Why do people wear shoes?

I've been doing this barefoot running lark consistently for several years, and now find myself increasingly going around barefoot for normal activities too. Ali and others (even myself) are still a bit embarrassed about me going around unshod so sometimes I don shoes just in order not to cause offence. And of course I wear shoes when necessary for protection. But I am more and more convinced that the main reason people wear shoes is cultural. And what a poor reason given all the disadvantages of wearing shoes see here or here or here.

As an example, in church I feel at liberty to remove my shoes when sitting in the congregation (and I note that others do) but apparently I have to wear them if I go to the front to lead a song or whatever. Whereas with Moses it was the other way about. Strange.

I've noticed that more people in the community here are going around barefoot, albeit mostly only indoors, doubtless feeling freer to do so following my example - help! - what have I started?

Once I thought it might be dangerous to drive barefoot. But I now find I have much better control when barefoot. Try driving whilst wearing gum-boots, or operating delicate machinery whilst wearing heavy gloves, as an indication of the antithesis.

So maybe I had better make it clear - I am not going barefoot in order to be rebellious or to start a trend. I am doing it because I want to and because it is good for me, same reason as I eat ice cream or read a book or go for a bike ride. Whilst I feel sorry for folk that are enslaved by shoes and I try to keep away from their consequential smelly feet, I have no intention to proselytize. Why should I? - they seem to be happy with their lot.

I suppose my mother must have ingrained in me the need to wear shoes. Back in those days maybe it was only paupers that went barefoot. My mother also taught me to dry myself most completely after taking a bath or a swim and to take great care to clothe wisely when in the rain for fear of contracting some terrible disease. But I have found that being out in a rainstorm is actually pleasurable and the less I wear the better, that the killer is getting cold not getting wet. So now I rarely use a towel after swimming. And how good it is to swim when it is raining!

I wonder how many other things I continue to do - preconceptions - for no better reason that because I was taught to?  Not that this is necessarily a bad reason for doing stuff.