Bare Feet and all…

Feet:

Mostly, we neglect them, or take them for granted. They take us where we want to go, until they don’t anymore because of illness, injury, or loss of limb.

Yet, we attach many different meanings to them. Just think of these expressions: footloose (free to do as one likes), light-footed, heavy-booted, barefoot and pregnant, or to play footsie with someone (flirtatious play with feet)

Foot:

indicates the bottom of things such as the foot of the bed, the foot of the table, the foothills of a mountain.
There are foot soldiers who move and fight mostly on foot (infantry men) or people who do the hard work at the lowest level of an organization.
Someone has to foot the bill (pay for things). We try not to start on the wrong foot (an unfortunate beginning) or to put our foot in our mouth (saying something embarrassing). Instead, we try to put our best foot forward (doing the best we can to make a good impression). Sometimes, we just have to put our foot down (being firm); while at other times, we drag our feet (deliberately slow things down). It’s usually to our advantage to get a foothold (a secure position).

Being barefoot at the beach represents the freedom of vacation days to those with means:

However, for those too poor to pay for shoes, being barefoot is definitely not a sign of freedom.

Some jobs virtually require being barefoot:

Fishermen bringing in the net

Lifeguard legs

In many parts of the world, people mostly wear flipflops, the cheapest footwear they can afford:

flipflops at edge of rice fields

The feet of a deity or a beloved teacher are considered a sacred place in many cultures:

Incense at foot of Ganesh statue

However, displaying the soles of your feet towards someone, can be a great insult:

Demon showing his bare soles

Sometimes, being barefoot is really not such a good idea:

barefoot in the snow

But mostly, I really like bare feet – there is an innocence about them, a sense of groundedness and a connection to nature:

Rose petals and bare feet

For more bare feet and footwear entries, check out Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Bare Feet