A few months back during my travels I began to encounter some foot issues. Well, the issues occurred less directly to my actual feet and more specifically to protection covering my little wandering soles. In one month’s time, I began breaking and losing more shoes than I ever had in my life.
My favorite pair of Havaianas – purchased 2 years prior in South Africa – had seen more of the world than most humans dream of seeing in their lifetime. They had taken me to exotic destinations, supported me through struggles, and survived the best and worst weathering. Their death was far less exciting than I suppose I would have hoped… if I had hoped at all that my shoes would die any particular way. They met their untimely expiration on a visa run to Koh Samui, where their straps just couldn’t hold on any longer and the rubber ripped, clean in two – more commonly known as a “blow out” or “flat tire.” I was desperate to have my sole travel companions mended by posting photos and pleading for help, reluctant to toss them just yet.
But help never came, suggestions never surfaced, and in a country where string is probably the best and only solution, I finally decided to lay my sandals to rest.
Things went downhill from there. Working at a hostel where shoes had to be left at the door, mistakes were always made and a pair couldn’t be kept longer than a week if you were lucky. Finally, after losing a leftie while walking through high tide on the beach in India, I angrily tossed the right into the sea and gave up hope on footwear. Which actually goes to show, karma is a b***h because the left one washed up on the beach after the tide went back out, but I digress.
I decided to go shoeless.
Now in India this is not uncommon, however it is highly frowned upon. In the Indian culture the feet are the dirtiest part of the body and it is absolutely disgraceful to touch or bring your feet anywhere near another person, especially their head. You can imagine the glowers of disgust that fell upon me as I’d climb to the top bunk of the over-night train.
Regardless, I carried on barefoot and my feet carried me with nothing to support them.
At first, I was cautious of every step and winced when treading on something rough or hot. But after a couple weeks, my feet became callused and strong. Hot pavement littered with glass shards – piece of cake. Hiking up steep, rocky mountains – what are hiking shoes? Sure, I got some baffled looks and the occasional “aren’t you forgetting something?” but I loved my free feet. It seems absurd that such an inconvenient and potentially painful choice could bring me such joy… but it did. I began to notice that activities became easier and even more enjoyable when my feet were naturally acclimated to the earth. It was exhilarating to strengthen them, a little bit more, every day. It was random, freeing, potentially stupid in some not-so-hygienic situations, but it was me in the moment.
After 2.5 long months, my bare tootsies trudged through India, back into Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo, and Indonesia. I eventually decided it was time to prep my pads for shoes when I booked a ticket to Austria. I figured trotting barefoot in a restaurant would be slightly less accepted there. A few days before my departure, I gifted my deserving dogs with a full pedicure and massage to get them squeaky clean. Let’s just say… one pedicure was not enough after nearly 3 months of callus building.
Did I learn anything? Well, it takes several weeks for a good hard callus to grow, and many more to remove it! I loved my time without wearing any shoes. It was eye opening to learn how to get along without something that once seemed like a basic necessity.
We travel with so much clothing and make-up and STUFF – which yes, can be so fun to play with at times. But to train my mind to break the dependance on a material possession (coincidentally leading to other unnecessary material possessions) was a great feat for my feet.
Have you ever given up something that you thought was impossible to live or travel without?
This is a guest post by Alyssa Edelen.
Alyssa lives for exploring, nature, diving, food, photography, music, tattoos, and most of all travel. Her biggest passion is inspiring and helping others to get out, see more than the ordinary, travel off the beaten path, and truly experience all the world has to offer – so much so that she turned her love into a career as a travel planner and blogger. Having travelled with her family from a very young age, she should have known her one true love right off the bat, and yet it took her a few years of wandering and over 60 countries later to learn the direction she was meant for. Check out her instagram @alyssaallday and travel blog www.alyssaallday.com.
Beautiful Story! It is true some things we see as necessary but in fact aren't at all :) who else can say they trotted two and a half months trough south east asia without shoes? ;-)
Kind regards!
Sarah from a passport can get you anywhere
Thanks Sarah! Yes, it was a very eye-opening experience. Now I've lost my phone - a true luxury not a necessity - and I've gone a month traveling without it... Not good for work but very good for the soul :-)
What a fascinating story. My son doesn't like wearing shoes. He agrees to wear crocs. No crocs? The kid will go barefoot.
We bought him hiking shoes while traveling in the US. He tossed them away after one hour and continued to hike barefoot in Yellowstone that day.
Thanks Anne! Your baby is such a free spirit!
Love this! Josh, my boyfriend, goes barefoot so much whilst we are travelling - I just haven't managed to toughen up my tootsies yet - but from your story maybe I should persevere! :)
Yes Charlotte you can do it! Just leave your shoes at home next time :-)
Thanks for the account Alyssa and I appreciate the experience you had. I have to say, I just don't understand this concept. I've traveled to over 65 countries and spent years away, and now backpacking around in my mid 30s, see more and more 20 somethings without shoes - usually around the South Asian well trodden trail on their first big trip. You're right, throughout most of Asia, not wearing shoes is disrespectful to the locals and outside of the beaches, even the poorest people in India wear shoes if they can. As a long term backpacker, the most important thing is to protect your health, otherwise you're on a plane going home in a flash (if you're lucky) and this exposes you to such a high and completely unnecessary risk through just the tiniest of cuts or abrasions. Is this act more about promoting ones self as a "real traveler, an intrepid backpacker" to other travelers rather than an act of "freedom" within yourself? Anyway, good on you for making it through.
Good question Bec,
I'll be perfectly honest, I hardly put any thought into the repercussions of it - I just did it. After a while, it became more of a test for myself to see how long I could go and it truly felt like an accomplishment. I guess island life does that to some people after a while, you just don't worry about things the same way, regardless what may come longterm - you roll with the punches as they come. Maybe it isn't the smartest way to backpack, but it worked for me!
I love walking barefoot! Although England is usually far too cold haha :P maybe one day if I travel to India or Thailand, somewhere warmer and where it's maybe more acceptable or normal to see someone walking outside barefoot. Love your story :) xxx
Hi Alyssa,
Just curious as to why you travelled barefoot all around India and south east Asia with no shoes, but you purchased shoes for Austria? Walking into a restaurant with dirty feet in Thailand is not accepted, but they feel it would be rude to ask you to leave or clean your feet.
Did you carry wet wipes with you for entering restaurants and guesthouses? I get the natural feeling of being barefoot, but since the feet are considered the dirtiest part of the body in many of these countries, walking around barefoot is frowned upon and frankly disrespectful.
Any locals walking around barefoot are doing so because they cannot afford shoes, so really just curious about your take on responsible travel and respecting the cultural norms of the countries you've visited.
Thanks for your comment! Once in Thailand and the rest of the countries, I stayed solely in the islands so most places ask that you take your shoes off at the door or they have sand for a floor anyways because they're on the beach. I didn't go to Bangkok or major cities at all during my time traveling through, but it was going to Austria (a major city) that I felt it was finally time. Of course I wetwiped the heck out of my feet and showered daily!
Awesome story! You make me envious.
I love going barefoot, & I've spent entire summers not wearing shoes. If I had my way I'd never wear shoes, I wouldn't even own shoes!
Hehe completely agree!!
I Love to go barefoot also, im going to India this year, want to go barefoot also, but you really were all the time barefoot there? On Train Station, Public Toilette, on Train?
Like I mentioned, I lost my shoes in India, so I only had a few days left there before I set off for the rest of Southeast Asia. At the places I was traveling around in India, public toilets weren't even a thing because I was by the beach, in nature, etc!
I have another 13 years before I can retire and relocate to the Philippines, where due to the hot and humid tropical climate I can work on gradually going barefoot to toughen up the soles of my feet. Especially during the rainy season where you don't have to worry about losing your flip flops if you have to walk muddy trails.