Moving to the city has caused some drastic changes in my feet. They have become rougher, sure, but it's more than that. My soles have become thicker. And the snow is starting to burn my feet from the cold. I only was out for about 12 minutes, but it was extremely cold outside. All those red spots on the bottom of my feet are from that one incident. Peter offered to drive me, but I was stubborn and insisted on walking. I promise I'll be more careful from now on!



The redness isn't frostbite, but literally where my feet froze to the packed snow. It's similar to burns you would get from touching dry ice with your bare hands.



It kind of hurt for the first day, but it's all better now. It makes me sad, though, to know that there are surfaces my feet can't handle. At least I can still go barefoot inside my own house. My soles don't get as dirty, but they do pick up dirt from my unswept kitchen floor.



Somehow I keep getting black grease on my right heel. I don't know what it's from, but it's shown up a few different times while going different places. I'm beginning to think it's from getting in my vehicle, but I don't know for sure.

Hi Sierra

Don't be sad. Please be careful with your feet and don't overdo, no one over here wants you to get hurt, OK? Promised? BTW, what one incident are you referring to, what happened?

I think the greasy spot on your right heel can be from driving, as that's the foot that you use to push the throttle pedal.

By the way, your soles are really beautiful! It's amazing how they have changed because living in the city. I think that the redness can be because of the salt and chemicals they sometimes put in the snow. Your arches are high, very pretty.

Thanks for another beautiful update.

The incident I was referring to occurred on Wednesday. Peter and I were out to dinner, and then we decided to go to the hardware store and look for supplies to build a tent for when we go camping together in a few weeks, instead of buying one. Well, the hardware store is a few minutes away from the restaurant we were at so we walked to it. About half way there I realized that it was a mistake to walk so far in bare feet when it's -40 outside, but it was too late to go back. So yes, the red marks are from my feet temporarily freezing to the packed snow. They don't put salt and chemicals in the snow here. It wouldn't do anything because it's so cold that it would just turn to ice instantly.

-40?? May be -4? :)

-40C? Wow! Do you mean your soles froze and stuck to the snow??? Wasn't it painful to walk barefoot on such cold weather, how it feels????

Be careful my friend! Canadian Winter is a serious thing, even Sierra the Barefoot Girl must take care of her feet, they are not bionic :-)

No, it was definitely -40. I didn't realize it was that cold though, otherwise I would have stayed inside or taken up Peter's offer to drive. I found out later that Edmonton was the second coldest place in the world that day - only Antarctica was colder.

It did hurt, but I thought it was just from stepping in powdery snow, which makes feet much more cold than packed snow or sidewalk. When we got in the store I looked at the bottom of my feet and saw the burns and realized what had happened.

With temperatures as low as those, it will be wiser to keep warm shoes close, just in case. No need to risk your feet just to prove you can endure the whole Winter in bare feet, better take care and walk barefoot just when humanly possible, otherwise keep your feet warm and safe, OK?

Ok, fine, if you insist...

Peter said the same thing, so I guess if multiple people are telling me the same advice, I should maybe follow it.