---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I see you go bare-shod. This is most…"
description: "\"“I see you go bare-shod. This is most likely extremely sensible. Shoes are no end of trouble for girls. . . . How many have danced to death in slippers..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/catherynne-m-valente-375_barefoot_i-see-you-go-bare-shod-this-is-most-like_2475473.jpg"
---

#  I see you go bare-shod. This is most likely extremely…

![“I see you go bare-shod. This is most likely extremely sensible. Shoes are no end of trouble for girls. . . . How many have danced to death in slippers of silk and glass and fur and wood? Too many to count—the graveyards, they are so full these days. You are very wise to let your soles become…” quote by Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/catherynne-m-valente-375_barefoot_i-see-you-go-bare-shod-this-is-most-like_2475473.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/catherynne-m-valente-375_barefoot_i-see-you-go-bare-shod-this-is-most-like_2475473.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/catherynne-m-valente-375_barefoot_i-see-you-go-bare-shod-this-is-most-like_2475473.jpg)

> ““I see you go bare-shod. This is most likely extremely sensible. Shoes are no end of trouble for girls. . . . How many have danced to death in slippers of silk and glass and fur and wood? Too many to count—the graveyards, they are so full these days. You are very wise to let your soles become grubby with mud, to let them grow their own slippers of moss and clay and calluses. This is far preferable to shoes which may become wicked at any moment.””

[Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The narrator praises barefoot walking as a practical, grounded choice, contrasting it with the fragility and danger of ornate footwear.

**In simple terms:** Bare feet are practical and safe compared to delicate shoes.

Key Takeaway

Choose simplicity and durability over fragile fashion.

Themes

practicality nature simplicity wisdom

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

philosophical advice

When to use this quote

- Hiking
- daily commuting
- children’s play
- crafting footwear

Key Concepts

Embodiment material culture human resilience

Questions to Reflect On

- What benefits do you gain from embracing simplicity?
- How can you protect yourself while staying grounded?

A Different Perspective

Barefoot walking may expose feet to injury or social stigma.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Barefoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barefoot/) [Death Slippers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-slippers-805507/) [Fashion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fashion/) [Girls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girls/) [Grow Slippers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grow-slippers-805505/) [Let Soles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/let-soles-805506/) [Sensible Shoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensible-shoes-805509/) [Shoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shoes/) [Slippers Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slippers-moss-805508/) [Wicked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wicked/)

## Related quotes

> [“How grateful I am to be reunited with Hannah, Meg, Mara, and Charissa, my friends in Sharon Garlough Brown’s Sensible Shoes series. Having already…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-garlough-brown/how-grateful-i-am-to-be-reunited-with-hannah-meg-mara-and-charissa-my/)

[Sharon Garlough Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-garlough-brown/)

> [The muse in charge of fantasy wears good, sensible shoes. No foam-born Aphrodite, she vaguely resembles my old piano teacher, who was keen on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-alexander/the-muse-in-charge-of-fantasy-wears-good-sensible-shoes-no-foam-born/)

[Lloyd Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-alexander/)

> [“The muse in charge of fantasy wears good, sensible shoes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-alexander/the-muse-in-charge-of-fantasy-wears-good-sensible-shoes/)

[Lloyd Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-alexander/)

> [Potatoes are to food what sensible shoes are to fashion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-wells/potatoes-are-to-food-what-sensible-shoes-are-to-fashion/)

[Linda Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-wells/)

> [Marya Morevna! Don't you know anything? Girls must be very, very careful to care only for ribbons and magazines and wedding rings. They must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/marya-morevna-don-t-you-know-anything-girls-must-be-very-very-careful/)

[Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/)

> [“The truth is that running in shoes is high impact, heel-centric, promotes bad form, is relatively unstable and inflexible, tends to weaken rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandler/the-truth-is-that-running-in-shoes-is-high-impact-heel-centric/)

[Michael Sandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandler/)

> [Lord Maccon believed that if his trousers were on his legs, and something else was on his torso, he was dressed. The less done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-carriger/lord-maccon-believed-that-if-his-trousers-were-on-his-legs-and/)

[Gail Carriger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-carriger/)

> [I love being in the woods, when I can just walk barefoot in the grass and just sit down and breathe. I love that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-reyez/i-love-being-in-the-woods-when-i-can-just-walk-barefoot-in-the-grass/)

[Jessie Reyez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-reyez/)

> [When people said Africa would change me, I didn't understand what they meant. To see the poverty in the townships, for instance, is overwhelming.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-hudson/when-people-said-africa-would-change-me-i-didn-t-understand-what-they/)

[Jennifer Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-hudson/)

> [I had no trainers to play, so I went barefoot. Everyone else had trainers. I also remember running 9 km. to training one day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richarlison/i-had-no-trainers-to-play-so-i-went-barefoot-everyone-else-had/)

[Richarlison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richarlison/)

> [“When I was a teenager, I used to go about barefoot with no hat and sunglasses, just open to the Sun. I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sienna-mcquillen/when-i-was-a-teenager-i-used-to-go-about-barefoot-with-no-hat-and/)

[Sienna McQuillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sienna-mcquillen/)

> [To combat jet lag, when you get to your destination go straight to a park, take your shoes off and walk barefoot. It's something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-willis/to-combat-jet-lag-when-you-get-to-your-destination-go-straight-to-a/)

[Emma Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-willis/)

> [He that sows thorns should never go barefoot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/he-that-sows-thorns-should-never-go-barefoot/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [“There was no way that these guys were going to let a bleeding, barefoot woman simply wander off alone into the streets. Two of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/there-was-no-way-that-these-guys-were-going-to-let-a-bleeding/)

[Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/)

> [“In my opinion, walking over moss was as enjoyable as walking barefoot on the beach, if not more so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phaedra-weldon/in-my-opinion-walking-over-moss-was-as-enjoyable-as-walking-barefoot/)

[Phaedra Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phaedra-weldon/)

## More by Catherynne M. Valente

> [When I saw him I thought I could curl up inside him and go to sleep and never wake up." "Men are no good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/when-i-saw-him-i-thought-i-could-curl-up-inside-him-and-go-to-sleep/)

[Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/)

> [We all just keep moving, September. We keep moving until we stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/we-all-just-keep-moving-september-we-keep-moving-until-we-stop/)

[Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/)

> [“You couldn't ever really fix a sad story. You could only make another. And another. And another, until you found the right one at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/you-couldn-t-ever-really-fix-a-sad-story-you-could-only-make-another/)

[Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/)

> [“He considers it for a moment and spits out the seeds, which sprout, quickly, into tiny junkblossoms sizzling with recursive algorithms. The algorithms wriggle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/he-considers-it-for-a-moment-and-spits-out-the-seeds-which-sprout/)

[Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/)

> [“Truly, Mallow yearned to know everything. Curiosity was part of her, like her short blond hair and bitten fingernails.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/truly-mallow-yearned-to-know-everything-curiosity-was-part-of-her/)

[Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/)

> [“The cicada lies in the earth for seventeen years. It is warm and dark there, it is soft and wet. Its little legs curl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/the-cicada-lies-in-the-earth-for-seventeen-years-it-is-warm-and-dark/)

[Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/)

> [We all live inside the terrible engine of authority, and it grinds and shrieks and burns so that no one will say: lines on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/we-all-live-inside-the-terrible-engine-of-authority-and-it-grinds-and/)

[Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/)

> [Her heart was bruised by the kiss, smashed and surprised and unsettled by it. September thought kisses were all nice, sweet things asked for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/her-heart-was-bruised-by-the-kiss-smashed-and-surprised-and-unsettled/)

[Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/)

> [“September put her hand on the grip of the Rivet Gun. She’d only just gotten it, and she’d promised to take copious notes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/september-put-her-hand-on-the-grip-of-the-rivet-gun-she-d-only-just/)

[Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/)

> [Just tell yourself a story that'll satisfy you and pretend he told it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/just-tell-yourself-a-story-that-ll-satisfy-you-and-pretend-he-told-it/)

[Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/)

> [“You see, the future is a kind of stew, a soup, a vichyssoise of the present and the past. That's how you get the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/you-see-the-future-is-a-kind-of-stew-a-soup-a-vichyssoise-of-the/)

[Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/)

> [Fairy tales have always been about getting through the worst of everything, the darkest and the deepest and the bloodiest of events. They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/fairy-tales-have-always-been-about-getting-through-the-worst-of/)

[Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/)

> [“There is a place, September, oh, very far from Pandemonium. A place where it is always autumn, where there is always cider and pumpkin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/there-is-a-place-september-oh-very-far-from-pandemonium-a-place-where/)

[Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/)

> [“I was happy, the sun was high. I had enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/i-was-happy-the-sun-was-high-i-had-enough/)

[Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/)

> [Who are you?" "I am Death," said the creature. "I thought that was obvious." "But you're so small!" "Only because you are small. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/who-are-you-i-am-death-said-the-creature-i-thought-that-was-obvious/)

[Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/)

[Explore all 621 Catherynne M. Valente quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/)

## More Barefoot quotes

> [“In my opinion, walking over moss was as enjoyable as walking barefoot on the beach, if not more so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phaedra-weldon/in-my-opinion-walking-over-moss-was-as-enjoyable-as-walking-barefoot/)

[Phaedra Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phaedra-weldon/)

> [“There was no way that these guys were going to let a bleeding, barefoot woman simply wander off alone into the streets. Two of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/there-was-no-way-that-these-guys-were-going-to-let-a-bleeding/)

[Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/)

> [He that sows thorns should never go barefoot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/he-that-sows-thorns-should-never-go-barefoot/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [To combat jet lag, when you get to your destination go straight to a park, take your shoes off and walk barefoot. It's something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-willis/to-combat-jet-lag-when-you-get-to-your-destination-go-straight-to-a/)

[Emma Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-willis/)

> [“When I was a teenager, I used to go about barefoot with no hat and sunglasses, just open to the Sun. I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sienna-mcquillen/when-i-was-a-teenager-i-used-to-go-about-barefoot-with-no-hat-and/)

[Sienna McQuillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sienna-mcquillen/)

> [I had no trainers to play, so I went barefoot. Everyone else had trainers. I also remember running 9 km. to training one day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richarlison/i-had-no-trainers-to-play-so-i-went-barefoot-everyone-else-had/)

[Richarlison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richarlison/)

> [When people said Africa would change me, I didn't understand what they meant. To see the poverty in the townships, for instance, is overwhelming.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-hudson/when-people-said-africa-would-change-me-i-didn-t-understand-what-they/)

[Jennifer Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-hudson/)

> [I love being in the woods, when I can just walk barefoot in the grass and just sit down and breathe. I love that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-reyez/i-love-being-in-the-woods-when-i-can-just-walk-barefoot-in-the-grass/)

[Jessie Reyez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-reyez/)

> [Lord Maccon believed that if his trousers were on his legs, and something else was on his torso, he was dressed. The less done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-carriger/lord-maccon-believed-that-if-his-trousers-were-on-his-legs-and/)

[Gail Carriger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-carriger/)

> [“The truth is that running in shoes is high impact, heel-centric, promotes bad form, is relatively unstable and inflexible, tends to weaken rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandler/the-truth-is-that-running-in-shoes-is-high-impact-heel-centric/)

[Michael Sandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandler/)

> [“If we were to actually walk a mile in the other person’s shoes, there’s a good chance that we’d end up opting to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/if-we-were-to-actually-walk-a-mile-in-the-other-person-s-shoes-there/)

[Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/)

> [What HAPPINESS Means... To A Poor Barefoot Person, Happiness Is A Pair Of Shoes. To a Person With An Old Shoe, It's A Pair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/what-happiness-means-to-a-poor-barefoot-person-happiness-is-a-pair-of/)

[Pacifiersucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pacifiersucker/)

> [“My own prescription for health is less paperwork and more running barefoot through the grass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-grimutter/my-own-prescription-for-health-is-less-paperwork-and-more-running/)

[Leslie Grimutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-grimutter/)

> [I run in a pair of New Balances with a thinner sole, but they're nothing like those barefoot shoes that show all five toes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-reynolds/i-run-in-a-pair-of-new-balances-with-a-thinner-sole-but-they-re/)

[Ryan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-reynolds/)

> [“I felt like one who was toiling home barefoot from distant travel, and whose wanderings had lasted many years.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-felt-like-one-who-was-toiling-home-barefoot-from-distant-travel-and/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

[Browse all 250 Barefoot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barefoot/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“I see you go bare-shod. This is most likely extremely sensible. Shoes are no end of trouble for girls. . . . How many have danced to death in slippers of silk and glass and fur and wood? Too many to count—the graveyards, they are so full these days. You are very wise to let your soles become grubby with mud, to let them grow their own slippers of moss and clay and calluses. This is far preferable to shoes which may become wicked at any moment.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Catherynne M. Valente"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/i-see-you-go-bare-shod-this-is-most-likely-extremely-sensible-shoes/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Barefoot"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/i-see-you-go-bare-shod-this-is-most-likely-extremely-sensible-shoes/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/catherynne-m-valente-375_barefoot_i-see-you-go-bare-shod-this-is-most-like_2475473.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/catherynne-m-valente-375_barefoot_i-see-you-go-bare-shod-this-is-most-like_2475473.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/catherynne-m-valente-375_barefoot_i-see-you-go-bare-shod-this-is-most-like_2475473.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I see you go bare-shod. This is most likely extremely sensible. Shoes are no end of trouble for girls…” — Catherynne M. Valente",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Catherynne M. Valente",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“I see you go bare-shod. This...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/i-see-you-go-bare-shod-this-is-most-likely-extremely-sensible-shoes/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/i-see-you-go-bare-shod-this-is-most-likely-extremely-sensible-shoes/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```