Two years ago, 56-year-old Jacky Simon from Jerusalem decided to throw his shoes away and walk everywhere barefoot. He has not stopped ever since.
“I go barefooted to the post office, mall, grocery store, I even went barefooted to weddings,” says the social worker, who admits to putting on shoes at work, which has a dress code.
But, he walks barefoot to the office and back. Simon has a pair of shoes waiting for him at work. He says he takes the shoes off the moment he clocks out and heads home.
Jacky has always enjoyed walking barefoot, but would only do so while walking his dog. His commitment to going barefoot fulltime began in 2020, during the COVID lockdowns, when he began working remotely from home.
“There was a period of time that we would arrive at the office, but people would not be allowed in. I told myself that this was my chance to come into the office barefoot without anyone saying anything about it because no one was there."
“When they started allowing for people to work at the office again, I was asked to come to work with shoes on. Some approached my manager, saying they thought it was unseemly for a social worker to arrive barefoot to work since there is a dress code.”
Simon also has a pair of shoes in his backpack or car in case he needs to wear them in what he describes as a “shoe emergency.”
The 56-year-old wanted wanted to connect with other Israelis who enjoy walking barefooted, so he created the “Barefoot in Israel” Facebook group, which as of now has over 160 members. “Members take photos of themselves walking barefoot or share how they handle situations in which they weren’t allowed to walk barefoot. For example, someone shared she wasn’t allowed to board the train without shoes.”
Simon went on to explain why exactly he dislikes shoes so passionately. “What I don’t like about them is that they make my feet sweaty, even with sandals on. The sensation of air hitting your feet while they’re touching the ground is pleasant. I’m feeling grounded when I walk barefoot on the beach, no matter what kind of surface it is - sand or floor tiles - walking barefoot makes me connected to my environment.”
He also says it took him some time to be comfortable walking without shoes in public. “I was afraid no place I’d go to would let me in. I feared how people and coworkers might react.”
Simon says reactions to him walking barefoot are often mixed. “Some don’t even notice because they don’t look down, and some find it weird. I once heard a young girl tell her mom, ‘This man’s feet are naked’. A week ago, I went to a wedding and someone yelled at me that ‘this isn’t India,’ while another asked if I needed money to buy shoes.
“I understand some people find it odd because it’s not socially acceptable. But, I don’t mind people calling me a hippie – I think it’s cool.”
Simon explains some of his relatives are also not particularly fond of his unusual lifestyle. “It bothers my mother and brother, they have a hard time accepting it,” he says. “My mom was hospitalized for a bit, and didn’t like me going to the hospital barefoot, she asked me ‘Why did you come without shoes? You’re embarrassing me.'’’
"My wife accepts it because she knows I enjoy it, but she still keeps asking me to put on shoes when we go out. When we went to the theater once I agreed to be considerate and put on shoes.”
Jacky’s wife, Vered, says her husband's affinity for walking barefoot is "a little embarrassing."
"Sometimes I keep my distance from him so people won’t think we’re together. I keep telling him, ‘Are you sure you’ll continue doing this until your last day? And he answers, 'Yes, didn’t you get used to it by now?’”
Walking barefoot on the street could be dangerous, and Simon is aware of that. “You need to be aware of where you’re walking. It’s dangerous and I take into account I could get glass and other things in my feet, it’s part of the fun. I had glass in my foot once, and I usually pull it out safely. One time it got a little deep and I was in pain, but it's just another part of it.
“I occasionally step into mud, but I find it fun, not disgusting, I usually look out for mud to step into. Walking at the market is dirtier due to the vegetable juices, but it doesn’t bother me, I like feeling the floor.”
Simon says dirtying his feet isn’t an issue for him. “It is not bad because we don’t eat with our feet. I don’t wash my legs when I come home. Only in the evening, and then the dirt comes off.”
Simon also isn’t excited about changes in weather. “I think my soles are already thick enough, and I can walk on hot asphalt barefooted without it bothering me, it’ll even be pleasant. It’s never too hot for me on asphalt or sand.
“It snowed last year and I wasn't sure if I could stand the cold. I started walking with my dog and felt my feet adjust to the cold. You can feel the cold and your leg gets small cramps, but the pain isn’t unbearable."
Simon said his dream was for people to accept others who walk barefoot everywhere. “So I won’t have to think about when I should or shouldn’t be barefoot. I want it to become legitimate because it becomes less weird after that. I wouldn’t mind not having shoes and socks in my house at all.”