The Year’s First Barefoot Day 

Since flip-flops are so ubiquitous, even as winter wear, there’s probably less pleasure in people’s minds concerning the year’s first barefoot day—a day in early spring that’s warm enough for you to kick off your shoes after school or after work and go outside. The author Maxie Dunham wrote a book entitled Barefoot Days of the Soul (Upper Room Books, 1975), wherein he likens the freedom and joy of Christian faith with the relief one feels going barefoot outdoors after wintertime.

For several years, when we lived at a place where I regularly rode my bike, my own first-barefoot-day was the time I felt comfortable riding without shoes on. That kind of day could be in the fifties, chilly for strolling on sidewalks but fine for pushing the bicycle pedals and feeling the rushing breeze. What a welcome feeling after the winter months!