F—burg, Massachusetts

While barefooters will often tell you that there are no health codes prohibiting bare feet in establishments like restaurants, many who have been around for a while know that there is one area that has them. There’s a cluster of town ordinances in Massachusetts, including Lexington (of Lexington and Concord fame). Birthplace of freedom? Bah! More like the cradle of priggery.

And it started a long time ago.

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Bare feet? In the Library?

There was an article in yesterday’s Columbus Dispatch, Story-time hero at Whetstone library retires after 3,000 readings. The long-time story-time librarian (and assistant manager) at the Whetstone branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, Sam Pathy, is retiring today.

And you’ll never guess what was in the cover photo.

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Like We’ve Never Heard That Before

The Sentinel and Enterprise, in Fitchburg, MA has an advice columnist. In today’s issue, there’s this horrible office situation that “Dear Annie” has to deal with.

You’ll never guess what it is.

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Barefoot Contest

Given today’s attitudes, can you even imagine a school holding a Barefoot Contest? Me neither.

But in the 1930s they held them.

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Miss Manners Addresses NSNSNS

We take a break from our regularly-scheduled travelog in the Badlands because a reader has asked Miss Manners about the “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service” signs in restaurants.

But you really won’t believe what torques off that reader.

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The Spanish Have Idiot Podiatrists, Too

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.

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Wanted: Barefoot Armed Robber

Early yesterday morning, about 3 miles (as the crow flies) from my house, a Speedway gas station was robbed.

The perp was barefoot.

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Institutionalized Foot Deformation

It’s time for the Cannes Film Festival. And how does one dress for the Red Carpet? Well, if you are a woman, presumably you have to torture your feet.

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Danger Magnet

Why do so many stories regarding bare feet make so little sense. It’s as if their presence make people forget about logic.

Our story today comes from Singapore.

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Ye Olde Schoolhouse

There was a feature in the Columbia Missourian back in 2009 about a field trip a local fifth grade made to a (replica) one-room schoolhouse. According to 11-year-old Amanda McDonald, the best part was

“We get to going barefoot.”

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More from Albuquerque

In one of the comments to When NSNSNS Came to Albuquerque, it was asked whether the anti-barefoot attitude of the restaurants were already established before the NSNSNS signs appeared.

We can answer that.

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When NSNSNS Came to Albuquerque

It’s always interesting (in a pathetic sort of way) to explore the origins of the dreaded “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service” signs.

Here’s an article from the summer of 1977 from Albuquerque.

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Dangerous

Here’s another one of those delightful articles from yesteryear, designed to demonize bare feet.

It’s from 1959.

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Burien, WA Bans Bare Feet

Burien, WA is a suburb of Seattle. In August they passed an ordinance that essentially bans people from any conduct that is “dangerous, unsafe, illegal, or unreasonably disruptive” on all city property, both indoors and outdoors.

And they consider bare feet to be “unreasonably disruptive”.

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Bare Feet Free The Soul

Here’s another one of those articles about bare feet that appeared during the Vietnam War. It’s written by Ward Cannel, who had a regular newspaper column. It appeared in the summer of 1967.

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