Barebottom shoes

fmagic

Chapter Presidents
Jun 5, 2010
120
90
28
Paoli, PA
www.onandoffthetrail.com
I am surprised this had not come up yet, but has anyone else tried Sue Kenney's Barebottoms shoes yet (http://suekenney.ca/barefoot/)? I just ordered and received my pair and I personally love the idea. I have never been able to get over the aspect of going barefoot in public, but I immediately used them for a day of shopping yesterday. They provide the illusion of wearing a shoe while leaving the sole nearly in complete contact with the ground. I ordered both the regular style and neoprene styles and really love the neoprene style because they are fast to put on and provide perfect coverage (I could care less for the traditional style because it's too complicated to wear and doesn't seem right on the male foot.) The only complication I have found with them already is that my wife saw me wearing them today and immediately questioned them and expressed disinterest in my interest or lack thereof for wearing regular shoes. If they don't pass the test with her, are they really going to work in public? I have already resolved that I will not go barefoot or wear them when I am with her, out of respect, but I do still plan to continue trying them elsewhere.
 
A good cure for shyness is to wear a pair of underwear on your head in public for two weeks,
after that you can go barefoot anywhere and not give a hoot what people think.

Seriously these shoes are just a pair of lies on your feet and ultimately an empty gesture. Listen to your wife, she's got a point.

I personally just wear minimal shoes or sandals in public, it's a practical and respectful solution in an urban society and i don't see it
as a compromise ot my rights or convictions.
 
They provide the illusion of wearing a shoe while leaving the sole nearly in complete contact with the ground. ... If they don't pass the test with her, are they really going to work in public?
This is a very interesting product. The reasons you've given are very similar to why I did not get them myself. I have been pleased with my DIY 2mm sandals, as they pass the shoe test in a very minimalist way.
 
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I've seen these before. They're not the only ones though; I've seen others. We had a Giveaway Contest for some other brand awhile back, and we received a lot of negative comments. I am hesitant to run another contest with this type of product. What do you all think about that?
 
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I think the original style would look pretty odd on a guy. I didn't see a photo of the neoprene style being worn.
I assume you put your toes through the holes in the front?
Otherwise there doesn't seem to be anything else to keep them on your feet.
Might look a little better than the original style but probably still pretty odd.

I've pretty much given up going barefoot in public beyond hiking/nature walks and driving.
GF is not supportive and I don't have the necessary mental "toughness" (for lack of a better word) to go it alone.
Final straw was having a purple-haired, nose-ring wearing clerk in a new-agey gift shop a mile from the beach tell me I needed to wear shoes in the store.
Might be broken glass on the floor, don't cha know.

Similar to what skedaddle posted above - I wear flip-flops or sandals in most public places now.
At least my feet are not cooped up in closed shoes.
But big kudos to anyone who barefoots in public with or without BF shoes.
 
I've seen these before. They're not the only ones though; I've seen others. We had a Giveaway Contest for some other brand awhile back, and we received a lot of negative comments. I am hesitant to run another contest with this type of product. What do you all think about that?

Ultimately it's up to the individual what they choose to wear, but the blatant marketing on these things is insidious, preying on peoples fears to sell a product is the worst kind of worst.
I think 99% of barefoot runners initially have problems bearing their feet in public places, after all step out of line an you expose yourself to ridicule and criticism, at least that's the illusion.

So what we need is education in such matters, not shoes like this that ultimately mask or reinforce these negative beliefs.
No child is born afraid of being barefoot in public, it's assimilated behavior.
 
I'd be more self-conscious wearing these, thinking people might notice me wearing shoes without any soles than I ever would be about being asked to put sandals on! (BTW - I did once make myself a pair of soleless flip flops but have never worn them for the same reason)
 
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I think 99% of barefoot runners initially have problems bearing their feet in public places, after all step out of line an you expose yourself to ridicule and criticism, at least that's the illusion. No child is born afraid of being barefoot in public, it's assimilated behavior.

It's just an illusion really...don't be afraid to go barefoot where you want to...if some one confronts you just move along no big deal. You will find there are lots of places that it wont matter much at all.
 
We had a Giveaway Contest for some other brand awhile back, and we received a lot of negative comments. I am hesitant to run another contest with this type of product. What do you all think about that?
How bad were the comments? Do you have a link to the thread?

I guess we want to be fair to the product. We wouldn't be a good audience for free Nike's either. :p
 
I appreciate all of the feedback and comments. I will continue to try the Neoprene ones since they were so cheap, and I still think they have a little fun factor to them for occasional use (probably more so when the weather turns colder), but I have realized I am never going to wear or use the Suede ones and I am either going to return, sell or give them away.
 
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How bad were the comments? Do you have a link to the thread?

I guess we want to be fair to the product. We wouldn't be a good audience for free Nike's either. :p
The negative comments were mostly on our main Facebook page, although there were some here too in the Gear & Footwear forum.

Can you do me a favor, please? I am at the doctor's now, out-of-state, and will be for much of the day. Can you scroll through the Gear & Footwear forum and the main Facebook page to find those comments? It will be obvious when the product pops up. ;-). Then, if you want to, you can share a link here, or copy the text over. Thanks!
 
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I won't get any, because part of the reason I'm a barefooter is cuz my feet get too hot and sweaty when covered, but I'm curious about what the shoe police will make of these. Will it confuse them? Will they accept them? If they are acceptable, then the usual faux motives for demanding footwear in public places--Health Code and Insurance--would fall by the wayside and reveal the true aesthetic motive underlying shoddies' revulsion at bare feet. I'm interested in hearing what peoples' reaction are, especially store owners who would normally put up the noSSS resistance. I would like to wear them into our local mom and pop store, where the young squeamish clerks have continued to insist on footwear, even though they have recognized that there is no health code or insurance problems concerning bare feet. Probably easier for a female to get away with it though, since women are already known for exotic choices in footwear.
 
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Ahcuah has a somewhat different way of thinking about his type of footwear and had some interesting comments on it recently. Hopefully, he can post the link to his blog on this topic here.
 
Ahcuah has a somewhat different way of thinking about his type of footwear and had some interesting comments on it recently. Hopefully, he can post the link to his blog on this topic here.

You know, I have a vague recollection of writing something recently, too, but I have no idea where and was unable to find it. So, you'll just have to be satisfied with something I wrote a long time ago.

Barefoot Sandals
 
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That wasn't the post I was talking about, Ahcuah. Perhaps it was some other blog I happened upon.

The Facebook page comments were much harsher, Sid.
 
Wow. I didn't mean to stir up so much discussion, but I really do appreciate the feedback. I did finally try the suede pair and although they do look more like a shoe than the neoprene ones, they are still not easy to wear (take too long to put on) and are still probably going to draw attention due to the way the toes are exposed. I also could tell they were warm and immediately began to dislike them even more. Enough said, I get the idea.