Stuff Mason Students Like #6: Going Barefoot for A Day

Though they like their Uggs, Mason students also seem to like events that raise awareness about a particular cause. (TweetPic via Lindsey Denny)

Whether or not you noticed it, a subtle difference could be found in several Mason students’ appearances this past Thursday. These students went about their regular routines this Thursday, but one thing was noticeably absent: their shoes.

On April 8, nearly 250,000 people around the world, including a handful of students at Mason, participated in “One Day Without Shoes.” The event, sponsored by the American shoe company TOMS, aimed to raise awareness for those around the world who live in poverty and cannot afford shoes.

It also helped garner attention and support for TOMS’ business and philanthropy. Freshman Alyssa Concio’s reasons for going barefoot parallel the event’s purposes.

“I wanted to raise awareness about the impact a simple pair of shoes can have on a child’s life,” she said. “Also, [I wanted] to support TOMS, a shoe company willing to give one pair of shoes to children in need for every pair purchased.”

Participants could go the whole day, a few hours or a couple of minutes barefoot. The purpose of the event was to give people a taste of what it would feel like to walk without shoes.

For most, it was exhausting. Junior Hannah Wert said she felt physically tired after going her entire day without shoes. “I had three classes and walked home twice, so my feet definitely hurt at the end of the day!”

Concio’s experience, after also going barefoot the entire day, was similar. “I could feel calluses form on the soles of my feet,” she said. “The toughest part of the day was walking on hot concrete. I was constantly aware of what I was walking on.”

In addition to the physical discomfort, Mason students participating in the event sometimes received stares of confusion or contempt from others on campus. And although no one asked graphic design major Jennifer Raboteau why she was barefoot, she said you could see the reactions in peoples’ faces. “People were uncomfortable about it.”

Wert received some looks of disdain, but she was also approached by several people asking why she was barefoot. “A few of the ones who asked me actually took their shoes off for the rest of the day!”

Despite experiencing pain and uncomfortable stares from others, many Mason students said they were in fact thankful for the experience at the end of the day.

Concio said “it was definitely worth it,” adding that “it felt great to explain to people how so many kids go without shoes and what the effects of that can be.”

Raboteau felt a similar compassion. “My heart broke for those who have to endure that everyday,” she said. “I went home and washed my feet because of the disgusting places they had been. But they don’t even have that opportunity either.”

This past Thursday wasn’t the first time Mason students have been spotted walking barefoot around campus. Last year, senior Brandon McLaughlin, Mason’s campus representative for TOMS, organized an event with Alpha Phi Omega that promoted TOMS’ philanthropy.

Although an event was not organized on campus this year, that didn’t stop Mason students from taking it upon themselves to participate and promote the cause. An increasing number of students understand the cause and how they can take small — sometimes shoeless — steps to make an impact. They like it and, as a result, it may not be long until the entire campus goes “One Day Without Shoes.”

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Writer's Note: Inspired by the popular blog, Stuff White People Like, “Stuff Mason Students Like” is pretty self-explanatory in drawing attention to the stuff that George Mason University students like. This column aims to foster a common culture among Mason’s student population, publish what people are thinking and say, and most importantly, to poke some fun at the Mason student body.