Amazing. I know that most people from over there walk miles a day on flip-flops. Don't know how they do it, but I guess it's just something you get used to.
Anyway, here is a humorous story. At the beginning of the summer, when my walking/diet programme was in full swing, I decided to drive to the beach for a change of pace. So I kicked off my shoes and proceeded to walk down the beach. Three miles later, I start to realize that my feet are starting to hurt really bad. I then realized that the beach sand had not only rubbed the callouses right off my feet but were now starting to rub into my skin. So here I am in my bare feet at about 6:30 in the morning some three miles from my car and sneakers.
It was an excruciating walk back. I tried walking in the water to ease the pain but it didn't help much. When I did make it back, my feet were bleeding in several places and I was in agony. I could hardly stand up on them. I thought I would be sidelined for sure. But I bought some bandages and wrapped my feet up for my walk the next day. It was painful but I made it through and within a week, all was better again.
Now maybe I could condition my feet to do this, but walking six miles in my barefeet is something I'll never do again.
Walking barefeet a little bit on the beach every day will toughen your feet to where you can walk all day on the sand comfortably, even pleasurably, but you will have to buy larger shoes to accomodate the callouses.
I was in Viet Nam for the month of August and walked everywhere. One needs soles there but any sort of uppers should be no more than enough to hold the soles to your feet. It is simply too hot for anything else. In 68-70 I wore GI boots in Nam and don't know how I did it.
MOST people "over there" do not walk miles a dayon flip flops, not any more, Most people over there who go any distance at all rido on small motorbikes.