Start running barefoot

You see, Mankind has evolved over millions of years. According to researchers, Homo Sapiens survived as a species because we coud run for hours chasing deer and other wild life for food and Neanderthal men could not.
We were build to run for miles on barefoot.

Shoes contribute to knee pain, joint deterioration and arthritis. I've had a lot of knee pain lately and started walking barefoot now, it has gotton alot better over the days and the knee pain is gone already. My back also feels alot better, ofcourse I have still use my shoes for school and stuff, but at home most of the time I walk without them.

By running barefoot I am connecting with my body and the Earth, being barefoot is also fun and natural. I recommend it to everyone.

reply to post by Jauk3


Homo Sapiens also didn't have to bother with jabbing their bare feet with things like glass, used syringes, bits of plastic or wood, and nails.

Sorry, I'm keeping my Nikes.

Concrete gets real hot in the summer.

reply to post by CrypticCryptid


Ya I understand you here, but it also depends on where you live. I live in a village and clean neighborhood so I don't have to deal with alot of trash on the streets. If you in the city I understand, but you can also buy special barefoot shoes. They might look stupid in your opinion, but they work great and offer some protection against glass, nails etc.

reply to post by Jauk3

I do love walking barefoot on sand and grass but definitely not concrete! You make a really good point, when I started wearing more minimal shoes I noticed a positive change in posture.
S&F

If you don't have a nice forest somewhere and think you need your Nikes, dump them for a pair of these:

Vibram Five Fingers

Edit: the soles might not keep you grounded, though, so some barefoot on earth contact is still recommended. But for running? Walking? Frolicking? These shoes are where it's at.

check out a natralist named cody lundeen he claims to have gone barefoot for years he is on the discovery channle or you tube
i think he might even be a member here

Every since I was real little, I have hated the feeling of something on my feet. I would rather have freezing cold feet than wear socks. I only wear shoes when I have too. I work in my yard barefoot all the time. My feet are tough and i can run across sharp rocks with little difficulty. Stickers and thorns however, can be a problem.
I have never had the problems many people complain about, such as back or knee problems. This could be why.

Very interesting thread i was wondering if you know if working out barefoot would be better than trainers as i like to bodybuild and the idea of working out barefoot would probably use my core muscles more which is good but also with me wearing trainers throughout my life would that affect how my feet are placed onto the floor differently to if i wore non throughout my life. Thankyou again for the thought provoking thread

shoes and trainers dont contribute to the wear and tear on our bodies, Concrete does. Why do you think we have cushions in the soles......

and even the native american indians wore shoes.....

Hi feet fans.

The best "compromise" are: MOCASSINs / MOCCASINs. . . B-)
THAT is what indians used !!

It is leather, and quite flexible.

THAT is what I use, most of the time. . .
. . .and they are cute/nice enough to go public. . .! B-)

Blue skies.

Originally posted by Jauk3
You see, Mankind has evolved over millions of years. According to researchers, Homo Sapiens survived as a species because we coud run for hours chasing deer and other wild life for food and Neanderthal men could not.
We were build to run for miles on barefoot.

Shoes contribute to knee pain, joint deterioration and arthritis. I've had a lot of knee pain lately and started walking barefoot now, it has gotton alot better over the days and the knee pain is gone already. My back also feels alot better, ofcourse I have still use my shoes for school and stuff, but at home most of the time I walk without them.

By running barefoot I am connecting with my body and the Earth, being barefoot is also fun and natural. I recommend it to everyone.

edit on 29-6-2012 by Jauk3 because: (no reason given)

what new age rubbish.

this kind of hippy rubbish is dangerous.


DON'T LISTEN TO HIM.

LISTEN TO ME.



it is very dangerous to walk barefoot.

you can cut your foot.

you can be infected with all sorts of diseases and germs and viruses and fungi..all that dog crap horse crap insect craf,cat crap...

deadly diseses waiting to enter you.

germs kill you...

insects biting laying their disgusting eggs inside you.

tapeworms...

uggg..uggg ...uggg.

disgusting.

this guy is a health hazard and giving dangerous advice ...


don't listen to him.

i always thick soles rubber boots.

i feel strong ,tall,confident and full of power and i walk with a big stride as big boots make me feel invincible and i can also use them in self defence if muggers attacked me.

reply to post by Jauk3



I don't buy into the "foot evolved" thing, but...


I've been using vibram toe shoes for a couple years now.

I just got a new pair yesterday.

Your feet were designed to be barefoot or have a minimal shoe.

I used orthotics for a year and my feet got worse.

After training with the vibram's my fallen arches sprang back.





If you don't use it you lose it...

Indeed, i prefer Barefoot to shoes,

i've read likewise, that training Barefoot for running Etc make the body and bones adjust to compensate which makes them stronger

The only time I wear shoes is when I go out, otherwise I'm always barefoot at home. Taking out the trash, working in the yard, around the house, etc.

It's not because of any new-age ridiculousness about being connected to the earth or anything, it just feels more comfortable being barefoot. I've never found shoes that were comfortable to me, even getting custom fitted ones and what not didn't work.

The bottom of my feet are extremely tough. Not callouses like people get from wearing shoes, but the skin covering the whole bottom of my foot, excluding the arch obviously, is thick like leather. I've walked over broken glass outside and inside my house many times, and while chunks will stick into my skin, it doesn't get past the outer layers or cause any pain/bleeding/damage. While using a razor blade to cut out the glass one time I was able to see how thick the skin is, and it's about 6mm before it gets to the lower skin with nerve endings and blood vessels.

I'm also far more nimble and have better balance while going barefoot. The only time my feet or legs/knees/etc ever hurt is when I DO wear shoes. Running barefoot for me feels MUCH better. Running with shoes on feels like I'm trying to run in dry sand on the beach. Without shoes my foot works to it's best ability and I can run faster and without pain in my legs or feet. Instead of using my muscles to work against the shoe, they are used to run, therefore increasing my performance.

It's obvious our feet aren't supposed to have shoes on. The only reason for shoes is to stop from stubbing your toe, or from getting damaged from sharp things, or if wearing steel toes to stop things falling on them and crushing them. I also never have stinky feet because they don't sit and fester inside a warm wet shoe all the time.

I think for safety reasons it's a good idea to wear shoes when going out around town or work, but all other times I think barefoot is the way to go.

There was also some stuff I read awhile back about some runners from a village somewhere, not sure if it was in Africa or somewhere else, but their runners could run for long periods of time without issues, much longer than really anybody else can run. And they all run barefoot.

I believe, if I am remembering correctly, they talked about how when running barefoot your using the front of your foot more. Instead of your body weight slamming down on the heel of your foot when running, causing a lot of impact-related injury and fatigue, your downward part of your gait puts the force on the front part of your foot which is able to flex and absorb more energy before your full body weight is applied, thus lessening fatigue and impact on your whole body. Like the difference between going over bumps in the road in a car with zero suspension, and going over bumps with a high quality, well designed suspension with proper springs and dampers.

Thumbs up for being barefoot!