You know, as a reflexologist of many years standing, I have to agree that barefoot is great for feet! Being barefoot on open ground is also good, feeling the grass and dirt between the toes, and strengthening our connection to earth/groundedness. Our son? It's pretty hard keeping shoes on him! It's pretty much at school because he has too, and when he's playing soccer. He walks through the bush and along streams barefoot all the time, never worrying about the little cuts and scrapes, and he has noticed his feet getting tougher. Misshaping the foot through 'shoe torture' has incredible knock-on effects on human health, I have seen it in clinical practice literally hundreds of times. High heels in particular - don't do it ladies!