A man who has gone barefoot for nine months has shared his experience with the painful injuries he’s sustained and the harsh criticism he’s received during this challenge.

Bear Intentions, 34, hailing from the UK, works as a personal trainer, yoga instructor, and massage therapist. He set the ambitious goal of not wearing shoes for an entire year.

He began the project in October, and over the last nine months, he has gone completely shoe-less.

That means he’s gone without shoes on public transportation, on dirty streets in New York, and even in public toilets. 

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, he discussed the unusual journey, confessing to numerous difficulties such as having ‘glass, stones, and countless thorns’ penetrate his skin, alongside being ejected from various stores.

But he insisted that it’s been incredibly ‘liberating’ and totally worth the discomfort.

‘When I get past those moments of discomfort (i.e. public toilets, gravel tracks, London Underground, glass alleyways, New York City etc.), it’s radically shaped how I engage with the world,’ he dished.

‘I’ve had very novel and fascinating conversations with strangers that I wouldn’t have had otherwise, I pay more attention to my environment, I feel more confident somehow. 

‘It’s been a rollercoaster. A seemingly minor change such as not wearing shoes or socks for almost a year has changed my life in many – mostly positive – ways.’ 

The UK-native explained that in addition to constantly stepping on sharp objects, he has developed multiple serious conditions over the last nine months.

He battled something called trench-foot, which develops after prolonged exposure of the feet to cold, wet conditions. 

‘Living in Portugal in the winter led to some unexpected trench-foot – two weeks of solid rain in which I had to walk my dog a few times a day, plus surfing and not drying or taking proper care of my feet,’ he explained.

‘The soles of my feet started to disintegrate. I had to spend another couple of weeks with zero moisture to dry them out.’

He also developed tendinitis, which is the inflammation, irritation, or swelling of a tendon, which is the tissue connecting muscle to bone.

But he confessed that the biggest risk has nothing to do with injuries.

‘One of the biggest hazards that’s keep my eyes to the ground is dog s**t,’ he joked.

Bear admitted to the Daily Mail that he often faces cruel judgement from strangers and has been kicked out of stores on multiple occasions. 

‘I’m used to people staring at me but with being barefoot, it’s frequently a look of disgust which can grate on me sometimes,’ he said. 

‘I’ve had no problems with restaurants but I’ve been told I’m not allowed inside multiple supermarkets. 

‘A few of those times I’d be in the middle of my shopping and be asked to leave.’

Arguably one of most dramatic moments was when he was almost thrown off a flight after he boarded with no shoes on.

‘I had already boarded the flight (as I had done on the previous three flights I’d flown on to get there),’ he recalled.

‘The cabin crew saw I was shoeless and told me I couldn’t be on the plane barefooted. 

‘So myself and my friend got off the plane and quickly went to speak to the flight manager at the gate desk.’

After explaining the situation and ‘a few minutes of back and forth,’ Bear said the manager told him he ‘could embark on the plane as long as he told them it was for religious purposes.’

‘Thankfully I was allowed back on moments before they ended boarding. There was a lot riding on that flight, with two connecting flights back to Europe,’ he added. 

‘They were all doing their jobs and I respect their policies however, it was an emotional moment.’

As for why he’s doing it, Bear explained that it’s part of a bigger ‘project’ he’s working on that involves multiple year-long challenges.

‘I’m a wellbeing artist, which basically means I look for creative ways to live a healthy life,’ he explained. 

‘This year-long challenge of being barefoot is a part of four years of consecutive challenges that I’ve set myself in order to study the relationship between intention and tension.

‘The previous challenges have consisted of 365 day-long vow of silence, 365 days wearing only fancy dress costumes, and 365 days of service (asking “how can I help”). 

‘My plan is to take all of my experiences and findings over the last four years and place them in a book about why purpose matters now more than ever.

‘I grew up without my father present so these four years can also be seen as a “rite of passage.”

‘I want to be a caring husband and stable father one day and felt this would be a good way for me to learn what I didn’t as a child.’

He’s now setting out to walk all the way from Italy to London while barefoot – which is a whopping 745 miles. 

He expects it to take six to eight weeks and plans to walk anywhere from 10-25 miles per day depending on weather. 

‘I want to use it as a time to reflect on my experiences and process the past four years,’ he said. 

‘I’m also fundraising for two UK charities: CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) and Medical Detection Dogs.’

In the end, he said he’s learned so much from the endeavor, and he’s impressed by his own dedication. 

‘I sold my house to afford to go through these challenges and dedicated the last six years of my life to this project,’ he dished. 

‘So if there’s one thing I’ve learnt is that having and fulfilling ones purpose is a matter of dedication – sacrifice.’