Shoes

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Shoes are many things. They are the protection of our feet as we walk ~ especially outdoors. They are in that respect our connection to the earth. But they are also a fashion item. And for some even a fetish.
And so, every once in a while we hear about people with enormous amounts of shoes...
High heels, flats, running shoes, tall boots, low boots, and in all conceivable colors.

In some cultures shoes are a luxury item. Walking barefoot may even be the norm; when protection of the feet is needed, it will most likely come from some sort of inexpensive yet functional sandals...

For me, the times I can kick off my shoes and walk barefoot for a while ~ for instance for a Summer’s walk on the beach ~ are special. To feel the sand and the water on the soles of your feet. The slight aggravation of walking over sea shells that have washed up on the shore. The reluctance when I am leaving the beach to put my shoes back on.
And then the disappointment when the comfort of walking barefoot on the beach is lost as the pavement starts ~ followed by the relief of being able to put my shoes back on as I arrive at my car.

This shows that, at least for me, what makes the question about wearing shoes or going barefooted is about a sense, the feeling I get when my feet are touching the earth directly. When there is the pavement between my feet and the earth ~ I may as well wear shoes...
I also realize that going for that distinct sensation of being in touch with the earth is something I wouldn’t dream of doing during the cold Winter months, when it is raining, or when the wind blows the sand over the surface of the beach so hard that pretty soon it starts hurting my legs.

As it turns out, we have a lot of very comfortable options as far as our footwear is concerned.
Having all those options (and being human) we tend to choose for the comfort, the protection, even the looks our footwear offers pretty much every time.

However, in doing so we have to a certain extend lost that sense of walking the earth. That direct contact with the vital, living, nurturing earth through the soles of our feet...

The reality is that walking barefoot has a danger associated with it ~ the danger of stepping in things like broken glass, or any other sharp objects. And from that perspective it is just plain common sense to wear shoes.

Yet I can’t help but wondering ~ wouldn’t it be nice if we could protect the earth from those things as well...
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