Happy Zone 3 Girl (barefoot story), January 1998

The full story: Zone 3, like all laser sports I've encountered, has a multi-level maze and is usually played in half-darkness, lit by blacklight. Surfaces in the maze can be almost anything from old computer screens to concrete to splintery chipboard to rough metal gratings, all usually very dirty. Like all fast competitive sports, clothing chosen is usually a combination of protective gear and that which allows free and rapid motion in any direction. Kneepads are very common. Generally shoes are worn, though there are tales of late night sessions where people played barefoot, usually when a mate was in charge of the games. The trick with being barefoot is that the floors aren't kept clean - you don't know if there's going to be construction bits from the maze changes left on the floor, it's dark enough that you can't see quickly, and you're moving fast and unpredictably. In general though, you assume that there is nothing overly dangerous afoot.

I'd always played with shoes for the above reasons, also under the assumption that I wouldn't be allowed to play without. Given that my last pair of running shoes wore out a year or two ago and i never bothered replacing them, going with shoes meant that I had to tape the remains of my old shoes onto my feet with gaffer tape. This led to an unusual uniform on the occasions I also had to tape my knee (and once torn pants) with gaffer tape. Anyway. Yesterday afternoon I got a phone call saying that the science fiction club I belong to was fielding a team in the amateur competition at a new Zone site, but were short of players, so I went along. I took shoes with me, but was determined to avoid wearing them if I could. Upon asking, the guy at the desk said it was up to me if I wore them or not, though he'd recommend shoes. So I handed him my bag with the shoes in it to leave under the counter.

In any Zone Three site I tend to be very cautious on the first game, knowing that surfaces and maze layouts may have changed. this was no exception. I'd never been to this site before, and they'd done a few fun things. I was warned that some places were slippery (by shod team-mates) and they were, though much safer barefoot as long as you weren't too sweaty. But overall the surfaces were great, and the ability to respond with my feet while fighting was a real advantage. I need all the advantages I can get, as I'm not ambidextrous, but whatever it means when you can't shoot straight with either hand . The first game was fantastic, so I continued unshod.

There were only two odd points about the play - one was that the briefing room floor is surfaced with a sharpish metal grid, which would discourage some one who wasn't a habitual barefooter from removing their shoes. Every other surface was great, even the tall helical metal staircase (which is very tightly turning, and requires care when moving fast). The other was that I did damage my ankle - not from being unshod, but from the same mistake I've made many many times playing shod - misjudging the height of steps as you run up them in the halflight, and falling flat on my face halfway up. So there's a nice bruise just above my ankle, but apart from that no damage, no hassles, and a significant increase in ability to move. I was happy.