As sophomore Dmitry Lyapustin’s peers don their fur-lined Ugg boots, he chooses to trek across campus barefoot every day, only whipping out his emergency flip-flops when it’s required, he said.

“I do what I can to get by in a shoe-ful world,” said Lyapustin, a physics and chemistry double major.

Lyapustin simply decided to stop wearing shoes during the first semester of his freshman year at the university, saying he never liked them anyway. Taking a less confining route, Lyapustin chooses to forfeit shoes, regardless of the weather, to truly enjoy the luxuries the world has to offer, he said.

“I never liked them, so one day I figured, what if I didn’t wear them?” Lyapustin said. “They’re constricting. Shoes don’t let my feet breathe.

“You can’t feel anything in shoes. There are 20 different types of pavement. Grass feels amazing. Walking through mud is so much fun. People don’t do it because it messes up their nice fancy shoes.”

Shoes are not the only article of clothing Lyapustin decided to remove from his wardrobe. He also avoids wearing shirts whenever possible. His closet reflects his lack of interest in clothes, consisting only of four pairs of shorts, two-long sleeved shirts, one hooded sweatshirt and a dozen tank tops and shirts. And while Lyapustin may not like wearing shoes and shirts, he does not always have the choice.

Centreville Resident Director Tee Leathers required that Lyapustin, a resident assistant, wear shoes on move-in day. To Lyapustin, this was an act of “compromise but still death.” He recalled how he spent the entire day trying to rush the move-in process so he could “strip down to decency standards.”

Lyapustin has also been kicked out of The Diner twice due to his attire, or lack thereof, and has been asked to leave at least half of the stores on Route 1.

“There are too many to remember,” he said about the stores that have denied him entry.

Not being allowed to enter The Diner in his usual attire is a problem for Lyapustin, who “loves eating.” He recalled an incident when he was very hungry outside The Diner, so he attempted to sneak in without being noticed.

Needless to say, when Lyapustin entered – shirtless, barefoot and with a mess of long, curly brown hair – he had a difficult time being inconspicuous.

“They kicked me out pretty quickly,” he laughed.

To avoid being kicked out of The Diner and other facilities, Lyapustin always carries a bag with his shirt and shoes. He ripped out the bottom of his regular pool shoes so they are light and can easily fit in his bag. He also carries a towel to wipe his feet before going into someone’s house.

Before entering The Diner, Lyapustin puts on his tank top and shoes, then immediately removes them when he leaves – even in the winter.

“It would have to be really cold, with a lot of snow on the ground, in order for me to wear shoes,” Lyapustin said. In such weather, he will wear his Nike tennis shoes, the only pair of shoes he owns except for one dressy pair that “a girl made him buy,” he said.

Walking around during the day, students constantly approach Lyapustin to say hello, or ask him why he is not wearing shoes.

“When people ask me why I’m not wearing shoes, I say, ‘Because I don’t like them,'” Lyapustin said. “They are always confused, but I don’t mind what other people think.”

Freshman letters and sciences major Brian Delaney, one of Lyapustin’s residents, said, “When I first saw [Dmitry] I thought he was a hippie. He’s very open, original, and different. I love that about people. He’s also really personable and you can talk to him about anything.”

“My brother is uninhibited,” said Dmitry’s brother, junior business and kinesiology major Alex Lyapustin. “He doesn’t let things bother him, things that would bother most people. He doesn’t feel like cutting his hair, so he doesn’t. He doesn’t feel like wearing a shirt, so he doesn’t … People may judge him negatively sometimes for how he dresses – or doesn’t – but that’s their own discomfort and pretentious haughtiness that gets in their way of meeting a great guy.”

Always open to new things, Lyapustin joined Gymkana, a university gymnastics group for which students pledge to remain alcohol- and drug-free. Lyapustin joined the team last year at the suggestion of his RA.

“When we hang out it’s not like, ‘Hey, let’s drink.’ It’s like, ‘Hey, let’s have fun,'” he said.

Lyapustin has a full schedule, between Gymkana practices five days a week and the 24 credits he is taking this semester. He graduated a year early from Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda and chooses to only take classes that are interesting to him, saying “higher level is really the fun stuff.” Lyapustin tests out of classes that he thinks are “too simple and a waste of time.” So far, he has tested out of MATH240: Introduction to Linear Algebra, a differential equations course and two physics courses.

Lyapustin plans to continue not wearing shoes and described his plans to attend grad school and become a physicist.

“Physicists can be ridiculous because we are physicists. That’s what I’m banking on,” he laughed.

Despite the odd practice, Lyapustin is not the first person who prefers to live barefoot. In the 1980s, NFL football kicker Tony Franklin was widely known for kicking barefoot during his career.

Regarding Franklin, Lyapustin said, “Some people just get it.”

Contact reporter Lindsey Frank at frankdbk@gmail.com.