Grin and bare it!

 

My sister on our frozen lake in Sweden - look at her bare feet!!!

 

As you know, my sister is here. What you may not know is that she is totally bonkers! (Well, it does run in the family…) When I asked her for an interview, she agreed to reveal a little known secret. So here it is: an exclusive interview. Never seen before (well, not on this blog, anyway).

You see, she is a member of a society. A bare society. One that encourages nudity. Of the feet. “Did you know that we are born with our own shoes? They’re water-proof and free with leathery soles!” That’s how my sister describes the joys of living barefoot. All the time. So keen is she that she is now a member of the Society for Barefoot Living.

So, how did it all start? Well, her husband started running without shoes on in order to cure his Achilles heel problems. This was last September. One sunny day, my sister wondered what it would feel like to walk on the streets and woods without her shoes on. She never looked back.

She loved the feel of crunchy twigs, springy moss, hot pavements, cool shop interiors, smooth floors, rain and cold snow under her feet. These days she drives barefoot, shops without her shoes on and walks barefoot as much as possible – or as much as her courage allows.

I wondered what the benefits are. “It’s healthy and a good way to exercise your feet. It takes ten years off your life.” When she first started barefooting (that’s a technical term), she wondered why her feet were bright pink. “Er… that’s your circulation,” her husband explained. Apparently, she hasn’t had circulation before, poor thing.

“My feet are tingly all over. It’s fun. You can feel everything!” And – here’s the clincher (well, apart from the looking younger bit. Barefooting is, at least, cheaper than Botox.) “I feel like a child again!”

And – if you think about it – most of us went barefoot as kids. I know we did – and the anklebiters refuse shoes and socks as soon as the weather allows. (I’ll let you into a little secret: I never ever wear shoes indoors.)

Do you remember the feel of sand between your toes, mud oozing over your feet or the freshly-scented feel of grass? Liberating. Carefree. The feel of childhood.

Go on – try it out! You know you want to…