Jump in with Both Feet

Teenage years can be difficult, and this was especially true in Manuela’s case. Her dad was a South American drug lord, her mom was killed by a rare illness, and she contracted the same disease that claimed her mother. In an effort to save her life, Manuela’s father injected her with a genetically-engineered virus that essentially turned her into a bio-weapon. To counter the effects of the virus, it was necessary to replace all of her organs. To that end, Manuela’s father began rounding up young women to use as involuntary donors. To suggest that Manuela had a string of bad luck would be an understatement, and her survival more-or-less depended on the deaths of innocent people. Her lack of footwear is relatively low on her list of concerns, but her bare feet reflect her fragility and remind us that she’s not as powerful as she seems.

Janna is an elemental wind spirit who is seen as a beacon of hope to sailors and seafarers. Whether she’s calming the seas or creating sudden squalls, her discretion ultimately determines who will survive the treacherous waters. She can summon whirlwinds on command and demonstrates a mastery over air, and this allows her to float around without a care in the world. Since her feet never touch the ground, shoes would be superfluous and altogether unnecessary. If nothing else, her bare feet are a perfect match for the rest of her outfit. There are a number of scantily-clad champions in League of Legends who have bare feet, but we can assume that Janna has the cleanest feet since she doesn’t need to touch the ground. While some connoisseurs would prefer to see her feet in action, I appreciate how pristine Janna’s feet must be.

A 20-year-old woman from Portland, Oregon, KAEDE Smith is a member of an elite group of assassins collectively known as the killer7. She’s a skilled marksman who tends to keep her distance from others, but she has a repertoire of kicks to fall back on for close-quarter combat. She also has the uncanny ability to slit her wrists in order to destroy barriers with her blood. Yuck! Her bloodstained sleeping dress is neither fashionable nor practical, but it speaks to the violence that surrounds her. Her footwear (or lack thereof) is just as impractical as her splattered dress, and she never wears shoes at any time. She’s nicknamed “Barefoot” by her colleagues, and I think there’s a valuable lesson to be learned here. If you ever want to divert attention away from an obvious bloodstain, simply take off your shoes and walk around in bare feet.

It’s common in the world of fantasy for magicians, sorcerers, and mystics to be depicted without footwear. I guess if you’re trying to play up a character’s enlightened connection with the natural world, it makes sense to eliminate any barriers between them. Yuna is a high summoner who embarks on a pilgrimage to save the world and sets out to reinvent herself. Although she usually wears something on her feet and doesn’t have an aversion to shoes, one memorable scene in Final Fantasy X sees her walking on water while barefoot and performing a ceremonial dance so the departed will be able to rest peacefully. This scene was later referenced in Dissidia 012, and cosplayers around the globe have tried to emulate her water-dancing antics. Yuna’s feet are among the most recognizable in gaming, and they reflect her free-spirited personality.

To coincide with the 2018 Overwatch summer event, a number of characters were given seasonal makeovers. D.Va’s “Waveracer” skin came with heart-shaped sunglasses, pink swim trunks, and a flower-print top, but fans were more interested in what she wasn’t wearing. Of course, I’m talking about her bare feet. Facets of the Overwatch fan art community had been focused on feet for a number of years, so it was nice for Blizzard Entertainment to throw them a bone. D.Va’s color coordination was on point, and her nails were painted to match her new attire. The outfit even altered the sounds of her footsteps, and you could clearly hear her wet feet as she moved around the maps. D.Va’s default costume was a jumpsuit that covered her body from the neck down, so it’s not surprising that her freeing summer outfit made such a splash.

They may not be the most prominent feet on this list, but Christie Monteiro might have the nicest feet in gaming. The Brazilian beauty is a practitioner of capoeira, and her fighting style is based around acrobatic, dance-like moves. Many capoeira attacks implement sweeping kicks, and fighting barefoot apparently promotes kinematic alignment and improves dynamic joint stability. In any regard, her opponents are likely to get a close-up view of her feet whether they want to or not. The only reason she’s not ranked even higher on this list is because her bare feet aren’t especially unusual. Many characters from the Tekken universe – including her mentor – fight without shoes. Her feet would probably get more attention if the rest of her body wasn’t so distracting. I guess she’s a victim of her own success in that regard.

Corrin was born into royalty and raised by a rival house. She’d be considered an asset for either family in troubled times due to her ability to transform into a dragon! Corrin is usually decked out in armor, so there is much speculation surrounding her bare feet. It has been implied that any footwear would be destroyed when she transforms into a dragon, but there doesn’t seem to be an issue with the rest of her clothing. Some have suggested that she needs a solid connection with the ground, but she transforms on a boat without issue. Maybe her bare feet serve a metaphorical purpose and are meant to represent her child-like innocence? Or perhaps she goes barefoot to signify her status as a prisoner? The designers have admitted they wanted people to openly question the design choice, so her feet are actually just a hook to get people talking.

An Ahuran princess who harnesses the power of light, Elika teams up with the eponymous Prince of Persia while leading a resistance against a dark god. She’s every bit as athletic and nimble as the Prince is, and she frequently uses her magic to save him from certain death. It’s heavily implied that her powers come from the land itself, so it makes sense for her to be perpetually barefoot. In order to defeat the aforementioned dark god, Elika must cleanse the corrupted lands beneath her feet. Her only footwear is a single gold anklet, but she traverses hot sand, scales steep cliffs, and walks on sharp rocks without showing any level of discomfort. I can only imagine how tough her calluses must be. When she’s not using her feet to heal the fertile grounds, she’s likely using them to hurl the Prince through the air.

Many Street Fighter characters have an aversion to shoes. (Six of the original twelve Street Fighter II combatants fought in their bare feet!) The floodgates for barefooted females was opened in the Street Fighter III with the arrival of Elena, Makoto, and Ibuki, but no one embraced their lower extremities more than Juri. Debuting in Super Street Fighter IV, the taekwondo expert fought primarily with her feet, and she even used them to throw energy waves! Anyone can kick someone in the face, but it’s rare for someone to form fireballs with their toes. Juri has an assortment of outfits to wear, and her feet are almost always on display. Her ankle wraps leave little to the imagination, and even her form-fitting catsuits leave her toes exposed! Her feet seem abnormally large at a glance, but they’re in line with the Street Fighter art style.

Okita Sōji was a legendary swordsman who captained Kyoto’s special police force during the late shogunate period. The Fate version of the character is a lot easier on the eyes than her real-world counterpart, but she’s just as deadly with a sword. Under the guise of Sakura Saber, Okita proves to be a cool-headed warrior with transcendental finesse and innate talent. The Fate series features many goddesses that were considered for this list, and you can’t go wrong with someone like Ishtar. Ultimately, Okita’s feet stood out the most. Scantily-scald waifus are common in the Fate universe, but Okita initially conceals herself with a kimono and tall leather boots. She lets her feet breathe after she ascends to higher levels, and I’m especially partial to her Stage 4 artwork. What’s not to love about thigh-high socks with open toes and heels?