to cater to foot fans in my work, as long as it is within my comfort zone. I do have hard limits, as I ultimately consider myself an art model that just happens to cater to certain crowds at times.

  What I do NOT like are pervy comments or attempting to engage me in chat to ask questions simply to get their jollies off. But that goes for every context, not just feet. Stop it. Ya nasty. There are always some bad eggs in every community, and all the normal people shouldn't be lumped in with them. I'm open and non-jugmental as long as I'm treated with respect as a person.



Are you always barefoot in your modeling photos? 

 While I am mostly barefoot, the answer is no, not always.

I love the look of unique shoes and enjoy occasionally using them for photoshoots. I only have to wear them for a short amount of time for the pictures to be taken, and I can appreciate the images forever. Plus, I may wear shoes if they work better aesthetically for a concept or character.


 I also have a decent amount of fans that are fond of my boots or other styles of particular shoes, either in conjunction with or as opposed to bare feet.



How many pairs of shoes do you own in your personal wardrobe?


Currently, 13 in my personal wardrobe with some disposable pairs of flip flops floating around now and then. Most of the boots were gifts, as I love combat boots.

Some people hear "barefooter" and assume I hate shoes or have some vendetta against them, and that's...incorrect. Y'all silly.

I have:

-Clogs
-Black Heelys
-Combat boot style wellies
-Black vintage flapper heels
-Timberland boots
-Floral combat boots
-Bright pink combat boots
-Silver glitter combat boots
-Holographic sneakers
-Holographic flats
-Cowgirl boots
-Wedge pumps
-Boring old day job flats


  Of course, I have more in my photoshoot closet, which is separate, as I don't consider them "mine" for day to day use outside of photos.


A lot of barefooters will answer differently (especially with gender and geographic variables); I've even met one who didn't even own a single pair! The average American woman owns a total of 27 pairs of shoes.