Shoes if I think my feet need some protection from hot pavement, the rare snake that shows up in the yard ( I do shoes for a few days after spotting one scaredy cat that I am) or a shovel/other garden equipment.

But, you will often find me without my shoes both indoors and out!

Batting for both teams is allowed.

Yay! I'm barefoot in the house, shod (sandals) outside. No grass, just mulch & roses (rose thorn in toe = ouch. Splinters in toes/feet = ouch). But I, out of 100 days, will wear sandals on 99.5 of them (I don't like getting my tennis shoes all dirty w/putzin' in the yard.. plus mulch sticks to fabric better than the leather of the sandals). Only time I'm not in sandals is if it's under 30degs and snow. Has to be both.. I'll wear sandals in -10*F weather, no problems, but I don't like getting my tootsy wet outside 'cuz then they squish around in the sandal. I got ugly feet. LOL But they can carry my fat butt, so what more can I ask?

Funny thing is that when I have to wear boots for the cold weather, I have a heck of a time getting them off. So I'll ask DH to help me pull 'em off. I'll turn around so he's behind me & lift my leg. A few weeks ago we were at a friend's house & she had a farrier over. DH had never seen a farrier at work, so he'd never seen a horse being trimming/shod. When he saw how the farrier stood behind the horse & lifted the horse's leg by the foot and the horse bend his leg at the knee, DH exclaimed, "Hey, that's how I take off your boots!" So now, when I'm getting help from him on getting my boots off, he says he's unshodding me. LOL

THAT is funny!

A question just popped into my head about going bare foot in the grass and garden: how do folks get stained feet and toenails (under 'em) clean?

Maridell - on the rare occasion when I have grass stains on my feet (most of the time it's ground in dirt from the dirt getting trapped between the sole of my sandal & my foot), I'll first take a hot shower & scrub 'em down that way with just my shower poof & regular soap. If they don't come clean that way (sometimes they don't), I'll fill up a turkey roaster w/warm-hottish water & some Epsom salts and soak my feet for about 20-30 minutes (until the water gets cool). Then it should just wipe right off w/a washcloth & soap. For dirt under the toe nails (yuck), definitely soaking, and then gently rubbing with a washcloth usually gets it. I don't ever dig the dirt from under my nails with a nail pick as I don't want to accidentally cut my skin and then grind the dirt into the open wound. Something else that does work wonders but I *HATE* to do it is a strong (10%) hydrogen peroxide bath... the bubbles will just bubble the dirt away. But I'm very sensitive to H2O2 so I try not to do that unless it's an emergency (thorn in the foot).

Like Toni- grass stains aren't the problem, just ground in dirt. I keep a pumice stone and little scrub brush in the shower for my feet and toes and they stay nice and clean.

I like the foot soak idea and between pumice stone ( I don't have one but that will change) and brush I should be able to keep my feets and toes more presentable.

Needing to shod because of covering up stained feet falls into the "emergency use only" category, yes?

Certainly! Especially if we want to wear some cute little strappy things on our feet for a wedding.

I,m shoeless as much as possible, but prickley pear cactus is a BIG OUCH!!!

No, that isn't pleasant.

We often grab bags of clippings around town to use as mulch in the veggie gardens. One morning last week I was puttering around out there early in the morning, enjoying a cup of green tea, when I found myself in the middle of pine cones and thorns in what was supposed to be a nice soft cushy mulched path. I wasn't a happy camper!

OUCH OUCH OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A little bit of liquid bleach on a paper towel will remove the grass stains.....just before you shower/bathe

Just rubbing this in.... when I come out of the yard and my feet are disgustingly dirty from the mulch and soil etc., I just sit on the edge of the pool and let my feet dangle for about 10 minutes, and then use a pumice stone.....

ahhhhhhhh you are rubbing it in...maybe I could sneak my feet in the neighbors kiddie pool