14 years ago I was called to encourage a return to nature through a message I received from Mother Earth asking me to: “Bring people back to the forest.” In time I came to understand that she wanted me to help people to reconnect with nature through their bare feet. The ‘forest’ could be a trail, a local city park, your backyard, a patch of grass, or a sandy beach. More recently she spoke to me again,“Don’t forget about the environment,” she said.

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A recent survey reports that the average American man owns 12 pairs of shoes, while the average American woman owns 27 pairs. That would make the national average about 19 pairs per person. And the average person buys 7 pairs of shoes a year. So in total 2.4 Billion pairs of shoes were bought in the US in 2022 alone! And only 5% of them get recycled.

 

How do you start?

Start by going barefoot some of the time. Don't buy as many shoes and give them away when you are finished with them. Go barefoot some of the time. Join our Nature News and keep informed of special events and how you can help. Buy a Barefoot Friendly Sticker  & put it where people can see it! ​