What is Barefoot?
[[File:Great Britain Before the First World War Q81819.jpg|thumb|Barefoot [[children]], in a [[slum]] area, in [[Great Britain]], during the [[First world war|First World War]]. ]] [[File:Hans Thoma - Der Kinderreigen (1872).jpg|thumb|[[Hans Thoma]], Der Kinderreigen (1872) shows barefoot children playing. ]] [[File:Healthy feet.JPG|thumb|Footprints of a girl that regularly walks barefoot]] People who do not wear [[Shoe|shoes]] and [[Sock|socks]] or [[tights]] are said to be '''barefoot'''. Being barefoot is a natural way of walking. There are many receptors and muscles in the foot, which help sense the ground people are walking on. There's a thick layer of skin on the feet. This layer will get even thicker in people who often walk barefoot. This protection has its limits. Likely shoes were developed to protect against heat or cold. The oldest known traces of shoes date to about 8,500 years ago. People think some kinds of shoes were used when Europe was settled about 40,000 years ago. Going barefoot has many health benefits. Improvement in balance and coordination, better food mechanics that can also benefit other parts of a person's body,<ref>{{Cite web|last=By|date=2015-11-18|title=Walking Barefoot Helps You Avoid Foot Injuries; Also Improves Posture, Balance, And Stability|url=https://www.medicaldaily.com/walking-barefoot-helps-you-avoid-foot-injuries-also-improves-posture-balance-and-362164|access-date=2024-11-25|website=Medical Daily|language=en-US}}</ref> and a feeling of better mental well-being are some reasons to consider going barefoot. On the other hand, risks of injury and disease mean that people should exercise caution when choosing when and where to go barefoot. <ref>{{Cite web|title=The Dangers of Going Barefoot|url=https://www.aspirus.org/mediacenter/the-dangers-of-going-barefoot-93|access-date=2024-11-25|website=www.aspirus.org|language=en-US}}</ref> Other than at home, popular places to go barefoot are beaches and parks. Some college campuses are open to students not wearing shoes.<ref>{{Ci