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Our Opinions about going Barefoot
Whether
I walk barefoot outside depends on the place and the
environment. I could never be a barefooter around town in
Japan. However I might take off my shoes in other countries,
if the majority of people do that there. In Japan, I guess
that the barefooters would be restricted for many things,
such as entering public spaces and participating in
ceremonies. Probably many Japanese think that going barefoot
is associated with poverty. If we see a barefooter who looks
to be an ordinary person, we tend to regard him or her as
weird. Furthermore, it is commonsense even to wear at least
socks in places other than one’s own house. I would not
like to be seen as a person without common sense.
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Yuriko Katsumata
That’s
why I would never do that in Japan. However, I will take
shoes without a doubt if going barefoot is common in that
country. I received a response from an American who has
visited many countries. He said that walking barefoot seems
widely accepted in many parts of Australia and attracts no
notice of any kind in India. I think that we Japanese tend
to reject people who behave differently from us. So, it is
difficult to imagine that walking barefoot would be accepted
in Japan. |
 Mayu Maekawa
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Masayo Fukuhara
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Sayaka Takei
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An
interesting way to live
I think going barefoot is
good for several reasons. First, you might feel more
comfortable if you do not wear shoes. Imagine if you did not
wear shoes. It would be lighter because your feet would be
free from the weight of shoes. Second, your feet tell `you
about the ground` as Alan Crowe and Jasmin Kortright told
me. It means that your feet tell you that the road is `cold,
must be the shadow of the parked car, warm, maybe there are
electronics under the manhole cover heating it`, and so on
as Alan Crowe said. Third, you can enjoy `the interesting
conversations with people who are curious and accepting
about your barefeet` as Jasmin Kortright does. Even though
there are some bad points, like you might be `told to leave
a local grocery store and library`, once you start living
barefoot it will change your toes which are 'sad, dingy
yellow things and stiff, bloodless, weak, and tender`. The
story Alan Crowe and Jasmin Kortright told me fascinates me
and I want to know more about living without shoes. So I am
not against being barefoot.
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Kei Kawasaki
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Saori Inafuku
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Shoe
s not soles
I
read many barefooters’ opinions on the website, but I
still don't think living without shoes is good for us.
Firstly, it's too dangerous to walk on streets. They say
"You also have to take care not to stumble on
something, when you wear shoes". But I think
barefooters must be much more careful than us. For example,
they have to watch out for pieces of glass. They can be
difficult to see but there's no problem if you walk on them
when you are wearing shoes. How about barefooters? They will
hurt themselves. And since pieces of glass can circulate
through your body, it might be a fatal injury. Secondly, I
don't think it is necessary to walk outside of their own
yards. It is safer to walk in bare feet only in the house.
They can take off their shoes before entering their house
like Japanese do. They can also feel nature by walking in
their gardens. Thirdly, there are many different things
which are good for your health. Jogging or walking is also
economical and more effective than just being barefoot. For
these three reasons, I oppose barefoot living.
By Inafuku Saori |
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Barefoot for free
I
have three reasons why I agree with living without shoes.
First, it’s good for your health. To wear shoes isn’t
natural for human beings. For a long time, people lived
barefoot. It’s certain that they started wearing shoes
recently. Second, you don’t have to worry about your shoes.
For example, when you go to the public bath, you have to worry
about whether your shoes will be stolen. When you need to buy
new shoes, you have to think about your new shoes carefully.
If you lived barefoot, you wouldn’t have to do that. Third,
it makes you feel free from struggle. Noelle, who returned an
email to me, told me she feels free when she doesn’t wear
shoes, and she lives barefoot. I think it’s important for
people who live now. In modern society, many people seem to be
tired very much. So I think it’s good for them to feel free
and comfortable by taking off their shoes. I think living
barefoot is good for everything.
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Chung Sung Woo
(Tom)
It
can be an exciting experience to go barefoot for several
reasons. First, you can feel free without your shoes. Shoes
are just a decoration. We do not need them actually. Second,
it is economical since you do not need socks any more so you
can have more money for your hobbies like going to the
movies or buying some books to read. Third, by walking
barefoot I am sure you will get very strong feet. Finally,
you can save time because you do not have to spend time
taking off your shoes when you enter some places like your
house or pub. In conclusion, life without shoes can be a
satisfying thing! |
 Kazushi Yuasa
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There
are three reasons why I don’t think going barefoot is good
in Japan. First, going barefoot is not suitable for our
lifestyle. In many countries where people wear shoes
indoors, it seems not so bad to go barefoot. But in Japan,
people remove their shoes to keep their rooms clean. So if
you want to go barefoot in Japan, you have to clean your
feet whenever you come home. I think it is a troublesome
routine. Moreover, now that it is natural to wear shoes
outside, most Japanese people probably think of those who
always go barefoot as untidy. Second, shoes protect your
feet. Without wearing shoes, it is hard to walk on rainy or
snowy streets. Finally, the shoe industry will be damaged.
If many people decide to go barefoot and stop buying shoes,
it will be a great loss to shoemakers. As a result,
unemployment will rise. So that’s why I don’t think
going barefoot is a good idea.
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Fumitaka Katamura
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Barefoot
walking
Unless it breaks social rules I approve of the idea of being
barefoot for the following reasons. First, I think being
barefoot is comfortable. In my experience, I feel fine
walking on a sandy beach, lawn and smooth stones. Since I
have little experience, I asked some of the members of the
Society for Barefoot Living about barefoot hiking. I got a
reply from two people. Arne, from Norway, said that “In
woodland on soft ground, muddy ground and ground full of
roots, I feel very fine”. Second, going barefoot is good
for the health. Moderate stimulus to the sole promotes the
circulation of blood. And walking barefoot toughens the skin
on your feet. Third, being barefoot we can feel the natural
delicate changes that we don’t usually pay attention to,
for example temperature, humidity and softness. Nowadays we
seldom get in touch with nature. Being barefoot can remind
us of the feelings originally we had. I conclude that going
without shoes is a good idea! I think that everyone should
enjoy being barefoot in his or her own way.
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Keita Tokunaga
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Walking
barefoot
Although I still have my reservations, I think that walking
barefoot is good for three reasons. First, going barefoot on
the ground makes me good feeling. If you stand or run
barefoot on the grass in a big park, you will feel good and
be fresh. And playing barefoot with your friends on the
beach can be exciting for you, I assure you. Second, when we
go barefoot, our feet don’t get sweaty. When you wear
shoes and socks from morning till night, your feet get
sweaty and smell unpleasant. In contrast, going barefoot
stops your feet from getting sweaty and keeps them fresh.
You don’t need to care about bad feet smells. Last, in my
opinion, when I stand on the soil with barefoot, I feel as
if I get power from the earth. And I realize that I am alive
in this world. This is last reason I agree with walking
barefoot. But, go barefoot seems rude and untidy in Japan.
Japanese take off their shoes when they go home. I recommend
going barefoot in the park if you want to do it, but make
sure your feet are clean before you go inside. |
Hitoshi Takami
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Just do
it
I
think
it’s a very good idea to go barefoot. I think going
barefoot is a natural and important thing to do. This summer
vacation, I went to India and there I sometimes went out
without wearing shoes and I found it very comfortable.
What’s more I recognized how wonderful it is to be able to
live a life here, on earth. This is the first and main
reason why I recommend you go barefoot. I want you to go out
without wearing shoes and feel the greatness of the earth!
Some people may think it is dangerous to go out barefoot,
but that should not be a concern. What is important is to go
without shoes and feel something new. Some people may think
it is uncomfortable to walk on the ground after rain. To
this question, Daniel who lives in England says “I have
walked barefoot through a local park just after it had been
raining. I walked through mud and it was very cool and
lovely to walk through.” This is what I want to say. So
everyone, let’s try to go barefoot! |
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Seeing
“Barefoot living” on the website, I remembered my first
challenge in my childhood of walking barefoot on the grass
and the very comfortable feeling it gave me. Though I rarely
walk this way now, I think it brings us various advantages
especially for our beauty and health. For example, I heard
that walking barefoot was good for the formation of plantar
arches. Natural materials directly stimulate soles of our
feet and coincidentally may activate various acupressure
points. We would be free from anxiety of feet troubles
caused by shoes, like foot odor or misshapen toes. As
Stefano Jodice in Italy told me in an email, he was able to
resolve an annoying issue - cold feet in the winter by
better blood circulation.
Asuna Arai
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Certainly, wearing shoes protects our feet from some
danger on the road and keeps them comfortable. In other
words, this means there are dangerous environments in our
society so that we cannot take off our shoes. If more people
walked barefoot, we may make a greater effort to keep our
environment clean and safe.
At
last, what we should remember is our ancestors’ lifestyle
in which it was easy to walk around barefoot. Stefano also
said, “I think it's nonsense that because of our addiction
to shoes, the man is the only creature on earth that has
lost its ability to walk without an artificial
manufacture” I agree with his opinion because walking
barefoot is one of our abilities. I think it is good to try
to walk barefoot looking back on early times occasionally.
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| Miyuki Dempoya
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I
know going barefoot has some strong points which people who
always wear shoes don’t know. But I enjoy wearing shoes
just as barefoot people enjoy their life of going barefoot.
So, I agree with wearing shoes. I’d like to give some
reasons to support my opinion in the following statement.
First, I like collecting shoes. There are a variety of shoes
in shops now. The number of fashionable and functional shoes
especially is increasing these days. So I can enjoy choosing
or buying shoes. I’m happy when I find great shoes which
suit my feet. It relieves my stress and I think this is true
for many people.
Second, shoes are very convenient, because it is possible to
change shoes every season, according to my situation and my
feelings. In Japan, there are four distinct seasons. So
people use different shoes for each season. For example, in
summer we will select ventilated shoes, like sandals. In
winter we’ll prefer warmer shoes like boots. I think this
is very effective. Shoes can also set the mood. We can also
have shoes for business and shoes for pleasure. I often
change my shoes according to my feelings of that day. For
instance, on a day I want to be active, I select shoes which
are easy to move in, like sneakers. Selecting shoes is very
exciting for me. I also like coordinating my shoes with my
clothes because shoes are a part of fashion. Thus, wearing
shoes has many good points. That’s why I agree with
wearing shoes.
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Hiromichi
Ohashi
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Barefoot
is bad
I
think going barefoot outside isn’t good for several
reasons. Firstly, bare feet can be hurt by glass or
something on the road. It is very dangerous! I remember that
I sometimes had the soles of my feet cut by glass or stones
when I played barefoot at the park near my house when I was
a child. Next, by going outside on bare feet, the house
becomes dirty because we Japanese don’t put on our shoes
in the house. For these reasons I prefer going wearing my
shoes when I’m outside.
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