I've been so busy with the podcast that I haven't had time to tell the story about my first barefoot in a store experience. It was a few days ago, on a trip into Calgary. I had been wearing my VFF Classics all morning and decided to take them off in the car between errands. I like my Classics but barefoot is better sometimes.
We arrived at the health food store and I didn't feel like putting my Classics back on, so I went in the store without them! I was a little apprehensive because this store sells groceries and I didn't know how they'd feel about a customer with no shoes on, but I thought I'd try it out anyway.
I walked around the whole store looking for the items I had come to get. Several staff and customers walked passed me. I'm sure that at least two staff members noticed that I was barefoot and neither said anything. In fact, the staff member that helped me with my purchases was unbelievably nice to me.
My first impressions of being barefoot in a store: the floors were very smooth and cold compared to outside (and particularly clean at this store), the floor is much colder near the refrigerator section, I made no sound with my footfalls, anxiety/self-consciousness is tempered by friendly staff, maybe I should do this more often?
I know that there are a few barefoot-friendly stores in Calgary. Maybe the next time I go to them, I'll have the guts to go barefoot now that I've tried it once and liked it.
(In case you're near the Calgary area, the health food store is Amaranth Whole Foods Market.)
