Why Did The Vietnamese Walk Barefoot?
Source: People at a ferry terminal on the Đuống River, Hanoi in 1896. | Source: Facebook/Tiem Anh Thanh H
Walking barefoot is an ancient custom rooted in the daily lives of early Vietnamese communities. This tradition, while seemingly simple, holds practical, cultural, and spiritual significance that reveals much about the ideology of the Vietnamese people.
Practical Origins
According to Le Quy Don's explanation in "Kien Van Tieu Luc" (1777)—a work on literature, geography, and history of the ancient Vietnamese people during the Ly, Tran and Le dynasties—the climate shaped the barefoot custom in Vietnam.
Vietnam has a tropical climate dominated by the monsoon season. Therefore, the warm and humid climate made it more comfortable to walk barefoot. This idea is probably correct in the hot season, but in the cold season, Vietnamese people will have shoes and sandals to keep warm.
Furthermore, Vietnam’s diverse landscapes, from rice paddies to rainforests, made walking barefoot not just a choice but a necessity for maneuverability. Footwear, if worn, would quickly become waterlogged, muddy, and a hindrance to the tasks at hand.
This raises the question: Are shoes truly essential? Do they provide a practical advantage? Walking barefoot allowed people to move comfortably and swiftly, forming an ingrained habit among the Vietnamese from early times.
Once A Privilege Of The Noble
Farmers and lower-class citizens—the majority of ancient Vietnam’s population—walked barefoot out of necessity in a stratified society where only the wealthy could afford shoes made from silk and leather. Shoes were costly and hard to find, especially in rural areas, as durable materials like leather were expensive. Meanwhile, most families prioritized essential needs over luxury items like shoes.
Additionally, under the monarchy, Vietnamese people were forbidden to wear shoes, as that privilege was reserved for the king and mandarins. Thus, wearing shoes or going barefoot also reflected class differences in the feudal system, according to Baurac (1894).
Connection To The Cultural And Spiritual World
Regarding cultural beliefs, feet can connect humans to the land and community. The concept of “grounding”—being rooted in the land—mirrored the agrarian lifestyle of early Vietnamese societies, which thrived on rice farming.
During religious and communal activities, walking barefoot was also a sign of respect and purity. Temples and pagodas required visitors to remove their shoes to signify humility before the divine. This practice manifested the idea that going barefoot was intertwined with spirituality. Also, touching the earth with bare feet could foster a stronger connection to nature and, by extension, to the spiritual world.
The Yin-Yang Balance
According to Oriental medicine, good health boils down to the balance of yin and yang. The feet, in this sense, are the gateway between the human body and the natural world, so it can regulate yin and yang for the body.
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Chu Quoc Truong, former director of the Central Hospital of Traditional Medicine, negative and positive ions in the body correspond to yin and yang in the philosophy of Oriental medicine. Thus, the body's electrical charge being out of balance will cause many health problems.
When walking barefoot, the body is in direct contact with the ground, a source of negative ions. Therefore, this helps modify the body's electrical charge, bringing the body back to a state of balance. That's why grandparents and parents often tell us to keep our feet warm in winter, and go barefoot in summer to keep cool, all for the purpose of balancing yin and yang in the body.
In The Modern Time, Vietnamese… Still Go Barefoot
Due to the long-standing habit that had been deeply ingrained in people's lifestyle, although it is no longer prohibited, many people were still reluctant to wear shoes through more than half of the 20th century. In the 1970s and 1980s, people going barefoot were still captured.
In the present time, many rural communities walking barefoot remains relatively common, particularly among farmers and older generations. This is especially true when working in muddy rice fields or outdoor spaces where shoes can be impractical.
During some cultural or religious festivals, walking barefoot is also observed. This can be seen during pilgrimages or when visiting temples and pagodas, where removing shoes is required as a sign of humility and reverence.