However, going
barefoot is just simply not an option in our current, modern society. To
protect the feet against the harsh construction of everyday life in
America, shoes are vital. Especially in areas such as gyms or places of
heavy traffic, going barefoot would simply make feet a target for
pathogens such as fungal infections. It is true that several foot
conditions can be exacerbated by wearing inappropriate footwear.
........ There is no disease caused by shoes.
This is the most absurd thing I've ever read. It truly disturbs me that this was written by a medical professional.
First of all, how is it that shoes are vital in our "modern" society? Why is it perfectly safe for indigenous people to walk through the Amazonian jungles or the Australian outback barefoot, but inherently dangerous to walk unshod through downtown Toronto? There's no doubt there are plenty of places where shoes are truly essential pieces of safety gear, but that list does not include parks or even restaurants. The mere fact that many of us go barefoot continuously in these places shows this moron's theory to be false.
Secondly, has this quack even read a book about infections? I don't even have a first-aid merit badge from the Boy Scouts and I know that fungi need dark, moist places to grow. There may be no diseases actually caused by shoes, but I'll guarantee there are no reported cases of a barefooter getting athlete's foot. The fungus that causes athlete's foot thrives in the dark, sweaty environment of a shoe. True enough, shoes did not "cause" the problem, but the problem would not have existed without them.
I've spent my entire life working jobs that required me to wear heavy steel-toed boots. Most of the time it was a valid requirement that I would have been an absolute fool to argue with. But my feet have paid the price. Maybe my toes wouldn't be so crunched together if I'd been able to find boots wide enough, but that's only part of the problem. The thick, stiff soles of workboots caused the muscles in my feet to atrophy. The boots did not flex enough to allow my feet to operate normally and even after some seven months of almost constant barefoot walking my gait has not corrected itself. Yes, it is better, but my feet are still weak and deformed. There's simply no way to place blame for this anywhere other than on the shoes. I wouldn't have been able to go barefoot at work, but I would have known to kick off the boots as soon as I clocked out and would have left them off till the next day. This would have allowed my feet to recover from the torture, just like hands recover from spending all day in gloves. But, that would only have been possible in a society that acknowledges that bare feet are safe and healthy and that shoes are necessary evils to be used only sparingly.
What bothers me most about these comments from this alleged doctor is that he has clout. There are a great many people out there who do not possess the ability to think for themselves. They see a fool like this say something so mind-numbingly stupid and take it as gospel. They remember the old wives' tales they heard as kids and believe them to be absolute truth. This is the hurdle we face in gaining acceptance with the general public. We have science and reason on our side, but it's not enough to sway some people. How do you argue with a doctor?
