system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
CMV: Cultural squeamishness about bare feet in public is irrational and arguably responsible for the majority of foot problems

I grew up in a country (South Africa) where bare feet are much more acceptable in public. Children are widely allowed, even encouraged, to attend primary school barefoot. The same situation applies in New Zealand and possibly a few other countries. Yet the vast majority of cultural norms elsewhere in the world dictate that feet should be hidden away, locked up in shoes ('little coffins for the feet' as someone once described them) - a sweaty, bacteria-rich, damp and cramped environment that creates unpleasant smell and often long-term problems of painful and unsightly deformities. That's led to a sort of vicious circle, where people are ashamed of their feet because they smell and/or look ugly, but they smell/look ugly because.. they're cramped up in shoes because.. they're ashamed of being smelt/visible in public, and everybody will judge you etc. etc.

There are of course many situations in which you \*would\* want shoes.. if it's cold, for example, or if your feet genuinely need protecting from sharp or falling objects, such as on a building site or on a rocky trail. But shoes in those situations are like protective gloves. And we don't wear gloves at all times in public do we?

One might counter this by saying that surfaces you walk on are worse than those you touch with your hands, but this is largely untrue. There are far worse things on door handles than there are on a clean sidewalk or in a mall, or in an office. And when you walk barefoot, you look where you walk, and avoid stuff if you need to. It isn't difficult, and the risks are far outweighed by the benefits.

My view is that we're long overdue for a rational change of our cultural biases on this subject (those biases originating at various points in history e.g. associations of poverty, or 'those damned hippie liberals' etc.) and just come to terms with the fact that we'd be far healthier and happier without shoes most of the time.

Update edit:

Brilliant to read everyone's responses, it's fascinating and thanks for engaging (sorry I've not replied to all..) 

No deltas awarded yet though because as far as I can see, loads of folk are just posting here about their (mostly unfounded) fears about what they might tread on, which doesn't acknowledge the point I made in my OP: in any \*real\* risky situations (of which there are plenty) then yes shoes are needed - but much of what people think is dangerous or risky really is imaginary. Or at least very much overhyped/catastrophised - including in city environments, by the way. South African schools know this. They wouldn't allow kids to school barefoot if they thought it was a significant risk.

But it seems to me what we \*don't\* have is a universal cultural environment in which each person can judge the dangers/inconveniences and make their own decisions on being barefoot in public or not without being on the receiving end of disapproving stares, tutting, 'no shoes no service' signs and the like. In other words, it's gone beyond a rational, personal, practical decision and become a \*cultural taboo \*- even at the expense of foot health problems. But a taboo only in certain countries. That's what's interesting to unpack.
gpt
But shoes were invented in the purpose for reasons of practicality. You don't usually *want* to be walking outside barefoot. Even if you tried to make the world accepting of bare feet in public, no one would do it, because shoes are just more comfortable, especially if you live in a relatively high latitude country where the floor is always fucking freezing. For the record though, most countries take their shoes off at home, either replacing them with very loose slippers or just going fully barefoot. America is the weird one on this.