YES! YES! I blogged about this ages ago. I love going barefoot and the types of shoes they have for chidlren is shocking – hard and stiff and unforgiving. I’m making some crocheted moccasins at the moment so that she can have something soft instead of retail shoes.

I would be very interested if you could give some thoughts as to how an unschooler would handle the subject of drugs and alcohol.

There is a belief among many that education is the answer to getting young people to make sensible (?) choices about drug and alcohol use.

How would an unschooler deal with that subject?

Debs~ Glad I could inspire you. I don’t think most people give children too much grief over the shoe thing…they might ask them where their shoes are and such, but I can’t imagine nor have I heard of someone laying into a child over them having bare feet. I ran all around Oklahoma City with and without my mum unshod…she worried that I’d get her kicked out of a store, but it never happened and thankfully, she never made me wear shoes.

William~ You mean you want a gravestone…”All Or Nothing”, that sounds about right
Shoes get you from one barefoot place to another (I can accept that)…kind of like not needing a coat if you have a car, as the car is your coat from one overheated place to another.

But I would be barefoot or in socks while at the office. Shoes get you from one barefoot place to another. It’s more of an issue of “finishing the look” for me anyway. Flippy-floppies and jeans don’t go together unless you live in Singapore or Thailand or someplace with enough heat and humidity to turn any shoe into a petri dish with your toes as the agar. I have officially given up on the Crocs issue. It’s a hideous shoe that can be hosed down (and no shoe should only need a spritzing off to clean), but it’s better than sandals. Alas, I think the words “All Or Nothing” will be carved into my gravestone.

Regarding my 2 year old son – One day last week we were in the supermarket and he asked me to take his shoes and socks off. I was a bit reluctant, but did it, and he ran around the supermarket barefoot. I kind of liked it, but was nervous too – for some reason I thought his feet might get stepped on by someone or run over by a trolley or something (even though that has never happened when he’s been wearing shoes), and I just couldn’t relax until we got outside and he let me put his shoes back on.

He quite often asks me to take his shoes and socks off when we’re out and about, and I have to admit I usually refuse, giving some explanation about dirt, or broken glass (loving the site you linked to regarding all the What If’s!) – but you’ve really inspired me and I’ll be making huge efforts to say yes to him from now on and let him go barefoot. I might even be really brave and join him!

Thanks for this post! xx

I go barefoot at home. I tend not to go barefoot outside, unless I am stepping out momentarily. I suppose that is just my sense of order.

I get irritated when I see Alexander the Great and other ancient Greek warriors portrayed wearing sandals- those guys fought their ancient battles in bare feet!

I have about thirty pairs of flip flops- I just love them and don’t care for other shoes.

I wear flip flops in the office; but I work at a hospital accident and emergency, so I wear crocs or sneakers there. My boss gave me a firm warning that I must not wear flip flops at the accident and emergency.

William is barefoot at home and around the yard. However, he’s personally into wearing shoes & such. He wishes it was still acceptable for him to wear a suit all day, everyday and then a ‘smoking jacket’ at home. Can you tell he has a crush on Emily Post?!

I love Crocs. With a grand, great love. So light, so almost unnoticeable…

Sean hates bare feet and wears socks pretty much constantly!

Here, here! I can relate and I can tread where shod people feel pain with & without shoes!