Footloose & Fancy Free--Sans Shoes

Ahh... freedom.
Not American nor patriotic freedom.
(Though so important for Independence Day!)
Not freedom of speech... or incarceration...
or religious freedom.

All of these are vital, American, human freedoms we all should have every single day. But, I'm talking about a different kind of freedom. I'm talking about kick-off-those-sneakers freedom. Free-from-the-bondage-of-high-heels kind of freedom. Lose your Cinderella slippers and get your toes in the sand or feel the softness of the grass underfoot.

(I think Zac Brown Band has a song that goes a little something like that.)

Those are all the summertime thoughts that swirled ahead when I ran across Mother Nature Network's article by Christian Cotroneo "Why Not Wearing Shoes Does a Body Good." He details Nature Journal's study about how calloused (or "well-seasoned") feet are better for you than your shoes, which truly have desensitized your feet while also changing the way we walk. Flashback here to having a gravel end to my driveway as a kid and how THAT feels... or the flash-forward from there as a parent walking over Legos hidden in the carpet. Ouch with a side of ouch! But, we lose a little bit of foot-to-brain communication with a life of shoes. Granted, we aren't needing that same level of environmental neural connection that we may have needed back in the cave days... but another way the evolution of man-made items have changed the man (and woman)!

Given it's summer time, it's certainly the season to try life barefooted sometimes. In fact, the concepts of grounding (or earthing) are becoming both an environmental, health/wellness, and personal energy trend. It's a way to induce calm and reduce stress. Not to mention, a good way to start working on both your rewilding and your nature deficit disorder!

Like I said, it's summer & the Fourth of July is upon us! What better time is there to celebrate freedoms! The timing couldn't be better! May your 4th be footloose & fancy free, no shoes needed. Use the freedom to build up that sensory experience and a callous or two along the way.

Freedom image from https://leadingwithtrust.com/2015/07/12/5-freedom-fostering-ways-to-develop-high-performing-teams/, screenshot from https://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/stories/not-wearing-shoes-callus-study, quote image created on Canva.com