Should we stop wearing shoes?

Question

With all the plastics and rubbers or leather, aren't we better off not wearing shoes?

Answer 1

yes, esp if u don't mind getting dirt on your feet, step on a piece of glass, get infections, calluses, the extreme heat (summer), the extreme cold( winter), frostbite, dog p**p, stepped on...

what else is there?

Answer 2

Be my guest, and while we're at it, why don't we stop eating packaged food, or buying synthetic material since that all contains plastics, rubbers and artificial materials.  Then lets stop building houses because technically, those have all of those things too and require wood to build.  Doesn't it seem like all of this is nonsense it getting out of hand?  It's all the things combined like the ability to have a home and something as simple as having a pair of synthetically produced shoes that makes life a little better.  If you choose to stop wearing them, be my guest.  Get yourself a nice pair of burlap moccasins that chafe your feet.  But I'll stick with what I like.

Answer 3

I say no, it's a good idea, but the only way to make it popular among the masses is to try and make the world easier on our feet and that's not feasible without major changes in the world that are not going to happen. Just take care of your shoes and keep them for a long time.

Answer 4

Of course not

Answer 5

I see where you are going with this but no we need some kind of foot covering.

Answer 6

yes

Answer 7

Um NO. We wear shoes to protect our feet.

Answer 8

Many of us are indeed wearing shoes that we don't need; I stopped wearing mine eleven years ago and have never regretted it. It's not dangerous, unhealthy or gross. Feet get very tough very quickly -in those eleven years I get a tiny splinter maybe once a year and I've never had a cut-, our skin is made to keep pathogens out, and feet are fully washable. Even in cold weather, if we dress up warmly from the ankle up we can go barefoot for much longer than most people would think; I go barefoot in the snow & a few degrees of frost without any trouble, no cold toes, no numbness, and far *less* colds than I used to catch! Practically, we really could do with shoes more like tools, like gloves, wearing them only when protection is truly needed, in extreme weather, in jobs like construction, etc.

However socially I don't think we could ever convince a majority of the people to do this. People are too used to closing themselves off from anything that might be even slightly dirty or give even minor discomfort or a small scrape. And most people are *way* too concerned about fashion and social norms to let go of their footwear! I guess if we want to be more environmentally conscious, it would be more important to look at the materials we use, to buy sturdy shoes that last some time, and not to throw out anything that goes 'out of fashion' long before it's worn out.