People's reactions when you run

Got called a "free spirit" by an older lady as I was shopping. And on Sunday as I was walking to my truck in a gravel parking lot after golfing I heard another lady say "That's got to hurt". It didn't register at the moment that she was talking about me walking over gravel. I gave her a smile and reassured her that I did not feel any pain or discomfort.
 
I guess you could call this "non-reactions" when you run (or walk) barefoot - took the dogs out for a walk after work. Passed at least 15 - 20 people. Not one reaction. Everyone spoke - either a "hi" or a "good afternoon" I stopped and had a brief conversation with a couple of bike riders. Not one person made any comment about me being barefoot.

Over the weekend - at the gas station, dry cleaners to pick up my tux, marine shop to buy parts for the boat - all BF - again - not one reaction.

Maybe getting accepted as being normal behavior???
 
Last thursday a man in his sixties asked me "Es-tu en train de faire ton sacrifice?". I don't know how I would translate it since the word sacrifice was not being used in it's literary way.

He was basically asking if I was deliberately causing harm to myself in a way of getting my prayers, whatever they may be, answered...
 
Have seen several dozen people on my runs/walks with dogs over the past week. Have had conversations with people, some have stopped to pet the dogs - but no comments or questions until today - the first in quite a while. The first from a young lady who said "Look at you with your feet out." Not sure what to make of that -- but not said with any particular intonation in the voice. The other was a man who asked me why I was running barefoot because he could never do that with all the glass and small stones etc. on the trail. I explained how I used to have terrible knee, ankle and hip pain after years of running and after reading a book on BF running made the transition over a period of time and now run with no pain at all. Despite the glass have only had 2 or 3 pieces embedded over 5 years. His reply was if it works for me - keep doing it. So glad I don't encounter the type of negative comments I see in this forum.
 
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Yesterday, I met a single runner in my short 2.25km run. I wasn't on the receiving end of a weird look or anything of the sort, only a genuine "hello!" and a wave.

Some people can be nice... sometimes! :p
 
Somewhat of a reverse comment.

They are reconstructing the streets in my neighborhood. They ground up the old asphalt and mixed it with the gravel and clay underneath to make a new foundation. This has been going on for a few weeks and the workers have seen me running barefoot several times a week. They finally paved a section which I ran on this morning. As I was doing my cool down walk home, I passed several of them having thier morning coffee. I thanked them by saying " you guys did a great job getting the new pavement nice and smooth. It is a pleasure to run on it." 3 or 4 just stared at my blankly not knowing what to say. The remaining guy said " don't worry we will make sure the rest of it is just as smooth for you to run on". Lol
 
I regularly get all the usuals:

"Hey, you forgot your shoes!"

"Wow, you must be tough."

"Doesn't that hurt?"

"Mom, where's his shoes?"

My favorite so far was from my three-year-old nephew a while back: "Un-tuhl Jutt-in, why you running in your feet?"
 
I regularly get all the usuals:

"Hey, you forgot your shoes!"
I'd love to get that one someday just so I can stop, look at my feet, go "oh shit!", then turn on my heels and start running from where I just came. Just to see the guy's look on his face.