how get more black

I walked in my dried up pond yesterday,deep mud.

 

I can appreciate this. I've come to enjoy strong soles and the utility they provide. I've graduated to barefooting on snow, and I think it's a wonderful thing to be able to do so. And of course, once -5 Celsius (23 Fah) becomes comfortable to you, anything above that is a cakewalk. I was mostly barefoot this whole summer and didn't really feel anything adverse.

 

Building strong soles is certainly ideal for maximum enjoyment and foundational to barefooting on all types of terrain. I'm not quite there yet with the snow.. I did a few brief jaunts in the snow here and there last winter, but the shock of the cold would create a deep ache in my arches.. as the skin there is not tough like the soles. Do you do aerobic exercise indoors to increase blood flow to your feet before heading out into the snow barefoot to tolerate it?

Walking on ice didn't go so well either. It cut the side of my sole like butter and was a pretty bloody mess.

 

Ice sucks. I never got cut but it hurt a bit breaking through frost heaves late in the winter while hiking on thawing ski trails. The ground off trail was good.

 

Yeah, it does. Ice is tricky. Breaking through ice heaves barefoot sounds painful.

I'd once read that bare feet have better traction on ice than do the rubber soles of shoes and boots. I don't notice any difference. It's slippery either way.

 

I have walked out and slipped on dry wood with dry feet.

 

If you find a freshly sealed parking lot, take a walk. Instant black!

 

I second this! The sealant is found on many streets too and turns the feet jet black just from crossing through. It's also quite effective when it's warm, sticky and gooey from baking under the hot sun all day long.

 

No. I pretty much just jump in, when I go outside. No need for aerobics for the most part anyway, I'm already full time barefoot inside the house, every day, so my foot muscles get the workout they need. I believe that just about covers the aerobics part. What's important to remember is to dress warmly. It's still winter. You don't want your body heat escaping trough your lack of insulation. So insulate, that way your body has warm blood to share for your feet too. And remember, the laws of physics aren't exactly on your side here. The colder it gets, the less time you'll have. Once it gets past the point of water freezing, you'll be measuring your time outside in minutes, before the bitter cold drains your body heat anyway, and your tissues begin to freeze. That's when you'll begin to develop frost bites, which is not good at all.

So listen to your feet. When the pain tells you that they don't want it anymore, you listen. And then you retreat to the safety of your heated home. Always have a way out. Always keep your house keys with you. If you went too far, and your feet begin to go numb, fill a bucket with warm (but not hot) water and stick your feet in, and stay rest of the day inside. Preferably have access to an emergency pair of boots, just in case. Rubber is a good material, it insulates really well. This is a risk-vs-reward thing for me. I'll back down, if the risks get too high. When the temps get below the freezing point of water, I'll limit myself to no more than 5-10 minutes outside, depending on conditions. Below -10 C (14 Fah) and I'll stop doing it, because then the pain and numbness begin to hit too fast.

But having said all that, it's a unique experience to winter barefoot, and that's why I keep doing it. You just have to know when to stop too.

Definitely NOT true, lol. Your soles are smooth like a baby's butt, there's no friction to speak of. It's like driving on an icy road with slick tires. You'll be all over the place, if you're not careful. And yes, ice can and will cut you, if it's the type to have those jaggedy edges pointing out from melting and freezing and then melting and freezing again. Nasty, I prefer to avoid it.

Also, any snow and ice that's been melted with road salt is super cooled, and will drain your body heat really fast, not to mention, the salt is corrosive and might peel your skin. Avoid stepping on it.

 

Went to an airshow at MCAS Miramar in San Diego. The flightline is concrete but my feet still got pretty black after several hours of walking around. Tens of thousands of people and the only other barefoot person I saw was a young girl around 10 or 12 walking with her (shod) mom. Good for her and her mom for letting her, i thought.

 

Cool. Thank you for sharing these important and helpful tips, M_Ranko. All sound advice. The shorter amount of time for safely being able to stay outside barefoot is the frustrating part, since I enjoy spending hours at a time outdoors. Other than very brief moments, it seems nearly impossible for a nature-lover to get through the winter totally barefoot in a frigid northern climate.

Good to know regarding ice. It was indeed a melted and re-freezed jagged ice edge that cut my foot last winter. Thanks for the warning about road salt too. Pretty nasty stuff!

 

My pleasure.

 

I love it when I find used coal from a bbq on the ground, a quick rub of my soles in the coal and ash sure makes then black.

 

My feet look like porcelain even more so with the nail polish I have on,candy apple red with flakes. Winter kind of sucks.

 

Cool nail polish. Winter sucks for sure. My feet are looking like porcelain too from this cold weather. (despite being well-tanned and weathered from the summertime)

 

Yeah,my tan when away fast this fall.

 

Yep, hard to keep our feet tan, black or any other color but white at this time of the year.

 

I know how you barefoot land surfer and Nudegardner feel my feet are doing the same thing. And it’s been cold here 16 degrees in the morning and upper 30’s mid day

 

Thanks Barefoot Rick. It is encouraging to know your feet are doing the same thing. (with this being my first autumn living barefoot and all) Unfortunately, at the start of the frigid cold spell that hit here last week and put us at real-feel temperature of 12 degrees F for many days, the thickened skin on my right big toe developed a very painful, deep crack that bled during my walks. I tried a simple bandaid on it, but no cigar. So regrettably, I caved and ruined my consecutive barefoot days streak by donning flimsy FitKicks & wool socks to protect it from the drying wind gusts and harsh weather. Guess I had to learn the hard way that applying a moisturizer is necessary in the cold months!

 

Yes it is barefoot land surfer I put moisturizer on my bare feet once a week and that takes care of mine