History Main / EarthyBarefootCharacter

** The series explores Rapunzel's habitual shoelessness further and gives it a little LampshadeHanging. She DoesNotLikeShoes. EVER. Rapunzel is always barefoot because she likes to feel the earth and wiggle her toes without restraint, even if people make fun of her for it (a living embodiment of the BeYourself [[AnAesop Aesop]]) and will only wear shoes if she must use a disguise, has to don full royal attire, or if it's winter. Mother Gothel called the habit "underdressed" and tried to guilt her into feeling ashamed of it, but Rapunzel persisted in it. If she actually puts shoes on, Rapunzel is so unused to them it changes her center of balance, she wonders "How can people walk around in these?", and they go off at the first opportunity. In "Rapunzel's Enemy", she got chastised for being "a royal in bare feet". She didn't even wear them to her wedding in ''WesternAnimation/TangledEverAfter'', electing to get married barefoot (as the concept art reveals). The trait is partially inspired by her voice actor, Music/MandyMoore, who has a preference in real life of being barefoot when she performs onstage.

* ''Webcomic/CharbyTheVampirate'''s K'ale goes barefoot everywhere through the forest, being forced to wear shoes actually restricts his movements since he can't climb as well. He's not really a fan of clothing in general and hates to wear anything more than a simple loincloth.

* The titular witch Zero from ''LightNovel/GrimoireOfZero'' initially comes off as a case of BarefootPoverty, first seen [[VaporWear clad in only a ratty travelling cloak.]] It turns out she has ''plenty'' of valuable gems on hand to afford new clothes, but she sticks to her cloak out of stubborn sentimental attachment, and intentionally travels around without any shoes or stockings because she likes to feel the dirt and grass under her bare feet. The Mercenary has to coerce Zero into using footwear when the time comes to make her improve her wardrobe.

* ''Art/{{Primavera}}'' shows characters from myth, including spring goddess Flora, barefoot in a fertile garden.

* Treyni the Dryad from ''Manga/ThatTimeIGotReincarnatedAsASlime'' is a tree spirit descended from fairies who goes barefoot and serves as a protector of the Treants and the manager of the Great Jura Forest.

* The titular witch Zero from ''LightNovel/GrimoireOfZero'' initially comes off as a case of BarefootPoverty, first seen [[VaporWear clad in only a ratty travelling cloak.]] It turns out she has ''plenty'' of valuable gems on hand to afford new clothes, but she sticks to her cloak out of stubborn sentimental attachment, and intentionally travels around without any shoes or stockings because she likes to feel the dirt and grass under her bare feet. The Mercenary has to coerce Zero into using footwear when the time comes to make her improve her wardrobe.
* Mavis Vermillion of ''Anime/FairyTail'', spent a lot of her childhood growing up in a forested island, and is a nature and animal lover with an unshakable habit of going perpetually barefoot. She did not plan on growing up to becoming this kind of character, but after having her shoes taken away, she decided it actually felt ''[[ThePollyanna better]]'' to be barefoot, and pretty much gave up using footwear forever because of how much she loves going without shoes. It's such a persistent aspect of her character that it becomes one of her most recognizable aspects. [[spoiler:In fact, her very reincarnation, Mio, "[[BlatantLies forgets]]" to wear shoes out of absentmindedness and a paper-thin excuse that it was too hot to wear them, and Arleos, [[GotMeDoingIt Zeref's reincarnation, seems poised to take off his own shoes and affectionately walk barefoot alongside her]] in a moment of MeetCute.]]
* Enforced with Chitaru of the ''Witches'' anthology chapter "Thief of Songs", as a low-key, modest, and public-friendly alternative to her real preference of full-blown nudism seen later. Chitaru is compelled to walk around barefoot because she enjoys being ExposedToTheElements, and gets a FeetFirstIntroduction to emphasize her unusual free-spirited state of bare feet on a cruise ship deck. When Hinata Komine meets her, Chitaru almost immediately coaxes Hinata into getting barefoot just like her, and sounds like a CloudCuckoolander in her approach, but with some strong encouragement, Hinata sheds her shoes and socks. When Hinata notices that it really does feel nice to go barefoot because her feet are being exposed to several nice sensations that they weren't while coddled away in her footwear, Chitaru notes her feet have just "awakened" and has demonstrated the rationale of her barefooted state. Hinata then adopts this trait for herself and opts for bare feet for the rest of the voyage, when she arrives on the island Chitaru told her to visit, and [[spoiler:[[BarefootSuicide when a supercell hurricane is about to obliterate her from the face of the Earth.]]]]

* In Episode 10 of ''Anime/EsperMami'', this goes into effect with realistic consequences when Mami Sakura takes off her shoes and socks out in the lush countryside, forgets them, and spends the remainder of the episode running around barefoot, even when teleporting back home for a moment, and for a while, she starts wearing a flower crown, too. When she has to go home for real, though, her shoes and socks are hopelessly lost in the tall grass and she goes back home with her feet still bare and her father laughing at what happened.

* Akari Mizunashi of ''Anime/{{ARIA}}'' is a milder example. She normally wears shoes, but in a situation where having them off is preferable, like wading, she finds it very pleasant to go barefoot. It's explained quite well [[https://amp.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/72vaor/rewatch_aria_the_animation_episode_2_discussion/ here.]] If Akari put her boots back on after they got waterlogged, it would be pretty unremarkable. However, her personality is optimistic: she sees it as an opportunity to have fun in an adorable and fun way. During Aqua Alta, her boots seep with water, so naturally, Akari spends the whole day in bare feet, and the second time around, she gets Akatsuki to join in on the fun. Need proof that a barefoot Akari is a happy Akari? Look no further. [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/snapzproxscreensnapz008.jpg The cobblestone delights her.]] Does it bother her to forego shoes if she has to? [[ThePollyanna No.]] ''[[http://jonvilma.com/images/aria-the-animation-14.jpg She loves it.]]''
* Treyni the Dryad from ''Manga/ThatTimeIGotReincarnatedAsASlime'' is a tree spirit descended from fairies who goes barefoot and serves as a protector of the Treants and the manager of the Great Jura Forest.

* Franchise/{{Batman}} villainess ComicBook/PoisonIvy is sometimes a barefooter, DependingOnTheArtist and the adaptation.

* Minor DC villainess Jinx has multiple elemental magic powers (not just Earth-based ones), but still loses all of them if she doesn't have skin contact with the ground, so never wears anything on her feet.
* Gypsy from the Comicbook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica is always barefoot.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10806948/1/Sleeping-Beauty-Gender-bender Sleeping Beauty (Gender bender)]]'', Aurora's male counterpart Aland as the peasant Briar is one as well.
* Likewise, Aurora's male counterpart Rory as peasant Bryan in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10595112/1/The-Prince-and-the-Spindle The Prince and the Spindle]]''. When he's forced to wear his princely attire, he describes the boots as being confining, after being [[DoesNotLikeShoes barefoot all his life]].

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}'': Rapunzel never wears shoes. Makes sense considering her down-to-earth attitude, her way with animals, and her healing powers.
* ''Franchise/TheLittleMermaid'': Ariel has some shades of this, being a rather energetic character who loves adventure, spends most of her time out in the wild, goes barefoot whenever the scenario allows, and is loved by (almost) all animals. Special mention goes to the scene in ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaidIIReturnToTheSea'' where a more proper, strict Ariel takes off her shoes so she can soak her bare feet in some ocean water as a way to reconnect with nature.
* Disney's ''WesternAnimation/MelodyTime'', "The Legend of UsefulNotes/JohnnyAppleseed" segment. When we first see Johnny he's dressed in normal clothes, including shoes. After starting on his mission to plant apple trees throughout the U.S. his shoes wear out and he's barefoot from then on. This is TruthInTelevision as the real Johnny began to go barefoot on his travels and ended up being a perfect example of this trope.
* ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty'': Briar Rose, who is barefoot and a FriendToAllLivingThings.
* WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}} is yet another Creator/{{Disney}} example of a barefoot character who is connected with the earth, contrasted with John Smith who wears shoes.
** This is also used to contrast the respectful to the land Powhatan people and the land settling, land ownership happy English settlers in the movie.
* ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet'': The Disney Princesses who go barefoot, Moana, Pocahontas, Ariel, and the DoesNotLikeShoes Rapunzel are portrayed as earthy.
* The mountain pandas in ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda3'' are barefoot and earthy, unlike Po TheOneWhoWearsShoes among the pandas.
* Mebh Óg [=MacTíre=] in ''WesternAnimation/{{Wolfwalkers}}'' is a WildChild who lives in the forest with wolves, so naturally she doesn't wear shoes. Her feet are extremely dark with dirt as a result.

* Kira, the female gelfling from ''Film/TheDarkCrystal''. It's hard to tell in the film, but TheMerch reveals this to be the case. It's also the same case with the podlings/Pod People, who raised Kira after the Garthim killed her family.

* While in the first ''Film/{{Maleficent}}'' film Aurora isn't one of these, by [[Film/MaleficentMistressOfEvil the sequel]] she's living entirely in the woods and totally barefoot while there, just like her animated counterpart. The villainous Queen Ingrith even mocks her for it. Additionally, the Dark Fae in their HiddenElfVillage are all barefoot as well.

* In Creator/ZilphaKeatleySnyder's ''Literature/TheChangeling'', Ivy Carson is definitely this.
* ''Literature/CircleOfMagic'' by Creator/TamoraPierce has Rosethorn and Briar, who like to feel the earth. They even have their first bonding moment about this. In fact, a witty joke is later made that if arrogance were shoes, Briar would never be barefoot.

* Outdoorsy adventurer girl and daydreamer Frieda B Herself. of the titular ''Literature/FriedaB'' series, is introduced as an one of these, under the rhyme that she's "a girl with wiry, fiery hair, and she rarely wears shoes because she likes her feet bare."

* Caine from ''Series/KungFu1972'' is usually barefoot and is very close to nature.

* Izzy Bee in the Creator/{{Netflix}} docuseries ''Izzy's Koala World''. Izzy helps her family run a koala hospital on UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}'s Magnetic Island and is constantly roaming around the island picking fresh eucalyptus leaves for the koalas or looking for good places to release them. She clearly likes the outdoors, and Magnetic Island has a warm climate, so she's barefoot in nearly all of her scenes.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'': Ilia is [[FeetFirstIntroduction introduced feet first]] and is the only villager, besides Talo, to not wear shoes. According to the supplemental material, she spends more time at the Ordon Spring and the surrounding forest, than the village itself. Or occasionally pitching in at the ranch. Bonus points for essentially being an {{expy}} of both [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Saria and Malon]], who were [[FriendToAllLivingThings friends with nature]] as well.
* Elika from ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersia2008'' is a perpetual barefooter, able to restore corrupted ruins into gardens brimming with life.

* ''VideoGame/{{Extrapower}}'': Zophy, who lives in the wilds and adventures with a talking lion, wears little more than a golden thong and some jewelry. Shoes don't make the cut.
* Milla Basset from ''VideoGame/FreedomPlanet'' is the the only character to be a BarefootCartoonAnimal; her description in [[http://spacemanstrife.deviantart.com/art/Milla-the-Hound-Child-Sketch-by-R-No71-311455282 this art of her]] notes "she has a strong connection to the earth" alongside [[DoesNotLikeShoes her distaste for shoes]], implying this trope is why. Considering this is from a cast full of {{Fully Dressed Cartoon Animal}}s, this would also make her an {{inver|tedTrope}}sion of TheOneWhoWearsShoes.

* Often the case with druids in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', who combine this with BarefootSage. In their case, of course, it emphasizes their [[NatureHero connection to nature]]. Their starting equipment comes without shoes, as do many of their iconic armor sets.

* ''VideoGame/CarmenSandiegosThinkQuickChallenge'': Snarla Swing is an EvilLuddite who goes barefoot.
* ''VideoGame/BladeAndSoul'': The Lyns tend to be barefoot in many of their outfits. This is linked to their lore, which mentions how the Lyns have a deep connection with the Spirit Realm and the earth. It should be noted that the Lyn tend to have small, dog-like paws for feet instead of human feet.

* WesternAnimation/{{Tupu}}, from the French/Canadian cartoon of the same name. Due to having been raised in the wild, she almost never wears any kind of footwear.
* The titular heroine of ''WesternAnimation/JanaOfTheJungle'', a JunglePrincess who has lived in the Amazon since childhood.

* ''WesternAnimation/BigCityGreens'': Cricket Green is a barefoot, earthy country boy who moved to the big city with his family.

* Caine from ''Series/KungFu'' is usually barefoot and is very close to nature.

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* ''Franchise/{{Extrapower}}'': Zophy, who lives in the wilds and adventures with a talking lion, wears little more than a golden thong and some jewelry. Shoes don't make the cut.

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* While in the first ''{{Film/Maleficent}}'' film Aurora isn't one of these, by [[Film/MaleficentMistressOfEvil the sequel]] she's living entirely in the woods and totally barefoot while there, just like her animated counterpart. The villainous Queen Ingrith even mocks her for it. Additionally, the Dark Fae in their HiddenElfVillage are all barefoot as well.

* ''{{Franchise/Extrapower}}'': Zophy, who lives in the wilds and adventures with a talking lion, wears little more than a golden thong and some jewelry. Shoes don't make the cut.

[[quoteright:221:[[WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ebc_pocahontas.png]]]]
[-[[caption-width-right:221:Apparently, animals tend to gravitate more toward people who don't wear shoes.]]-]

* In ''Fanfic/{{Somnium}}'', the forest-raised Aurora still dislikes shoes despite not living in a wilderness anymore. Giselle is even able to identify her on horseback by her lack of shoes. Aurora combines this with MagicalBarefooter as she's a {{seer}}.

* Treyni the Dryad from ''Manga/ThatTimeIGotReincarnatedAsASlime'' is a tree fairy spirit who goes barefoot and serves as a protector of the Treants.

* Mebh Óg [=MacTíre=] in ''WesternAnimation/{{Wolfwalkers}}'' is a WildChild who lives in the forest with wolves, so naturally she doesn't wear shoes. [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome Her feet are extremely dark with dirt as a result.]]

* Mebh Óg [=MacTíre=] in ''WesternAnimation/{{Wolfwalkers}}'' is a WildChild who lives in the forest with wolves, so naturally she doesn't wear shoes. [[RealityEnsues Her feet are extremely dark with dirt as a result.]]

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