{"items": [{"author": "Danner", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeff-kaufman/how-safe-is-it-to-walk-barefoot-in-cities/10150228710601213/?comment_id=10150228718556213", "anchor": "fb-10150228718556213", "service": "fb", "text": "i'd say 2% is accurate, but as your feet get calloused and thicker, glass isn't as much of a bother, if its big enough to hurt you, its big enough to see(on pavement or concrete). I don't trust city grass because it hides larger pieces of pokey things in it.
And thats definitely something people forget, when you walk barefoot, you watch where you place your feet much better than with shoes on.
I watch 4-8 steps ahead, marking every place where I will step. Thats 'out' number one. number two is last second avoidance, where you see something just as you go to put your foot down, and can adjust where you place your foot, number three is foot-rolling, to avoid putting pressure on whatever sharp thing you start feeling on your foot(lots of nerve endings). number four is foot toughness, and number five is alcohol, bandaids, and moleskin in my bag, along with possibly my shoes.
Five outs before I feel seriously worried about my predicament walking/running barefoot in the city. Thats good enough for me.", "timestamp": "1310652358"}, {"author": "Victor", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeff-kaufman/how-safe-is-it-to-walk-barefoot-in-cities/10150228710601213/?comment_id=10150228721836213", "anchor": "fb-10150228721836213", "service": "fb", "text": "You guys are convincing me that shoes are a good idea!", "timestamp": "1310652716"}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeff-kaufman/how-safe-is-it-to-walk-barefoot-in-cities/10150228710601213/?comment_id=10150228722971213", "anchor": "fb-10150228722971213", "service": "fb", "text": "At this rate I would expect to get a bad splinter ~2 times a summer. That's not so bad.", "timestamp": "1310652823"}, {"author": "Danner", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeff-kaufman/how-safe-is-it-to-walk-barefoot-in-cities/10150228710601213/?comment_id=10150228723406213", "anchor": "fb-10150228723406213", "service": "fb", "text": "I get more splinters on the kitchen floor and deck than from walking outside.", "timestamp": "1310652861"}, {"author": "Grace", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeff-kaufman/how-safe-is-it-to-walk-barefoot-in-cities/10150228710601213/?comment_id=10150228830486213", "anchor": "fb-10150228830486213", "service": "fb", "text": "Have you tried Vibram Five Fingers? Other than being awesomely ridiculous looking, they do simulate barefootedness quite well IMO.", "timestamp": "1310656420"}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeff-kaufman/how-safe-is-it-to-walk-barefoot-in-cities/10150228710601213/?comment_id=10150228831071213", "anchor": "fb-10150228831071213", "service": "fb", "text": "@Grace: I've ordered some to wear for when it gets too cold to walk barefoot. When it's warm out I'm happy with no shoes.", "timestamp": "1310656471"}, {"author": "Grace", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeff-kaufman/how-safe-is-it-to-walk-barefoot-in-cities/10150228710601213/?comment_id=10150228831971213", "anchor": "fb-10150228831971213", "service": "fb", "text": "I have three pairs of them. They are great and addictive. I can't wear them in the ICU so I wear Merrill Trail Gloves, which are barefoot style sneakers.", "timestamp": "1310656574"}, {"author": "Cory", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeff-kaufman/how-safe-is-it-to-walk-barefoot-in-cities/10150228710601213/?comment_id=10150228836506213", "anchor": "fb-10150228836506213", "service": "fb", "text": "I used to go barefoot all the time, the one time I stepped on glass, was actually in my dorm room! I do, however, strongly suspect that that glass cut was what let a fun virus into my foot though (all gone now!) After taking microbiology recently, I don't think I can walk barefoot anymore :-p I haven't for years, but thats because the weather is not all that conducive to walking barefoot in CA, so who knows now that I'm back here. One important thing though, if you DO cut your foot, be smart, clean it and bandage it, and wear shoes until its healed! I do know one girl who cut her foot in a riverbank or something like that and ignored it and got some nasty bacterial infection (or something like that, it was so long ago)", "timestamp": "1310656871"}, {"author": "Steven", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeff-kaufman/how-safe-is-it-to-walk-barefoot-in-cities/10150228710601213/?comment_id=10150228837961213", "anchor": "fb-10150228837961213", "service": "fb", "text": "Make sure your tetanus vaccination is up to date. Other than that, realize that the pressure of stepping on something sharp could drive it into your bone, especially on the heel. This will then cause osteomyelitis (bone infection) which will require surgical debridement of the bone, resulting in probable disfigurement and permanent problems with function, i.e., dancing, running and walking. Also, you will need to be on 6 - 12 weeks of antibiotic therapy, some of it IV (but don't worry; there are now in-dwelling IV ports you can wear at home). Other than that, walking barefoot on city streets should be okay.", "timestamp": "1310657008"}, {"author": "Cory", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeff-kaufman/how-safe-is-it-to-walk-barefoot-in-cities/10150228710601213/?comment_id=10150228839526213", "anchor": "fb-10150228839526213", "service": "fb", "text": "eh, I dunno about the whole stepping on something driving it into the bone, because what someone else said is really true, you are a lot more careful with your feet when you are barefoot! The one time I got a nail in my foot, I was wearing sneakers and it went right through! I always insisted that I never would have stepped on it if I weren't wearing shoes! Had to go get a tetanus shot and it was SO SORE for a while, there's a good reason right there not to wear shoes! (kidding... well kind of)", "timestamp": "1310657153"}, {"author": "Steven", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeff-kaufman/how-safe-is-it-to-walk-barefoot-in-cities/10150228710601213/?comment_id=10150228840881213", "anchor": "fb-10150228840881213", "service": "fb", "text": "I am a podiatrist, so I wrote that :) I have myslef never actually seen this occur, even in a diabetic, but I'm sure it does.
Actually, go ahead, walk barefoot on city streets. I want more business...", "timestamp": "1310657279"}, {"author": "Richard", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeff-kaufman/how-safe-is-it-to-walk-barefoot-in-cities/10150228710601213/?comment_id=10150228846331213", "anchor": "fb-10150228846331213", "service": "fb", "text": "Well, back in the sixties...I walked barefoot in NYC a lot. No problems, so I guess I too was looking carefully. My only bad incident occurred dancing barefoot (Israeli at Earl Hall, Columbia U.) and involved a BIG wooden splinter and my big toe. (I'll spare you the details.) I did need the help of a surgeon, but it was nothing like the awful scenario Steve outlined. It was, definitively, the last time I danced barefoot!", "timestamp": "1310657765"}, {"author": "Brad", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeff-kaufman/how-safe-is-it-to-walk-barefoot-in-cities/10150228710601213/?comment_id=10150229098701213", "anchor": "fb-10150229098701213", "service": "fb", "text": "I used to do it, but not anymore. I'll mow the lawn in my bare feet.", "timestamp": "1310664371"}, {"author": "Christopher", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeff-kaufman/how-safe-is-it-to-walk-barefoot-in-cities/10150228710601213/?comment_id=10150229166896213", "anchor": "fb-10150229166896213", "service": "fb", "text": "<3 my fivefingers :)", "timestamp": "1310669519"}, {"author": "Jenny", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeff-kaufman/how-safe-is-it-to-walk-barefoot-in-cities/10150228710601213/?comment_id=10150229282616213", "anchor": "fb-10150229282616213", "service": "fb", "text": "Completely agree with Cory and Danner! Stubbed toes are much more likely than cuts, and the only puncture I've ever had was a nail in the grass when I was wearing sneakers. And in the old days there were a LOT more glass shards everywhere. I danced barefoot for a decade or more (until Scottish). Unfortunately, it did wear out the foot's padding ...can't barefoot dance or walk long miles any more, and use Spenco insoles in everything. But all you shoe people, you don't know what physical pleasure & micro control of your motion you're missing!!!!", "timestamp": "1310673652"}]}