>>2235368A character who can afford to go without foot protection probably lives in a world that isn't particularly dangerous, if even the ground poses no significant threat to their unprotected feet. Symbolically, they may be sheltered from danger, or far removed from it, to the point where they see no need to protect themselves, which in turn triggers a protective instinct in the rest of us... while they may be perfectly safe within their own environments, to us they look vulnerable.