Definitely worse to be barefoot in a lightning storm. Which is why we were urged to be extra careful. I got struck through an air gap between a galvanized pipe and a galvanized tank I was installing in a garage. The lightning had struck the tall pine that was next to the well. It travelled thru the pipe to me and knocked me on my butt and made me a little woozy for a couple days after. If I had not had work boots on, I may not have survived it.
Still, grounding one's self is harmless and feels good regardless. Anyone who has ever took their shoes off at the shore, or even in the grass can feel it. First thing I do in summer when I get home is kick off the shoes, grab the shorts and go outside and hang out there for awhile and water the garden. It's like a reset for the rest of the evening.
Shoes are unhealthy, especially now with all this memory foam crap that ends up putting pressure on parts of the feet that are otherwise designed to avoid it.
