For the past month, there has been a mysterious man strolling the Marquette campus sans shoes.
“I’ve never liked wearing shoes, so one day I decided that I’d stop wearing them,” he said.
Wishing to remain unknown, this 19- year-old Marquette student in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he wanted “to make sure that the reason I do this is not for the attention, and so that I’m not remembered only for this.” To maintain his anonymity, we shall call him the Shoeless Man.
The Shoeless Man is not particularly worried about ‘catching anything’ on his daily commute to class.
“Maybe if I were to step on a rusty nail or something, it would be a problem, but otherwise, I don’t see how I could really get hurt,” he said.
Recently, the only time he has worn shoes is when he has gone to dinner in the dining halls, and even then, it is only flip-flops.
“I don’t think the flip-flops could really be much more sanitary than my bare feet, but it’s a rule that you have to wear shoes,” he said.
Many observers are perplexed by his supposed comfort-based decision.
“I don’t understand why he doesn’t wear shoes,” College of Arts and Sciences Senior Russell Craze said, “It’s getting cold!”
And some are even disturbed.
“Outside on the street?” one student, who chose to remain anonymous, said, “That’s gross!”
Sixth year physical therapy graduate student Katy Ruffato, however, is proud to have the Shoeless Man in the Marquette community.
“He’s our very own shoeless Joe Jackson,” Ruffatto said. The shoeless man knows that some point he must protect his feet from the elements. This winter, he may even wear boots to combat Milwaukee’s fierce snow.
“I’ll just kick them off when I get to class,” he said.
With the exception of snow in the winter, the Shoeless Man claims there is no area of Marquette’s campus that he cannot walk without shoes.
“I don’t really even think about not wearing shoes,” he said.
His decision to go shoeless was inspired by music artist, Michael Franti, who does not wear shoes for ethical reasons. No matter what, fall fashion is all fun and games until someone steps on a rusty nail.
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