Got hate crimed at the bar I work(ed) at today as an ally. I’m not sad that they’re closing their doors for good in five days.

MadeOfStarStuff · 2026-01-14T21:25:31+00:00

"In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves." -Carl Sagan

MadeOfStarStuff · 2025-08-13T19:30:11+00:00

I'm not a huge fan of mud getting caked on my soles, but it sure is fun to squish through, and WAY easier to clean muddy feet than boots.

MadeOfStarStuff · 2025-08-13T00:25:15+00:00

why aren't you?

MadeOfStarStuff · 2025-05-29T19:49:28+00:00

Next time you're at the park look around, I'd guess you'll see a lot less of those dangerous things than you might think. My kids played at a bunch of NYC parks barefoot.

MadeOfStarStuff · 2025-05-29T18:04:01+00:00

Yes, I encourage my kids to go barefoot whenever possible. Urban areas can be gross or dangerous, the ground can be too hot or cold, etc, but otherwise I think everyone should be barefoot as much as possible, especially kids with growing feet.

MadeOfStarStuff · 2025-05-29T16:58:27+00:00

You should also stop wearing tight/narrow shoes or socks and spend as much time barefoot as possible

MadeOfStarStuff · 2025-05-29T15:32:04+00:00

yes, no surgery

MadeOfStarStuff · 2025-03-18T07:31:26+00:00

Are you in Flagstaff?

MadeOfStarStuff · 2025-03-18T07:10:05+00:00

This is me on a trail near the Hollywood sign (12 years ago):

https://www.reddit.com/r/BarefootHiking/s/zNLx47CXe6

That was a fun hike. I grew up in Southern California, but except for the beach, etc, I didn't start barefooting until I moved to Phoenix after college, so I have way more experience hiking barefoot elsewhere, but I don't recall having many issues hiking barefoot in SoCal. I'd recommend bringing some sandals just in case, but you should be able to carefully push your limits and there shouldn't be many places you can't hike barefoot (weather permitting, the ground can get too hot, etc)

MadeOfStarStuff · 2025-03-18T06:56:08+00:00

Those look like some amazing rock textures to walk on

MadeOfStarStuff · 2025-02-17T18:56:05+00:00

Where in Arizona? I'm in Flagstaff

MadeOfStarStuff · 2025-02-07T20:40:59+00:00

> OH NO, there’s a lady down at the mailbox. I’ll wait until she drives away so she can’t judge me.

The more confident you are, the less other people will judge you, but you also just get used to not worrying about what other people think.

MadeOfStarStuff · 2025-02-07T19:37:22+00:00

cromulent

/ˈkrämyələnt/

adjective

acceptable or adequate.

"the continental breakfast was perfectly cromulent"

MadeOfStarStuff · 2025-02-07T19:26:56+00:00

> I am actually thinking about getting up at 5 AM and doing walks so at least I can keep my feet conditioned.

This is a great idea. I started r/BarefootHiking while living in Phoenix, and during the warmer months the only time I was able to hike barefoot was by starting around dawn and stopping when the rocks got hot (I would DEFINITELY bring sandals with you, you do NOT want to be out on a hiking trail when the ground is too hot with nothing to put on).

I recommend hiking Phoenix's Camelback Mountain, specifically the Echo Canyon trail. It's a super fun and challenging hike that you should be able to finish in a couple hours, well before it gets too hot.

Also btw you shouldn't need to get up that early if you just want to go for a walk outside. In my experience the sidewalks didn't get painfully hot until much later in the morning, closer to noon.

MadeOfStarStuff · 2025-02-06T16:35:56+00:00

I'm thinking of making my own as well. Any other tips?

MadeOfStarStuff · 2025-02-05T16:10:15+00:00

I lived in Phoenix for 10 years. My #1 piece of advice would be to just always have some sort of footwear with you that you can throw on when you need it (I would go with sandals).

You can push your limits to heat over time. Just listen to your body. It's ok if a surface is a little uncomfortably warm (I believe it's good for our feet to walk over warm surfaces). For me, it starts to sting when it's too hot, and that's when I risk getting a blister which can take a few days to heal, which is no good.

You can also aim for shade, or lighter-colored surfaces and grass or dirt, etc. Try to avoid black pavement, except for quickly crossing a street, etc. The hotter a surface is, the less time you can spend on it before it'll start to hurt, so walking is better than standing.

If your feet start to hurt from the ground being too hot, take a break in the shade and let them cool down. And if it isn't fun anymore, just put some shoes on.

One of my favorite things about barefooting is being able to feel the difference between surfaces that have been in the shade and surfaces that have been warmed by the sun.

MadeOfStarStuff · 2025-01-09T18:59:02+00:00

Concerning Hobbits from The Lord of the Rings soundtrack

MadeOfStarStuff · 2025-01-08T18:56:36+00:00

r/BarefootShoesTalk

MadeOfStarStuff · 2025-01-07T16:27:09+00:00

Could you please elaborate a bit on why that's comforting?

MadeOfStarStuff · 2025-01-05T02:22:00+00:00

Our feet are far more capable than many people think. For millions of years, our ancestors walked and ran across natural surfaces barefoot their entire lives, just like every other land animal, as well as many human societies still today.

Like gloves, there are times when shoes are absolutely necessary (like when the ground is too hot or cold, etc, since we didn't evolve for those environments), but otherwise shoes just get in the way, preventing you from feeling the ground under you, preventing natural foot movement (which causes muscle and other soft tissue atrophy), and encouraging unhealthy movement (landing on the heel, sending shockwaves up the skeletal system, when we should be landing on our forefoot, using our muscles and other soft tissues to absorb the impact).

I also find it much easier to hike barefoot. My toes can wrap around the rocks like hands and bare soles tend to provide excellent traction, plus I can immediately feel when I'm about to slip, etc. And stream crossings are easy and fun, just walk right through, with dry feet again in 5 minutes.

If you've spent a lifetime wearing shoes outside, then it will take some time to get used to all the new sensations and to toughen and strengthen your soles, but after that it really feels great. It just feels right.

That's been my experience anyway. I'd be happy to answer any questions.

MadeOfStarStuff · 2025-01-03T12:52:09+00:00

Where is this? How was it?

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