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Barefoot In The City – Interview with Al Gauthier

By Al Gauthier ⋅ August 29, 2009 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Barefoot in the city

Published in Theresa McManus’s Blog for The Record on August 29th, 2009.

While surfing the net earlier this week, I came across an article in another publication about a Living Barefoot website that was set up earlier this year by Royal City resident Al Gauthier.

I was intrigued.

In the past, I’ve chatted with a longtime resident (who shall remain nameless) about her passion for living barefoot. I’ve seen her out-and-about in the city and even spotted her visiting city hall, sans shoes.

A recent episode of the The DailyShow with Jon Stewart featured an interview with Christopher McDougall, author of the recently released book, Born to Run. “Christopher McDougall discovers how the Tarahumara Indians run hundreds of miles over rocky terrain in sandals,” said an overview of the episode

I tried to set up an interview with Gauthier, but he’s a busy guy. When he’s not working his day job, he’s got the Living Barefoot website and a photography business to deal with.

We agreed to do an e-mail based interview. I’ve written a story based on that interview for the Aug. 29 issue of The Record, but thought I’d post my questions and Gauthier’s responses in their entirety.

And just for the fun of it, I’ve attached a link to a Barefootin’ video to get your toes tappin’.

Any thoughts on living barefoot? Seems like lots of folks are interested, or at least intrigued, based on the number of hits to the Living Barefoot website

How long have you been interested in living barefoot?

I have always loved being barefoot.  I can remember when I was very
young enjoying the sensation of the carpet fibers under my feet.
Through the years I’ve always thought the best part of my day was when
I got home and could take off my shoes.  It’s only been in the last 5
years that I’ve given the idea of spending time barefoot in places
where most people are not more serious consideration.

What initially attracted you to going barefoot?

It feels fantastic – that was my only first attraction to being
barefoot.  I love to feel the ground under my feet. Walking around
barefoot adds a whole new sensory dimension. I love to feel the
different textures.  Every type of surface has it’s own unique feel
Grass and dirt to pavement and stone.  It’s wonderful.

Describe the way you feel when barefoot compared to when wearing  shoes?

It’s a feeling of freedom.  It’s comfortable the way no shoe could
ever be.  It brings a smile to my face whenever I have the opportunity
to be barefoot.

Why go barefoot?

Oh what a big question.  There are so many reasons.  First there are
the sensory reasons.  For me and many others, being barefoot feels
wonderful.  We love the feel of the ground’s various textures and
temperatures.  We love knowing where we are stepping.

As I learned more and more about feet, I started to second guess why
we need shoes.  In particular, why we need such heavy supportive
shoes.  Did you know that feet contain 26 bones, 33 joints, and more
than a hundred muscles, tendons, and ligaments?  Feet are very complex
parts of our body.  If our feet were really healthiest by being
surrounded by so much rubber and stiffness, why would we ever have
evolved such a complex structure?  We have huge numbers of nerve
endings in our feet, and 250,000 sweat glands.  Our feet were not made
to be locked in shoes.

It makes sense that it would be healthy to be barefoot.  There have
been studies done in the past, and there are a couple that are
currently under way, that provide evidence that wearing shoes is far
more harmful than being barefoot.  It seems that most sports injuries
are caused by footwear.

Imagine for a moment running barefoot.  It would be very unlikely to
sprain your ankle while running barefoot because you know the position
and the making up of the ground under your feet at all time.  You are
also not raised up off the ground the way you might be in a running
shoe.

There are other reasons.  Shoes make feet smell, while bare feet never
smell. Feet are a large part of our cooling system with all those
sweat glands.  I feel far more comfortable on a hot day barefoot than
with shoes on.

I have started running barefoot, and that too is a whole new
experience.  So profoundly different than with shoes.  When running
barefoot you strike the ground with the ball of your foot, rather than
with the heel.  This changes the way you run in a very significant
way.  The arch of your foot is able to absorb the impact together with
the rest of your body – which is now more directly above your feet
when you run. The end effect is a much softer landing.  Interestingly
enough, you use less energy when running this way as well.  It has
been proven that running barefoot is slightly more efficient than
running with shoes, and why shouldn’t it be.

Almost all shoes, with the exception of only a few, have a heel.  This
heel, no matter how small, changes the overall posture of your body.
This is another way that typical shoes can have a negative effect on
your body.

Did you have any health concerns that prompted you to go barefoot?

While I know many, and have spoken to many who choose a more barefoot
lifestyle because of health concerns, I don’t have any that are
serious.  I’ve had my fair share of injuries from running shoes and
life in general, but I’m quite healthy.  I do however have fairly wide
feet, and my feet are most often very hot, even when barefoot.  Thus
beyond the enjoyment of feeling the ground under my feet, shoes are so
rarely comfortable for me.

Does it bother you when your feet get dirty?

No, not really.  They are no more dirty than the bottoms of my shoes,
and they are much easier to clean when I get home.  A quick rinse in
the sink and they are nice and clean again.

Are there many barefooters?

This is a very difficult number to come up with.  It is impossible to
have an accurate count of the numbers of barefooters in New West, BC,
or anywhere really.  There is no organization who currently has a need
for such statistics, and therefore it goes completely uncounted.
There is, however, a growing number of barefooters to be sure.  It is
a trend, especially within the last 6 months, that is growing rapidly
as people rethink the health of their feet. It’s clear from the media
attention barefooting has been getting, the number of shoe
manufacturers that are making new products that are “barefoot like”
and the interest in our site and our podcast that there is a huge
interest on the subject.

Are there “subgroups” within the barefoot movement, such as those  who never wear shoes to some who wear them for certain activities?

Sure, although organizing them into anything but the largest of groups
would be impossible as every person does what makes the most sense to
them, along with what works for the life they lead.
- There is a group who are always barefoot – own perhaps one pair of
shoes, and otherwise life a completely barefoot life.
- There is a group who are as barefoot as possible, but can’t
accommodate a completely barefoot lifestyle – that is the category I
fall into.
- There is a quickly growing group that use barefooting purely as
training for athletic pursuits.  Runners, and triathletes in
particular use barefoot training to strengthen muscles.  Many are
starting to run races and compete barefoot as well.
- There is a group who love the concept of barefoot, but can’t quite
bring themselves to being completely barefoot, thus use some of the
great products that are on the market that let the feet move
naturally, much like being barefoot, thus gaining most of the health
aspects of barefooting.

How much of the time do you wear shoes?

This varies a great deal.  I wear shoes at work, as I can’t be
barefoot in my day job.  I wear shoes on transit, as I Translink has
an issue with bare feet, and I wear shoes in stores some of the time.
I also wear shoes a lot more in the winter than I do in the summer of
course.  Most of the rest of the time I spend barefoot.

Do you wear shoes to work?

I wear several hats.  My Monday to Friday work requires shoes, and I
would choose the wear them anyway given the environment.  My work as a
photographer is a little different.  I can sometimes be barefoot, but
at other times, when it is respectful to do so, I wear shoes.  I’m not
interested in making anyone uncomfortable.

As a photographer, have any of your clients asked to wear shoes?

I have a good sense of when to wear shoes and when it doesn’t matter.
When photographing a wedding I don’t show up barefoot – it wouldn’t
make any sense, no matter how much I wished that I could.

Have you been hassled trying to access any services because you  weren’t wearing shoes?

I have been lucky and haven’t had any issues.  There are plenty of
stories of people being kicked out of stores or refused service
because of bare feet.  There are many myths about being barefoot and
the law.  There are, for example, no rules against driving barefoot
(in fact it feels wonderful – there is much more control), there are
also no health regulations against being barefoot in a restaurant.
There are many rules for those who work in various businesses, but the
rules rarely extend to customers.  I always carry a pair of shoes with
me.  If someone would like me to wear shoes, I’m happy to oblige.

Are people prejudiced against those who go barefoot?

Yes of course!  It’s different, and anything different tends to bring
out a defensive mechanism in people. I think this is very normal.  I
take great care to dress well and to keep my feet and myself clean and
well groomed.  Thus is clear that I’m not on the street, I’m safe and
clean, and that I’m without shoes by choice.

Why do you think some people think it’s weird?

Firstly because it’s different.  Most people have never considered
walking around barefoot – and so anything different is weird.  Most
people also lack the perspective of a barefooter.  They don’t realize
that the bottom of my feet are tough, and very unlikely to get hurt by
anything.  They think of their own soft feet, and think that I must be
crazy for walking around barefoot.  In reality it’s not dangerous at
all.  In fact I’m so much more aware of where I’m walking (both
because I can feel it, and because I look more often) that I would
argue I’d be less likely to get hurt than someone wearing shoes.

Any particularly negative reactions?

I have had many people stop me on the street, and tell me to be
careful.  It’s very cute.  As though I would have been reckless until
the moment they told me to be careful!  I have never had a seriously
negative reaction, but then I don’t push the envelope beyond what I
know people will tolerate.  I don’t go barefoot where it isn’t
appropriate or where I know it would be considered offensive.

Have you influenced others in their decision to live barefoot?

Well I would like to think that the LivingBarefoot.info site has
influenced a lot of people.  I have certainly influenced many to think
about their feet, and really that’s all I want.  I’m not out to
convert the world to barefooting.  That would never happen.  What I
really want is for people to start thinking about their feet in a more
logical and methodical way than they have before. For some people this
might mean that they try barefooting. For others it might mean that
they try different shoes – shoes that are more minimalistic and let
the foot move more naturally.

What are your favourite barefoot walking conditions (snow? grass?  sand? trails? etc.)?

I love the sensation of various textures. I’m happiest when I have
many different surfaces to feel.  Snow is a bit cold, so I don’t tend
to barefoot in snow, but otherwise as much variation as possible is
what I enjoy most.

Do you go barefoot in the winter? If so, do your feet get cold?

I do when it’s above 15 degrees, but colder than that I don’t.  My
feet are generally very warm, but they have a limit.  I wear a product
called Vibram FiveFingers when it’s really cold.  These are shoes that
are more like gloves for the feet.  They are incredibly comfortable
and come in many different styles.  All their shoes have individual
pockets for each toe.

Do  your feet get hot when barefooting on hot summer days (hot pavement etc.)?

Generally my feet are conditioned well enough that my feet won’t get
too hot unless it’s a particularly hot day.  Sometimes I need to avoid
the very dark pavement, especially in the middle of the day.

What are the biggest misconceptions people have about living barefoot?

People’s biggest misconception is that they will get hurt when walking
barefoot. Stepping on glass is the biggest fear.  This is really very
rare.  I myself have never been hurt.  When someone new to barefooting
starts, they have to be very slow and careful because their feet are
so sensitive.  The foot is designed for barefoot walking however and
quickly builds up skin on the bottom of the feet.  Over a period of
weeks the feet become far less sensitive, building a protective
layer.  Thereafter walking barefoot becomes less and less dangerous.

Two things change when you walk barefoot.  First, you walk
differently.  When you walk in shoes, you strike with your heel
first.  When you walk barefoot you tend to strike with your mid-foot.
This lessens the impact of each step. This also gives you better under-
foot sensation, and even if you were to stop on something sharp, for
example, your foot would not let you put the weight of your body onto
it.  Thus those that walk barefoot rarely get hurt.  Second, you have
a better awareness of where you are stepping.  You look more carefully
around you as you walk, and avoid anything that is potentially
dangerous.

The other large misconception is that you might contract worms, or
some other infection or disease by walking barefoot. The ground is,
after all a dirty place and people are fearful of what that dirt
contains.

First, most harmful things enter the body through the mouth and the
nose, not through the feet.  Washing hands is just as important when
walking barefoot than it is when in shoes, and I recommend one never
put ones feet into ones mouth. While the ground is often quite dirty,
I have never found it to be dirty in a harmful way.  Everyone who
walks barefoot should clean their feet at the end of the day, and care
should be taken if anyone did have a cut in the foot to make sure it
was cleaned well and kept clean.  This goes for the hands as well
however, and people don’t worry about  always wearing gloves.  In fact
most people are far less worried than they should be about the
cleanliness of their hands.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever stepped on in bare feet?

I wish I could tell you a wonderful entertaining story about a nail
that was embedded in my foot, or a syringe that i stepped on, but I
really have no stories to tell at all. I’ve stepped on glass which
didn’t penetrate at all.  I’ve stepped on uncomfortable rocks.  I
watch were I go, and otherwise my feet are well protected.

Do you look at the ground when you walk?

Yes, I’m always scanning ahead to see if there is anything I should
avoid.  It’s second nature and very easy.

Any barefoot-related injuries (stubbed toes, cuts)?

The worst thing that has ever happened to my foot was inside my home,
while barefoot, when I stubbed my toe badly on a piece of furniture.
Of course anyone can do that barefoot at home so it’s hardly newsworthy.

Do the sneakers with toes defeat the concept of going barefoot?

By sneakers with toes I assume you mean Vibram FiveFingers?  No, I
think they are a very valid barefoot alternative.  They are amazing
shoes.  These shoes allow your foot to move in just about the same way
as though you were barefoot.  There is no support, and each toe sits
in a separate pocket.  They are just like gloves for your feet, with a
thing durable sole.  These are the perfect shoe for anyone interested
in strengthening their feet without actually going barefoot.  These
are also my shoe of choice when bare feet are not allowed, or when it
really is nice to have something on your feet – like in a public
toilet. We had the pleasure of interviewing the marking manager for
Vibram on The Living Barefoot Show just a few weeks ago.  It’s a great
product with some interesting history.  There are other shoes, namely
Vivo Barefoot, by Terra Plana, and Feelmax from Finland that product
excellent product.

Any recommendations for people who are interested in going barefoot?

Many people rush into the idea.  The most important thing is to go
slow.  Those 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than a hundred muscles,
tendons, and ligaments are not used to being barefoot.  Walking or
running barefoot uses the muscles in the feet in very different way
than when wearing shoes.  There is no support, and without shoes you
have no heel, which means that the posture of your body is also
different.  For all these reasons, no matter how natural it is for us
to be barefoot, it’s very important to start slowly.  Start with 5-10
minutes of walking.  For those that are new to it, the bottom of your
feet will probably not be able to take much more than that before they
need a rest anyway.  Gradually work you way into longer walks and you
will find that your feet will adjust and the bottoms of your feet will
toughen.  This will take weeks, so it isn’t something you can rush
into.  Above all, never push yourself beyond to the point of pain.
Slightly uncomfortable is fine as your feet get used to rougher
surfaces, but there should never be pain.  Don’t be surprised if the
muscles in your feet feel a little soar at first.  That’s normal.

What’s your goal for the Living Barefoot website?

Our goal is to build a community of like-minded and curious people,
and to service as a resource for anyone interested living a more
barefoot lifestyle.  We have a ever-growing selection of articles and
links, an active forum community, and of course The Living Barefoot
Show.  The Living Barefoot Show has perhaps been the most entertaining
and interesting part of this project.  We have a long lineup of guests
for the show and we have been able to give away wonderful prizes to
our listeners.  It’s great to have involvement on so many levels.  We
have created a very interactive environment.  People can read and
comment on articles and review, participate in our forums, and listen
to and call into our show.  We even have a toll-free feedback line set
up for the show.  The site is already a global site and I’m really
excited to see it grow.

What has the response been like to the website?

We could never have expected such a huge response.  We started the
site only a few months ago and are busier than we ever could have
imagined.  Our site receives 30,000 hits per month and even that is
growing at a rate of 105% per month!  Our forums are more and more
active every day, and we are being liked to by more than 100 web
sites.  The Living Barefoot Show has been downloaded by 700 people so
far, and that number is growing every day.  The media attention has
been incredible as well.  All this and we really have just begun. We
are scheduling interviews months in advance for The Living Barefoot
Show.  Companies have been on board as well.  So far we have given
away 13 pairs of shoes to listeners and readers on our site.  It’s all
very exciting.

Your website has 37 (some, very funny) things to say when spotted  barefoot – do you have a favourite response?

I take every situation as an opportunity to start a conversation
rather than to have a quick response.  I think it’s important to
engage people.

Is your wife part of the barefoot movement ?

My wife is wonderful. She supports everything that I do, however,
she’s not really all that interested in walking barefoot outside the
house.  That’s just fine with me.  I’m not here to convert people.

What does your family think of you living barefoot?

Friends and family don’t say much any more.  Everyone is used to it.

Do you recommend that children go barefoot?

Yes, I think that children in particular should go barefoot to help
them develop the strength in their feet.  More than anything however,
I think children should not be put into restrictive shoes while they
grow.  Forcing feet into pointed shoes and shoes with too much support
deforms and weakens feet.  It’s more likely to cause problems as they
get older than being barefoot is.

Do you really think this will one day be commonplace?

Yes, I really do.  Canada and in particular the USA are the most
uptight about bare feet.  Places like Australia and much of Europe are
far more accepting of bare feet and thus it is already more common
place.  Being barefoot is as much a social issue as anything.  Most
people enjoy being barefoot now and again, but as it’s not as common
on public, they don’t do it.  Interviews like this will invite people
to think about it, and eventually will allow for much greater
flexibility.

Do you know of other barefooters in New Westminster (I know of one)?

No I don’t.  I’d be very interested to hear who you know?

Are pedicures out so people can toughen up the bottom of their feet?

Not at all.  Taking good care of one’s feet is very important.  I
think it’s even important that feet look good as this will further the
impression that barefooters aren’t a bunch crazy people.  I might
suggest not filing off all the tough skin on the bottom of your feet,
but a pedicure won’t hurt.

Any idea how much money you’ve save in shoe costs since you’ve gone barefoot?

That’s funny.  I’ve spent more money on “barefoot alternative” shoes
recently than I have on shoes in the past – so for me, no money
savings at all.

Have you noticed if there’s more men or women interested in living  barefoot? (Women are usually the ones we hear about loving shoes).

There are far more men than women, of that there is no doubt.  Men
tend to walk around barefoot a little more often than women anyway,
and thus I think it comes a little bit more naturally – by accident
some of the time.  Women are so much more concerned with the look of
their feet, and thus concerned about getting them dirty.  Most people
think that barefooting requires really hard rough feet, but it really
doesn’t.  You would never be able to tell that I was a barefooter
unless I told you.

What is your hope for the barefoot movement?

My hope is that people will think more carefully about the shoes they
wear.  My hope is that shoe manufacturers will make shoes that are
built around the biomechanics of the foot, rather than feet being
forced into stiff, inflexible shoes.  My hope is that more people will
enjoy the benefits of being barefoot, and more than anything, that
society will relax so that anyone who wants to try can do so without
any hinderances.

Have you read Born to Run by Christopher McDougall?

It is a wonderful and inspirational book that is a must-read.  I am
reading it now in preparation for our interview with Christopher in
the near future.

Any final words for New Westminster residents who may be interested  in going barefoot?

Please contact me through the livingbarefoot.info site, join our
forums, and listen to our show.  I would love to have more of New West
participate.  In the spring we plan to start offering gatherings and
hikes in various locaitons, so it would be great to start that off in
New Westminster.

How long have you lived in New Westminster?

6 Years.

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