Footware is often thought standard for people. Others rather go barefoot for health, spirituality, expression, or other various reasons. It is not illegal to drive barefoot in California (despite urban legends), nor is there any health code requirement that restaurant or business patrons wear shoes (Source). Businesses can certainly ask you to leave, but they are also allowed to let you stay. The Society for Barefoot Living maintains an extensive site regarding legal and practical questions about going barefoot. Liability is an issue often raised by business owners as justification for shoe requirement policies. If you're interested in law, here is a fairly extensive list of Footwear (or lack thereof) Injury Cases in the United States.

Barefoot Friendly Establishments

  • Davis Food Co-op supports people who live alternative lifestyles in general, and accepts barefoot shoppers.
  • Safeway Safeway Inc. does not have a shoe requirement policy for customers, and the employees don't enforce an imaginary one either.
  • Fleet Feet Sports loves runners; even ones who don't buy shoes! They sell other things too. GVH doesn't care what kind of shoes you wear (or don't), as long as you run.
  • Kim's Mart doesn't mind selling things to barefoot shoppers.
  • The Old Teahouse no shoes, no problem.
  • Delta of Venus doesn't hate. Watch out at night however: people drop beer bottles at and there's often broken glass around outside. If you're not used to BFing, take it easy.
  • Coffee House Shoes aren't required anywhere in the COHO, unless you're an employee (CalOSHA).
  • Mishka's Cafe
  • ACE Hardware
  • ...many others. Davis is pretty accepting of barefooters. Most shops welcome a barefoot patron, a few have issues (see below). In general as long as you aren't belligerent, most places won't harass you.

Places that Require Shoes

Shoeless Activities


  • Lucas Macdonald is Davis native and University student who usually lacks shoes by choice, though he has since been required to wear them in his job as a crossing guard. Other activities he does barefeet: LARPing at the Death Star and biking (rain or shine). Witnesses have seen him getting kicked out of the campus' computer labs due to a lack of proper attire.

I've always wanted to suggest he try some vibram five fingers for when he is forced to conform ["Daubert]"

  • I never wore shoes when I was young, I would always run /play in the Grande school site field barefoot. —StevenDaubert
    • Dude Steve that is freaking gross. That field is covered with dog duty. I mean covered. I would be scared to be out there in shoes let alone in barefoot. —BenjaminRosenstein
  • Efrem Rensi was a grad student in applied math at UCD, and a member of SBL since 2004. He went barefoot most of the time. He and fellow UCD student and barefooter, Noah Elhardt, were featured in an article sacbeeBFrun.pdf about running barefoot after running the 2007 Davis Turkey Trot 10K.  He found Davis  be a favorable location for barefoot running.  Especially the green belts.  Watch out for puncture-vine (aka goatheads) during the summer months.