I walk around in socks when I’m at home, so not quite barefoot, but almost. The idea of barefoot shoes is to get the human body, and especially the lower half to get back in touch with walking barefoot.
Yesterday I went for an 8.55km walk in barefoot shoes. I didn’t regret it. I took some spare shoes with me in case I found myself in such agony that I felt the need to switch. The truth is that I didn’t. When I walked the same route with crocs, and again with wellington boots I felt pain quite fast, and I just wanted to get home. With the barefoot shoes I didn’t. The Shoes I have: Merrel Vapor Glove 6.
A Reminder of Diving Shoes
If you go scuba diving you will be familiar with the “barefoot” sensation because diving shoes and boots have thin soles designed to protect your feet from pebbles, rocks and more. Barefoot shoes are similar. They’re thin and flexible. You can roll them up into two little balls and have them with you when rollerblading or doing other sports. They can be worn with, or without socks.
The reason for which I did not try walking with diving shoes is that they are made from neoprene and I felt worried that I would get blisters or friction burns. That’s why I chose these shoes, rather than the cheaper alternatives.
Heel Impacts
The first thing that I noticed is that walking barefoot feels normal, at least in the appartment, because I do, all the time. The moment walking with barefoot shoes feels different is when you are walking with big strikes and you feel the heel hit the ground with each step. At this point you will feel that if you don’t change your ground strikes you will get heel damage fast. It requires you to think about walking. Ever hear that clomp, clomp, sound when children or adults walk without thinking of cushioning their footsteps when not wearing shoes? That’s the problem when walking outdoors. We need to re-learn to walk barefoot, without clomping with our heels.
No Residual Pain The Next Day
I considered writing this post last night but didn’t. I wanted to see whether I had any knee, heel or other pains. I don’t. I feel fine so I’m tempted to go for another barefoot walk but I am not sure that’s wise, as it makes sense to give my body time to adapt. They say to do half an hour. I did one and a half hours as a first try. That’s a full immersion. I am not regretting it now.
Without Socks
I always wear socks, except for when I am in a wet suit. I even wear socks in my dry suit. Wearing socks in a dry suit is normal, as you wear a dry suit for cold water diving. I feel that the base of my foot got a friction burn but I think that’s related to the previous day’s running, rather than the shoes.
With the rain we have had recently plants have thrived and grass has grown. As a result of the plant growth I had to walk through taller grass at moments. I don’t feel comfortable with this. I’m worried of creepy crawlies or snakes biting me. This is due to feeling exposed without socks, and wearing much thinner shoes than usual.
Pebbles, Dirt Paths and Tarmac
I walked on tarmac for the most part. The shoes feel comfortable, aside from the heel strike that I need to concentrate on avoiding. This behaviour modification will be easy to implement, especially now that I have read that it requires active avoidance, at least initially. I tried walking along a dirt path and I felt comfortable. I didn’t feel the pebbles and stones too much. They’re comfortable on dirt paths. The final surface test was to walk on pebbles. Near one church they have a nice testing bed of stones so I walked there and felt fine. No pain from small stones and pebbles. I only retracted my foot in anticipation of pain once with these shoes. They are fine for the terrain I walk on ever day.
Spare Shoes
If I’m cycling or rollerblading these shoes would be great because they allow me to go for a bike ride, and when I get to destination, and if I then go for a walk with people, then I can swap from cycling shoes to normal shoes. The same is true of rollerblading. Rollerblading is great to get around faster than on foot, but sometimes you encounter a steep hill that you need to get down, or you want to go into a shop, but can’t, due to the roller blades. With these spare shoes in your pockets you can swap one for the other.
Fitness and Adaptibility
Fitness is meant to play a role in how fast you adapt to barefoot walking. I hope that I’m fit enough, and used to walking barefoot around home enough to find adapting to barefoot shoes simple and pleasant. I don’t plan to see or feel any health benefits. I am experimenting with this out of intellectual curiousity. In the last 12 months I have walked four million six hundred steps. With such a solid base I think I will be okay.
And Finally
Originally I was tempted to get new running shoes that cost twice as much but eventually not only did I forget about the running shoes, but I also considered that I want to try such expensive shoes in person, before spending such money. Buying shoes is hard because they feel fine in the shop, but after seven kilometres of walking at full speed you start to regret plenty of shoe purchases. That’s why I have two or three pairs of shoes in active use now, on contrast to the old single pair of shoes.
I have hiking boots, for proper hiking, hiking shoes, for my daily walks in rainy conditions, and when I want more protection, running shoes that I also use for hiking and that I plan to use daily now, a second pair of running shoes, that I haven’t used frequently because they’re good for dry weather, i.e. summer. The fourth pair are years old and will be retired. I then have a pair of cycling, and a pair of climbing shoes, along with a pair of crocs. Now I have the barefoot shoes too.
At the moment my walking shoes last for six months, if I’m lucky but they usually wear out sooner. I usually replace them when I start to feel that the base is getting so thin that I feel stones almost breaking through the sole. I will log how far I walk before I feel the need to replace them.
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