barefoot adventurer

[Breygon]

(does this fit in here, or the other discussions?)
I'm currently writing (more just brainstorming) a medieval fantasy/Dungeons & Dragons-esc story, and one of the main protagonists is a young human (or maybe half-elf) female rogue who goes barefoot. I'm kind of stuck as to 'why' she might do that. Would it be simple poverty (hence why she became a thief to begin with)? could it help her balance? stealth? (no hard-soled boots after all) helps her climb? work in the dark better? spiritual/chi/heavenly balance? (not thinking that one is likely; she's not likely an atheist or anything, she just doesn't think about that sort of stuff really).
And also, I'd like any ideas as to some "tactile" descriptions; what does it feel like to walk barefoot on cobblestone streets, through the woods? in caves or dungeons?

I'm sure I'll work some form of tickling in there somewhere... 😉

would like any sort of info/ideas from you all on the 'net. Thanks in advance.

 

[johntfs]

Well, realistically, she would probably were soft boots/shoes. Otherwise her feet would soon become a blistered mess that would eventually develop multiple layers of callouses. Oh, and if she went barefoot during the winter, her feet would be black with frostbite and need to be amputated. So, in reality, the barefoot thief would have ugly, diseased, calloused, disgusting feet that would most likely not be the slightest bit ticklish.

Of course, this isn't reality. My thought is that when she was first starting out, she tried to steal some magical boots from a wizard and was caught. Now, because the wizard tickled her True Name out of her, she has to do "odd jobs" for him. In return for this, he put magical toenail polish on her wish allows her to walk with absolute silence and protects her feet from environmental damage like glass, frostbite, walking across hot coals and keeps them baby-soft and very ticklish.

 

[MrTicklefeet]

As you're coming here to ask such a question, I'd say its safe to guess you'r young and don't know anybody who have spent a good amount of the time running around barefoot. It's quite nice actually. A bit tender at first, but after a while you get use to it and it's the most natural thing afterwards. (Except walking across parking lots that have lots of gravel in them.)
Best thing I could suggest is to try walking around barefoot yourself and see what revelations come from the experience.

 

[TicklesXXX]

Keep the shoes on. Only take them out with the tickling.

 

[spike246]

Always was turned on by a barefoot female on beach having to endure walking on hot sand watching them roast their toes and their reactions as they pranced around in the warm sand.

 

[Cosmo_ac]

if it's a dungeons and dragons setting, then the answer is simple. Magic. Remember, whenever you write fantasy, you can always use magic as an excuse for anything. Don't want her to wear shoes? Have a magical curse placed on her feet, so they will always be bare, but one side effect of the curse is that her feet are invulnerable.

 

[ElFewja]

If I recall correctly Ninja wore some form of footwear that used sheepskin or wool on the sole to mask their walking sounds. I bring this up because you make a point about her potentially being a thief and, well, I don't think bare feet would work for that either. It's not too hard to walk quietly in normal shoes, for one. I'd also argue it's tougher to do so quietly in bare feet on any sort of unpadded surface... there's a sort of meat-like sound the foot makes and I find it harder to be quiet bare foot than I do with shoes. Beyond that, socks are very easy to be quiet in. I guess if you were outside bare feet would be much easier to not make sounds with but someone else already pointed out why that wouldn't be a great idea, calluses and all.

The only reason I can think of for her to remain barefoot is if there was some reason she needed to be able to directly feel what was beneath her, as opposed to feeling it from within a shoe. Potentially traps, trip wires... something you just wouldn't notice unless you didn't have footwear. Something about feet being sensory objects.