Shoes? They're Overrated ...A.K.A. "Got barefoot?"



YES!

     To say that I tend to be barefoot (or in flipflops) as much as humanly possible would be a pretty big understatement. Fortunately I was blessed with really, REALLY good feet (that I take ridiculously good care of), so I can pull that off without ever worrying! ..So, what would I chalk up this all-consuming hatred of wearing "regular" shoes & socks to? Hmmm, besides being somewhat of a freak or slightly weird...ok, yes, more than slightly...would it be a "growing up in Northport, NY" thing? Because it was sure easy growing up here, going barefoot almost anyplace you would feel like it, when you spent the formative years of your life in a waterfront, beach-community town. But many of my friends who didn't grow up in Northport, or even close to the water, have the same 'No Shoes' attitude as I do. And at Northport high school back in the late 80's, it was almost commonplace to leave your sneakers in your locker (or carry 'em with you), and go to class barefoot when the weather was warm enough, usually from mid/late-May on. Or, when you finally started driving, you'd have shoes for the morning classes, shoot down to Crab Meadow or Asharoken Beach on the lunch period (it was an open campus), recklessly speed back to class, haphazardly park (because now you were late), leave your shoes/sneakers/flipflops in your car, and spend the last 2 or 3 periods shoeless! ..It was always funny to have one of the afternoon teachers comment, "Uh, didn't you have shoes on when I saw you this morning?" Hah, but then some of those teachers were guilty of the same "hippie behavior" as us teenagers! Mrs. Hickey, my 11th grade math teacher, would kick her heels off almost everyday, teach the class barefoot, with not a care in the world! Of course, I thought this was cool-as-hell, because my mentality was exactly the same way! And in 9th grade, it was my social studies teacher, Ms. Kroon, who at least 2-3 times a week, would sit at her desk (while we all reading text or readying to take notes), and you would hear the "ka-klunk ka-klunk" sound of shoes hitting the floor, and she would then walk around the rest of the class period, teaching in her stocking feet..(Ugh, is there any term worse than "stocking feet"? It just sounds like it shoulda' really been left back in 1924). Well, whatever the reason is for never wanting to wear shoes & socks, I never grew out of it, and now as I approach those middle-age years, I'm probably way more outta' control now than I ever was as a kid! No problems here, I am surely happy with that character flaw! Especially since I always do the "crazy painted toes" pedicure thing now! I only wear flipflops all year, until the temperatures get down to the frostbite/dangerous levels, but it's to the point that I actually went out, 2 yrs. ago, and bought some nice Steve Madden dressy leather guys' flipflops, to wear to all summer/warm weather weddings, engagement parties, etc., JUST so I can leave 'em at the table after a few (too many) drinks, and rock the dancefloor barefoot, to a MASSIVE number of kudos, compliments, and yes, many people wanting to snap pictures of my silly, painted-toes!! Besides my sister's wedding (in which I was running around playing host, taking pictures, conversing with everyone, and not really hitting the dancefloor), I canNOT remember the last wedding reception, or other semi-formal party, that I actually wore my shoes at (Yes, maybe there's a liquid-based reason I can't remember)! Seriously, if it wasn't "flipflops off & drunken barefoot dancefloor boogiedown", then it was "dress shoes off & drunken sliding around in socks the entire night"! ..The picture at the top of this post was from Sept. 2010, my friend Meghan's incredible wedding. 4 songs in, those Madden flipflops were off, and dancin' barefoot (Intox? Yep!) for the next 4 hours. The funny part about that picture is that it was taken by the professional wedding photographer, who musta' saw me with my camoflage toes, came up and asked, "Sir, is it OK if we get a picture of your feet?" Haha! Why, sure you can, buddy!!! And Meghan's mom, who I had never met before that reception, came up to me at one point, and said, "I saw you dancing barefoot from across the room, and I LOVE that you're not wearing shoes! I had to come over and meet you because you look like you're having so much fun!!"  I was! ...And really, isn't that what it's all about in the end? BARE FEET = FUN ....Disclaimer: As long as YOU take care of your feet!!   ...(Below is me & Meghan again, from our friend Mary's St. Pat's Day Wedding, 2011.. Yes, those are shamrocks on my big toes! And, no surprise, Meg & I were pretty much the first ones losin' the shoes at that reception. Some things you canNOT change, so don't even try! :)