Social media users have been left baffled after a couple removed the soles of their shoes to walk barefoot.
Content creator Christi Fritz (@christifritz) and her husband discovered a way to go to stores while maintaining their barefoot lifestyle, calling it: "incognito barefoot."
The couple shared a video on the social media platform that showed them cutting off the soles on all their shoes, which include numerous pairs of designer shoes like Golden Goose, Off-White, and Burberry.
"We decided to start walking barefoot and one of our followers had a great idea," Fritz said. "Since some businesses don't want us being completely barefoot if we cut the bottom of our shoes off, it allows us to be barefoot and blend in with everyone else."
Watch the video below:The woman - who has 2.2 million followers - confessed it was a "huge commitment" to be destroying her shoe collection, but that it was one she and her partner were willing to make.
"Our shoe collection is worth more than $20,000, but this is a sacrifice we're willing to take because walking barefoot means the world to us," she said, adding: "The benefits of walking barefoot are priceless."
After removing the soles, they put the bottomless shoes on and headed down to Sephora. "It’s the perfect way to get all the benefits of going barefoot but also no one has to know," Fritz concluded.
She reiterated her excitement in the caption, penning: "The new age of barefoot walking has begun and I couldn’t be more [excited] or thankful."
The TikTok clip amassed 51.6 million views on the platform, with many people feeling dumbfounded by the couple's decision to go to extreme lengths to be barefoot.
One confused person said: "HUH? I like walking barefoot but there’s dangerous things on the ground in the world I wear them in public," while another chimed in: "I’d be afraid I’d get ringworm or something nasty."
A third wrote: "I’ll do anything to protect my foot from touching anything other than my socks. Girl I sleep in my socks. Just think about all the diseases," and a fourth added: "Not me with my sensory issues and I HAVE to have shoes on."
Some people suggested that while walking barefoot on natural ground is appealing, walking around in the middle of a city is not.
One user shared: "I understand how cool it is to walk barefoot growing up in a huge farm to be connected to nature, but on the asphalt in the city I don’t think it has the same effect."
A second interjected: "Going barefoot grounding on the grass, soil, or sand in order to get connected with the earth’s energy is something that I totally understand if you live in the countryside but not in the city."
Many others pointed out that the couple could purchase barefoot shoes, which are specifically designed to allow people to connect with the ground without going completely barefoot.
