Going Barefoot

From about 1952 I grew up in southern California usually not too far to drive to the ocean from where I lived with my parents, Aunt or other parents of friends especially on summer weekends in the 1950s when nobody mostly had air conditioning then except in offices during the week, and sometimes not even then. Air conditioning in cars was still pretty expensive then too. So, when it got to be 110 degrees or even over 80 degrees or 90 Fahrenheit people tended to pile their kids in the car and head for the beach if they wanted to cool down because usually the ocean was under 70 to 72 degrees back then, especially at Santa Monica which was easy to get to even without today's freeways in the 1950s. So, I got used to going barefoot a lot during the 1950s at the beach, and sometimes in the desert with my parents on weekends (even though you need to watch out for Cholla cactus needles pronounced (Choya "long O and short A with emphasis on the first syllable) because they just keep working their way into your feet, knees or anything else they get stuck into. There are many cactuses but I would say generally speaking that chollas caused me the most pain and unhappiness over a period of years when I couldn't get them out of some part of my body like feet or knees.

Most I got not while walking barefoot because they will go through beachwalkers (thongs) too sort of like mini-porcupine needles (which also don't easily come out but just work their way in deeper over time).

My father liked going to the deserts a lot and eventually bought land in Yucca Valley and He and I and Mom and friends built him a retirement home from 1968 to 1980 on weekends when they finally retired there.



So, going barefoot was just a part of the Beach culture and southern California culture in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s especially. After that, people started wearing surfing boots and stuff like that to protect feet more from rocks, sea urchins, broken glass or pieces of metal cans in the sand or surf and stuff like that. However, I still like going barefoot as much as I think it is possible and relatively safe.

For example, I walked down the sandy bed of a local stream today partly with my crocs and at one point the sand was so nice I took off my crocs and walked down the stream a ways until I saw some more redwoods to stop and look at. Also, the moss on some of the oaks there was very beautiful too, especially after the rains.

Yesterday, also because the weather was  67 or 68 even with intermittent rain lately (pineapple express storms from Hawaii) I also walked on the beach barefoot when I got past the rocky area and on down nearer the shore where there is more sand to walk on. This has been pretty amazing for me to feel comfortable doing this in northern California because normally doing this this time of year it mostly would be too cold to be happy doing this. However, this year things are very different and 15 to 20 degrees above normal here, even when it rains.(So far, at least)

Going barefoot, obstacles and weather permitting can be much healthier for your body. For example, I like the tops of my feet suntanned as long as they don't get sunburned. Another place you don't want to get sunburned in in back of your knees. Because the skin stretches there to walk it can be the worst place to get a sunburn except if you go nude and sunburn your privates by accident.

Also, in California it is legal to go barefoot while driving. This mostly is because sandals cause a lot of accidents when they get caught in the gas pedal or brake or clutch pedal if you have a stick shift. So, going barefoot is actually safer than having sandals on while driving.

So, most of the time because I have size 15 feet from being 6 foot 5 inches tall I usually drive barefoot. I take my shoes off (usually Crocs) and put them up against my seat and drive barefoot. But, if it is raining or wet out I usually drive then with socks on. But, I prefer barefoot if it is warm enough because I consider it much safer than driving in socks because sometimes your feet slip off the pedals at inopportune time while wearing just socks while driving.