A couple of days ago the Spanish newspaper, El País had a very interesting article about how many actors are being spotted going barefoot in and about town. In ¿Por qué a los famosos les ha dado por andar descalzos? (Why have the famous been walking barefoot?). The article does a nice job talking about the benefits of going barefoot.
But of course they also have to talk to a podiatrists who hates it.
The article starts out by noting that photo shoot with Gisele Bundchen for Chanel, but then goes on to note that a lot of celebrities are starting to go barefoot in their daily life. They mention Chris Martin in Malibu, and show a picture of Rihanna barefoot in New York City fairly recently.
Rihanna in New York
When they talk about the benefits of barefooting, they rely on the book by Michael Sandler and Jessica Lee Barefoot Walking. But they cannot resist using the word “supposed” when talking about those benefits.
The article also covers the fact that going barefoot in daily life is not uncommon in Australia and New Zealand, but is quite rare in Europe. For Spain in particular, the article says that most Spanish regard going barefoot as poor hygiene (the old Health Department myth). They say going barefoot in a grocery store will attract attention.
And then, of course, they talk to a podiatrist, Miguel Canovas, former president of the Asociación Española de Podología. He concedes that taking off shoes after a long day’s work is a good thing, but beyond that:
Eso es una barbaridad. Lo desaconsejo totalmente desde el punto de vista dermatológico, por la protección de la piel del calor del asfalto o de cristales o clavos que puedan causar heridas, y también desde el punto de vista muscular, porque nuestros pies no están adaptados a ello. Han sido año de evolución y no podemos pretender cambiarlo de repente.
Yup, he calls going barefoot outside a “barbarity”. He’s horribly afraid of glass and nails, and even hot streets.
And then he really is an idiot, saying our feet are not adapted to going barefoot because our feet have now evolved to wearing shoes. Well, urban feet may not be adapted to going barefoot, but that’s just a question of conditioning. Do it more, and feet will respond. But evolution?
No way.
We know huge numbers of people still went barefoot even only 100 years ago. Evolution does not work like that in just a few generations. Pfft.
The article ends by noting the recent controversy at Cannes, regarding high heels on the red carpet there. It turns out that at least one woman had no problem going barefoot there: Adriana Karembeu. (And no, this was not a case of her showing up in painful heels and then taking them off—this was the look she was going for.)
Adriana Karembeu at Cannes in May, 2011
The article has a pretty good list (and pictures) of various celebrities barefoot out on the streets. You might want to check it out.
OK, the newspapers, like all media, these days tend to polarise and print strong-worded opinions to keep the reader’s attention. An emotional reaction makes you more likely to read the news item. However, the warning of this podologist against supposed injuries may be in line with official health policy, but this bit about evolution and “we can’t go barefoot anymore” should not be possible from a serious medical man. As we barefooters all know from personal experience…
Yeah, and we did not evolve to be able to bench press 500 pounds. But people like Hugh Jackman can. So can plenty of football players, bodybuilders, and many others. Gee, how do they do it? By conditioning, of course. Everyone seems to get that they were not born to do that, but worked out hours and hours daily with heavier and heavier weights to get to that point, for years. But they fail to understand that the ability to go barefoot everywhere is infinitely easier to achieve, and can be achieved by almost anyone, with little effort or exertion. How is it that people in the medical profession cannot grasp this?
El País isn’t just some sensationalist tabloid, but Spain’s most famous and respected newspaper. As I speak no spanish and I find google-translated texts the equivalent of walking on the roughest gravel road (not a pleasure) I have not read the article (thank you for summarizing it).
Regarding these celebrities, it should really be up to themselves if they prefer to go barefoot – why not? The difference is that every step they do in public, no matter how insignificant, may be photographed and published.
The next time you are asked why you are walking barefoot you can point out that your favourite celebrity is doing it too. There’s another thing that comes to mind with the ladies in particular: They attend many high society events expecting them to put on high heeled shoes (as it was recently discussed on this blog as well) and any distance walked in high heels is probably torture and wearing you out, whereas a barefoot stroll is an invigorating stimulation. So they are doing the necessary compensation sport required to stand through the next high heeled reception …
This is depressing, but expected. We really need some publicity to expose them as quacks.
I’m glad more celebrities are going barefoot. Hopefully that will take the pressure of those of us who are seen as crazy. (Of course, some of them are from countries where bare feet are more normal to begin with.)
There seem to be two schools of thought in podiatrics, one advocating going barefoot and the other demonizing it. Maybe sometime someone will research where and when these were established.
What I do not like is the implication that humans who can and do go barefoot are somehow “less evolved” — an absurdity in itself, but so fitting to what a part of the population thinks how evolution works.
In the same way as some fish that live for many generations in absolutely dark caves have no more eyes, would they be ‘more evolved’? No, just specialized for their particular situation.
But even if the ability to walk barefoot easily may not be an evolutionary advantage to all – even those who don’t aren’t genetically very far from those generations when it was a real advantage to run barefoot on any surface with no difficulties. And this ability is in every healthy born individual.
With a decline of ingrown toenails, foot fungi, hammertoes, plantar fasciitis, and twisted ankles, I suspect podiatrists would have less issues to treat which most likely coincides with a loss of income.