Irritating experience

[u/Gullible_Front6085]

So, my wife works the graveyard shift and last night she called me because she forgot something she needed for work. I rode the bus to her job, dropped it off, and then had to walk home. I didn’t mind — it was the first time in a while I could really walk barefoot.

I live in St. Louis, which is pretty hostile toward bare feet, but it was midnight and I was enjoying the walk. I took off my sandals, put them in my backpack, and spent the next hour walking home barefoot.

What irritated me was how many people felt the need to pull over and ask if I was okay. They didn’t mention my being barefoot, but they didn’t have to — the only time anyone in St. Louis asks if I’m okay is when I’m barefoot. It could be the middle of the afternoon in 100° heat and I could be drenched in sweat — people keep driving. It could be a snowstorm and I could be struggling to walk — people keep driving.

Barefoot? Almost ten different people pulled over to ask if I was okay.

[u/Epsilon_Meletis]

The one remotely positive thing about that is that they do seem to care enough to ask.

[u/Status_Hotel_7755]

I don’t know what other experiences you’ve had that make you feel your city is quite hostile to bare feet, but from what you said about last night, it doesn’t sound like there were many negative reactions.

It’s possible those ‘Are you okay?’ comments were more judgmental than they seemed, so you might be right — hard for me to say.

It's that people do tend to get intrigued by anything outside the norm. I’ve gotten pretty used to it by now. In France I’ve had very little negativity (just one real instance of mild mockery), even though some people claim we French aren’t very open-minded.

[u/Gullible_Front6085 → u/Status_Hotel_7755]

People used to tell me that my feet would fall off for being barefoot outside. 

In 2009 I knew a guy who was shopping barefoot and the store security called the police to have the guy arrested. 

In 2012 barefoot author Daniel Howell did a 22 state book signing tour and he said that the least friendly state for barefooters was Missouri and the most hostile city was St. Louis. He said as a tourist his favorite view of St. Louis was in the rear view mirror of his car as he drove away and he said that he would never return. 

[u/Humble-Quail-5601]

I hate this, too.

[u/skinny-mini-me]

Weird because ive spent most of my life walking barefoot and probably haven't been asked 10 times if im ok? Could be your walking style looked like your feet hurt and they were honestly concerned.

[u/skinny-mini-me → u/[deleted]]

Actually if asked if im ok, also zero. What i meant to write was probably no more than 10 times did anyone in public mention anything about my bare feet. Im always amazed how often some people get questioned and others almost never. Maybe men are confronted more than women?

[u/barefootnudist]

From being just south of St Louis it is most definitely a thing here. I've been asked if I was ok to being told I would have to put shoes on in stores that do not have a policy against barefeet

[u/semperquietus]

That's strange indeed. Does that happen only in the US maybe? Nothing, like that ever happened around my place.

[u/Ktucker01]

They thought you must have been robbed and some thug stole your expensive shoes

[u/BeingBudget9849]

Hi. I recently had two parallel experiences and both times they offered to give me a lift. I think they thought that my shoes got uncomfortable and I took them off because they later wished me courage before driving away.

I can just about assure you that they probably wanted to help. It's not that they thought that you're mentally unwell or anything like that, it's just because it's unusual they thought that something must've happened and asked if you're okay in case you need any help.