On December 10, 2010, the world celebrated International Human Rights Day - countless people across the globe ditched their shoes and proudly donned their humanitarian hats in honour of the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Despite the formalisation of basic rights to all human beings 62 years ago, this goal has yet to be realised. Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that every human has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of his family. This includes food, shelter and clothing. Too many citizens in our world still go through life without basic necessities. With this in mind, Barefoot Against Poverty was born.

On the same day, Every Human Has Rights invited all citizens of the world to spend an hour, or a day, without shoes. To walk in the path of someone who couldn't afford shoes: an experience complete with disapproving stares, numbing snow, scorching pavements and dirty streets.

It was with this in mind that I decided to embark on what I was sure would be a challenging - at least interesting - experience. What once seemed like a bold, exciting idea, however, resulted in apprehension when December 10 drew nearer - an exciting feat in concept, but one that was easier said than done.

The difference in one's choice of footwear - or the lack of - is remarkable. A person on the street can easily go unnoticed when there is a crowd to blend into. Going without shoes, however, is an invitation to stares.

My day without shoes wasn't easy; a woman on the bus abruptly stood up and relocated upon realising that her neighbouring passenger was without shoes. It was painful - this feeling of dejection I won't easily forget.

My day without shoes was also inspiring; besides the rare, outward rejection of a barefooted person, most passersby, Singaporean and otherwise, were more than open to an explanation of this disregard for social norm.

Many were interested, some were encouraging; and when you don't have shoes, perhaps it's the encouragement, the smiles of solidarity, that really count. This feeling of hope is one I won't easily forget either.

My day without shoes was humbling, sobering and, on a brighter note, quite liberating. It led me to think, the feeling of dejection from society was voluntary, but still painful at times.

It is a difficult path to tread when you have no shoes - a path made more difficult without the company of friends, the option of security and the choice to back out at the first sign of discomfort.

I can't help but wonder how it would feel if going barefoot wasn't just for a day. Or a more difficult concept to grasp.

Just imagine if going barefoot wasn't a choice.

Would you do the same? Share your thoughts below.

To continue raising funds and awareness for the cause, a fundraising page for Habitat for Humanity was set up. Contribute here.