Went back into the co-op with the SBL's "A Case for Barefoot " pamphlet (
http://www.barefooters.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/A-Case-for-Bare-Feet.pdf). Asked to talk to the manager. Instead I was directed to someone else, Naomi Jackson I believe, the membership coordinator. All I asked was that she read through the pamphlet, keep an open-mind, and reconsider their policy, all with a nice big smile on my face. In turn, I was greeted with immediate hostility and condescension. Perhaps my asking her to keep an open mind was viewed as a hostile opening gambit on my part, I dunno.
In any case, after a few exchanges, with her constantly trying to turn my request back on me, comparing barefooting to letting animals in the store, and so on, she told me flat out she wasn't ever going to allow bare feet. So much for keeping an open-mind. I saw it was pointless to continue, her mind was made up, and I was getting sucked into her negativity too, starting to get mad at her. Wrong person I guess.
Like Bob Neinast has pointed out, it really is random which employee or manager takes it upon themselves to police feet, or think it's important enough to discriminate against. Too bad the manager wasn't there, perhaps he would've been more respectful, but in general, I've been disappointed by how a supposedly progressive organization like this member-run co-op can cling to its preconceptions even more fiercely and dumbly than mainstream stores. At our local mom and pop place, they've also refused to reconsider their no shoes policy, but at least they didn't treat me like a nut-job (although who knows what they're really thinking). Given the hostility and disrespect of the co-op, I don't think I can go back, even shod. It's all left a bad taste in my mouth, so to speak. Which is a pity, because their organic and locally produced produce really does taste better than the stuff you get most other places.