I hate walking barefoot, it is unpleasant and it hurts, so shoes for me, but no high heels please that hurts too.

As a child and teen I had to be reminded to put on shoes. I never wore shoes. I think I was about 15 yrs old and living in Menlo Park, CA when we were visiting Floie and Papa (maternal grandparents who lived 2 miles from us). I did not wear shoes for the visit. It was late morning and my grandfather says .... " let's go to Big Basin for the day".

Alrighty! Woooo Hooooo. Big Basin is a huge Redwood tree stand on the coastal mountain range of Northern California.
Into the 1965 Lincoln Continental we piled, 4 kids, mom and grandpa. Me, barefoot.

We stopped at Winchester Mystery House before heading to the coast. I walked through it barefoot (I think it was long before the days of "patrons must wear shirt and shoes".

I was very hard on my feet.

When we got to Big Basin I jumped out of the car and walked on the very soft carpet of the cool forest floor. Damp, quiet, peaceful, and cool. It's meant to be walked upon barefoot.

Today, I ALWAYS wear something with soles. I NEVER go barefoot. Besides, in Arizona you never know if you're going to step on a snake or a scorpion. I wear protection!

I get stung by bees and wasps at least 10 times every year. Going barefoot would easily double that number, so I always wear shoes, although they're sandals most of the year. I only wear "real shoes" from November to February.

In summer it's always sandals or flip flops. I manage to hurt myself enough without looking for trouble! Winter is shoes or slippers in the house. When I was younger I never wore shoes....

I always wear shoes! The only place I really like to be barefoot is in the grass....and then not for long!
Mostly sandals or flip flops in the summer though. I don't even go barefoot in the house much!

As a kid, NO SHOES, even in winter would have on my coat, long pants and NO SHOES.
As an adult, SHOES, ALWAYS.
Wonder what happened to me? Must have had some traumatic event happen that was so traumatic I can't even remember it.

Edited to say, funny that today there are ads for shoes wherever I click. Magic I say.

I noticed the same ads, weeds. Shoes everywhere. They've found us!

I was shoeless until the second time I stepped on a bee.

clogs, sloggers, or work boots for me... bad ankles & a slopping property with lots of rocks.. have to protect those babies

SHOES PLEASE!

Like most of you, my younger years were shoeless! I could walk across hot asphalt or a hot sandy beach with no problem, when others were on tippy-toes making hissing sounds - hurrying to the water... oooch ouch ssssss I considered shoes formal wear back then.

I'm on the shoe team these days! too many unpleasant things to step on around here. But my feet still don't like being confined so it's mostly sandals or the crocs that I discovered - very comfy on the feet! If it weren't for those cow ants, I would go shoe-less in my cottage garden.

Allison, it sounds like we have a lot in common! Bad ankles, sloping property and lots of rocks--I'd feel right at home in New Jersey, huh?

99% shod. Only barefoot or in sock feet occasionally, and usually in the house. We have lots of stickery things, rocks, wasps, etc, and there's a frequent need to stomp on something. If you've ever had a horse or cow step on your bare foot...... or stubbed your toe on running on asphalt ripping the whole end of it off...., or stepped on a wasp..... well you see why I opted for shoes. I did all those things when I was a barefoot kid. I do like the feel of beach sand or a nice lawn on bare feet tho.

KyWoods said:Allison, it sounds like we have a lot in common! Bad ankles, sloping property and lots of rocks--I'd feel right at home in New Jersey, huh?

If you like stepping on snakes in your barefeet, by all means go barefoot in the South! LOL.
Shoes for me always and forever, thank you very much!
(I am a transplanted Northerner, and even there, with virtually no snakes, I chose shoes.)