Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. of an alcoholic drink, undiluted, ‘straight’.

1847		J.K. & W.I. Paulding Amer. Comedies 194: I thought even a Yankee knew that ‘stone fence barefooted’ is the polite English for whisky uncontaminated,—pure, sir!
1878		J.H. Beadle Western Wilds 183: And as for whiskey, wh-e-u-w! It was sod corn barefooted.
1885		North Amer. Rev. Nov. 434: ‘Barefoot whiskey’ is the Tennessee name for the undiluted stimulant.
1893		Wash. Bee (DC) 15 Apr. 4/2: I allers takes my eggs fried and my whiskey barefoot.

2. (also barfoot) of tea or coffee, without milk/cream or sugar.

1859		Atlantic Monthly Nov. 642/1: ‘I take my tea bar-foot,’ said a backwoodsman, when asked if he would take cream and sugar.
1867		Lancaster Gaz. (OH) 28 Mar. 1/8: Asked if he would have cream and sugar [he] said, ‘No, I take my tea barefoot’ .
1873		J. Mair Hbk of Phrases 96: Barfoot, said of tea or coffee taken without sugar and cream.
1888		Chicago Herald n.p.: Never touch coffee unless you like it barefoot, that is, without sugar or milk [F&H].
1907		Wash. Times (DC) 15 Dec. 46/7: ‘Barefoot’ tea, without sweetening.
1909		H.M. Du Bose Men of Sapio Ranch 17: Mayfield sipped his barefoot coffee, after munching a hard-tack biscuit.
1912		Overland Monthly 2 Ser. LIX 198: Presently we sat down to a table whose linen, cut glass and silver were of the finest; the food did not shame it, and the black coffee, or ‘barefoot coffee’, as our host called it, was equally good.
1916		Eve. Star (DC) 26 July 9/1: The tea will be barefooted. Come and get it.
1980		N.Y. Times Mag. 27 Jan. 8: Jocular types may call it [i.e. coffee] barefoot (black) and with socks on (white).

3. of cornbread, made without eggs or fat.

1953

Randolph & Wilson Down in the Holler 225: barefoot bread: n. Hard cornbread, made without eggs or shortenings.