No sneakers! Barefeet Only!

Barefoot Doctors

The name comes from southern farmers, who would often work barefoot in the rice paddies. Barefoot doctors were farmers who got basic medical training and worked in rural villages in China to bring health care to areas where urban-trained doctors would not settle. The barefoot doctors usually received as much as 3-6 months training, with a main focus on preventive medicine and curing simple ailments that were common in the specific areas.
Barefoot doctors were given a set of medicines, Western and Chinese that they would dispense. And often grew their own herbs in their backyard. Integrating both Western and Chinese medicine, like acupuncture and mugwort.
China's Cultural Revolution in the 60's help scatter barefoot doctors throughout the rural terrain. Mao made a famous speech about institutionalized healthcare, which radically diminished the influence of China's health ministry (dominated by Western-trained doctors).

This Way, was hailed as a revolutionary breakthrough in the health game. It called for an emphasis on primary health care and preventative medicine, and sought to link medicine with trade, economics, industry, and rural politics.
They are a dying breed .