I offer three pieces of evidence to satisfy your inquiries into the matter. All participating subjects have, at some point within a recent time-frame, run barefoot.
1. So I was running down a hill with a MadMayoite. She was barefoot. “Lean back, right?” she asked. It’s a steep hill. I said “Just bend you knees, relax, and be vertical. Look at the trees – they’re vertical. Be like the trees.”
Be like the trees. I said that in total seriousness.
2. Viper, apparently much more susceptible to hippy-ness than I, has made himself some Huaraches. I’m nowhere near that stage yet, but I must confess I didn’t think to crack a joke at him, so I guess I’m on my way.
3. Jamoosh is thinking of burning his running journal and just going with the flow, man. Again, I’m further implicated as I haven’t been super accurate with times and distances lately, especially if I’m running with the dogs.
Fellow barefooters, please feel free to use the comment section to share and contribute your hippy transformation experiences. Did you used to be a member of the Young Republican’s Club, and now you’re living in a Yurt? Were you a corporate executive at a Fortune 500 company, and now you’re handing out leaflets at protest rallies?
For my shod readers: consider yourself warned.
Ooh! Lentils for dinner!
Shhhh, I’ve eaten organic food.
Does it work the other way too? I already consider myself a hippy (I’m wearing socks and sandals as we speak!) Maybe I need to consider ditching my Nikes so I can keep my street cred intact.
Matt: whenever I hear/read “organic” I think of the music played at silent movies. Or hymns.
Tamara: it certainly wouldn’t hurt.
besides running barefoot, I make my own natural soap (a useful hobby for barefoot running) and dream of living in a geodesic dome.
I am already earthmothery and going barefoot was just the next inevitable phase for me.
kelly: as the Official Barefoot Runner Representative for Charlie’s Soap, I tell you this: should our paths ever cross, we shall have to have a soap show down.
Angie: so do you find yourself to be more, less, or just as hippy as before? This is important. It’s science.
PS I’m not saying hippyification is a bad thing. If Willie Nelson or Tommy Chong started running barefoot, that would be awesome, but not really a shocker. What would happen if Donald Trump went for a barefoot trot around central park?
Are we messing with cosmic balance here?
I was more “hippy” in my pre-teens and teens. Much of my image was dictated by my torn jeans, fatigues and workshirts. So I guess a full circle would have me edging back toward “hippy” with removing my shoes.
I think on my next run I will carry incense and adjust my stride to a more “Mr. Natural” technique.
(Do people remember Mr. Natural?)
Keep on truckin!
I was “granola” in college but wore Dr. Martens then.
My home town is the main subject of a popular protest song. I’m lucky I’ve held out this long. I knew the stench of patchouli before I could walk.
Josh…regarding Charlie’s soap…I can’t think of a better sponsor than soap for a barefoot runner, and I envy the company’s entrepeneural spirit…however, with all due respect for your style I went to Charlie’s site to see what it’s made from. They say its a detergent, meaning a synthetic petroleum-based cleaner. Their online MSDS says “N/A” under chemical name. I’m guessing it’s sodium lauryl sulfate. This is not really soap, man, it’s detergent the same as they use at car washes and engine degreasers. I agree that it does an excellent job degreasing your body. My soaps are made only from vegetable oils, like Dr. Bronners. They are mild soaps and don’t strip away the oils from your skin. If Charlie’s works for you, then keep on keeping on man. And if I’m wrong about Charlie’s soap’s content, then tell me so. Have a great day!
Kelly: I think you’re looking at the laundry detergent (which works great on my clothes!) – I use the all purpose cleaner for my feet. When I first tried it, I was worried they would dry out (I honestly did try it for some time before approaching the company with my absurd proposition), but that hasn’t been a problem. I have had all of my wife’s fancy foot lotions at the ready, and I almost never use them.
Or maybe my feet are super oily and need to be degreased on a regular basis.
And I dilute it, of course. I don’t need to do straight-up soap. Although I have in the past without any problems.