i've just walked down to our local postbox and back with no shoes or socks on as an experiment. it took about 15 minutes.

it went quite well. I've walked 1200 kilometres since i got my pedometer. 99.999% of that has been wearing my Doc Martens. (just a small amount was wearing my 'christmas shoes'). It was time for my feet to find out what my boots have been experiencing

here are my learnings:

* teeny stones and bits of grit hurt more than big stones and may join you on your journey like limpits by attaching themselves to your feet.

* different bits of the pavement feel very different. the scars from cable TV network layings are nice and smooth compared to the normal pavement.

* the road is very rough. don't go there. stick to the pavements.

* i had a real fear of scraping my toes on the floor so i walked in a very strange way.

* carpet is an ABSOLUTE luxury to return to.