Jesse A. Schroeder

Today was the TOMS Shoes "One Day Without Shoes" event. It also just so happens that our team is collecting shoes to take to Guatemala. So, I thought it would be a very appropriate event to participate in, and hopefully be able to spark some conversations with people about our trip. 

OK, I have to be honest - I didn't make it the full day. So really, it was my "morning" without shoes. But the morning was rough enough. The weather was cold, and the ground was wet from the rain yesterday. I had morning class on campus, which normally means riding the bus, but I wanted to try to walk as much as possible. I parked about 3 or 4 blocks from my building (which is actually REALLY close; I was lucky I got the spot) and started walking. 

Let me just say that campus sidewalks are not "well maintained." Rocky, cracks, holes, muddy water, and plenty of broken shards of glass to step around. It was a very painful and cold way to start the morning. 

While I sat in class, my morning coffee began to make its way through my system, and I realized I was going to have to use public bathrooms throughout the day. Walking barefoot in a public bathroom?? Really?? But then again, kids who don't have shoes don't have a choice about what touches their feet, about where they have to walk, or even what "bathrooms" they can or can't use. 

Walking around the building, I was distinctly aware of being "unfashionable." As I said, it was a cold day, so many people were wearing winter coats. I felt silly walking around with no shoes. I don't usually pay that much attention to my shoe style - I actually only have one pair for campus that I wear every day. But I felt pretty embarrassed and self-conscious about being barefoot. 

So my morning "no shoes" experience was not all that great. But after class, I went to a casual meeting with some of the College of Social Work staff, and my experience changed quickly. As social workers, they were aware of the "no shoes" day, and were pretty excited to see me not wearing shoes. I had printed some flyers about our Guatemala trip to give to people if they asked about my bare feet, and so I passed a few out. The staff was very excited. They wanted to take pictures and include it in the weekly newsletter. And, they had already collected some children's shoes for another event, but hadn't given them away yet! So, I walked into the meeting barefoot, and left with about 10 pairs of kids shoes. 

I carried the shoes back to my car, distinctly aware of the irony that I was walking barefoot while carrying lots of shoes. The day was a bit warmer, but still my feet hurt pretty badly as I walked around campus. A few people shouted out "Hey no shoe guy!" but other than that, I didn't have too many interesting conversations. Nevertheless, my "day without shoes" was challenging, eye-opening, and ultimately beneficial for kids who need shoes.