Hello all,

It appears I owe DG an apology. It has been nearly two weeks since the last time I checked my email or this forum, so I feel bad that I missed his queries, sent over a week ago, regarding any advice I may have for a friend of his who would like to become a full-time barefooter.

First of all, it sounds like her mind is in the right place, because for many, the biggest challenge is overcoming the fear of public rejection and choosing to go barefoot in public.

Now that she has made her choice, she needs to be careful not to overdo it, and not do too much too soon. That may sound odd at first, but when I look back on my development into a 24/7 barefooter, the most powerful aspect of it was how it happened gradually, over time. I started small, building confidence and overcoming fears, and used that success to do a little bit more each day, and to add new challenges over time.

This all happened over the course of a few months, until one weekend, without even thinking about it, I ran two full days of errands - including several stores I had never been before - completely barefoot with no shoes with me. The following morning, I left the house for work - barefoot - and only then realized that I needed shoes.

This was a powerful moment for me, because it was the first time I had to make a conscious effort to remember to wear shoes, rather than making a conscious effort to go barefoot.

If your friend can follow a similar journey, she'll likely be transformed just as I was. It takes time to overcome a lifetime of obeying social norms. Don't do it all in one day. :-)

I hope that helps! Take care and keep em bare and dirty!

Melissa

Thank you very much Melissa! I've sent your message to Kylee, my barefooter friend.