Day 1

Day 1 of being barefoot took place on Saturday March 12th at the Norfolk St. Patrick's Day festival.

Having walked a good 2 or more miles in my snazzy boots I'd purchased a few weeks earlier my back was hurting along with my light shoulder bag weighing me down. I already knew the 1 inch heels were to blame since the height that starts to negatively affect your gait and posture is 1/2 inch.

So on the way back my father and I had at least a mile walk ahead of us, maybe a mile and a half. I had been considering shoelessness for a while now, since I was already a firm believer in Vibram FiveFingers and advocate them to whoever I can make listen for long enough.

It was one of those do and don't think moments I have been trying to have more of, and I took off the boots, put them in my bag and instantly felt my back lighten and return to normal.
Funny how that works.

The walk back proved interesting and introduced my feet to a whole new world of textures that my FiveFingers had hinted at, but protected me from all this time.

Gravel: My Worst enemy in VFF (vibram FiveFingers), and still my worst enemy besides pebbly cement.
Black Asphalt: Not bad, but the temperature cetainly affects wanting to walk on it. Warm asphalt is pleasant, while cold is obviously going to have a cooling effect (not a good thing for me). However, when running on asphalt, it hurts in this early stage since it is rough.
White/Cream Cement: Easier than asphalt because it is usually smoother. Much easier for early stages and for running.
Grass: Dried brown grass: scratchy and yuck; Green fresh grass: soft and lovely. A breath of fresh air to my tired soles.
Dirt: Since it was March, the ground was wet from rain, making the dirt damp and springy, cooling to the feet, and so nice to walk on.
Moss: The best!!! Fuzzy pillows of springy earth beneath my toes! Certainly my favorite.

And there are endless possibilities in between including the worst enemies to watch out for besides gravel: gumballs and acorns, two staples of Spring that sprinkle the ground like mines left for the enemy.

All of the delicate footing left my legs weak by the end of the walk, a strange feeling, as if I had worked out my legs a bit, and my feet were not as dirty as I had anticipated. I merely brushed them off and put my boots back on.

The lesson was that I experienced that walk in a whole new walk and remember so much about the texture because I had more receptors receiving information that is covered everyday: my feet. While VFF are great for protecting your feet in cities, it is nice idea to try shedding them and experiencing the town you are in from a worm's eye view.

Richmond for example would have cobblestones to feel along with the typicaly pavement of city streets and sidewalks.

I am happy that this experiment opened my eyes (feet?) to new possibilities, opening the doors of opportunity wide that had been ajar thanks to my VFFs.

So I challenge you all to go for a few hours without shoes. Maybe just a neighborhood walk without them. You will probably watch the ground the whole time acting as spotter for your pampered dogs, but don't worry, that too will fade in time.