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When I was 16, I spent the summer barefoot. I was exploring my hippie heritage and it really worked for me. It helped me channel my younger self—running through summer showers and mud extravaganzas, the warmth of my bare feet touching the cool Earth.

I am not a mom who insists on making my baby wear shoes. I think it’s kind of neat to see his feet twist and curl up as they make contact with the breeze, as he pushes his toes into the ground attempting to crawl.

I get a kick out of taking the baby to restaurants with the “no shoes, no service” signs hanging in the windows. Once an anarchist yogi, always an anarchist yogi, I always say.

I’m also taking a cue from one of my favorite writers, David Wolfe, and spending this summer as barefoot as possible. One of the benefits I’ve noticed is that I am more aware of the position of my feet and am less likely to injure myself. In short, shoes have made my feet lazy. Unbelievably, the sports nerds over at Nike agree: "Studies show that barefoot training leads to stronger feet, that stronger feet lead to a stronger body, and that natural movement enhances agility."

Going barefoot is a means of reclaiming my connection with the Earth. It is foundational in my yoga practice. And it is my child’s natural approach to interacting with his environment.

From a practical standpoint, it is also a means of keeping my home environment as healthy as possible, since I am more frequently in direct contact with it by going sans shoes.

I’ve come face to face with a lot of potentially hazardous agents that have been in my home environment for years, but which I previously ignored. And so I have found myself questioning how I can best reduce the chemical intercessors between my family and our home environment.

Since I seek to make my environmentalism as practical as possible, I’ll share a few quick tips, apart from going barefoot as a constant reminder:

• We avoid antibacterial soaps (clinical evidence suggests that glycerin soaps and frequent hand washing are just as effective and do not contain the same amount of chemical residue)
• We have reduced our exposure to sodium lauryl sulfate, an ingredient often found in shampoos and toothpastes (and known to be a carcinogenic agent)
• We refuse to use “air fresheners” and other polluting agents (also known to be carcinogenic)

Through these simple acts of greening our home and removing our shoes when entering it, we’re creating a mini eco sanctuary apart from the often-polluted outside world.

Additional resources:
Take Off Your Shoes and Walk by Simon J. Wikler D.S.C.

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