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With all the barefoot running buzz it seems little spotlight is put on the simple pleasure and benefit of barefoot walking.
When a person wears shoes all the time, their feet (soles) become soft and tender. So by barefoot walking outdoors at least several times a week your feet won’t be as sensitive to the different textures you may encounter. Take pleasure in the different sensations your feet will feel. Sandy trails, cool grass, gritty sidewalks, warm pavement, puddles, pebbles and such.
In a matter of a few short weeks you’ll notice the difference in how your body connects with the earth below your feet. Your posture may even improve and walking will begin to feel more natural and primal. Barefoot walking will also reduce bunions, callouses, athlete’s foot, ingrown nails and foot odor — all the goodies attributed to modern tight-fitting shoes.
Your feet are rich with nerve endings, sensory receptors, muscles and tendons. By barefoot walking as much as possible, and not just around the house, you’ll strengthen your feet and just maybe rediscover the true joy of walking.
Just a few simple rules for barefoot walking: Watch the path ahead, tread lightly on unknown surfaces or trails, refrain from placing too much weight on your heels, and lastly, walk barefoot often!
Consider starting your own Barefoot Walking Group. Craigslist or Meetup is a good place to start. Let us know about your group and we’ll add it to this community.
Happy barefoot trails!
I’m kind of a “closet” barefooter – I’ll walk around barefoot from time to time when the weather’s nice but am not yet comfortable enough to do it in busier areas. Although I’ve gotten in the habit lately of going to coffeeshops barefoot – maybe because of the laid back attitude? Either way, I’m definitely finding that I enjoy it. And folks are surprisingly open to it. I’ve even “encouraged” a person or two to try it too.
I loved !
An excellent discussion. I’d like to add my
2 cents; there is a great video on athlete’s
foot and how to really stop the itching at
stopburningfeet.com for folks with this problem.
Walking barefoot is a gateway activity. It often leads folks into the much more exciting activity of running barefoot. In fact, I recommend anyone who is interested in Running Barefoot, to first try walking barefoot, but not before they play around with STANDING barefoot. Anyway, you’re right, walking barefoot is wonderful. People should be doing more walking. I think it’s funny, in a sad way, to watch college students where I work, taking the elevator a couple of floors, or driving a couple miles to the gym, where they might be required to wear shoes, just so they can pay to use a machine to simulate walking.
Have fun,
-barefoot ken bob
Walking barefoot is great adventure. Seams to me is like experience of F.P. computer game, always when explore new path, where is the pass threw the bush and over a different barricades on the route.
One thing is shore from my standing off view: entire surface of mother Earth would me much cleaner from waste of any kind if people stay on soles to soles level with her
I went through a spell a couple of years back when I was 100% barefoot, whilst not in work and even just wore socks at work (Im a school teacher).
Its amazing how many people notice, you wouldnt believe how many people spot your barefeet even though they dont appear to have looked down. You can wear large bell bottomed trousers to cover your feet but in the Summer when you want to wear shorts this isnt an option.
Going to the pub on an evening was more unusual. Whilst a lot of pubs would let you in, most clubs wont – they claim its because of that old paragon “Health and safety” but its more likely because your bare feet can feel just how filthy the sticky floors are – if most of us saw how filthy clube are during the day time we would never go there on an evening.
Im still 50% barefoot, although my wife prefers me to wear flip flops now I still stay brefoot as much as possible. Its a real deep primeval pleasure and I know my whole body is healthier because of it!
Nice article, thanks!
Hi there – Can you help? Or perhaps direct me to where I might find an answer?
I am running barefoot now – I started this summer and I do about 15 km a week with about the same barefoot walking a week, Walking the dog barefoot Barefoot in the office some of the time anyway
– and I’m getting on fine
But my daughter, now in her 50s, says she has developed plantar fasciitis and says its caused by going barefoot on hard surfaces – this after she read up on the web ie
http://www.footphysicians.com/footankleinfo/heel-pain.htm
I quote from this webpage
Causes of Plantar Fasciitis
The most common cause of plantar fasciitis relates to faulty structure of the foot. For example, people who have problems with their arches—either overly flat feet or high-arched feet—are more prone to developing plantar fasciitis.
Wearing non-supportive footwear on hard, flat surfaces puts abnormal strain on the plantar fascia and can also lead to plantar fasciitis. This is particularly evident when a person’s job requires long hours on their feet. Obesity also contributes to plantar fasciitis.
And
Treatment Options
Treatment of plantar fasciitis begins with first-line strategies, which you can begin at home:
Stretching exercises. Exercises that stretch out the calf muscles help ease pain and assist with recovery.
Avoid going barefoot. When you walk without shoes, you put undue strain and stress on your plantar fascia.
Ice. Putting an ice pack on your heel for 10 minutes several times a day helps reduce inflammation. Limit activities. Cut down on extended physical activities to give your heel a rest.
Shoe modifications. Wearing supportive shoes that have good arch support and a slightly raised heel reduces stress on the plantar fascia. Your shoes should provide a comfortable environment for the foot.
Medications. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, may help reduce pain and inflammation.
Lose weight. Extra pounds put extra stress on your plantar fascia.
She also had problems with her feet when she was a teenager but now she is worried that barefoot is bad
Im sure she is wrong but I need some backup! – can you help or direct me to some good advice?
Regards
Kevin O’Hara
@Kevin O’Hara
I think the reason why people get plantar fasciitis from walking barefoot is because they are walking on their heel which is what shoes make you do so I think people who have worn shoes all their life think that they should walk with a heel strike barefoot instead of a forefoot strike which is the proper way to barefoot. She probably did not understand the concept of forefoot strike running nor did anyone at the time that she was a teenager. I don’t know for sure so that’s my best guess
Where is this blog’s contact page because i cant seem to see the section, maybe you needs make it more easier to locate.
One other issue is that if you are in a circumstance where you would not have a co-signer then you may actually want to try to wear out all of your federal funding options. You can find many grants and other scholarship grants that will offer you finances to help with school expenses. Many thanks for the post.
I’m sorry but every time I go to a barefoot walking sites, no one seems to talk about walking barefoot on the ROADS that can burn like HELL. Do people actually walk on the concrete/asphalt roads? If so, how in the world do you not get blisters that ooze with puss on your feet????