Should people wear shoes?

[renard_ruse]

I have been searching old photos from the 19rh century. One striking thing is the number of people not wearing shoes, in particular children without shoes.

At first I assumed they were from poor families and simply couldn't afford them but the more I dug into it, it seems like this was often a choice for a number of reasons.

In fact the footwear question is thousands of years old and extremely complex. There have been pros and cons on all sides since at least 8000 BC.

Who knew? Lol.

https://www.histclo.com/style/foot/bare/shoe-bare.html

 

[renard_ruse]

I remember my mom threatening to get out the wooden spoon if I went out barefoot in the summer to play , while my friends would run around the neighborhood without shoes. That was in the 1970's. So the issue wasn't settled even a few decades ago.

Of course kids had to show up at school with shoes, but if you look at photos from the 1870's even in urban schools, and as late as the 1910's or 20's in rural schools, kids would often go to school barefoot especially boys. It turns out this was partly due to poverty, but it was also often a choice. It was considered effete by some families for boys to wear shoes, especially rural and working class families.

 

[renard_ruse]

The problem today would be all the broken glass, cement shards, pieces of hard plastic, etc.

In the past it would only be pebbles, stones, rocks, as well as insects, snakes, etc, that would be a concern.

As far as stones, rocks, etc, calluses would build up pretty quickly. Its snakes and bugs that would concern me if I was working out in the fields all day. In fact if I'm hiking off trail I like to wear leather boots for security from snakes.

 

[Saint_Ann]

One can never have too many shoes. ~ Imelda Marcos

 

[Brains_N_Boobs]

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/JollyEasygoingBrontosaurus-max-1mb.gif https://i.imgur.com/uhPRJT1.gif

 

[Brains_N_Boobs]

http://forgifs.com/gallery/d/128850-5/Dog-jumps-fire.gif

 

[Champakian]

I go barefoot when I can.

In the warm months, I like to wear water shows.
They don't require socks and they are cooler tp wear.

Now I'm wearing my kicks. I know, this is scintillating stuff...

 

[oggbashan]

My eldest daughter refused to wear shoes until she started school at age 5. Even then, she would take them off as soon as she was home.

Her feet were calloused and she didn't notice sharp stones or even broken glass. At age 3 she shocked some eldely ladies by running 100 yards over sharp-edged gravel, but she didn't feel it.

The downside? She has to buy extra-wide fitting shoes now.

 

[RoryN]

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/JollyEasygoingBrontosaurus-max-1mb.gif

Was that a Tony Robbins seminar?

 

[hobbit.]

One can never have too many shoes. ~ Imelda Marcos

''unless one has lost both feet in an accident''. polpot.

 

[hobbit.]

My eldest daughter refused to wear shoes until she started school at age 5. Even then, she would take them off as soon as she was home.

Her feet were calloused and she didn't notice sharp stones or even broken glass. At age 3 she shocked some eldely ladies by running 100 yards over sharp-edged gravel, but she didn't feel it.

The downside? She has to buy extra-wide fitting shoes now.

she couldve been an instructor for my firewalking business, until the HSE closed it down.