barefoot thursday

Natalie and I had a great sunny happy day today. It was filled with good conversations, fun crafty projects and doing something a little different today.

Tom's Shoes declared April 8th to as One Day Without Shoes. It's basically to see how it would be to not have shoes like places of poverty and to spread awareness about it. I really liked the idea of it and wondered how I would do it (I was feeling a bit, ahem, chicken really).

Nat and I had walked to our local thrift store, found a few goodies (pictures later) and on the way back I presented her the idea. I told her how there are a lot of people, children who are poor and can't afford shoes. I explained about the campaign and asked if she would like to take the rest of the walk home shoeless. She was thrilled. As we walked barefooted, it was a good time of talking about how difficult it must be for people who live in bad areas where broken glass is all around, where the ground is so hot it burns, etc. It was also a good opportunity to share about how blessed we are, that we have clothes, food, shelter, everything we really need, we have. I have to say, it was a bit fun too.

I had posted the Tom's link on facebook and got great feedback from a few people. One online friend, Anna then sent me this link titled 'You Walk Wrong: How we're wrecking out feet with every step we take.' Wow, what a great article! Now I know what Tom's campaign was all about and understand it to not be able wrecking our feet with confinements but for the benefit of those in poverty where it's not safe to be shoeless. This article explains how the feet work, naturally, without shoes. You have to read it to really get the whole thing. As a reply to the link she sent, I shared:

“The press of my foot to the earth springs a hundred affections.” --Walt Whitman

Anna-- THANK YOU for the article! it's no wonder that i always feel better shoeless, that when i go to someone's house, i usually bring socks so i don't have to wear my shoes. i want a pair of those vivos now :) i know that even with proven studies that society is not... See More going to accept it but i like the idea of trying to improve the shoe as much as possible. it's especially interesting to hear about the back/knee/etc. problems with shoes. i have bad knees and know am wondering if it would be better to take my neighborhood walk in my socks (at least).
people are going to think i'm nuts ;)

So there you have it, shoes or no shoes, I thought I would share it all with you. It's all awareness, right?
(By the way, one of the things Nat scored at the Thrift Shop are a pair of clogs. And yes, they are cute) :)