19 Is there such a thing as soleless footwear?
Description
This article is from the Living Barefoot FAQ, by Paul J. Lucas with numerous contributions by others.
19 Is there such a thing as soleless footwear?
_Bare Bottoms_ or soleless sandals
They are really just a leather strap worn to make it appear to
a casual observer that you're wearing sandals even though your
soles and toes remain naturally and comfortably bare.
Experience with them indicates that they do in fact fool
people, the "No Bare Feet" crowd being the chief target. The
theory is that an observer's brain doesn't notice anything
unusual in peripheral vision, not enough to glance down. People
who do glance down may feel too stupid asking a question even
though they may realize that "something's wrong with this
picture."
You used to be able to get them from _American Science &
Surplus_ in Skokie, IL; however, they're all sold out and no
more are being made. The description:
A pair of 1/2" x 33" leather straps with a
buckle on one end and a couple of small slits
with brass studs along the way. The idea was to
thread the strap around your big toe and arch
passing through the slits on the way. Viola!
Something that looked like a sandal but wasn't.
Perfect to get into a "No shoes, No service"
spot. Made in 1967 for the anti-establishment
soleless folks.
and photo showing them being modeled (by me):
ftp://ftp.barefooters.org/alb/
should enable you to make your own or enable a local
craftsperson to make you a pair.
_Hawaiian Sno-Shoes_
These are also a soleless sandal, but are more intricate than
Bare Bottoms. They loop around your "index toe" and your ankle.
A catalog of these, in various styles and colors, may be
obtained by writing to:
Hawaiian Sno-Shoes
301 Moose Hill Road
Monroe, CT 06468
A graphic is available at:
http://members.aol.com/bhthom/hawaiian.htm
_Barefoot Sandals_
These are an even more intricate design than Hawaiian Sno-Shoes
in that there is a portion that wraps up your lower leg. A
catalog of these may be obtained by contacting:
The River Studio, Inc.
1013 Azaleamum Drive
Three Rivers, MI 49093
(616) 273-2488
(616) 273-3310 (FAX)
There is also a Barefoot Sandals home page:
http://www.horsetooth.com/barefoot/
_Barefoot Gaiters_
These are leather coverings for the tops of your feet and
arches: the toes, balls, and heels of your feet remain bare.
These are good for warmth. If you can't get these ready-made, a
good leather crafter can make them for you inexpensively. Or,
if you would like to make them yourself, there are detailed
instructions on pp. 74-78 of _The Barefoot Hiker_ (see the
Reference section).
SECTION 5: Reference
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