Is it permissible to stop wearing socks, believing that washing the feet is better than wiping over them, in pursuit of reward?

Scholars differed regarding the preference between wiping over the khuffayn (leather socks) and washing the feet. The majority hold that washing is superior because it is the original act, whereas the Hanbalis believe that wiping is better because it is a concession and a defiance of the people of innovation. Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah took a middle ground, holding that what is preferable depends on the condition of the foot. So, for one who is wearing khuffayn, wiping is better; and for one whose feet are uncovered, washing is better, without artificiality or changing the condition.