Barefoot hiking
Photo from Barefoot Hiker’s Journal.
The other day I stumbled upon the Barefoot Hikers Journal blog and I found it interesting to say the least. Apparently the author met a barefoot Appalachian Trail through-hiker back in the early 1990s and recently decided to give barefoot hiking a try. On his blog the barefoot hiker talks about the hikes he takes, mostly sticking to the trails near his home (which, as far as I can tell, is in the southeast).
The whole idea of barefoot hiking is pretty new to me but I can certainly see some of the merits. First, by hiking barefoot the hiker is better able to physically connect with nature, feeling every root, rock, and blade of grass beneath his or her feet. Who doesn’t enjoy taking their shoes off and walking on the beach or on a nice green summer lawn? Of course everything a barefoot hiker will encounter on the trail isn’t quite so pleasant so I guess you have to take the good with the bad.
In the running world I’ve heard from some who swear humans weren’t designed to wear shoes and that by running (or hiking) barefoot we’re actually taking better care of our feet somehow. I personally don’t buy this argument but it is true that running or hiking barefoot will change the way you move which can (positively) affect things like posture, gait, etc.
Finally, hiking barefoot might just be better for the natural environment. Instead of tromping down the trail with stiff, knobby hiking boots, barefoot hiking is much lower impact on the trails and minimizes erosion. Barefoot hikers are also leaving a smaller carbon footprint (no pun intended) by avoiding hiking boots that have been manufactured and shipped halfway around the world.
Sure, barefoot hiking may not be for everyone but it’s an interesting thing to consider the next time you’re out on the trail. Just don’t forget to bring a pair of boot in case it snows!
Related posts:
- Hiking is a healthy hobby
- Hiking every trail in the White Mountains
- Glamorous hiking in luxury
- Use hiking to stay in shape in 2009
- Hiking trail maps posted
Tags: barefoot
January 17th, 2009 at 7:04 am
As an avid barefoot hiker and co-founder of the Barefoot Hikers of Minnesota, I can personally attest to the many merits and benefits of barefoot hiking mentioned here. Far from being some sort of “extreme” sport, barefoot hiking is an activity that can be enjoyed by just about anyone. Free from the isolation of shoes or boots, our bare soles add a whole new dimension to the hiking experience. We not only see and hear nature around us, we actually feel it too. To any skeptics, before you dismiss barefoot hiking out of hand, do this first: find a pleasant trail, take off your shoes, and start walking. You just might discover what many of us have found – barefoot is hiking is fun, it’s healthy, and it feels great! For more information check out the Barefoot Hikers of Minnesota web site at http://www.geocities.com/bfhikersmn .
February 27th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
About the health thing: since I’ve started walking and hiking barefoot, my hips have stopped hurting and the strong, painful TWINGE that I sometimes feel on the bottom of my foot has not happened once. I also have not cut or scraped my feet, because the skin is just not that delicate, even on someone who wears shoes all the time. It actually seems like it would be very fairly difficult to hurt them, though I was apprehensive at first because I had not tested the limits, so I understand how people might not realize. After all, dogs go barefoot all the time, everywhere we do, right? Turns out, shoes aren’t really that necessary.
January 16th, 2010 at 7:02 am
I am a barefoot runner and walker. It’s been a cold December/January here in Nashville, so I have taken to wearing my Soft Star Moccasins (www.softstarshoes.com), and they are a wonderful, totally flexible way to stay warm in the winter and still have the barefoot feel: no raised heel, no stiff sole, no padding, just a single piece of sheepskin between your feet and the ground. I plan to buy a pair of their sandals for spring and summer—I can carry them with me to slip on whenever I have to have something on my feet. I tend to go barefoot at all times now, when possible.
August 18th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
I too have been a barefoot hiker and jogger for years. I LOVE it. I also ran across the Barefoot Hikers Journal blog and just love it. I started going barefoot years ago when I lived in the Australian rainforest. Now in New Mexico, grew up in Maine. And I just LOVE to jog up a mountain or hike along a trail barefoot. It’s pretty rocky here, sharp angular rock on the trails, so if my feet get tired or for winter I carry a very thin sole-less moccasin.
And yes, hiking boots, and heaven forbid, metal spiked walking sticks both tear up trails and cause erosion. Also, I’ve recently read that some olympic and other competitive runners are training barefoot: less injuries, more muscle, balance and speed. I stopped spraining my ankles once I went barefoot, and my feet are much healthier, stronger and I feel I am taking better care of my feet by going barefoot. Going barefoot also stimulates all the acupressure points on the bottom of are feet (and there are a LOT of them there) that correspond to all the organs in our bodies. When we put shoes on our feet, these points are no longer stimulated, so hence the organs are less stimulated. It’s all connected. Earth, foot, points, organs and so on.