LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV)- If you grew up in Arkansas, or in the south, chances are you probably went around barefoot just about everywhere your parents would let you, or at least knew someone who did.
After all, Arkansas doesn't go by the motto "The Natural State" for nothing.
While it may feel good to shed the shoes, just how safe is it?
"Like I'm the person they make that sign for no shoes, no shirt, no service. I always have the shirt on, but the no shoes part might be in question!" laughed Wendy Cook, Yoga Instructor at Big Rock Yoga in Little Rock.
In the yoga studio, at her desk, even in the car, Wendy Cook, a yoga instructor at Big Rock Yoga in Little Rock says she goes barefoot.
"I am barefoot, um, the majority of the day," said Cook.
A yoga instructor since 2002, Cook insists it's not just because it's in her job description, for her, it's simply a way of life.
"I love being barefoot. I'm from Arkansas!" said Cook. "The first thing I do every time I walk into a house or into my car, I kick off my shoes," said Cook.
While it may be just as liberating as nailing that perfect yoga pose, baring it all, or at least your feet, is not exactly recommended.
"It's definitely a DON'T from our point of view," said Dr. Alexadra Buk, a podiatrist at Arkansas Foot and Ankle Clinic in Little Rock.
Dr. Buk, says she has seen it all when it comes to going bare.
"We've seen crazy things like inch long fish barb, we've taken sea urchin spines out," said Dr. Buk.
Despite the fact that running barefoot in the park does sound like fun, Dr. Buk says hidden hazards capable of cutting or puncturing your feet are one of the biggest dangers.
"Splinters, pieces of driftwood, I've removed a toothpick; you never know!" said Dr. Buk.
There's also a chance of picking up a fungus, which could lead to an infection or a virus.
"The way you contract a wart virus is by walking on wet contaminated surfaces. Areas like the athletic club, the showers, gymnasiums [and] water parks," said Dr. Buk.
However for Cook, going bare is a risk worth taking and as for passing judgment? She says she doesn't mind one bit if you do.
"I don't at all. I don't at all. I will tell you because people see my feet for my living I treat myself to a pedicure about every 2 weeks to justify it!" said Cook.
Dr. Buk says most people's feet actually require the cushioning and support that a shoe will give.
Otherwise, you can develop problems like heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, strained tendons and fallen arches.
