足元: footing and immediate surroundings
Compare footing on dark stairs with the market close to home to distinguish a position under the feet from one’s immediate surroundings.
Footing on the stairs
足元 (あしもと) can refer to the area under a person’s feet. The stairs and the request for care point to that physical sense.
“暗い階段では足元に気を付けてください。” asks the listener to watch their footing on the dark stairs. It asks for care and does not report that the listener has already watched their footing.
The nearby environment in the market sentence
足元 can also refer to one’s immediate surroundings or situation. This sense concerns what is close to the person’s activities, rather than a spot directly under their feet.
In “遠い地域だけでなく足元の市場にも目を向けた。”, attention was directed not only to distant regions but also to the market close to home. The nearby market received attention in addition to the distant regions.
Connect the setting with the action
On the stairs, read a physical position around the walking person; in the market sentence, read the nearby environment receiving attention. The whole sentence identifies whether 足元 is footing to watch or immediate surroundings to consider.
The market sentence does not place a market directly under someone’s feet. It uses the nearby-environment sense, rather than naming a circle of people associated with a particular activity.
Does 足元 in the market sentence mean the market floor, with no attention paid to distant regions?
Show the answer and why
No. It refers to the market in one’s immediate surroundings. The sentence describes attention to that market as well as distant regions, so keep both objects of attention.