Post summer news!

Wow, long time no speak!

Sorry folks, I let you wait for so long, a lot of things has happened since my last post. Where shall I start? 

Firstly, I have moved again. No, I'haven't left Europe. And no, that doesn’t mean I stopped going barefoot. Even though it’s tough, really tough to meet some fellow barefooters here. But I don’t give up! I look for them! Actually the other day, it was late evening, a man with a dog crossed a street in front of me and I though he was barefoot and my whole heart started to bump from excitement… Until I had a closer look and I discovered he had a pair of beige leather loafers. Gee! Nevermind, there will be a time (I hope so) I meet someone like-minded.

Last week-end I walked through a park, enjoying myself in some fine autumn sun, on a fresh grass and even in a little creek running across the lawn. That was peaceful! No rush of the city, no cars running along, trams, buses, people screaming on the phone.. Just a piece of nature. How relieving! 

I saw a lot of runners around (and they  stared at me, disbelieving the lack of shoes while I was walking down the stony path) that reminded me how bad running shoes are. Well, bad is not the exact word. Health-ruining would suit better. 

To be honest, I have a pair of them myself. And maybe that’s also why I can tell the difference. The whole technique of running is different! I suggest you to watch the video below, the issue is explained quite simple yet very efficent way!

I‘ve also started to attend regularly some sport activities here. Will you be surprised if I tell you that all of them are strictly barefoot?  No, I don’t think you will. ;)

I. e. Contemporary Egypt’s dance. You actually never step on your heel! Most of the class (high-heel ladies) is having a serious trouble with that kind of walking / dancing. How sad.

And now let me ask you a question:

Which barefoot situation brings you the most pleasure, satisfaction or joy?

For me it’s definitely walking the city while it rains.

Well, I can surely think about more pleasurable moments, but I have just remembered a week ago or so when I went rain-walking-and-a-puddle-stepping and I felt like a little excited kid, enjoying every single little moment...    

I will try to remember and put down some extraordinary moments that happened in past 3 months and until then…

Enjoy the life barefooting!

Barefooting Girl is back! :)

Dearest all!

I am still alive!
Not only alive, but also active and growing (rather mentally, my height has definitely stopped increasing) and living and... barefooting? Of course!
I am definitely back with my little stories! Are you glad?

ARE YOU? I hope you are! :)

It’s always very challenging to jump into whole-year-round barefooting. And it is a BIG difference between taking off your shoes every now and then and being barefoot all the time. As you might have experienced. 

Yes, yes, I know, you are telling me that there are situations you can not do whatever you wish (like hanging around with no shoes on), but I would like to invite you to look at those situations from a different perspective: 

Imagine having a magic camera with a special shoe-removing lens. Isn’t it fun? 

How do you feel looking at everybody being barefoot? Is this how you immagine heaven? Well, maybe not, but certainly it’s amusing. 

Now put down your special camera and I’ll give you a bonus – you gain the privilege to remain like in a heaven (that means barefoot). Everybody else has to go back to their boring feet covers (=shoes). Poor them. But you are a special person, so enjoy your bonus, your uniqueness, your being THE ONLY ONE! 

Now look at the same situation you said it was impossible to go barefoot. Do you still think so? Do you really think you have to adjust your behaviour according to what the others do or are you a special person who might become a leader for the others?

Are you aware that on the world there is a plenty of people who dream about doing something different, something extraordinary, something crazy or brave, but they just never do anything because nobody does? Or because they fear being looked at; they are afraid of being judged, they dread to be slendered, they are scared of what reaction people around might be. Weren’t you one of them?

I was. 

But I am not anymore. 

Because if you don’t hit the road, you will never discover new places. 

If you don’t overstep your bounds, you will never grow. Mentally I mean. 

I don’t understand why people are always remaining at the same boring point. But I know one thing. Show them that there’s a way and they will follow. Maybe not immediately. Maybe not when you see them. But if there is a shadow of doubt in their minds, seeing somebody who does it differently might lighten them and show them a new way. A possible way. Nothing is impossible - we just have to realize it.

To conclude I would like to invite you not only going barefoot for all those amazing benefits barefooting brings, but also for tearing down mind-barriers of others and helping to knock down the System’s restrictions which, basicly, make us doing things we don’t want in the way we don’t like. Phew!

If twenty people look at you going barefoot in your town, at least one of them will ask himself an important question: “why?”. And they might try it barefoot themselves to find the answer. 

You leader think about it! ;)

See you soon and don’t forget to enjoy your life BAREFOOTING! 

Spring stars in Prague

Spring is fooling around with us, right? Prague has been pretty cold these days, I wonder what it has been like where you are. I'd say climate is indeed "heels over head". After hot hot days (sunbathing in swim suits at the park!) here we go with a snow – in April!!! That may lead you to believe there are NO BAREFOOTERS AROUND, but it is not true! Surprisingly I met more of them these days then in the previous warmer weeks.

Last week-end everybody was wrapped up in warm coats and all the sudden I met these two American couples down the road. Nothing interesting, you might say. Right, unless you noticed one of the guys (that I assumed to be a father) leading happily the whole group, holding his kid with one hand and holding his shoes with the other, proudly showing his freaking dirty soles. I guess it had been a long time since he took his shoes off. And why not?!? Thumb up for his bravery!

Today I saw something unbelievable – an old lady (she looked like 75+) slowly moving with a walker (a steel structure with four little wheels) jumping on (and later off) the moving stairs... and she did everything barefoot! Wow!
Actually it wasn't difficult to understand why – her "nightmare shoes" (how I immediately called them - high heels, hanging on the walker) would had been a torture even for me and I'm much much younger than her!
But still I am aware that only considering taking them off might have cost her a certain effort and I clap my hands to her. She was my star on the underground!

Let's not forget that not only the society needs to be shocked sometimes, but also our own health needs some refreshment. So why not to kill two birds with one stone and hit the street shoeless? The soles are full of reflex zones which will bless you when you pay attention to them. 
 
So kick your shoes off and enjoy the life barefooting!

To promote barefooting or not?

Hello my dear followers! (One? Two? Dare I say three?!?)
Spring is definitely coming, it's closer and closer... But this is not a subject I wanted to talk about today.

Tom wrote in his last comment that:

We have to promote our lifestyle.

Well, I am not sure if the way WE HAVE TO is the right one.
Maybe we should just stick with our lifestyle and let others to get inspired if they want to?Cause it doesn't really matter how badly you want them to share your point of view, if they aren't ready for that, you'll be in their eyes only a silly man (woman) with no shoes. :)

Actually I do think that barefooting requires a certain mental level. As a matter of fact, you barely ever meet a barefooter with uninteresting life story, right? Everybody has their own reasons why to do that, but hardly ever you hear "I do that just because everybody (or somebody I know) does so". Right?
Unfortunately there are only a few things we may say the same about. Maybe piercing? Dreads? Well, even these were at the beginning just outstanding - tatooed people having some dreads were just akward, but now it's slowly becoming a fashion style. Yeah, we just have to HOPE the same ending for us, barefooters. 

Just imagine the freedom - no shoes for nobody.
Well, actually thinking about that I don't immagine the ideal as a shoe-less society, but as a society, where everybody has a right to decide for themselves if to wear shoes or not without being scared to dead that somebody he knows might see him and think he's a weird folk. Just live and let live. I don't judge you for having your shiny pointy shoes on (difficult, right? ;)) and you don't judge me for not wearing any shoes. You don't stare on me as if I just got off the U.F.O. and you surely aren't afraid to shake hands with me (cause who knows what kind of illness he/she might have, considering he/she is being barefoot for who-knows-how-long-time). Just mind your own business, clothes and shoes included!  

Is this too courageous idea? Is this pure utopia? Maybe! But the past has turned few utopias into a real life, so why couldn't be this one of them? ;) We never know! So remeber: when this concept becomes true, I will claim myself to be his founder, I become rich and famous and you all can say that you were present when the idea was born! Hahaha, xaxaxa, muhehe!

Cheers, stick with your cool lifestyle (no shoes at least home if outside is still too cold for you as it is for me), be an inspiration for as many people as you can and (last, but not least):
Enjoy the life barefooting!

The story continues..

Right, good to see somebody is still visiting this blog and waiting for some updates, I thought about dropping my writing due to... Well, due to what? To the fact nobody's reading it? Silly reason.. but everything we do should have some reason and maybe I just write with no reason.. But who knows, maybe The Reason is going to pop up suddenly, out of nothing! 

Anyway, thanks Anonymous for your comment. Yes, let's continue with some barefooting stories. 

I can say I have collected some during last months. I spent working my ass off this summer and it wasn't much "bare fun" apart of barefoot gardening and provoking my neighbour and townie guys by not having any shoes on. 
I admit I am not a full-time barefooter, but nobody's perfect, right? ;) I try to be without shoes as much as I can. Not only because it's healthy and pleasant, but also because it's the most natural way of being..

Well, last significant story is from the Canary Islands.. I didn't even think there was something different, but the ferry crew did. He actually refused to let me on the board unless I put my shoes on! I didn't feel like arguing, so basically I dig out flip-flops from the bottom of my bag and that made him happy. How little is enough to make people happy! :) 

I told you about Bea last time, do you remember? We actually spent some time with her a month ago or so and she IS a tough barefooter! If you feel like reading an article about her in The Daily Express, here comes the link.

All right folks, time to sum up: 
I hope the 2011 was a pretty nice year for all of you and I wish you many smooth paths on your way through 2012. But don't forget that some stones, rocks and obstacles on the way make it only more interesting, not necesarilly more difficult. :)

So E.N.J.O.Y. your life B.A.R.E.F.O.O.T.I.N.G.!

Barefoot summer links

Heya buddies!

Summer is traveling time for most of of us, but there are some people staying home due to work. Like me, to give you the idea. But it's not a big deal, I have the whole winter to travel the world. ;)
Anyway. It seems that the word about barefooters is spreading out these days! Finally! I've come across a few links I would like to share with you.

So, first of all there was an article in Italian newspapers (!) about barefooting. Let's say that it was "a little bit" emotionally coloured - talking about barefooting as about something really weird. How surprising! Check the pics - many of them have too far to a real barefooting. :) The discussion below is funny too.

That brought me to a web page of one Italian barefooter - adding with pleasure to the list on the right side.

Then I got to know about a nice interview with an English lady who has done one year barefooting feat (can we call it full immersion?;) I like her motto:  

Bare feet are happy feet!  

Indeed, we know something about that - 2011 is my third "barefooting year" and I love it more and more. As a passionate runner she also attended an evening with Barefoot Ted (a barefoot runner) in London in May. Check it out.

My neighbour (around 60) keeps on asking me about my missing shoes every time she sees me which is at least three times a week! She always claps her hands and starts wondering HOW COME... with a real dramatic expression in her face. Funny moments.

I hope you are enjoying yourselves wherever you are (possibly barefooting;))!
Cheers!

Yours Barefooting Girl

Venice Trip - Bella Veneeeziaaa!

All right, my dear followers and readers, here I go again!

My life runs so fast and I have almost no time to share my little barefoot experiences, what a shame!
so let me catch up, because I have something to say... :)

Yes, indeed I still do travel, though in this time a bit less.
Anyway, I went to Venice for a few days and I had a great time there!
The funniest highlights?

There's a bridge called The Bridge of Barefooters (Ponte dei Scalzi), just a few meters from the train station Venice Santa Maria Lucia.
Well, I wonder how many barefooters this bridge have seen in it's whole existence. IMHO not many. This time I was the only one - why do people wonder that there's a barefooting girl crossing The Barefooters' Bridge with no shoes on?!? ;)

The pavements in the city are pretty nice, clean. Though I do not recommend going to the fish market - a lot of small pieces of broken glass (and smelly slippery flor, especially if you happen to be there when the market is over).

I saw three more barefooters!

I can only guess where were they from.... any my guess is: Germany! But who knows.

I've received many agitated comments along the way. I'm just having fun listening to them. The range was from "Look at her, she's barefoot!" through "How dirty!" and "She's gonna get many diseases!" (mother explaining to a kid) to "That's incredibly insane!" and "Disgusting!"...

Well, the funny thing is that the most disgusted people were the once dressed up according to the latest fashion and businessmen with ties and shiny shoes... No comment, they don't know what they miss! :D

Something to recommend:
Go with no shoes on in the middle of the San Marco's Square, get surounded by pigeons and throw around you some crumbs... Even better is to leave some crumbs on your toes and let them be pecked by pigeons... Unforgettable feeling! ;)
 

Well, in general: thumbs up, very barefooting friendly city (with barefoting unfriendly citizens).

And as a final pic-gift here comes the only official venetian barefooter (he was actually accompagnied by a personal security guide!) overlooking the city from the opposite bank:

Well, not only barefooter, but also naturist - well, you can do both in Venice.. as long as you are a piece of marble! ;)

Stay tuned, more stories are coming. And...
Enjoy the life barefooting!

First London barefoot walk

Heya hey my dear readers,

I'm back to share with you more adventures, more trips, more stories of 2011  - of course everything strictly NO SHOES related! ;))

There are also some upcoming news like the blog name changement, but it'll take some time - stay tuned!

Well, so what's going on? We've just come back from London!
A wonderful city deserves some wonderful no shoes teasing! Well, actually that wasn't my point, I just felt like finaly trying to hit the road barefoot, for the first time in this 2011 spring.. and it was a success!

London, Trafalgar Square, early spring afternoon.
The sun was shining and I could finally take off my shoes, what a relief!
A few minutes later I stopped by to see some street performer (he wasn't particulary good, but quite funny). A young English man standing next to me was probably deeply impressed to see me - a question came almost immediately:

"What happened with your shoes?!?" 

"Aaaah, they are over there, I'm just relaxing my feet a bit. :)"

"That's a strange way to relax!!" 

(Maybe I should add a little description so you can picture the situation: he was well dressed, as almost every English man, including apparently pretty expensive very shining brown leather shoes. I'd say from the latest fashion collection, but I can not be sure (since I don't care about either shoes or fashion).

"Actually it's very pleasant, really!"

Suspicious, but interested look. I've probably "inserted a bug to his head", as we Czechs say.

"Where are you from by the way?"

"Czech republic."

"Oh." 

And that was the end of our "very sophisticated" conversation.
I'm quite sure I turned his way of thinking upside down... or maybe he just thought I went completely crazy, who knows.
I continued watching the performance and when I turned he was gone. He didn't even say goodbye! And I thought English men are well educated... Maybe this rule doesn't apply to barefoot people, hahaha! :)

What about your first spring walks? Any interesting stories?
Feel free to comment and don't forget to enjoy your life barefooting! :)

An Italian barefooter? Incredible!

Being turist in Italy brings some surprises too!
I met a real, true Italian barefooter on the streets in Pisa. I got so shocked! ;)
Not because I saw him (that cannot shock me, right), but because in Italy it's such a rare thing! Not talking about the fact that we are in late October and people there were mostly wrapped in jackets, long trousers, some of them also winter boots!!

Well, he actually didn't look like "a real" Italian man. I mean no Dolce & Gabana clothes and glasses, he didn't even wear a bag or backpack. His long hair and simple sweatshirt showed pretty alternative way of life. That's why I think he was living there - a real Pisan guy!

To have them or not to have them? That's a question! :)

Well, it's easier to get out of your house, have a little walk around, maybe buy something, relax your feet on the grass in front of The Leaning Tower and then get back home.
Easier than travelling from far away in cold early morning, wandering around the whole day and going back home by train in late evening. To be sincere, I start getting used to some shoes already. :( I am not happy about that, but my recent illness has weakened me and I'm trying not to get too cold.

I hit the city of Florence barefoot though, on the sunny surfaces it was fun, but in the shadowed paving was freaking cold. Unbelievable differences.
But I made a huge discovery! Taking off my shoes helped me from tooth pain! :) Really! How incredible!

So, stay on the wave, when you are in trouble (physical discomfort I mean), consider getting rid of your shoes and enjoy the life barefooting!

Being back soon!

Summer is over.. but barefooting season is still on!

All right, after quite a long break I logged in again and I´m keeping this blog alive! Yupiiii! :)
Though it's a bit demotivating to hear no feedback (I got one e-mail, wohoooo!), but you cannot have everything instantely, right? :)

So, the promotion of The Barefoot book by prof. Howell is over, he's back teaching at his university that forces him to wear shoes. Too bad...

Anyway, if you are interested, you might like to read an article about him and his life, published recently.

I'll be back soon with some adventures, stay tuned and:

Enjoy the life (barefooting)!

A gift for a barefooter

I sent out an information about this project and I'm really into it, I just like it, I feel it's the right thing to do at the moment. I feel the creative energy flowing!

But I have also "normal" life, not only in front of my computer, so I got off this afternoon to go downtown with some friends of ours. Pretty big event is happening these days - a kind of medieval festival with street artists, handcrafts and performances.. Well, it has become more commercial during past years, but you can still see many alternative people around.

Me and friend of mine headed to the market.
Do I have to mention I had no shoes on? ;)

We stopped by a stand with a guy juggling with devil sticks. I got interested and so I gave it a try - it wasn't particulary hard, but it would take some time to learn. When I was giving him devilsticks back after a while, he asked me: "Don't you want to learn it?"
I said uncertainly: "Well, I already have poi and diabolo, I think it's enough.."
He repeated his question.
"No, it's ok, I would have to buy it..."
He passed me a pair of devilstick and he said: "Take them. It's a present for you." 
I got surprised. "Really?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because you are barefoot."

I would never expected anything like that. A gift just for being barefoot. I thanked him and accepted his present.
Talking to him later during one and half hour of "workshop" I've discovered he was barefooter too, but he had to keep his crocs on for business reasons (selling devilstics and other stuff).
Here in Italy people care much about those things. :(

So enjoy the life barefooting... you never know what might occur!

Last stops in Spain..

Well, as  promised, I am back with some more traveller's notes! :) And there's much to talk about.

Granada
Amazing place, very international, but also traditional. We met people from Italy, Great Britain, France, Germany, Mexico, all of them apparently happily living in Granada.
I took a very special photo there - man's foot with six toes! Too bad the sandal around! ;)

 

Albaicin, the oldest part of the city has very similar, stony surface, like I encountered in Altea - perfect foot massage!

Alhambra, the monumental ensemble, an ex-residence for Nasrid Sultans is worth visiting (reserve a whole day!:) There I saw an official anti-barefooting rule, for the first time in my life. It said: "During the stay in the monument it is not allowed to undress nor to walk or be bare feet." 
Well, but as everywhere in Spain, nobody really controles you, so... a little bit of provocation? ;)

 

And finally we got out of the city and headed to national park Sierra Nevada. That was a real experience! The aim was to see waterfalls, but we happened to see much more! Sky-touching red mountains, humid cave, cold river, bridge over the warterfalls...

Unfortunately in the end my damn operated knee started to swell and hurt, so I just hobbled back. But I guess in shoes it would be even worse. ;)

On that day Spain won one of the football matches - I hadn´t seen so few people making so much noise until that night. :)

Next destination: Madrid!

Enjoy the life (and especially summer) barefooting!:)

And the trip goes on...

After a little gap I am back with all those "barefooting stories" which are happening to me and observations and today for the first time I'll share some pics too, since we have already arrived home and I could finally download them! :)

Altea 
Altea was supposed to be a real "hippie" place. Well, historical part of the city is gorgeous, I felt like in a heaven, surounded by mountains, sea, blue sky..

For the rest I have to say that the new part of the town (beaches included) was pretty commercial and sea was not really clean and swimming-friendly, maybe also due to a strong wind. Let's go straight to the point: surface. A real foot massage.
Middle-sized stones in a steep streets were stimulating bare feet so much that they got pretty tired after a while.  Check this out:

No hippies around, but we've found one really nice tearoom called The Cave (Coveta). There's also a pic of us on their page. :)

Benidorm
An artificially created city full of skyscrapers and other "rabbit-cages", living only during the summer thanks to tourists. There's really NOTHING to see. You might enjoy the sand beach, but it was so crowded and so hot, that it was just impossible to stay there. At least you can guess which foot was with no shoes on (that means it was mine ;)) and which was strictly wearing flip-flops:

That's the only pic from ten hours spent there. :)
And then we left.

Destination: Granada! Stay tuned and..

Enjoy the life barefooting!

Kids in Barcelona are so spontaneous!

Well, keeping on with Catalan city, I had the possibility to go a bit around and enjoy some more of the town.
Also the comments about me being around with no shoes on are big fun... well, in generally I like to see peoples' reactions.
The most expressive are kids - no prejudices I gues.. underground tram: "Daddy, daddy, that lady is barefoot!!!" Unfortunately daddy talk too quietly for me to hear the answer. Poor girl was 10, maybe 11, with black polished toe nails in a very fancy sandals..

Another couple of kids were so spontaneously surprised when we met in different quarters of the city (Gracia mostly)... I was just able to decipher spanish (or catalan?) "descalza!" (which is similar to italian "scalza").. means barefoot.

Anyway. The same quarter, they have a pretty unique speciality there - asphalted street with little red stones (diameter 2 - 4 cm) popping out - not really comfortable, I saw also a dificulty for bikers... well, just wondering what the meaning might be.

Park Güell is so worth to see and pretty natural too, perfect massage for your feet after flat streets of the city! Up the hill, get ready to climb up a bit, but u get everything there: stones, sand, grass, walking paths... only water missing. :)

For the hostel story - the guy doesn't talk to me at all and goes everywhere I go here and checks everything I do here! :)
Funny thing is that my boyfriend wears black flip flops and his feet are even more dark than mine! Yesterday he took a shower and made a lot of imprints around with his shoes... But I'm sure the suspicious guy wouldn't believe it wasn't me! ;)

This is our last day in Barcelona. 
Oh, I saw two "barefoot beggers" (wrapped up females, I guess with gipsy origins) around Sagrada Familia.. it's sad enough for us, real barefooters, but they just use the immagine of somebody with no shoes as somebody who desperately need help, they try to evoke sorriness to get some coins.. One of them had even her shoes behind her!

Don't forget to ... Enjoy the life barefooting!

Europe barefoot trip

Ok, I am just travelling around, I have been to Nice and Marseille so far and for the moment we have stopped in Barcelona for a few days.

Just a brief notes:

Nice
Very posh city, super clean and super "pointy-shoe", nobody really alternative, not talking about being barefoot! People kind of disgusted, but nothing special.

Marseille
Big harbour, so many nationalities - Arabics, Pakistanees and many more... felt kind of weird. We happen to be there on one very windy Sunday so every little shop in the old, historic part of city was closed and in general the place was empty - nobody would have cared about me being barefoot, but I put my flip-flops on cause so much broken glass and trash everywhere on the streets! Crazy! So I didn't feel like risking so much.

Barcelona
A real must for all alternative people, barefooters included! My first 100% no shoes city on this trip. Multicultural, huge city offering so many different possibilities! At the moment they are rebuilding the streets, so I've found some noise, dirt and water in few streets. The city-center is pretty safe (not talking about pick-pocketers, but you find this everywhere, right?) and surprisingly pretty clean too! Catalan (this part of Spain) people are just so accustomed to see anything that they mostly don't even realize you go around barefoot. I've met 2 more barefoot girls around, cool, the style is spreading around!:)
Unfortunately I speak nor Spanish neither Catalan so I miss all possible comments (ok, few people did look at my feet kind of weirdly, especially), but so far the "greatest" (?) story happened surprisingly at the hostel we are actually staying in... Which is by the way called "alternative creative ...", what a coincidence!
The staff guy came to me yesterday evening telling me that he saw me entering the place from outside with no shoes on and that he did't know how much healthy it was and that later I would go to the bed... He just didn't know how to express himself, basically he was concerned (as far as I understood) about me messing up the blankets. I told him I had just taken the shower and he left, pretty pissed. So far he doesn't talk to me. :)

In general my soles are slowly getting used to walk also on a hot, midday blacktop (since there's much of that stuff around).. It burns but we should overcome the limits, right? :)

That's it for the moment, getting back with some news later!

Enjoy the life barefooting! ;)

The Barefoot Book!

Vydána kniha století pro všechny, kdo ještě nejsou stoprocentně rozhodnuti pro styl života bosky!

Profesor David Howell, jeden z propagátorů boskochodectví, napsal odbornou knihu (už z následujícího traileru ke knize se dá vyrozumět, že nudná vědecká fakta to nebudou) na téma jak nám boty škodí a co vše lze získat tím, že je zujeme a prostě budeme bez nich.

Více informací na webu ke knize The Barefoot Book nebo na Danielových osobních webových stránkách.

Takže vivat barefoot a doufejme, že je poklidné vody nezačnou hýbat jen v Americe, ale i u nás!