Barefoot in Vietnam: When the “Rules” Disappear and You Realize They Were Never Real

I can’t even begin to tell you how refreshing it’s been to leave the United States again.

I’ve been in Vietnam for almost a month now, and I’ve had zero issues being barefoot. Let that land for a second. Zero.  No nasty comments. No one losing their sh*t over something as simple as… bare feet.

It’s honestly been a full nervous system exhale.

Because if you’ve ever lived the barefoot life in the U.S., you already know—it only takes about 2.2 seconds for someone to flip a f*cking switch. Restaurant, gym, museum, library… anywhere there’s a so-called “shoe policy,” and suddenly you’re treated like you’re doing something wrong. Like you’re breaking some sacred rule. Like you’re… bad.

Let me give you a moment that stopped me in my tracks.

I saw a sign outside a public restroom here in Vietnam asking people to remove their shoes before entering. Not only that—there was a little shoe rack sitting right outside the door.

Pause.

In the United States, people lose their minds if you walk into a bathroom barefoot. Here? It’s expected.

That right there should crack something open for you.

Then there’s our housekeeper here in Ho Chi Minh City. Every single time she enters our apartment, she removes her shoes. No hesitation. No second thought. Just respect for the space.

Now ask yourself this—can you even imagine that happening in the United States?

A housekeeper walking in and working barefoot?

Yeah… OSHA would probably lose their f*cking minds.

And that’s exactly the point.

This isn’t about safety.
This isn’t about hygiene.
This is about programming.

Because when you step outside of one culture and into another, you start to see just how arbitrary so many of these “rules” really are. What’s considered “wrong” in one place is completely normal in another.

So which one is right?

Neither.

Or both.

It’s all constructed.

Now let me be clear—I live barefoot 24/7 and when I’m in the United States, about 95% of the time, without issue. But that 5%? That’s where the fireworks happen. That’s where someone decides my bare feet are suddenly a huge problem.

And in those moments, it’s so easy to feel like you’ve done something wrong. Like you’re out of line. Like you need to fix something about yourself.

You don’t.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being barefoot.

What’s happening is you’re bumping up against someone else’s conditioning. Their beliefs. Their internal rulebook that they didn’t even consciously choose.

And here’s the part that really hits…

Being in a place where none of that exists—where no one questions you, no one corrects you, no one projects onto you—you realize just how heavy that constant tension actually was.

And how unnecessary it is.

I experienced the same thing when I spent almost a year in South America. No issues there either. Just freedom. Just being a barefoot badass loving on all the humans.

So yeah… I’ll say it.

The only place I’ve consistently had problems being barefoot is in the United States.

Sad, but true.

But here’s the Truth Biscuit 🍪

When you strip away the bullsh*t rules, the conditioning, the “this is just how it is” thinking… what you’re left with is you.

Unfiltered. Unrestricted. Unapologetic.

And that?

That’s where the real work begins.

Because this isn’t just about shoes.

This is about every single place in your life where you’ve been told who to be, how to act, what’s acceptable, and what’s not.

Holistic Scaffolding™ isn’t about fighting the system. It’s about seeing it clearly… and choosing, moment by moment, what’s actually true for you.

So maybe the question isn’t…

“Why are people so weird about bare feet?”

Maybe the better question is…

“Where else in my life am I still following rules that were never actually mine?”

That’s your work.

That’s your freedom.

That’s your f*cking gold.

I love all you people.

Love and ((HUGS)),

Laura Foster, Founder of Souls Healing Humanity

Love and ((HUGS)),
Laura