New Zealand has a global reputation as a country that is pro-barefoot. Many a traveller has commented in wonder — and disgust — at seeing barefooted persons in areas where shoes are typically worn: the grocery store, a café and on urban streets that are far from sand and water.
By Serena Solomon of RNZ
An unscientific survey at my kid’s school assembly drove the point home. On one of the coldest days of the year, the deputy principal asked for a show of hands of those not wearing shoes (it’s not uncommon for parents and grandparents to tell their Kiwi kids that going barefoot is better for their feet, which does have a grain of truth to it, but more on that later).
At least 100 out of a possible 800-plus students proudly raised a hand.
“That’s how you know you’re at a school in New Zealand,” he said, or something to that effect.
But scratch below the surface, and individual opinions of New Zealanders on the matter are far more nuanced. Some are avowed barefooters in almost any circumstance, while others have hard and fast rules that are far more restrictive.
Rodney Featherstone is one of those people who has a clear rule that he can easily articulate.
“From the beach to the main road where the town is. Past the main road? No, always have to have jandals. But between the main road and beach? Easy,” he says when approached for comment by RNZ in Auckland’s CBD.
“It’s like the togs/undies, but a slightly different take on it,” he adds.
How about a grocery store or a pub?
“Dirty. Your feet would come out black.”
Kelly Ah Kiau is strongly “pro-foot” but was having a rare day when she was wearing jandals (city streets with questionable levels of cleanliness are too much for even her).
“For me, going barefoot is how we remain [connected] to Papatūānuku, our Earth Mother...”
Barefoot on sand and grass is a must, but manmade surfaces are not so great.
“I guess it becomes a health and safety issue.
Ah Kiau credits Peter Jackson, the Academy Award-winning director who created the Lord of the Rings movie series, for establishing New Zealand’s global barefoot reputation. He attended a major movie fan event for the franchise in 2013 sans shoes. She recently graduated from a college, and some of the students decided to accept their diplomas barefoot.
“I thought it was really beautiful...”
In October, Te Pāti Māori MP Oriini Kaipara triggered praise, criticism and headlines when she delivered her maiden speech in parliament without shoes.
Growing up in Türkiye, Cuneyd Onat rarely went without shoes, with his parents citing injury prevention and improved hygiene as the main reasons. However, the 16 years he has been in New Zealand have swayed him.
“It doesn’t make sense to me at all. What were they thinking?”
“...It’s a good feeling. You are touching the earth.”
Recently, he noticed how his own practice has changed slightly. It was raining hard, so he decided to take his shoes off and walk down the street barefoot.
But how about grocery stores? No. Restaurants? No. However, it doesn’t bother him if others opt for shoelessness in those places.
Zoey Singh grew up in south Auckland, which she says is a hub for barefoot kids. However, going without shoes in grocery stores and cafes is too much for her.
“For me, I'm just, yeah, I'm going to hurt myself on something. I don’t know. I'm quite clumsy, so I usually, you know, fall a lot,” she says, as to why she would wear shoes.
However, perhaps surprisingly, wearing minimal footwear can improve balance and reduce the risk of falls, according to a 2021 study. The foot strength of study participants who were in the minimal footwear cohort also increased by more than 50% over six months.
The impact isn’t just physical. A 2024 study found that walking barefoot improved cognitive speed and concentration while decreasing brain stress in teenage boys.
It is true that the feet of those who don’t often wear shoes develop differently from those who do. Regular barefooters typically have splayed toes rather than the toes of shoe-wearers that sit closer together. This can impact gait and the way their foot strikes the ground when they walk and run.
However, if you’ve grown up in shoes, it isn’t a good idea to instantly start doing everything without shoes. When it comes to running, the shape of your feet, whether you grew up wearing shoes, and your experience as a runner will impact how beneficial running without shoes will be, according to Justin Fernandez, a professor of engineering science and biomedical engineering at the University of Auckland.
Foot specialists recommend allowing your feet and legs to adapt gradually to a barefoot lifestyle by increasing shoeless stints over several months, according to National Geographic.
SHARE ME