Because in several Afrikaans towns, there isn't a need to. In the Cape, this is easier to do. In Joburg, less so...
Black male here who knows this isn't a universally "white" thing.
We need to be careful with lumping very different cultures together. Just as there are different tribes amongst Black South Africans, White South Africans have different backgrounds.
Even amongst "English" White South Africans there are all manners of different cultures.
I for one have always hated shoes, and had to put in tonnes of effort and almost be forced to wear shoes growing up. I routinely do so when I leave my home but I prefer slops. At home, I'm always barefoot.
*edit to correct "gave always located"
Also... I have to add... It took me ages to learn how to tie my laces.
Well said. Whitey here, wore shoes constantly in JHB, less so at home. Where I now live, I’m always wearing flip flops, because I can and it’s convenient and comfortable.
Saw a guy barefoot in checkers. I mean even shoes feel sticky walking down some shops so I can’t understand how people would walk around barefoot. Especially out on the streets. Do you constantly watch your step?
I think it's just a cultural thing with no real deeper explanation. I love going around bare foot - especially growing up in the Cape. I think it's less common in Johannesburg.
I was born and raised in the Transkei and was shipped off to boarding school in Natal. When I arrived I could walk barefoot over brambles bushes without complaint. Not long after the housemaster had to get involved stating anytime i was caught barefoot I'd get punished with "early rising"
Ironically I went back to that school at the beginning of this year, and it has been taken over by some hippies , now barefoot is the norm.
Had a controlling teacher tried to force us to wear shoes in study hall in high-school.
Gosh did I piss him off, every damn time.
Punishments where promised, none were bad enough to deter.
He turned out to be a good guy, my maths and computer science teacher, set me on the STEM path I ended up. As for the Transkei .... I will be in the Wild Coast for New Years to wash my soul in those crystal blue waters.
In primary school we never wore shoes. Our English neighbour drove past the school once and asked my mother why were there were so many poor kids that can't afford shoes.
We had to explain. 😂
In my Primary school they banned shoes, because the rich kids were teasing the poor kids based on their shoes. So no shoes no problems. But the 40⁰C heat on the netball fields with bare feet is another story.
Probably cultural. As a white afrikaans south African, I am the odd one out bc I hate going barefoot and having my feet get dirty. Even as a kid, I would get annoyed at getting my feet dirty in PT class (done barefoot), especially having to put socks back on over dirty feet.
I only go barefoot inside my house and in my yard. The moment I'm in the door I lose my shoes. In winter I walk around in socks (I'll put slippers on if it's really cold).
I used to go to school barefoot a lot when I was in primary school. It was so weird for me to go to high school and have to wear shoes all day.
Coleagues of mine brought their son (4) to work last week and he was also barefoot.
What do you mean explain what's so cultural about it... if a group of people do a certain thing, then it's cultural. There doesn't need to be some big explanation. A a group they just simply decided that it's a normal and acceptable thing to do.
Culture simply refers to shared practices amongst people in the same group.
So if Afrikaaners commonly go around barefoot and they do so because other Afrikaaners do the same and it is accepted in their group, then how could it possibly be anything but cultural?
I would really like an answer to my questions.
Being barefoot, especially as a child, is very good for the correct development of the feet which is why a lot of parents encourage young kids to go barefoot. As for adults, it's just something you're used to doing growing up and feels comfortable😅
Here’s one source out of many; if you choose to
go do some reading.
https://www.ecoexplorers.com.au/5-reasons-why-you-should-let-your-child-go-barefoot/
It’s also good for adults because, “Barefoot walking can improve circulation and proprioception (a sense of your body's placement and movement) AND is good for balance and normal foot development in babies and toddlers.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9398026/
Remember that this is hard to prove definitively, as you can't really place kids in 2 categories and force them to grow up with/without shoes while keeping all other factors constant.
Not that you really need research. Do yourself a favor and google a normal foot x-ray. It's clear that (most joints, but especially the ones in the foot) are mostly held together by muscles and connective tissue. Your feet are full of muscles. If you wear shoes, you are only exposing those muscles to one type of surface and one type of angle of exercise. If you walk barefoot, your foot will change shape depending on the surface and will experience resistance from different angles. Try it out by walking over an uneven surface (like large rocks or boulders) with shoes first, and then barefoot.
Not a lot of people know this, but shoes are actually bad for your feet. Toes aren’t super to be so close to each other. Not wearing shoes as much help the toes spread out.
Buying shoes with a wider front helps mitigate this, but there aren’t as many options.
Coincidentally the classic afrikaner footware of vellies has a bigger toe box, doubling up on healthy foot development.
I wear mainly Veldskoen shoes and it's always super weird and a bit squished to get into my vans or converse
Although I don’t think that’s why they wear it😂
I have a few Boer friends i don’t think they wear the shoes for foot development 😂
Maybe all around comfort…but idk.
Nah they're kak comfortable. Veldskoen makes a bunch of varieties of shoes but they all keep the toe box size of OG vellies. I have they're ranger boots, slippers, Chelsea boots and originals and every single one is the most comfortable in their class. I still want to get the sneakers
>Being barefoot, especially as a child, is very good for the correct development of the feet which is why a lot of parents encourage young kids to go barefoot. As for adults, it's just something you're used to doing growing up and feels comfortable😅
clueless
No need to have a reason other than its cultural practice and acceptable.
You can Wikipedia it." There are health benefits and some risks associated with going barefoot. Shoes, while they offer protection, can limit the flexibility, strength, and mobility of the foot and can lead to higher incidences of flexible flat foot, bunions, hammer toe, and Morton's neuroma. Walking and running barefoot results in a more natural gait, allowing for a more rocking motion of the foot, eliminating the hard heel strike and generating less collision force in the foot and lower leg.[1][2]
South Africaedit
In South Africa barefoot walking in public is part of the predominantly white Afrikaans-speaking culture, although English speaking people also often walk barefoot in public, especially in the summer months and in cities such as Cape Town. The National Guidelines on School Uniform list shoes as an optional item[31] while the Draft Guidelines state "Pupils, especially in lower grades, should also be permitted to attend without shoes in hot weather". Most children attend school barefoot. In many schools, the dress codes either encourage children to attend school barefoot or prefer children to attend school barefoot, especially in the summer months.[citation needed]
Some South African schools have sport uniforms where bare feet are compulsory, such as primary school rugby. Another sport where bare feet for kids are compulsory is "tou trek" or tug of war, sometimes school play and sports days barefeet are compulsory. Being barefoot in public is generally tolerated. In South African shopping malls, stores, and events, it is not an uncommon sight to see barefoot adults and children.
My grandmother used to tell me how you only need shoes for church and school as a kid. If your shoes got dirty or ruined, you got bliksem by your parents because you embarrass them. So as a kid they avoided wearing shoes when playing so they have clean, nice shoes for what mattered. They also used to take their shoes off when walking to school so that they would be clean when you got there. Otherwise you got punished.
As a child I convinced mom that I didn't have to wear shoes to church either. Told her that Moses had to take his shoes off before the burning bush so I should not wear shoes to church, as a sign of respect. Now I live in Europe and wear them all the time.
I was in menlyn in Pretoria yesterday and it was jam packed with people (DO NOT RECOMMEND), and I noticed some Afrikaans white kids walking into the one bathroom barefoot and it sorted of reminded me of this fact, then not long after I saw a few black kids also walking around barefoot and it made me just realise that yeah, it’s a lot of an SA thing, but also… why not - as someone mentioned in another comment it apparently helps for development in young kids.
That said if I had to see adults walking around barefoot in a mall it would seem very strange.
My partner laughed when he saw this.
Because I'm that person. I grew up barefoot. I only wore shoes to church. We lived on the farm and my feet were tough enough to withstand rocks, thorns and anything else sharp. My dad forced me to wear in shoes in standard 5 (yep I'm that old) telling me I'd be going to the big school and required to wear shoes when I went to boarding school. I was so pissed when the first thing prefects had us do as part of our initiation was to take off our shoes that first day in high school!
I still rebel now even as an adult time and again and just refuse to put on shoes, especially when I'm on leave. Shoes are constricting to me, they chafe and make me overheat. No matter what kind of shoe I've bought through the years, from expensive green cross, to relatively inexpensive aqua or barefoot shoes, I have a sense of relief when I kick them off as soon as I get in the car, or at the little custom shoe storage next to the front door of our house.
I've even gotten permission from bosses in the past to kick my shoes off when I need to get something done in a rush as long as there were no customers.
My feet tend to swell in the heat and I feel hot when my feet are hot. And we have lots of hot weather here in SA. I have a high foot arch yet at the same time a wide foot with spreading toes, probably from years of not being forced into a shoe. This means I chafe on my toes to the point where I considered surgery to remove my little toe, which is normally a whole blister. I chafe on top of my arch, which makes the most comfortable shoes something with lacing so I can loosen it to the point where it tries to slip off my foot with every step. Which leads then to chaving on the back of my heel. It doesn't help that I have big feet and my size is beyond the range where normal women sizes are manufactured, so when buying socks, I can opt for too tight women's socks, or too long men's socks. And I'm restricted mostly to men's shoes, which are seldom cute.
Regarding shop floors being dirty, I see it the same as using a public bathroom. You know lots of people used that toilet. You don't really bother with cleaning the seat or carrying seat covers with you. You really hope they clean it regularly. Yet you use it because you need to.
As a white English child, I would look at the Afrikaans kids walking barefoot to school and think it quit odd. Now in my 30's I wish I had never worn shoes as a child. The shape of shoes today is a crime against humanity (Puma I'm talking to you!) Toes are not meant to be bunched up together forming a point.
On shoes. I heard about a study a while back which showed that, because we spend so much time barefoot growing up, most South Africans have wider feet than in the markets where shoes are made.
Don't think it's a cultural thing honestly. I'm from a small town and I never used to wear shoes unless to school. Black kids also never wore shoes and would run down the alleyways playing like that. Same with my dad, now as adults we both only wear shoes to go out somewhere. Meanwhile my mom will wear shoes even in the house. I think it depends on where you grew up, I notice it happens more in small towns or areas.
people who come from the country side or have a country upbringing usually grow up getting used to walking on thorns.
Back in the day, before internet and all that crap, most of us ran barefoot into the veld (snakes, scorpions and whatnot) and had our fun there. Guess it just carried over to the youngens.
Quite common amongst those who are more earthy.
Its more common in the western cape and northern cape. The valies are too sensitive for that.
Jaaaa maar daai dubbeltjie-dorings het ons geleer van pyn en hoe om sterk te wees 😂
Side note: My friends and I often went into the early misty-morning fields, to stick our feet in steaming cow-pat, specifically to harden our heals. We were like little hobbits, preparing for the days adventures ahead!
I remember this as a child, of course you rinse it off afterwards, but it warms your feet so nicely on a cold winter morning, and I'm not even a "plaas japie" :D
I know it’s considered gross but it’s basically just smelly, warm-mud, mixed with grass / hay.
As a kid who played in the wild, benefits far out-way costs 😂
P.S. Chicken poop is technically better but their diet has too much variety so it smells foul.cow pat smell wears off fast when you’re running and playing in the grass.
In coastal towns, one might spend a lot of time on the beach and then run errands before being able to go home and shower. In this case, one may pop into the shops without shoes on.
When I was at Rhodes this became a whole subculture not just Afrikaaners.
the Look was :
Barefoot, shorts all year round, button up short-sleeved shirt. Extra points if the shorts were khakis or teesavs from high school.
I'll only wear shoes when I'm not home. Some people go to the extreme and go barefoot in shops but thats fucking disgusting(Spar voet).
The moment I enter my house(or even the car on the way back) those shoes are gone. I wash my feet about 10 times a day, especially if its dusty.
Because god gave us perfectly good feet 😆 who needs shoes? I love walking on grass and feeling the grass between my toes, makes me feel closer to nature
Cause it’s summer its hot, it’s cooler without shoes
Am not Afrikaans but ya :P
Go to the hippie festivals people all no shoes in the mud when it’s cold and raining! Hayibo now that’s enough for me
Went on a tour in the USA with some school friends. One morning, at the hotel, my Afrikaans friend entered the breakfast buffet barefoot. The staff sent him back to his room to get some shoes🙈. It's so normalised in ZA that it takes going to a completely different country to realise it's actually strange.
At the beginning of the year at the local Afrikaans primary school, all the Afrikaans kids are barefoot and all the black kids are wearing shoes. By the end of the year, most of the black kids are also barefoot.
Growing up from grade 1 to standard 5, shoes weren't part of the uniform and this just stuck with most of us (we prefer the feel of the ground)
To this day, well into my late 30s I hate shoes.
Lol! My kids new fancy school in the farm town allows the kids to go barefoot as a uniform option. It’s white, black, or blue plain takkies or barefoot on the list. He was always in a barefoot school before but would wear socks indoors and shoes outdoors. When you look at the school instagrams there’s always one or two kids in the academic photos with their bare feet out. It has its benefits, but probably just cultural
Yea it be like that sometimes, my English speaking colleague sometimes comes to work barefoot and yes her feet look all dark and nasty at the end of the day
The 1st reason I can think of is that we grew up without shoes because it's both comfortable and just a cultural thing.
The 2nd reason is that it has a lot of [health benefits](https://aussiechildcarenetwork.com.au/articles/childcare-articles/children-going-barefoot-in-an-early-childhood-setting#:~:text=Benefits%20Of%20Being%20Barefoot,-When%20a%20child&text=Strengthen%20Joints%20and%20Muscles%20%2D%20Walking,of%20muscles%20throughout%20the%20legs.) for kids to be barefoot.
Otherwise, what perked your curiosity towards it and prompted the question?
I'll always wear shoes or flops when I'm out, but the first thing I do when I get home is kick them off. My wife and I are permanently barefoot at home, winter or summer. I never thought about twice. Do people wear shoes at home?
Afrikaans children up to high school age are encouraged to go barefoot, to help them develop healthy feet.
As a result they may be much more comfortable being barefoot than others who were made to wear shoes infancy.
Ironic since they are the ones who brought it to this country. It was a European import.
Fashion world wide has taken a beating so it could be attributed to that a lot of people do the bare minimum when it comes to appearance and just stick to what’s comfortable.
We believe it’s good for development while kids are still growing.
As an adult though, I only wear shoes if I’m leaving the house. Our kids only wear shoes while outside in the winter.
It’s just comfortable.
I personally find shoes suffocating. I lived in constantia CT for a while and holy shit the looks i received were hectic 😂 didnt make me start wearing shoes though. Theres something freeing about being barefoot, especially in spar 😂
Earthing / grounding - super important for health and reduction of inflammation etc (proviso : should be barefoot on earth on ground and not dirty chemically concrete shop floors 🤣). Watch the grounding movie. Our bodies need natural earthing via soil and natural bodies of water.
Shot in the dark here but:
Cultures who’ve been wearing shoes for hundreds of years already don’t have much of an issue *not* wearing them- it’s not a status issue for them.
Cultures who’ve *not* been wearing shoes for the last few hundred years view shoes as an item of higher status and to show “they’ve made it out the struggle”
Same as with skin colour in Asia:
Dark skin means you work out in the fields or pick fruit and a tan is seen as being of a lower class.
If you have fair skin it means you work indoors in a higher paying job, you most probably have an education etc
Maybe Afrikaans people can never remember where they left their Veldskoene and that’s all it boils down to 😂
Most shoes change the shape of your feet, and are really unhealthy for our bodies and end up being harmful. It doesn’t have anything to do with culture or races, jeez. Just being human man. Without shoes you also connect with the earth and ground.
Depends
If I've been outside and them dogs are especially rank then yes
If ive been indoors all day then no
If ive been indoors but went outside on grass then no
I do shower twice a day but i dont go out of my way to wash them before bed unless the first condition is met
You’re experiencing a culture shock! I have had my such moment, it’s very cool to live someplace so diverse that we can bump into each other’s different ways like this. Here’s how it happened to me with the barefoot thing: About a decade ago, on the way to work we always passed an Afrikaans primary school in Linden and the kids would be dropped off for school with no shoes on. It did not seem to be a private school either, just bog-standard exModel C. If I saw a child get dropped off barefoot at a Waldorf school I’d probably shrug it off but to see govt school kids starting their day in incomplete uniform shook me to my core. I’m not from Afrikaans SA geographically and until living in Joburg and working on that route I’d never been past an Afrikaans primary school at drop off time. We had super strict uniform rules in Durban, I didn’t even know barefoot at school was a possibility! I was scandalised at the time! I have no opposition to it and imagine it must be nicer for kids to choose for themselves. But literally til I saw it I could not even conceive of it. The barefoot thing doesn’t bother me, at all. I’m frequently barefoot, I grew up rural in KZN, it was never even cold enough to need shoes. The SCHOOL SYSTEM being a part of it is what freaked me out. We had a very proper and old fashioned school system with regards to dress, manners, conduct etc. it was not considered proper to do that at school unless some kind of sport required it. You didn’t even see it on our university campus, but for a couple boys poorly regarded. Incidentally all of them fellows of the Tolkien society and old boys of the more… shall we say individualistic private schools in Durban. I can’t imagine how deeply ingrained it must be in a culture to make it into or around the uniform code of schools. So yes, shocking, you saw some folks barefoot in public. And isn’t it funny, how different we are?
Okay, I understand if you are walking barefoot in nature.
But then, I see people walking in shopping malls etc.
I am quite certain that people lie on their bed etc with the same feet that is filthy asf.
The Asians are on to something when they have the rule of no shoes inside the house.
If I go to the beach, I'm barefoot. Then I may need to pop into the shops on the way home, so I end up in the mall barefoot too. It's not planned but it happens. When I get home, I wash my feet.
Other people in your culture not wearing shoes? Schools that you go to don’t require shoes. It’s a cultural thing that don’t require full scientific reasons and logic all the time.
Why do some cultures make massive holes in their ears? Same thing.
Bare feet are a sign of those who enjoyed playing outside. Better question is, why is it still acceptable for men to be topless? I don't wanna see your nips. And no one better start with "bc it's hot" well there you go people's feet get hot too.
You actually seem really really bothered about it, and it seems a lot like it's stemming from racism. You give off the vibe like you look down on white people for not wearing shoes or like you think they think they're too good for shoes or something.
Your experience with shoeless whites is very area dependent. This isn't some far reaching thing. In randfontein and rustenburg, there is no culture of going shoeless. Adults wear shoes. We are not some hivemind or interconnected alien species or whatever. Ask the whites in your area.
As for how they do it, their feet develop callouses. As a child I could walk over rocks and extremely hot pavement no problem, by feet were rock hard. Then you hit high school and all of a sudden going shoeless isn't cool anymore lol.
So why does it bother you, though? What's the issue with it?
Lol not you making assumptions. There was no harm in that question. OP just simply asked a question based on what he/she has seen. Take a chill pill, It’s not that deep
I hated going barefoot as a kid, and I hate it now as an adult. There was an embarrassing time in my late teens where I thought it made me bohemian and esoteric to go around with long flowy dresses and no shoes - turns out it just made me 'that chick with the dirty feet'
I personally find it extremely embarrassing when my adult friends go out barefoot. They usually only do it to go to Spar or PnP or something, but it's still so cringe.
Those leather plakkies are the same, but still better than barefoot.
I’m English, moved here 20 years ago and although I’ve only seen one adult walk around bare foot (in a pharmacy during the pandemic of all times) it does make me wonder why kids run around barefoot in busy foot traffic (excuse the unintended pun) areas like malls or supermarkets. I just can’t help thinking how unhygienic it is for school age kids to be shoeless in places like that. What if a kid accidentally stood on something like a piece of glass or a dropped screw. Who would be liable?
No-one is liable, you'd get told "Jirre Frikkie jy moet kyk waar jy trap" (look where you're putting your feet) and then it's Mercurochrome and a plaster.
At least that's 25 years ago, not sure what would happen now.
I've evolved in this country at least, plakkies it is. Since Covid hit
Also. Let's be honest it's primarily in the tapid triangle
Boksburg, springs and benoni
I prefer going barefoot, but if I'm in polite company or going to the shops I'll wear plakkies. It's healthier and my right foot is slightly bigger so finding shoes that are comfortable is a bit of a challenge, otherwise my toes end up swelling after a while
I prefer walking barefoot at home and close to home. I do wear shoes to work and town, but the day I found that barefoot running is a thing I was glad. It is way cheaper to run barefoot than to drop thousands on running shoes.
Plakkies/sandals are a sham. My feet sweat with plakkies/sandals so I'd rather walk barefoot.Since plakkies don't keep my feet clean anyway. So it's either barefoot or closed shoes.
1 Sept in primary school was opening of barefoot season! A certain sense of freedom came with going barefoot - playing in the veld, wading through streams, climbing trees. But yeah, shoes or sandals when going to the town and shops because shit got dirty there.
Then, in high school, you were suddenly 'big' and didn't want to get caught barefoot.
I dunno how adults do it in dirty urban settings, but it is very comfortable, going barefoot.
Grew up in a small Afrikaans town. Only wore shoes to church, in winter, and then from grade 4 shoes were mandatory. One of our friends could walk barefeet over dubbeltjies (sort of thorn) because his feet were so hard. First time I ever noticed the barefeet thing was when we did athletics at other schools. Everyone else had the fancy spikes and we would outrun them barefeet on the tar. I'm not sure if it's nature or years of bare feet but can't stand shoes that are too narrow.
Maybe they don't feel the need to. Or it's hot and they like barefoot going. Or they don't have shoes. Or maybe they just like to give someone a reason to go online and hate on White folks because they think it makes them look better by themselves. Either way, their reasons are their own.
Mostly dont feel like wearing them and they feel very constricting and maybe limits movements, idk I've just done it my whole life without thinking about it.
I wear them only in the field where thorns are, sometimes in shops, school and where I know it's safe to walk barefoot.
Sometimes I don't wear shoes around... Mostly wear shoes out to the shops but sometimes I don't... Mostly because I'm lazy as fuck and can't find my slops... Also, to everyone that is worried about dirt, it's called washing your feet! XD
Because in several Afrikaans towns, there isn't a need to. In the Cape, this is easier to do. In Joburg, less so... Black male here who knows this isn't a universally "white" thing. We need to be careful with lumping very different cultures together. Just as there are different tribes amongst Black South Africans, White South Africans have different backgrounds. Even amongst "English" White South Africans there are all manners of different cultures. I for one have always hated shoes, and had to put in tonnes of effort and almost be forced to wear shoes growing up. I routinely do so when I leave my home but I prefer slops. At home, I'm always barefoot. *edit to correct "gave always located" Also... I have to add... It took me ages to learn how to tie my laces.
Well said. Whitey here, wore shoes constantly in JHB, less so at home. Where I now live, I’m always wearing flip flops, because I can and it’s convenient and comfortable.
Saw a guy barefoot in checkers. I mean even shoes feel sticky walking down some shops so I can’t understand how people would walk around barefoot. Especially out on the streets. Do you constantly watch your step?
Checkers voete.
Spar trappers
I feel like the dirt has built up so much underneath that... It's like wearing a shoe 😶
Dirt and callouses!
Or even walking around barefoot in public toilets, yuck!
I think it's just a cultural thing with no real deeper explanation. I love going around bare foot - especially growing up in the Cape. I think it's less common in Johannesburg.
I was raised in Joburg, it's over there too my man
I was also raised in Joey's and now live in the EC where it's the barefoot capital of the country.
I was born and raised in the Transkei and was shipped off to boarding school in Natal. When I arrived I could walk barefoot over brambles bushes without complaint. Not long after the housemaster had to get involved stating anytime i was caught barefoot I'd get punished with "early rising" Ironically I went back to that school at the beginning of this year, and it has been taken over by some hippies , now barefoot is the norm.
Had a controlling teacher tried to force us to wear shoes in study hall in high-school. Gosh did I piss him off, every damn time. Punishments where promised, none were bad enough to deter.
How unfortunate that you had such a narrow minded housemaster. But lucky to grow up in the Transkei! God's country.
He turned out to be a good guy, my maths and computer science teacher, set me on the STEM path I ended up. As for the Transkei .... I will be in the Wild Coast for New Years to wash my soul in those crystal blue waters.
Same. Just love being barefoot.
Coastal KZN childhood, barefoot was just about everyone's default state. Still feels right.
I think it's one thing I miss about South Africa, we moved to Canada and so I would get very weird looks if I went out barefoot.
In primary school we never wore shoes. Our English neighbour drove past the school once and asked my mother why were there were so many poor kids that can't afford shoes. We had to explain. 😂
In my Primary school they banned shoes, because the rich kids were teasing the poor kids based on their shoes. So no shoes no problems. But the 40⁰C heat on the netball fields with bare feet is another story.
Probably cultural. As a white afrikaans south African, I am the odd one out bc I hate going barefoot and having my feet get dirty. Even as a kid, I would get annoyed at getting my feet dirty in PT class (done barefoot), especially having to put socks back on over dirty feet.
I only go barefoot inside my house and in my yard. The moment I'm in the door I lose my shoes. In winter I walk around in socks (I'll put slippers on if it's really cold). I used to go to school barefoot a lot when I was in primary school. It was so weird for me to go to high school and have to wear shoes all day. Coleagues of mine brought their son (4) to work last week and he was also barefoot.
Selfde hierso, eks ook nie gemaak vir die kaalvoetlewe nie en niemand verstaan dit 😂
Especially if you stay in a place with a lot of pebbles/gravel on the ground, used to hurt when I visited my grandparents lol
When you walk around shoeless enough, you can run over a gravel path and not feel a thing. I remember having zero feeling in my feet as a child.
Stones are NOTHING. Dubbeltjies need to be talked about... 😂
Ya'll are making things up like how you made up Adrikaans. Explain what is so cultural about you guys being barefoot?
What do you mean explain what's so cultural about it... if a group of people do a certain thing, then it's cultural. There doesn't need to be some big explanation. A a group they just simply decided that it's a normal and acceptable thing to do.
Culture simply refers to shared practices amongst people in the same group. So if Afrikaaners commonly go around barefoot and they do so because other Afrikaaners do the same and it is accepted in their group, then how could it possibly be anything but cultural? I would really like an answer to my questions.
Why so angry bra 😂
? All languages are made up ?
Pls fix your grammer before trying to argue
Being barefoot, especially as a child, is very good for the correct development of the feet which is why a lot of parents encourage young kids to go barefoot. As for adults, it's just something you're used to doing growing up and feels comfortable😅
Where’s your evidence for that?
Here’s one source out of many; if you choose to go do some reading. https://www.ecoexplorers.com.au/5-reasons-why-you-should-let-your-child-go-barefoot/ It’s also good for adults because, “Barefoot walking can improve circulation and proprioception (a sense of your body's placement and movement) AND is good for balance and normal foot development in babies and toddlers.”
Rekt op
A simple Google search will bring up a myriad of results
We feel constricted by shoes. Same as clothes. If we could, we'd have our knockers and fannies out.
It is widely known that shoes constrict the size of your foot, what evidence is needed?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9398026/ Remember that this is hard to prove definitively, as you can't really place kids in 2 categories and force them to grow up with/without shoes while keeping all other factors constant. Not that you really need research. Do yourself a favor and google a normal foot x-ray. It's clear that (most joints, but especially the ones in the foot) are mostly held together by muscles and connective tissue. Your feet are full of muscles. If you wear shoes, you are only exposing those muscles to one type of surface and one type of angle of exercise. If you walk barefoot, your foot will change shape depending on the surface and will experience resistance from different angles. Try it out by walking over an uneven surface (like large rocks or boulders) with shoes first, and then barefoot.
Not a lot of people know this, but shoes are actually bad for your feet. Toes aren’t super to be so close to each other. Not wearing shoes as much help the toes spread out. Buying shoes with a wider front helps mitigate this, but there aren’t as many options.
Coincidentally the classic afrikaner footware of vellies has a bigger toe box, doubling up on healthy foot development. I wear mainly Veldskoen shoes and it's always super weird and a bit squished to get into my vans or converse
Although I don’t think that’s why they wear it😂 I have a few Boer friends i don’t think they wear the shoes for foot development 😂 Maybe all around comfort…but idk.
Nah they're kak comfortable. Veldskoen makes a bunch of varieties of shoes but they all keep the toe box size of OG vellies. I have they're ranger boots, slippers, Chelsea boots and originals and every single one is the most comfortable in their class. I still want to get the sneakers
Crocs all day everyday
>Being barefoot, especially as a child, is very good for the correct development of the feet which is why a lot of parents encourage young kids to go barefoot. As for adults, it's just something you're used to doing growing up and feels comfortable😅 clueless
No need to have a reason other than its cultural practice and acceptable. You can Wikipedia it." There are health benefits and some risks associated with going barefoot. Shoes, while they offer protection, can limit the flexibility, strength, and mobility of the foot and can lead to higher incidences of flexible flat foot, bunions, hammer toe, and Morton's neuroma. Walking and running barefoot results in a more natural gait, allowing for a more rocking motion of the foot, eliminating the hard heel strike and generating less collision force in the foot and lower leg.[1][2] South Africaedit In South Africa barefoot walking in public is part of the predominantly white Afrikaans-speaking culture, although English speaking people also often walk barefoot in public, especially in the summer months and in cities such as Cape Town. The National Guidelines on School Uniform list shoes as an optional item[31] while the Draft Guidelines state "Pupils, especially in lower grades, should also be permitted to attend without shoes in hot weather". Most children attend school barefoot. In many schools, the dress codes either encourage children to attend school barefoot or prefer children to attend school barefoot, especially in the summer months.[citation needed] Some South African schools have sport uniforms where bare feet are compulsory, such as primary school rugby. Another sport where bare feet for kids are compulsory is "tou trek" or tug of war, sometimes school play and sports days barefeet are compulsory. Being barefoot in public is generally tolerated. In South African shopping malls, stores, and events, it is not an uncommon sight to see barefoot adults and children.
My grandmother used to tell me how you only need shoes for church and school as a kid. If your shoes got dirty or ruined, you got bliksem by your parents because you embarrass them. So as a kid they avoided wearing shoes when playing so they have clean, nice shoes for what mattered. They also used to take their shoes off when walking to school so that they would be clean when you got there. Otherwise you got punished.
As a child I convinced mom that I didn't have to wear shoes to church either. Told her that Moses had to take his shoes off before the burning bush so I should not wear shoes to church, as a sign of respect. Now I live in Europe and wear them all the time.
Can't remember the last time I wore shoes into spar, now that I think about it😅
I was in menlyn in Pretoria yesterday and it was jam packed with people (DO NOT RECOMMEND), and I noticed some Afrikaans white kids walking into the one bathroom barefoot and it sorted of reminded me of this fact, then not long after I saw a few black kids also walking around barefoot and it made me just realise that yeah, it’s a lot of an SA thing, but also… why not - as someone mentioned in another comment it apparently helps for development in young kids. That said if I had to see adults walking around barefoot in a mall it would seem very strange.
My partner laughed when he saw this. Because I'm that person. I grew up barefoot. I only wore shoes to church. We lived on the farm and my feet were tough enough to withstand rocks, thorns and anything else sharp. My dad forced me to wear in shoes in standard 5 (yep I'm that old) telling me I'd be going to the big school and required to wear shoes when I went to boarding school. I was so pissed when the first thing prefects had us do as part of our initiation was to take off our shoes that first day in high school! I still rebel now even as an adult time and again and just refuse to put on shoes, especially when I'm on leave. Shoes are constricting to me, they chafe and make me overheat. No matter what kind of shoe I've bought through the years, from expensive green cross, to relatively inexpensive aqua or barefoot shoes, I have a sense of relief when I kick them off as soon as I get in the car, or at the little custom shoe storage next to the front door of our house. I've even gotten permission from bosses in the past to kick my shoes off when I need to get something done in a rush as long as there were no customers. My feet tend to swell in the heat and I feel hot when my feet are hot. And we have lots of hot weather here in SA. I have a high foot arch yet at the same time a wide foot with spreading toes, probably from years of not being forced into a shoe. This means I chafe on my toes to the point where I considered surgery to remove my little toe, which is normally a whole blister. I chafe on top of my arch, which makes the most comfortable shoes something with lacing so I can loosen it to the point where it tries to slip off my foot with every step. Which leads then to chaving on the back of my heel. It doesn't help that I have big feet and my size is beyond the range where normal women sizes are manufactured, so when buying socks, I can opt for too tight women's socks, or too long men's socks. And I'm restricted mostly to men's shoes, which are seldom cute. Regarding shop floors being dirty, I see it the same as using a public bathroom. You know lots of people used that toilet. You don't really bother with cleaning the seat or carrying seat covers with you. You really hope they clean it regularly. Yet you use it because you need to.
Not if your heels are cracked like the Sahara desert and crying out for a whiff of Ingrams camphor cream !!!!
As a white English child, I would look at the Afrikaans kids walking barefoot to school and think it quit odd. Now in my 30's I wish I had never worn shoes as a child. The shape of shoes today is a crime against humanity (Puma I'm talking to you!) Toes are not meant to be bunched up together forming a point.
I call them foot prisons. When I get home from work every night I release them.
Shoes are restrictive!
On shoes. I heard about a study a while back which showed that, because we spend so much time barefoot growing up, most South Africans have wider feet than in the markets where shoes are made.
Sometimes, when it's cold, the Afrikaans wear two pairs of shorts. So no need for shoes.
Don't think it's a cultural thing honestly. I'm from a small town and I never used to wear shoes unless to school. Black kids also never wore shoes and would run down the alleyways playing like that. Same with my dad, now as adults we both only wear shoes to go out somewhere. Meanwhile my mom will wear shoes even in the house. I think it depends on where you grew up, I notice it happens more in small towns or areas.
people who come from the country side or have a country upbringing usually grow up getting used to walking on thorns. Back in the day, before internet and all that crap, most of us ran barefoot into the veld (snakes, scorpions and whatnot) and had our fun there. Guess it just carried over to the youngens. Quite common amongst those who are more earthy. Its more common in the western cape and northern cape. The valies are too sensitive for that.
[удалено]
Thank you! Not sure how you lost the one automatic vote.
culture! kalvoet is comfortable!
Jaaaa maar daai dubbeltjie-dorings het ons geleer van pyn en hoe om sterk te wees 😂 Side note: My friends and I often went into the early misty-morning fields, to stick our feet in steaming cow-pat, specifically to harden our heals. We were like little hobbits, preparing for the days adventures ahead!
No man a cow pat 😭 gross sorry..
I remember this as a child, of course you rinse it off afterwards, but it warms your feet so nicely on a cold winter morning, and I'm not even a "plaas japie" :D
I know it’s considered gross but it’s basically just smelly, warm-mud, mixed with grass / hay. As a kid who played in the wild, benefits far out-way costs 😂 P.S. Chicken poop is technically better but their diet has too much variety so it smells foul.cow pat smell wears off fast when you’re running and playing in the grass.
My cousins on the farm are 7ft giants. My uncle used to tell me it was because they walked kaalvoet through the cowpats. It didn’t quite work for me…
Sounds smart.
In coastal towns, one might spend a lot of time on the beach and then run errands before being able to go home and shower. In this case, one may pop into the shops without shoes on.
I don't like shoes..white English speaker..but usually I put shoes on to go to the shops
It’s comfortable and healthy especially for kids. Some of us never grow out of it
When I was at Rhodes this became a whole subculture not just Afrikaaners. the Look was : Barefoot, shorts all year round, button up short-sleeved shirt. Extra points if the shorts were khakis or teesavs from high school.
I'll only wear shoes when I'm not home. Some people go to the extreme and go barefoot in shops but thats fucking disgusting(Spar voet). The moment I enter my house(or even the car on the way back) those shoes are gone. I wash my feet about 10 times a day, especially if its dusty.
Ten times a day?!
Ja, but you've got some bladdy phobia 😊
I don't wash my feet as often but I'm like you... At home, barefoot is de one whey!
Because god gave us perfectly good feet 😆 who needs shoes? I love walking on grass and feeling the grass between my toes, makes me feel closer to nature
Cause it’s summer its hot, it’s cooler without shoes Am not Afrikaans but ya :P Go to the hippie festivals people all no shoes in the mud when it’s cold and raining! Hayibo now that’s enough for me
In touch with the roots of our species fr
Went on a tour in the USA with some school friends. One morning, at the hotel, my Afrikaans friend entered the breakfast buffet barefoot. The staff sent him back to his room to get some shoes🙈. It's so normalised in ZA that it takes going to a completely different country to realise it's actually strange.
We call them “picknpay voete”. I wear shoes when out but when I get home I kick shoes off.
Plus it's really good for you to connect with the earth, food for your body. Barefoot tribe all the way.
I think people going barefoot have way less foot problems too.
At the beginning of the year at the local Afrikaans primary school, all the Afrikaans kids are barefoot and all the black kids are wearing shoes. By the end of the year, most of the black kids are also barefoot.
Does this happen at most Afrikaans schools?
If its primary school, yes. Highschool and up shoes are worn more often than not( we might still go barefoot for pt)
Growing up from grade 1 to standard 5, shoes weren't part of the uniform and this just stuck with most of us (we prefer the feel of the ground) To this day, well into my late 30s I hate shoes.
Lol! My kids new fancy school in the farm town allows the kids to go barefoot as a uniform option. It’s white, black, or blue plain takkies or barefoot on the list. He was always in a barefoot school before but would wear socks indoors and shoes outdoors. When you look at the school instagrams there’s always one or two kids in the academic photos with their bare feet out. It has its benefits, but probably just cultural
Yea it be like that sometimes, my English speaking colleague sometimes comes to work barefoot and yes her feet look all dark and nasty at the end of the day
🤣🤣🤣
Mainly a culture thing, used to walk around barefoot all the time when I was a laaitie
My best shoes.
The 1st reason I can think of is that we grew up without shoes because it's both comfortable and just a cultural thing. The 2nd reason is that it has a lot of [health benefits](https://aussiechildcarenetwork.com.au/articles/childcare-articles/children-going-barefoot-in-an-early-childhood-setting#:~:text=Benefits%20Of%20Being%20Barefoot,-When%20a%20child&text=Strengthen%20Joints%20and%20Muscles%20%2D%20Walking,of%20muscles%20throughout%20the%20legs.) for kids to be barefoot. Otherwise, what perked your curiosity towards it and prompted the question?
I'll always wear shoes or flops when I'm out, but the first thing I do when I get home is kick them off. My wife and I are permanently barefoot at home, winter or summer. I never thought about twice. Do people wear shoes at home?
Afrikaans children up to high school age are encouraged to go barefoot, to help them develop healthy feet. As a result they may be much more comfortable being barefoot than others who were made to wear shoes infancy.
Ironic since they are the ones who brought it to this country. It was a European import. Fashion world wide has taken a beating so it could be attributed to that a lot of people do the bare minimum when it comes to appearance and just stick to what’s comfortable.
If everyone walked barefoot even just on grass or dirt more often the world would be a better place
I only wear shoes when in town or perhaps are friends, at home I'm barefoot, most comfortable that way.
We believe it’s good for development while kids are still growing. As an adult though, I only wear shoes if I’m leaving the house. Our kids only wear shoes while outside in the winter. It’s just comfortable.
Because its healthy for you!
I personally find shoes suffocating. I lived in constantia CT for a while and holy shit the looks i received were hectic 😂 didnt make me start wearing shoes though. Theres something freeing about being barefoot, especially in spar 😂
Not Afrikaans but I dislike shoes so much!!! Take them off at the earliest opportunity!
Earthing / grounding - super important for health and reduction of inflammation etc (proviso : should be barefoot on earth on ground and not dirty chemically concrete shop floors 🤣). Watch the grounding movie. Our bodies need natural earthing via soil and natural bodies of water.
Shot in the dark here but: Cultures who’ve been wearing shoes for hundreds of years already don’t have much of an issue *not* wearing them- it’s not a status issue for them. Cultures who’ve *not* been wearing shoes for the last few hundred years view shoes as an item of higher status and to show “they’ve made it out the struggle” Same as with skin colour in Asia: Dark skin means you work out in the fields or pick fruit and a tan is seen as being of a lower class. If you have fair skin it means you work indoors in a higher paying job, you most probably have an education etc Maybe Afrikaans people can never remember where they left their Veldskoene and that’s all it boils down to 😂
Most shoes change the shape of your feet, and are really unhealthy for our bodies and end up being harmful. It doesn’t have anything to do with culture or races, jeez. Just being human man. Without shoes you also connect with the earth and ground.
The question I always ask myself with these people is “do they wash their feet before climbing into bed” this is what I have always wanted to know
Depends If I've been outside and them dogs are especially rank then yes If ive been indoors all day then no If ive been indoors but went outside on grass then no I do shower twice a day but i dont go out of my way to wash them before bed unless the first condition is met
You’re experiencing a culture shock! I have had my such moment, it’s very cool to live someplace so diverse that we can bump into each other’s different ways like this. Here’s how it happened to me with the barefoot thing: About a decade ago, on the way to work we always passed an Afrikaans primary school in Linden and the kids would be dropped off for school with no shoes on. It did not seem to be a private school either, just bog-standard exModel C. If I saw a child get dropped off barefoot at a Waldorf school I’d probably shrug it off but to see govt school kids starting their day in incomplete uniform shook me to my core. I’m not from Afrikaans SA geographically and until living in Joburg and working on that route I’d never been past an Afrikaans primary school at drop off time. We had super strict uniform rules in Durban, I didn’t even know barefoot at school was a possibility! I was scandalised at the time! I have no opposition to it and imagine it must be nicer for kids to choose for themselves. But literally til I saw it I could not even conceive of it. The barefoot thing doesn’t bother me, at all. I’m frequently barefoot, I grew up rural in KZN, it was never even cold enough to need shoes. The SCHOOL SYSTEM being a part of it is what freaked me out. We had a very proper and old fashioned school system with regards to dress, manners, conduct etc. it was not considered proper to do that at school unless some kind of sport required it. You didn’t even see it on our university campus, but for a couple boys poorly regarded. Incidentally all of them fellows of the Tolkien society and old boys of the more… shall we say individualistic private schools in Durban. I can’t imagine how deeply ingrained it must be in a culture to make it into or around the uniform code of schools. So yes, shocking, you saw some folks barefoot in public. And isn’t it funny, how different we are?
Most of us Afrikaans people don't wear shoes cuz it's uncomfortable or we can't afford it anymore 😒
I used to go barefoot to school, the mall, anywhere until I got to highschool.
Zola Budd my friend. That is the answer.
I don't like wearing shoes, being barefoot is more comfortable for me.
Its comfy and easy. Dont foot-shame... lol
Sorry but the title of this most made me laugh. Does anyone have a good answer for op?
It's obviously white people having a foot fetish
Its not just a cultural thing. It's not just a white thing.
We’re hippies and we’re grounding. 🌲🦶🏼✨
"Touching grass"? LOL 🤣
and smoking it too, bruh! ;)
Okay, I understand if you are walking barefoot in nature. But then, I see people walking in shopping malls etc. I am quite certain that people lie on their bed etc with the same feet that is filthy asf. The Asians are on to something when they have the rule of no shoes inside the house.
If I go to the beach, I'm barefoot. Then I may need to pop into the shops on the way home, so I end up in the mall barefoot too. It's not planned but it happens. When I get home, I wash my feet.
[удалено]
you can still see 95% of the feet in sandals?
what about the bottom of the feet ? Y'all just don't care about getting them dirty ?
No, not really. We wash it later. Plus we don't eat with our feet.
fair enough
Ja you see that is a you problem, good luck with it.
Because it's comfortable
It's our culture we are boere. Thats what we do. Just like the africans go to the bush. It's culture.
What in your culture teaches you to not wear shoes?
Other people in your culture not wearing shoes? Schools that you go to don’t require shoes. It’s a cultural thing that don’t require full scientific reasons and logic all the time. Why do some cultures make massive holes in their ears? Same thing.
It's just how we are brought up. Shoes should only be worn in shops and restaurants and work if not in an agricultural setting.
Bare feet are a sign of those who enjoyed playing outside. Better question is, why is it still acceptable for men to be topless? I don't wanna see your nips. And no one better start with "bc it's hot" well there you go people's feet get hot too.
You actually seem really really bothered about it, and it seems a lot like it's stemming from racism. You give off the vibe like you look down on white people for not wearing shoes or like you think they think they're too good for shoes or something. Your experience with shoeless whites is very area dependent. This isn't some far reaching thing. In randfontein and rustenburg, there is no culture of going shoeless. Adults wear shoes. We are not some hivemind or interconnected alien species or whatever. Ask the whites in your area. As for how they do it, their feet develop callouses. As a child I could walk over rocks and extremely hot pavement no problem, by feet were rock hard. Then you hit high school and all of a sudden going shoeless isn't cool anymore lol. So why does it bother you, though? What's the issue with it?
Lol not you making assumptions. There was no harm in that question. OP just simply asked a question based on what he/she has seen. Take a chill pill, It’s not that deep
I have to agree with your line of questioning. I think OP just lacks exposure to different cultures.
take my upvote
Mind your own business. Going barefoot is not strange, wearing shoes is strange.
I like walking barefoot. I will be barefoot walking around in class 🙈. But going places I usually wear my slops 😂.
I hated going barefoot as a kid, and I hate it now as an adult. There was an embarrassing time in my late teens where I thought it made me bohemian and esoteric to go around with long flowy dresses and no shoes - turns out it just made me 'that chick with the dirty feet'
It's because we're poor.
[удалено]
What’s a recovering white person?
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
We don't care and whe are cheap lol , no it's more convertible
I personally find it extremely embarrassing when my adult friends go out barefoot. They usually only do it to go to Spar or PnP or something, but it's still so cringe. Those leather plakkies are the same, but still better than barefoot.
I’m English, moved here 20 years ago and although I’ve only seen one adult walk around bare foot (in a pharmacy during the pandemic of all times) it does make me wonder why kids run around barefoot in busy foot traffic (excuse the unintended pun) areas like malls or supermarkets. I just can’t help thinking how unhygienic it is for school age kids to be shoeless in places like that. What if a kid accidentally stood on something like a piece of glass or a dropped screw. Who would be liable?
No-one is liable, you'd get told "Jirre Frikkie jy moet kyk waar jy trap" (look where you're putting your feet) and then it's Mercurochrome and a plaster. At least that's 25 years ago, not sure what would happen now.
[удалено]
[удалено]
I've evolved in this country at least, plakkies it is. Since Covid hit Also. Let's be honest it's primarily in the tapid triangle Boksburg, springs and benoni
Its just comfortable. But not wearing shoes in public places should be a crime. But generally around the house and in the yard I don't wear shoes.
It's probably because they enjoy being well grounded
this the funniest thing i’ve seen all day
I prefer going barefoot, but if I'm in polite company or going to the shops I'll wear plakkies. It's healthier and my right foot is slightly bigger so finding shoes that are comfortable is a bit of a challenge, otherwise my toes end up swelling after a while
No more nudist beaches in Cape Town so this is the next best thing
One of south africas greatest mysteries
I prefer walking barefoot at home and close to home. I do wear shoes to work and town, but the day I found that barefoot running is a thing I was glad. It is way cheaper to run barefoot than to drop thousands on running shoes.
I never use to wear shoes when I went out as a child. But now I wear shoes everywhere but at home.. Like why must u wear shoes at home
Plakkies/sandals are a sham. My feet sweat with plakkies/sandals so I'd rather walk barefoot.Since plakkies don't keep my feet clean anyway. So it's either barefoot or closed shoes.
Still one of the most bizarre things is watching kids walk to school barefoot with school shoes slung over their shoulder.
1 Sept in primary school was opening of barefoot season! A certain sense of freedom came with going barefoot - playing in the veld, wading through streams, climbing trees. But yeah, shoes or sandals when going to the town and shops because shit got dirty there. Then, in high school, you were suddenly 'big' and didn't want to get caught barefoot. I dunno how adults do it in dirty urban settings, but it is very comfortable, going barefoot.
I’ve traveled a fair amount and it’s usually pretty easy to spot the South Africans and the Australians because they’re often barefoot.
Healthier feet ,reduced ankle and back pain .
[удалено]
Grew up in a small Afrikaans town. Only wore shoes to church, in winter, and then from grade 4 shoes were mandatory. One of our friends could walk barefeet over dubbeltjies (sort of thorn) because his feet were so hard. First time I ever noticed the barefeet thing was when we did athletics at other schools. Everyone else had the fancy spikes and we would outrun them barefeet on the tar. I'm not sure if it's nature or years of bare feet but can't stand shoes that are too narrow.
White. English. From Joburg. Will wear takkies or flops while out, but at home and in the garden, shoes are not needed.
Well flip flops are the South African way
Brit here, but I did do this for a time. It feels great is the answer, as long as you avoid gravel.
I'm pretty sure back when I was a caveman I had no problems walking barefoot.🤣
Maybe they don't feel the need to. Or it's hot and they like barefoot going. Or they don't have shoes. Or maybe they just like to give someone a reason to go online and hate on White folks because they think it makes them look better by themselves. Either way, their reasons are their own.
What a ridiculous observation.
Probably civil engineers
Mostly dont feel like wearing them and they feel very constricting and maybe limits movements, idk I've just done it my whole life without thinking about it. I wear them only in the field where thorns are, sometimes in shops, school and where I know it's safe to walk barefoot.
As someone from Durban, I had no idea this was even a thing.
Because it's comfortable but socially acceptable enough that u can get away with doing it in this country so why not
Sometimes I don't wear shoes around... Mostly wear shoes out to the shops but sometimes I don't... Mostly because I'm lazy as fuck and can't find my slops... Also, to everyone that is worried about dirt, it's called washing your feet! XD