/r/barefoot
Barefoot/unshod running, walking, and lifestyle.
Going barefoot (unshod) is the gentlest way of walking & running, and can symbolize a way of living — authentic, vulnerable & sensitive to our surroundings. Whether its feeling warm sand beneath your toes, carefully making your way over sharp rocks in the darkness, or simply running on concrete, barefooting is fun. It's living with the lightest impact, removing a barrier between us and nature.
Welcome to /r/barefoot. We are glad to have you here!
This is only for barefoot discussion, no minimalist shoe discussion. This is simply to be more focused, not elitist. This reddit was inspired by this post by xorandor.
Q&A
Q: What about glass?
A: Glass is not an issue, when you go barefoot you watch where you step. There is less glass than you think.
Q: Is barefooting painful?
A: No. After a period of adjustment, your foot sensations will return to normal and going barefoot will feel like a good massage. The nerves in your feet become hyper sensitive in an attempt to feel the ground if you wear cushioned shoes over long periods of time.
Q: How do i start barefooting?
A: Just do it! Take off your shoes, go for a walk outside.
Q: When I take my socks off, my feet stink. Don't your feet stink?
A: Nope, by going barefoot, sweat evaporates and does not stink.
Rules:
Related Subreddits:
Notice
This community is under development. Feel free to chime in and contribute!
A community since March 10, 2011.
/r/barefoot
Went to the beach for the first time in a while forgot how nice the sand and cool water felt on my feet. It was so relaxing that it made me smile a little
I don't go outside barefoot (although I use minimal shoes), but I do walk completely barefoot in my house, but unfortunately I always get dirt on my feet, mainly dust, even after washing the floor. How do you deal with this problem, or do you have at all? For example, I don't want to get into a clean bed like this.
I have always gone barefoot at home, even got a lecture once from a distant relative about how bad it was to go barefoot, but I stood my barefoot ground.
14 months ago I began wearing solely wide toe box/minimalist shoes. And I have found that my foot has lengthened and my size 44 shoes are tight.
It makes sense! Although I always spent a lot of time shoeless, I wore the classic tight toe box on a daily basis, constricting my foot. And now that I wear shoes that allow my toes to splay, my foot is slowly reaching its true length.
Has this happened to anyone else?
I live near Sacramento, in northern California. If anybody is up for barefoot get-togethers, whether that is hiking, walking, or going out shopping and dining, let me know. Life is short, lose the shoes, and take in what the world has to offer with your happy bare feet! 😆👣❤️
Does wearing socks provide the benefits of being barefoot? I wear socks rather than being barefoot on a natural dirt and grass trail because I don’t want to expose my feet to possible parasites or cut them open.
Also, should I do it when I have no arches/flat feet?
I know some of the claimed benefits in this article get some people upset but if it encourages people to do it what's not to like. Personally, I've read the research on grounding and I feel it has a benefit personally but accept it is not proven scientifically. The other benefits listed are though hopefully things most here can agree with. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/national-walking-day-2024-8-major-benefits-of-walking-on-grass-barefoot/amp_etphotostory/109000819.cms
I work outside and I work for myself so I'm able to be barefoot just about all the time, but it seems to me people like to pretend they don't have feet and get uncomfortable when they see the existence of feet outside of footwear, so I generally put on at least flip flops or socks to go into stores and places. Well, I finally yesterday said "f it" and went into my usual hardware store barefoot and just when I was getting comfortable, I heard the shutter of the camera of the guy standing in line behind me 🙄🙄🙄 I told him on my way out that he better turn off the sound on his camera lest the whole world find out he's a creep, but I'm disturbed to say the least. Maybe my problem is more with this idiotic way of life we're living in now where one cannot just exist without someone shoving a camera into one's privacy. Idk. I hate the state we're in and I'm feeling a little violated 😅 How do you handle the creeps?
When I train my soles on concrete walks, I find that most of my feet toughen with callouses, but the edge of the ball of my left foot (below the big toe) has a persistent point that makes contact with the ground and always feels sore after a while. It's a few mm long and hardly visible but it definitely hurts a bit - it doesn't seem to be a blister, it feels more like hardened skin.
So I'm trying to work out - is this cause for concern or is it the development of a callous that I should push through?
Hello! I live in the Sarasota/Bradenton area, looking for local barefooters to have an excursion. I need to walk more on weekends, and I think it'd be great to meet some locals and share tips/recommendations on good places to walk and tolerant businesses!
I love my barefoot lifestyle - the freedom, the textures, the FU to norms. One weird thing is about my weight gain. I've gained about 100lbs fairly quickly recently, and it's nice to feel how plump my feet have got? Love the bit of extra padding on my feet, if that makes sense? Anyone else feel the same way?
I love and live to explore all the wonderful temperatures and textures! I walk barefoot, everywhere, including on concrete, asphalt, dirt, moss, and I love the various sensory experiences and temperatures. I also barefoot in restaurants and shops, and I enjoy experiencing the various floor temperatures and textures there too. Life is short, and I encourage you to experience all that life has to offer. Lose the shoes, and get connected. Bare feet are meant to be used…not kept inside shoes! Wiggle those toes..and experience life, from the feet up! 😊❤️👍👣👣
That is all.
so I took the opportunity to get out and enjoy the weather, started off with a nice dirt patch, then went into the woods and swished around in the leaves, which felt really nice. Found some mossy trees to rub up against, felt like a nice soft carpet. Was a really deep mud patch nearby, so spent a few minutes just pushing the mud up and down with my feet. Then came my favourite bit of any walk, the really muddy bits, each step felt amazing as the mud oozed between my toes. Almost feel bad for anyone who chose to wear shoes along the trail, almost😉 also posted some pics on the barefoot hiking sub if anyone wants to see em, dont think pics are allowed in this sub
It seems this hasn't been posted yet.
Interesting talk:
Went for two years without barefoot. Today with a little alcohol, I put the ass together to take off my shoes and my socks, and walk all my way back to home. I felt the streets, the rocks, then pavement and the grass. It was lovely.
51 y/o male here I go barefoot just about all year long at home in the yard or my shop but I get nervous if someone sees me. I would like to wear sandals or flip flops to the store but just can't do it. When I'm staying at the beach I do fairly well at it because so many other people are barefoot. Just this past summer my family stayed at a friend's beach bottom floor apt and I was able to go all week barefoot even in front of my friend and her daughter but they were barefoot the entire time also. How can I beat this shyness/anxiety where I live everyone wears flip flops or sandals most all year. .
For me the idea just popped into my head to research the topic & the I found how barefoot it good for strengthening the feet/ flexibility. Stronger feet help with hip & back alignment.
Also my kickboxing instructor is big on toes socks & barefoot shoes that also pushed my interest.
I wanna change my feet before shoes ruin them but by pinky toe is almost sideways and hardened at the bottom to be sideways, is there any way to change it?
https://youtu.be/Rqq0bCVSpEQ?si=NdIvzufNGD8PACnl
What a beautiful day for a sensory buffet!
YouTube has age-restricted the video. 😮 I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. 🙄
Like the title says, I'm planning a trip to Japan and hk in the summer. What's the scene like there regarding barefoot out and about?
With the weather getting warmer, I wanted to ask: I get a fair few friction blisters on the soles of my feet when barefoot. I largely think this is because my feet skin is quite soft, because I live in a cold climate and have to wear socks and shoes in winter, so have just never been able to develop harder skin in spots where I regularly get friction blisters... I often just end up wearing minimalist sandals with wool felt sticky pads to prevent friction, and am also looking into those anti-chafe sticks, etc, but these just don't feel like long-term solutions, so any advice appreciated! TIA
Most people say that California and Florida are one of the most barefoot-tolerant places to live. Is this true for the most part in your experiences?
I want to know California and Florida as a whole as well as specifically in the Los Angeles/San Diego region and Tampa/St. Pete region.
Where would you recommend based on personal experiences?
Went for a long two mile walk barefoot today. I've never done it that far before but It felt great tho
I was diagnosed with Morton’s Neuroma today. Apart from the insole recommendation, the doctor also advised wearing shoes with high, cushy soles. He also suggested wearing Birkenstocks indoors, although I'm accustomed to going barefoot.
I've been wearing barefoot shoes for the past two months, and while he mentioned their width was perfect, he advised against the low sole height, and the insole for support. Has anyone else experienced a similar situation? I asked if narrow shoes could cause Morton’s Neuroma, but he clarified that it can happen regardless.
Hi guys, saw Dr Chaterree do an insta post about foot brushing, the comments were talking about the nerves in the feet etc being stimulated.
ANyone tried this and found any benefits?
Any evidence on it?
I'm basically interested in any cheap/free biohacks to make me feel less crappy!
thanks :)
Today was a really warm day. I wore shoes and socks all day and my feet were hot and sweaty. Took them off when I got home and I felt great there is nothing better than being barefoot after a long day in shoes and socks
Hi, it's been a while since I posted here.
So, before anything, I really want to thank everyone in the community. All of you have been a great inspiration and source of confidence, and with an act so simple as just taking off my shoes you have improved my life. I'll be forever thankful for that ❤️
Now to the main topic. This week I got my biggest barefooting achievement yet. It's been a year since I decided to go and be barefoot at my university (and in quite a few more places) 24/7, all day every day!
I have learnt a lot, enjoyed every step (literally), made quite a few friends who not only don't judge me but accept me and my preference, + they see me as a good, nice and interesting person, I feel like I've become a memorable person, and that not only feels fantastic, it also has translated in very cool relations with students, teachers, among others. The time i'm at the university is orders of magnitude more comfortable and I've become very confident with (almost) everything I do. And each and every time I've talked to someone about the topic it has been an extremely constructive and friendly chat, and it happens with a fairly high frequency (around 2 every 3 weeks). And last but not least, my health has improved, since my feet have a healthier shape, my steps are firm, my knees, back and neck very rarely, if ever, hurt, my equilibrium and spatial intelligence has improved a lot, I haven't stubbed my toe once in almost 2 years!
It feels very very good to feel this hobbie/activity/challenge/lifestyle become an important part of you, one that you feel quite passionate about and makes you unique, and I hope this experience encourages anyone, especially new ones in the community, to expand their frontiers whenever and wherever they can and feel comfortable doing so.
I hope your soles get thicker. Keep barefootin'! 😼
Hi, I'm a 34 year old guy living in Brussels (Belgium) and going barefoot for about one and a half year now. I absolutely love it but the crap from other people I get every day sometimes becomes a bit too much.
Today I was out for a walk and got several "disgusting!" thrown at me, about every child yelling to their parents "no shoes!", other people literally exclaiming "barefoot!" when they see me and then not even acknowledging me when I reply with a friendly "hi". The only somewhat positive interaction today was a guy who seemed friendly/interested at first but then was obviously filming me with his phone while talking, probably for an instant post on his social media. I've also learned that healthcare and museums are big no-no's even though they usually have the cleanest and nicest floors. In fact anywhere where there's security guards, they seem to be trained around here to harass anyone barefoot.
I do own a pair of Vivo barefoot shoes and they provide good protection when I need it, but my feet get really sweaty in them and can't stand them for long. I have some lightweight Xero sandals too but whenever I wear them I think I'd rather go barefoot as they don't provide any protection at all (case in point I broke a toe last year while wearing them). After all I should not wear footwear if I don't want to, it is entirely my choice and does not affect other people's lives in any meaningful way.
Last year I took a solo trip around France for a month and was confronted with constant astonishment, rudeness and distrust. In a month I will go on another solo trip around the USA for the first time, and while I am excited about it, I also worry what the reactions will be over there.
End of rant. Thank you for reading. If anyone from Brussels/BE is reading I am curious about your experiences too.
So, depending on where you live and/or the customs and traditions of your host, many people request shoes be removed upon entry. However, what if you are already barefoot when you arrive? Does your host make you wash or sanitize your feet before you come in since there aren’t any shoes to take off? What have you done in a situation where you show up in your bare feet?
I have a weird theory that barefooting can reduce lymphedema and promote lymphatic drainage but I don't know if this makes any since.
Is there anyone around here who's had experience with this?
I would love to incorporate this in tandem with compression garments.