Barefoot Science

Science has finally vindicated me for years of bohemian attitudes. The results are in. Wearing shoes is -- in general -- bad for you. This article on NPR led me to this one on the New York Magazine site entitled, appropriately, You Walk Wrong.

In effect, four million years of evolution perfecting the human foot is at war with the last thousand years or so of injurious footwear.

For me, any day without shoes is a good day -- and not just because it means that I wasn't at work. Sure, barefoot is the best with sand between my toes, but barefoot anywhere is somehow more relaxed and comfortable. Sometimes just having to wear shoes at all is like wearing an ill-fitting tuxedo over a cheap, over-starched shirt with a collar that's too small.

I had heard that it's illegal to drive barefoot, but fortunately that has been debunked as an urban legend (since I couldn't imagine any sane person having a compelling argument to substantiate the rationale behind such a law). That would be a bit like making it illegal to drive unless wearing mittens.

So do yourself -- and your feet -- a favor. Kick back and take your shoes off -- as often as possible. In fact, this new-found celebration of sub-ankular nudity is yet another good reason to sign on to one of those Barefoot Cruises I've always wanted to take. But that's a subject for another post.