History Main / BarefootPoverty

''Disney/WreckItRalph'' from the self-titled film wears the typical mountain man outfit, appearing barefoot with tattered overalls.

* Walter Cunningham in ''Literature/ToKillAMockingbird''. As a result of going barefooted in barnyards, he also gets hookworms.

* Disney/{{Aladdin}} is barefoot until he becomes a prince.

* In an episode of ''SouthPark'', Cartman laments: "My momma's so poor she walks down the street with one shoe on... and when people say, 'Did you lose a shoe?' she says, 'No, I found one.'"

* In an episode of ''SouthPark'', Cartman laments: "My momma's so poor she walks down the street with one shoe on... and when people say, 'Did you lose a shoe?' she says, 'No, I found one.'"

[[AC:RealLife]]
* Members of various monastic orders swear oaths of poverty, restricting them to only a tiny set of possessions--shoes often not included.
----

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

Originally nobody wore shoes, though in colder countries they might wrap their feet in cold weather. In the last few thousand years shoes gained prevalence through their association with status - making shoes requires skill and wearing them meant you were above such things as [[TooImportantToWalk walking on the ground]]. Thus those who wore shoes were the nobility, and those who aspired to be nobility (this is also how [[http://www.myseveralworlds.com/2007/07/11/suffering-for-beauty-graphic-photos-of-chinese-footbinding/ foot-binding became]] [[http://www.neatorama.com/2010/07/07/the-bygone-practice-of-foot-binding-in-china/ so popular in China]]).

** Several shinigami from the poorest districts of the Rukongai grew up barefooted because of the poverty they lived in, including: Rukia and Renji (both from District 78), Yachiru (from District 79) and Kenpachi (from District 80). In the anime, Ikkaku is included in this, although the manga never confirms if this is true or not.
** Becomes a plot point during the final arc - the denizens of Soul Society's worst districts are disappearing en masse, leaving only footprints, including some shoe prints. [[spoiler: It's revealed that people who live within Districts 50-80 are so poverty-stricken, none have been known to wear shoes for 550 years. This clues in [[AwesomenessByAnalysis Lieutenant Kira]] to the fact that the conclusion villagers killed each other is wrong and that entire villages are being slaughtered by shinigami. Thanks to Kira's revelation, it's discovered that, because a huge number of hollows were annihilated by Quincies, [[MadScientist Mayuri's]] men comitted mass murder to avoid a pan-dimensional disaster that could destroy entire worlds: killing spirit-dwelling villagers counter-balanced the destroyed hollows in a case of BalancingDeathsBooks.]]
* Naturally, ''Manga/BarefootGen.'' Given that it takes place in WorldWarII, many characters are unable to afford shoes but others, such as Gen, do not wear shoes except to school. Japan has a long tradition asosiated with being barefoot that is sadly dwindling in the face of Western influences.
* [[TheIllegal Taro Maria Sekiutsu]] in ''Manga/SayonaraZetsubouSensei'' is portrayed as this with socks ''and'' shoes. Even after the others in the class try and get her into a InstantCosplaySurprise or other normal outfits actually wearing socks and/or shoes, it gives her vertigo because she has never worn them before.

* In ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfTomSawyer'', the title character envies Huckleberry Finn for not having to wear shoes. He doesn't seem to realize it's because Huck doesn't have any shoes, or even parents to make him put them on if he did.

* In the short story "The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes" an orphan girl is so poor she only has one shoe. When a wealthy man gives her a pair of shoes she's so happy she goes about telling everyone that now she has two shoes, earning that nickname. ("Goody" being a then-standard shortening of "Goodwife," that is, Miss.)
* Several illustrations of ''Literature/LesMiserables'', including the most famous one [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Ebcosette.jpg/250px-Ebcosette.jpg centering on Cosette]].

* ''Literature/TheLittleMatchGirl'', who's barefoot out in the freezing winter, as a result of AbusiveParents.

* ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' is barefoot until he becomes a prince.
* Esmeralda from ''Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'' is a poor Gypsy girl who runs around barefoot. At the end of the film, she falls in love with the clearly wealthy-looking Captain of the Guard, Phoebus, and in the sequel she inexplicably gains shoes.
* Inverted in ''Disney/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'': the hero is a very poor archaeologist from the surface world who wears shoes, while his love interest is a wealthy, but barefoot Atlantean princess. At the end of the film, the two marry, and as a result ''he'' ends up barefoot instead while said princess, er ''[[TheHighQueen queen]]'' gains sandals, which are concealed by her dress.
* In an episode of SouthPark, Cartman laments: "My momma's so poor she walks down the street with one shoe on... and when people say 'Did you lose a shoe?' she says 'No, I found one.'"

[[AC:RealLife]]

* Members of various monastic orders swear oaths of poverty, restricting them to only a tiny set of possessions: shoes often not included.
----

* In an episode of SouthPark, Cartman laments: "My momma's so poor she walks down the street with one shoe one. And when people say 'Did you lose a shoe?' she says 'No, I found one.'"

** Several shinigami from the poorest districts of the Rukongai are barefooted because of the poverty they live in, including: Rukia and Renji (both from District 78), Yachiru (from District 79) and Kenpachi (from District 80). In the anime, Ikkaku is included in this, although the manga never confirms if this is true or not.

* In ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfTomSawyer'', the title character envies Huckleberry Finn for not having to wear shoes. He doesn't seem to realize it's because he doesn't have any shoes or even parents to make him put them on if he did.

Originally nobody wore shoes, though in colder countries they might wrap their feet in cold weather. In the last few thousand years shoes gained prevalence through their association with status - making shoes requires skill and wearing them meant you were above such things as walking on the ground. Thus those who wore shoes were the nobility, and those who aspired to be nobility (this is also how [[http://www.myseveralworlds.com/2007/07/11/suffering-for-beauty-graphic-photos-of-chinese-footbinding/ foot-binding became]] [[http://www.neatorama.com/2010/07/07/the-bygone-practice-of-foot-binding-in-china/ so popular in China]]).

* In ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfTomSawyer'', the titular character envies HuckleberryFinn for not having to wear shoes. He doesn't seem to realize it's because he doesn't have any shoes or even parents to make him put them on if he did.

* Juana in JohnSteinbeck's ''Literature/ThePearl''.

It may seem strange nowadays, but being barefoot is entirely natural and was once completely normal in all cultures. Nowadays societies where shoes are unknown are steadily dwindling in the face of expanding Western culture that overwrites native ideals with its own; a culture that is particularly earnest in its quest to impress its own paranoia about bare feet on people who, in most cases, have never worn, wanted, or needed shoes, as well as all the health problems associated with wearing them ([[http://www.thebarefootbook.com/medical.html such as deformed feet]]). While many cultures have yet to fully adopt the idea that walking barefoot is somehow shameful, those that never wear shoes have shrunk to small and usually isolated communities. Some cultures, such as the [[UsefulNotes/NewZealand Maori]], have a strong historical and social emphasis on walking barefoot and Maori schools often require children to not wear shoes.

It may seem strange nowadays, but being barefoot is entirely natural and was once completely normal in all cultures. Nowadays societies where shoes are unknown are steadily dwindling in the face of expanding Western culture that overwrites native ideals with its own; a culture that is particularly earnest in its quest to impress its own paranoia about bare feet on people who, in most cases, have never worn, wanted, or needed shoes, as well as all the health problems associated with wearing them ([[http://www.thebarefootbook.com/medical.html such as deformed feet]]). While many cultures have yet to fully adopt the idea that walking barefoot is somehow shameful, those that never wear shoes have shrunk to small and usually isolated communities. Some cultures, such as the Maori, have a strong historical and social emphasis on walking barefoot and Maori schools often require children to not wear shoes.

* Naturally, ''Manga/BarefootGen.'' Given that it takes place in WorldWarII, the characters are unable to afford shoes.

** Several shinigami from the poorest districts of the Rukongai are barefooted because of the poverty they live in, including: Rukia and Renji (both from District 78), Yachiru (from District 79) and Kenpachi (from District 80).

It may seem strange nowadays, but being barefoot is entirely natural and was once completely normal in all cultures. Nowadays societies where shoes are unknown are steadily dwindling in the face of expanding Western culture that overwrites native ideals with its own. A culture that is particularly earnest in its quest to impress its own paranoia about bare feet on people who have never worn, wanted, or needed shoes, as well as all the health problems associated with wearing them ([[http://www.thebarefootbook.com/medical.html such as deformed feet]]). While many cultures have yet to fully adopt the idea that walking barefoot is somehow shameful, those that never wear shoes have shrunk to small and usually isolated communities. Some cultures, such as the Maori, have a strong historical and social emphasis on walking barefoot and Maori schools often require children to not wear shoes.

In the past centuries, poor people would not wear shoes in warmer seasons and climates both to save the scarce funds available for food and other more pressing needs, but also for cheap house-made footwear was ''extremely'' uncomfortable and got (quickly) very dirty and stinky. Having shoes or boots which would not harm you was a sign of status, it meant you could afford the services of a skilled shoemaker. As even the cheapest modern flip-flops can be worn without issue and everyone can afford them, it has become something of a DeadHorseTrope.

* [[TheIllegal Taro Maria Sekiutsu]] in ''SayonaraZetsubouSensei'' is portrayed as this with socks ''and'' shoes. Even after the others in the class try and get her into a InstantCosplaySurprise or other normal outfits actually wearing socks and/or shoes, it gives her vertigo because she has never worn them before.

* Enid Blyton's ''Literature/TheCastleOfAdventure'' features a poor village girl who never wears shoes. Gifted her first pair, she keeps them, delighted - and wears them around her neck.
* In the short story "The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes" an orphan girl is so poor she only has one shoe. When a wealthy man givers her a pair of shoes she's so happy she goes about telling everyone that now she has two shoes, earning that nickname. ("Goody" being a then-standard shortening of "Goodwife," that is, Miss.)
* Several illustrations of ''LesMiserables'', including the most famous one [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Ebcosette.jpg/250px-Ebcosette.jpg centering on Cosette]]. Justified, considering that a lot of it (aptly titled "The Miserable Ones") focuses on 19th century France, which wasn't doing all that hot.
* In ''Little House in Brookfield'' (the first book in "The Caroline Years," a prequel series to the ''LittleHouseOnThePrairie'' books and about Laura Ingalls' mother growing up) Caroline's oldest sister goes to church barefoot one day because the family is too poor to buy her new shoes and the old ones pinch her feet something terrible. She thinks her new long dress will cover up her shoeless feet, and she's right for most of the time but eventually gets caught. Her parents are not pleased.

* Inverted in ''Disney/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'': the hero is a very poor archaeologist from the surface world who wears shoes, while his love interest is a wealthy, but barefoot Atlantean princess. At the end of the film, the two marry, and as a result
''he'' ends up barefoot instead while said princess, er [[TheHighQueen ''queen'']] gains sandals, which are concealed by her dress.

* Inverted in ''Disney/AtlantisTheLostEmpire''.

* Esmeralda from ''Disney/TheHunchbackofNotreDame'' is a poor Gypsy girl who runs around barefoot. At the end of the film, she falls in love with the clearly wealthy-looking Captain of the Guard, Phoebus, and in the sequel she inexplicably gains shoes.

* In ''{{Milkweed}}'', Misha and the other orphans claim everyone is so poor that they check dead corpses for shoes.

** Rukia is seen without shoes during her childhood in Rukongai, one of the poorest districts of Soul Society.
** Becomes a plot point during the final arc - the denizens of Soul Society's worst districts are disappearing en masse, leaving only footprints, including some shoe prints. [[spoiler: Nobody there wears shoes, which clues the characters to the fact that the locals were killed by shinigami - after a large number of hollows were annihilated by quincy, Mayuri's men comitted mass murder to avoid a dimensional disaster by BalancingDeathsBooks.]]