- Source: List of barefooters
This is a list of notable barefooters, real and fictional; notable people who are known for going barefoot as a part of their public image, and whose barefoot appearance was consistently reported by media or other reliable sources, or depicted in works of fiction dedicated to them.
A barefoot appearance can be a notable characteristic for an individual, as it has been associated with various cultural contexts throughout human history. In Ancient Greece, philosophers like Socrates and Diogenes adopted a barefoot lifestyle, and since the Middle Ages, it was seen as a sign of religious ascetism. In particular, discalceation, the practice of going constantly barefoot or clad only in sandals, is a common feature of Christian mendicant orders, practiced by the Discalced Carmelites (1568), the Feuillant Cistercians (1575), the Trinitarians (1594), the Mercedarians (1604), the Passionists, the Poor Clares and Colettine Poor Clares, and the Descalzas Reales. This is undertaken as part of vows of poverty and humility, as well as a remembrance of Moses on Mount Sinai. Hindu gurus go barefoot to allow their followers to demonstrate their love and respect by pranam, the ceremonial touching of a bare foot. It is also customary in Judaism and some Christian denominations to go barefoot while mourning.
The early 20th century saw the emergence of the barefoot dance movement, pioneered by Isadora Duncan, that anticipated women's liberation movement and challenged the then prevalent perception of bare foot as obscene. In the latter half of the 20th century, many singers, primarily women, have performed barefoot, a trend that continues in the early 21st century.
Since the 1960s, barefooting has also been associated with counterculture, in particular with the hippie and New Age movements. A July 1967 Time magazine study on hippie philosophy credited the foundation of the hippie movement with historical precedent dating back to the aforementioned religious and spiritual figures of the ancient times, including Diogenes and the sadhu of India.
Nowadays people who have a preference for not wearing shoes in public are striving for the recognition of barefoot lifestyle, against the social stigma associated with barefooting, and for the abolition of laws and regulations that prohibit going barefoot in certain places. In particular, in the 2020s, it became a trend among celebrities to appear barefoot in public, a tendency reinforced by TikTok.
Notable barefooters
= Religion, spirituality, and philosophy
=Socrates (470–399 BC) — Ancient Greek philosopher credited as the founder of Western philosophy. In Symposium, Plato mentioned that Socrates went barefoot all year round, even on ice; Aristophanes also made a reference to Socrates going barefoot in his comedy The Clouds. He is frequently alluded to as "the barefoot philosopher" in academic works, and a television film dedicated to his last days was called Barefoot in Athens.
Diogenes (412 or 404–323 BC) — Ancient Greek philosopher known as one of the founders of Cynicism. Diogenes and his followers (called cynics) were known to neglect all personal comfort and go barefoot even in winter.
Kevin of Glendalough (498–618) – Irish saint, known as the founder and first abbot of Glendalough in County Wicklow, Ireland. He was known for living the life of a hermit among the animals and birds, wearing only animal skins and going barefoot.
Bishr the Barefoot (767–841) — Muslim saint who earned the name Bishr al-Ḥāfī (Bishr the Barefoot). When asked why he did not wear shoes, he would reply "My master Allah guided me when I was barefooted, and I will remain in this condition till death".
Hedwig of Silesia (1174–1243) — Bavarian/Polish saint. According to legend, she went barefoot even in winter.
Margaret the Barefooted (1325–1395) — Italian saint who earned her name because she walked barefooted as a beggar to better associate herself with the poor.
Johnny Appleseed (1774–1845) — American pioneer nurseryman and missionary for The New Church, known for his barefoot appearance. According to his obituary in Fort Wayne Sentinel, "in the most inclement weather he might be seen barefooted and almost naked except when he chanced to pick up articles of old clothing".
John of Shanghai and San Francisco (1896–1966) — prominent ascetic, prelate of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, and reputed wonderworker with purported powers of prophecy, clairvoyance and healing. In France, he became known as "Saint Jean Nus Pieds" (Saint John the Barefoot) because he was known to go barefoot all year round.
= Arts and entertainment
=Isadora Duncan (1878–1927) — American-born dancer and choreographer, who was a pioneer of modern contemporary dance and, in particular, revolutionized dance by performing barefoot. She divorced the bare foot from perceptions of obscenity and made a conscious effort to link barefoot dancing to ideals such as "nudity, childhood, the idyllic past, flowing lines, health, nobility, ease, freedom, simplicity, order, and harmony".
Carmen Tórtola Valencia (1882–1955) — Spanish early modern dancer, choreographer, costume designer and painter, who generally performed barefoot. Tórtola Valencia is said to have been the inspiration for Rubén Darío's poem, La bailarina de los pies desnudos ("The Barefoot Dancer").
Thamara de Swirsky (1888–1961) — Russian-born dancer who "created a sensation" in the United States with her barefoot dancing.
Voldemārs Irbe (1893–1944) — Latvian pastel painter renowned for his eccentricity, disheveled appearance, and going barefoot all year round. This penchant earned him the nickname "Barefoot Irbite"; a monument in Riga dedicated to Irbe also depicts him barefooted.
Ava Gardner (1922–1990) — American actress who was a part of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Her lifelong habit of going barefoot became a part of her public image after the release of her movie The Barefoot Contessa (1954); her decision to accept the role was also influenced by this habit.
Cesária Évora (1941–2011) — Cape Verdean morna singer who became known as the Barefoot Diva because she often performed without shoes, which was sometimes described as a way for Évora to honor the poor.
Sharon Tate (1943–1969) — American actress and model known for frequently appearing barefoot in public. When she went to restaurants with a "No Shoes, No Service" rule, she would frequently put rubber bands around her ankles to pretend that she was wearing sandals. This trait of hers was depicted in the 2019 movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Jimmy Buffett (1946–2023) — American singer-songwriter known for his tropical rock sound and persona, and, in particular, for singing barefoot onstage to promote an island/beach bum lifestyle.
Sandie Shaw (b. 1947) — English pop singer renowned as one of the first singers to perform barefoot. This earned her the nickname "Barefoot Pop Princess of the 1960s". After she started another career as a psychotherapist, she opened a clinic known as Barefoot Therapy: The Arts Clinic.
Amy Grant (b. 1960) — American singer-songwriter and musician who performs barefoot as one of her concert trademarks. To date, Grant continues to take off her shoes midway through performances, as she has said, "it is just more comfortable."
k.d. lang (b. 1961) — Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress known for performing barefoot.
Michael Franti (b. 1966) — American singer/songwriter who performs barefoot on stage and prefers being barefoot during his daily life and travels.
Julia Roberts (b. 1967) — American actress known for frequently appearing barefoot, including at public events like film festivals, talk shows, and her wedding to Lyle Lovett. Her barefoot habit was incorporated into a number of her roles, including Tinker Bell in Hook and Susie Moss in Friends.
Steven Wilson (b. 1967) — English musician; founder, guitarist, lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Porcupine Tree. For live shows, Wilson plays barefoot, a habit that goes back to his early childhood. He said, "I always had a problem wearing shoes and I've always gone around with bare feet."
Thomas Jane (b. 1969) — American actor known for his preference for going barefoot, including at film premieres and while on set.
Genevieve Gorder (b. 1974) — American television host and interior designer widely known for her habit of working barefoot. She parodied her lack of footwear in a series of Swiffer sweeper commercials that started running on television and in periodicals in 2003.
Tim Minchin (b. 1975) — Australian actor, writer, musician, poet, composer, songwriter and comedian. In his performances, he typically goes barefoot with wild hair and heavy eye makeup, which is juxtaposed with a crisp suit and tails, and a grand piano. According to Minchin, he likes going barefoot in his shows because it makes him feel more comfortable.
Shakira (b. 1977) — Colombian singer and songwriter known for frequently performing barefoot, a form of dance she learned as a young teen to overcome her shyness, and which gave name to a charity founded by her, Barefoot Foundation.
Patricia Kopatchinskaja (b. 1977) — violinist of classical and contemporary music, born in Moldova, now living in Switzerland, playing barefoot on stage.
Travis Fimmel (b. 1979) — Australian actor and former model known for his preference for going barefoot, a trait incorporated into his character Anduin Lothar in Warcraft.
Mean Mary (b. 1980) — American singer-songwriter, player of banjo, guitar, fiddle and mandolin, is frequently barefoot on stage and in her videos.
Barbara Weldens (1982–2017) — French singer-songwriter whose habit of performing barefoot resulted in her death by electrocution: her foot made contact with a defective piece of electrical equipment.
Rebecca Ferguson (b. 1983) — Swedish actress best known for her portrayal of the MI6 agent Ilsa Faust in three of the Mission: Impossible films. In an interview, she said, "Selfishly, I love being barefoot and wearing comfy clothes". Her preference for going barefoot was incorporated into some of her movie roles, including Ilsa Faust, Rose the Hat in Doctor Sleep, Riza Stavros in Men in Black: International, Morgana in The Kid Who Would Be King, and Lady Jessica in Dune.
Stelth Ulvang (b. 1986) — American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a touring member of the folk rock band The Lumineers. He has acquired the nickname "Barefoot Wanderer" due to his habit of performing barefoot on stage.
Joss Stone (b. 1987) — English singer, songwriter and actress who was referred to as a "barefoot diva" by The Guardian in 2004 for her performances without footwear.
Taimane Gardner (b. 1989) — Hawaiian ukulele player who consistently plays barefoot.
Sayuri (1996–2024) – Japanese musician, singer and songwriter who normally performed barefoot and in a rain poncho. In an interview, she stated that she did it because it gave her direct contact with the ground.
Angelina Jordan (b. 2006) — Norwegian singer. After meeting a shoeless child in Asia and giving her her shoes, Jordan pledged to always perform barefoot onstage until "all children in the world have shoes of their own".
= Businesspeople
=Steve Jobs (1955–2011) — American businessman, inventor, and investor best known for co-founding the technology company Apple Inc. Jobs was known to frequently appear barefooted in his office, and was depicted this way in a feature dedicated to him in Time magazine. His barefoot habit had to do with his background in counterculture and spirituality (Jobs' appearance was often compared to that of a hippie), and was depicted in the movies Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999) and Jobs (2013). It also had an impact on American corporate culture, and was adopted by some other entrepreneurs, most notably Adam Neumann.
Mark Zuckerberg (b. 1984) — American businessman and the founder of the social media service Facebook, known for frequently appearing in public barefoot or wearing only flip-flops. His wax sculpture at the Madame Tussauds museum also depicts him barefooted.
= Other
=Patrick Henry (1736–1799) – American politician, Governor of Virginia, spent his youth and private life mostly barefoot, also encouraging his children and grandchildren to do likewise.
Dot Butler (1911–2008) – Australian bushwalker, mountaineer and conservationist who became known as "the barefoot bushwalker" because she rarely wore boots or any other footwear when walking. In 1991, she published an autobiography called "The Barefoot Bush Walker - A Remarkable Story Of Adventure, Courage & Romance".
Rob Bredl (b. 1950) – Australian documentary film-maker, a reptile specialist and owner of the "Blue Planet Wildlife Park". He became known as the "barefoot bushman" because he has the habit of getting around barefoot, both at home and in the bush, even if he is out catching crocodiles.
Mick Dodge (b. 1951) – American modern-day hermit known for living a barefoot lifestyle in the Hoh Rainforest in Washington. Dodge is known as "The Barefoot Sensei" and "the Barefooted Nomad", and is the subject of the National Geographic Channel reality TV series The Legend of Mick Dodge, about his unusual life dwelling in a forest.
Sabrina Fox (b. 1958) – German writer and TV host who has been walking exclusively barefoot since 2014. She describes this as a freedom that she restored to her feet, woke them up and suddenly really felt the ground again. She only wears shoes in situations where gloves are needed for the hands, i. e. to protect herself from heat or cold.
Wojciech Cejrowski (b. 1964) – Polish traveller, journalist and writer who normally travels barefoot, and is the host of a travel show called Barefoot Around the World.
Cody Lundin (b. 1967) – American survival instructor and a former co-host of Discovery Channel's reality television series Dual Survival, in which he demonstrated various survival skills while wearing shorts in all weather and going barefoot.
Saba Douglas-Hamilton (b. 1970) – Kenyan wildlife conservationist and television presenter who lives a barefoot lifestyle in the bush.
Robin Greenfield (b. 1986) – American environmental activist and adventurer known for going barefoot for over a decade.
Fictional characters
Bare feet are a consistent element in the depiction of some fictional characters.
= Anime and manga
=Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV (also known as Radical Edward and Ed) — fictional character in the anime series Cowboy Bebop, an extremely eccentric teenage hacker girl who almost always appears barefoot.
Hestia — fictional character in the light novel series Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, and its manga and anime adaptations, a goddess named after the Greek goddess of the hearth. She is normally depicted barefoot.
L — main antagonist in the manga and anime series Death Note. He is an eccentric detective with many quirky habits, including a penchant for going barefoot.
= Books
=Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo — French Roma girl and a street dancer, she does not wear shoes in the original novel, Gina Lollobrigida portrayed her barefoot in the 1956 movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and it became a tradition since then to depict her with bare feet. In particular, she is depicted this way in the 1996 Disney animated movie.
Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, the protagonists of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, usually go barefoot, as was the norm among American boys at the time. In Mark Twain's own words, "a boy who didn't go barefooted, or wore shoes when it was not absolutely necessary, was viewed as a "Miss Nelly". The unfortunate lad being an object of complete derision among my companions".
Coriakin and Ramandu from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis — magicians and stars in human form who are both described as old men with a long beard and bare feet. It has been suggested that their lack of footwear has to do with religious connotations and with the "holy hermit" archetype.
Momo, protagonist of the novel of the same name by Michael Ende (West Germany 1973), a girl of unknown origin with few possessions and a lot of time. When her appearance is first described, it is mentioned “She had very big, beautiful eyes as black as her hair, and feet of almost the same colour, for she nearly always went around barefoot.” The silence of walking barefoot is described several times later in the text: “Her bare feet made no sound, but she could hear footsteps ahead of her.”
Sue in Albatross Bay by Roger Harvey (romantic children's adventure, UK 2009), a character who lives in a beach house, always barefoot. Sue is an expert swimmer; the children in the story assume she must be a mermaid, believing mermaids can never wear shoes.
= Comics
=Ezekiel Sims — Marvel Comics character who appeared in the stories featuring the Spider-Man. Ezekiel has the same powers as the Spider-Man, and is usually seen barefoot because it allows him to stick to walls. He is also portrayed this way by Tahar Rahim in the 2024 movie Madame Web.
Gypsy — DC Comics character, a superheroine who patterned her costume after common stereotypes of Romani dress, including bare feet.
Mantis — Marvel Comics character who first appeared in The Avengers in 1973. She is usually depicted barefoot to signify her connection to nature and her background in Asian martial arts.
= Film
=Aladdin — main character in the Disney animated movies Aladdin (1992), The Return of Jafar (1994), and Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996), and the animated TV series Aladdin (1994–1995). In the first movie, he appears barefoot due to poverty and due to being a street urchin, but he retains the barefoot appearance even in the sequels, after he marries the princess Jasmine.
Pocahontas — main character in the Disney animated movies Pocahontas (1995) and Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (1998). As a Native American, Pocahontas was depicted barefoot, presumably to signify her connection to nature.
Rapunzel — main character in the Disney animated movies Tangled (2010), Tangled Ever After (2012), and Tangled: Before Ever After (2017), and in the animated series Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (2017–2020). Rapunzel is depicted as a barefooter, and her voice actor Mandy Moore was barefoot herself while recording her lines. Moore said: "I like to think of her as the bohemian Disney princess. She's barefoot and living in a tower. She paints and reads… She’s a Renaissance woman".
= TV series
=Neri and Mera from Ocean Girl — alien girls coming from a planet known as the Ocean Planet where shoes do not exist, hence both characters are barefooted throughout the whole series.
River Tam — fictional character from the Firefly franchise who is known to go barefoot so often that the show's creator Joss Whedon said on the Serenity DVD commentary that "River's feet are the 11th character on the show".
Toph Beifong — fictional character in the animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. As a powerful earthbender who was born blind, she compensates for it by feeling the vibrations of the Earth, which is why she is perpetually barefoot.
Notes
= Bibliography
=Dudley, Donald R. (1937). A History of Cynicism from Diogenes to the 6th Century A.D. Cambridge.
Links
List of famous barefooters at Barefooters.org
Famous people who went barefoot at Unshod.org
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