There was a time when I could go barefoot on pretty much any terrain (although I'm not so sure about using a shovel to dig anything with bare feet...); now I am a total tenderfoot and continue to use my old athletic shoes for the garden, with the laces loosened just enough that I can slip in and out of them without using my hands... still the best garden footware I've found, despite having a pair of Sloggers, which I like except for the fact that (1) I have to use my hands to put them on and (2) they collect a ton of dirt in the soles. For me, at least, gardening isn't a job where I stay outside all day long and leave my footwear on for the duration - I might harvest something and then want to run it into the house, go back out and do some digging, back inside for a bathroom break, back outside... shoes on, shoes off, etc. the well-worn athletic shoes remain my best option!
(and also give me a reason to buy a new pair for wearing when I'm not gardening!
)
