Is it healther to go barefoot

So, im a new barefooter, and i was just wondering if anyone knew if going barefoot is more healthy. Cuz i was thinking, you do let your feet "breathe" more, however they got alot dirtier. its not like i care that much, i was jw

 

The Society for Barefoot Living has a nice collection of medical articles regarding this.

As far as subjective experience goes, as a long-time barefooter I can state categorically that barefoot living is much better for your overall musculoskeletal system, as your gait is critical and a barefoot gait is much more natural and therefore healthier. Also, the improved circulation barefooters enjoy in their feet and lower legs certainly can't hurt.

There are other, harder to quantify benefits as well , such as better self-esteem, a wider range of sensory experience , and a reduced chance of injury due to simply being conscious of where we place our feet.

In general, dirty feet are easy to remedy with a scrub brush and some soap. It should be kept in mind, however, that in some unnatural environments, such as steel foundries or commercial farms, foot protection might not be such a bad idea. Furthermore, I’m of the firm belief that certain types of dirt, i.e., material from city streets, is best removed in a timely fashion.

 

wow! that site is great thanks for the link man

 

I second the above;- i've been barefoot hiking for years in all but the worst weather, and my feet look good and feel great all the time.

 

Once again, I can do no more than echo your thoughts and agree strongly with them. The "wider range of sensory experience" is one that is not explored enough. And I know that all my friends and relations who don't barefoot like I do, totally miss (out on) this. The pleasure of that feeling amazes me; it is exquisite pleasure, even as one's soles toughen up. Absolutely wonderful and amazing. I wish I'd been more insistent on this in my youth, even though I was into the bare back then as well. I barefooted, but not the way I do now.

 

I read about missionaries going to Africa and during long sermons the evangelists would have to sit down while the natives, having perfect posture from going barefoot all the time, would prefer to keep standing and felt comfortable doing so for long periods. This would disturb the missionaries because it proved that their way of life led to better physical health.

In addition to maintaining good posture and gait, going barefoot as a way of life leads to improved development of foot, ankle, and calf muscles, prevents back pain later in life, improves circulation, enhances endocrine response, is pleasant and comfortable (after conditioning), and totally eliminates common foot problems such as athlete's foot, plantar wart, foot odor, bunions, ingrown nails, flat feet, cramped toes, plantar fascitis, etc. which are all ailments caused by wearing shoes.

 

I would modify this statement to "If adopted early in life can prevent ingrown nails", as after 14 years of full-time barefooting, it's still necessary for me to keep constant vigilance and maintenance (i.e., agressive deep trimming) to prevent this particular issue.

 

barefooting eradicated my blood circulation probs and my right calf (injured since birth) grew stronger in 3 years of barefooting than after 9 years of hard gym running and boxing. my vertebral column welcomed the disappearance of heavy boots , which may actually be one of the causes of discal hernia which left me bent in two for months years ago, with reduced back pains (now theyre quite rare). I stopped buying foot powder and stuff. No more fungi, cuts between the toes etc. In change now I have to deal with heel cracks and some rare thorn hard enough to pass thru my soles but I believe it's all worth the change.