Having feet that are not covered by shoes or socks; walking without footwear.
From Old English 'bar' meaning naked or uncovered, combined with 'footed.' The compound emerged in Middle English to describe someone traveling or working without foot protection, which was once common among poor laborers.
Barefoot walking was so normal for most of human history that it only became noteworthy when shoes became cheap and common enough for everyone to own—before the Industrial Revolution, 'barefooted' wasn't even a special descriptor, just the default for most people.
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