Discalceation

Discalceation means "removal of footwear". St. Teresa of Ávila was one of a number of saints of the Roman Catholic Church who were "discalced," or shoeless. She was one of the founders of the Discalced Carmelites religious order.

Discalceation origins lie in Exodus 3:5, where God tells Moses "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." and involves taking off all shoes. The alternative of taking off only one shoe is part of a socially witnessed contract referred to in Ruth 4:7 and Deuteronomy 25:9