S/O sandal/flip-flop thread: has anyone started going barefoot more?

[Nestof3]

I am one of those people that cannot stand being barefoot. I am currently having foot problems (2nd metatarsal pain), though, so I've been reading about going barefoot more.

 

I will never be an outdoor barefoot person, but I spend about all of my waking hours in shoes (slip-ons). So, I took them off tonight and started walking around the house. :tongue_smilie:

[LibraryLover]

I love the feel of grass on my feet, but it seems everytime I do that, there is a little bee waiting for me in the clover. I asked my oldest to weed whack all around my garden beds today as they are clover and bee heaven. The sting doesn't even bother me as much at the terrible itching for days afterwards. Note to bees: I have planted bee -loving flowers in all the beds; get the heck out of the clover!

[Nestof3]

So, I assume you've been a barefoot person for some time now. Do you find it helps prevent foot problems? Do you have foot problems?

 

I love the feel of grass on my feet, but it seems everytime I do that, there is a little bee waiting for me in the clover. I asked my oldest to weed whack all around my garden beds today as they are clover and bee heaven. The sting doesn't even bother me as much at the terrible itching for days afterwards. Note to bees: I have planted bee -loving flowers in all the beds; get the heck out of the clover!

[Amber in AUS]

I hated shoes as a kid and was always barefoot. As an adult i tend to go barefoot or just socks when i am home, even in the yard and only put shoes on to go out. Unless ofcourse my feet are so cold i just have to put shoes on to warm up. I tend to also choose shoes which are not confining and still feel free like being barefoot, Birks and Crocs are my favs.

[Peela]

Good on you!

Many people have "deformed" feet because of wearing shoes all the time. My step dd has amazingly squished and deformed feet from wearing tight shoes all her teens (for fashion).

At the other extreme, many of us in Australia have wide feet from wearing no shoes much of our childhood. Maybe the more recent generation wear shoes more, but I encourage my kids to wear no shoes and to wear comfortable, good fitting shoes when they do wear shoes.

I am obsessive about wearing comfortable shoes, no matter how they look, compared to fashionable ones. I don't own any heels at all. Feet are important! I don't wear bare feet as much as I used to...we have prickles on our lawn, not to mention doggy doo, and my feet skin has become soft (as a kid and teen I woudl bushwalk with bare feet and they became very tough!). But in summer, around the house, sure. Shoes should be the next best thing though and let your foot spread and relax. I need arch support too. I bought myself a pair of Earth Shoes last summer and that was all I wore all summer,and now I have some birk clogs for winter here.

[LibraryLover]

I was barefoot person. But then I had kids and dogs and feeling the crunch of that under my feet makes me think about how often we dont wash the floors (we have wood floors). ;) I've also stepped on far too many Playmobil pieces. (Ouch). I have crocs & muck boots for outdoor work. I really have been stung numerous times on my feet. So the ugly crocs do help. I take them off when I feel safe. I love the feel of sand. I love summer.

 

I don't have any (knock wood) foot problems at all. But that is probably from a lifetime of (mostly) boring shoes.

 

 

 

So, I assume you've been a barefoot person for some time now. Do you find it helps prevent foot problems? Do you have foot problems?

[Stacia]

 

Where I learned about these shoes -- an article about barefoot running.

[Amber in AUS]

You are right there Peela. When you are wearing shoes they need to be good shoes. I am so fussy what shoes i put on my kids feet people think i am crazy but it is so important! My Grandmother has deformed feet from poorly fitting shoes as a child. I even educated my DH on shoes and fit when i met him.

[AngieW in Texas]

I actually have had to switch to wearing shoes all the time. I used to go barefoot all the time. When I developed plantar fascitis, I had to switch to wearing shoes all the time. I also found out that I have pronation (my feet roll inward). I have custom orthotics in my shoes to hold my feet in the correct position. I also had to go through physical therapy to learn how to sit, stand, and walk correctly. I'd been doing it wrong my whole life because of my pronation problem.

 

My youngest has a severe pronation problem. She would prefer to be barefoot all the time, but she has to wear custom orthotics. Her orthotics are pretty hefty. Her feet roll inward so badly that her ankles are not over her heels at all. If you look at the picture I linked below, both of her feet roll in as badly as you can see in the picture.

http://londonmarathon-runninginjuryclinics.co.uk/news/orthotic-foot-insoles-for-london-marathon-runners/

[cjbeach]

I'm always barefoot or in (wedge) flip-flops (too many fire ant bites to go outside with barefooted anymore...)

No probs other than some nasty callouses.

[Ellie]

Alas, I am a barefoot girl, but I must wear shoes all.the.time now because of my plantar fasciitis. Expensive shoes. :tongue_smilie: I'm hoping my poor feet will eventually heal enough that I can be barefooted in the house again. ::heavy sigh::

[Rosie_0801]

I barely wore shoes at home until I had toddlers. Now I never know what I might be standing on. Something that will either hurt or squish :ack2: It is funny how shoe wearing is such a cultural thing. We always wandered about without shoes, even up the gravel drive way, as kids. My dad went to visit rellies in Poland and did the same and everyone's eyes bulged. This was something to comment on, apparently. Anyhow, it must have been a liberating thought, because the next thing Dad knew, his cousin was walking around barefoot too and the chap was still doing that when I visited 15 years later.

 

:)

Rosie

[Parrothead]

I never wear shoes in the house. I will put on socks in the winter.

[Laura Corin]

I wear slippers in winter, but go barefoot in the house in summer. We all take our shoes off at the door.

 

Laura

[IsabelC]

I am always barefoot at home (with socks if it's cold) and mostly shod when out and about (using the term shod loosely to include thongs [AKA flip-flops] and gumboots [AKA heck I have no idea what you call those sorry]). However, the kids often go out barefoot. This site http://www.unshod.org/pfbc/ has some good info about it. Oh and none of us wears anything pointed, high heeled or otherwise not sufficiently comfortable to walk a few miles.

 

Isn't it interesting how different people are, though? I just can't imagine wearing shoes in my own house! I'd no more walk around inside in shoes than I would in skis!

Edited June 7, 2010 by Hotdrink

[kiana]

I'm barefoot whenever I can get away with it.

[jplain]

If you have PF, you might want to investigate a fore- or mid-foot strike, along with the usual stretches of course. Some people find that walking barefoot while avoiding heel strikes is the key to eliminating PF.

 

In a nutshell, our heels were probably not meant to take the constant high impact we give them. If you deliberately land on the ball or mid-part of your foot, it'll feel awkward at first, and you may have some muscle soreness as your leg muscles adjust the the new demands of a fore-/mid-foot strike. But over time you may find that it reduces or eliminates pain felt in the feet, knees, hips, and/or back. The book Born to Run gives more info on using a fore-/mid-foot strike in running, where it may help to prevent injury.

 

I'm a barefoot walker at home, and I prefer Crocs when I'm out (Mary Janes in summer, fleece-linked in winter). I use a mid-foot strike, which I began practicing when I developed mild PF.

 

I'd love to get a pair of Vibrams, but I haven't gotten the fit quite right yet. (For some reason they rub the skin over my right Achilles tendon.)

[Carrie12345]

I've always been a barefoot gal. I've actually gotten in my car to drive somewhere and almost left without shoes. Repeatedly. My least favorite thing about winter is footwear.

 

My youngest didn't even *own* any footwear beyond socks until we were on our way to a party and realized we didn't know what our friends' yard was like. He had just turned 2 and had been walking for almost a year. We had to make a quick stop at Target.

 

It drives my grandmother nuts! :tongue_smilie:

[creekland]

Alas, I am a barefoot girl, but I must wear shoes all.the.time now because of my plantar fasciitis.

 

I read an article recently that talked about how the recent increase in plantar fasciitis is believed to be due to all the barefoot and flip flop fads out there (esp the latter). The article said the best footwear was a good fitting sneaker. I read the article in school in an Anatomy class, so I'm not certain exactly where it came from, but it definitely made me realize how much fads are not worth following.

 

We wear sneakers - though good fitting (supporting) sandals are an option in the summer. It's rare that any of us are barefoot unless we're on the beach. Flip flops are for the beach or heading to the bathhouse when we're camping.

[delaney]

I like it only on grass but since I live in an area where people tend to chew tobacco I don't go barefoot anymore:glare:. Grossest habit in the WORLD!!!

Socks in the house for me.

[IsabelC]

This research http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v463/n7280/full/nature08723.html

seems to be suggesting going barefoot as a way to prevent plantar fasciitis. Also have you read the Steven E Robbins ones? His theory seems to be that people who go barefoot tend to have a lower impact style of walking/running, and shoes are actually the cause of he excessive load on the back of the foot.

Edited June 7, 2010 by Hotdrink

[jplain]

I read an article recently that talked about how the recent increase in plantar fasciitis is believed to be due to all the barefoot and flip flop fads out there (esp the latter). The article said the best footwear was a good fitting sneaker. I read the article in school in an Anatomy class, so I'm not certain exactly where it came from, but it definitely made me realize how much fads are not worth following.

But the original fad is wearing shoes in the first place, along with using heel strikes. ;)

[Nestof3]

I've always tried wearing good shoes -- at least they seemed good. I don't own heels either. I like open-backed shoes because my feet have enough of a size difference that backs rub (unless I'm wearing a flexible running shoe). I was unable to find comfortable slip-on shoes last winter -- they all had too high of a heel on them. It made my toes smoosh at the front. My Columbia sandals always felt really good, but I guess I need to try something else.

 

Good on you!

Many people have "deformed" feet because of wearing shoes all the time. My step dd has amazingly squished and deformed feet from wearing tight shoes all her teens (for fashion).

At the other extreme, many of us in Australia have wide feet from wearing no shoes much of our childhood. Maybe the more recent generation wear shoes more, but I encourage my kids to wear no shoes and to wear comfortable, good fitting shoes when they do wear shoes.

I am obsessive about wearing comfortable shoes, no matter how they look, compared to fashionable ones. I don't own any heels at all. Feet are important! I don't wear bare feet as much as I used to...we have prickles on our lawn, not to mention doggy doo, and my feet skin has become soft (as a kid and teen I woudl bushwalk with bare feet and they became very tough!). But in summer, around the house, sure. Shoes should be the next best thing though and let your foot spread and relax. I need arch support too. I bought myself a pair of Earth Shoes last summer and that was all I wore all summer,and now I have some birk clogs for winter here.

[Nestof3]

I mean around the house too. I honestly spend more time indoors that out of doors between homeschooling, cooking and cleaning. Do you go barefoot inside?

 

Can't here---red ants everywhere. Otherwise I would be barefoot a lot.

[Nestof3]

Here's another article:

 

http://nymag.com/health/features/46213/

[Nestof3]

Yeah, we already had a long, drawn-out debate over this one a while back. Some of us don't like stepping on unexpected things -- water drips on the floor, crumbs etc. I sweep twice a day and vacuum once a day, and I still hate the feeling of random things on my feet.

 

Isn't it interesting how different people are, though? I just can't imagine wearing shoes in my own house! I'd no more walk around inside in shoes than I would in skis!

[ereks mom]

I actually have had to switch to wearing shoes all the time. I used to go barefoot all the time. When I developed plantar fascitis, I had to switch to wearing shoes all the time.

 

Me too. :( I slip on my shoes as soon as I get out of bed each day. I have some cheapo slide-on sandals that I bought for $5 at Walmart a couple of years ago--I think they are knock-off Crocs, and like Crocs, they are molded to fit the foot. I wear them around the house all day during the summer. When I go outside, I wear walking shoes. My only regret is that I bought only one pair, and Walmart doesn't have them anymore. During the winter, I wear Birkenstock knock-offs or walking shoes.

[Nestof3]

My mother insisted that the boys wouldn't learn to walk properly or have healthy feet if they didn't start out walking in shoes. She bought them their first pair of shoes at Strideright and was aghast that I didn't make them wear them every time they walked.

 

But the original fad is wearing shoes in the first place, along with using heel strikes. ;)

[Wheres Toto]

I'm always barefoot or in just socks/slippers in my house. My kids also take off their shoes the minute they are home.

 

I do go barefoot outside as well but our driveway is gravel and is very hard to walk on barefoot so unless I'm just staying in the yard I wear sneakers, Uggs or slides outside.

 

I have no foot problems except possibly the ugliest feet and toes ever. The bottom of my feet is extremely rough and hard.

[TKDmom]

I have always been a bare feet kind of person. But I have fallen arches and going barefoot all the time is starting to do damage to some of my other joints. So I am trying to get in the habit of wearing my shoes (with orthotics for arch support) when I know I will be on my feet. It's so hard though! I find myself kicking of my shoes every time I sit down. Then I remember that I am supposed to be wearing those shoes... :tongue_smilie:

[MaMa2005]

We take our shoes off at the door. Like so many others, I just cannot go barefoot plus I hate dirty feet. I wear Birkis all the time and have one pair just for inside the house. Rarely do my feet hurt and it helps my back to stay in the Birkis.

[Daisy]

LOL. Bare feet people here, too. We hate shoes. I throw on flip-flops when I go out and that is it.

 

Feet problems. I have some arch issues but that is due to being overweight and not bad shoes.

[Ellie]

I read an article recently that talked about how the recent increase in plantar fasciitis is believed to be due to all the barefoot and flip flop fads out there (esp the latter). The article said the best footwear was a good fitting sneaker. I read the article in school in an Anatomy class, so I'm not certain exactly where it came from, but it definitely made me realize how much fads are not worth following.

I never wear flip-flops. Ever. I go barefooted in the house, but when I leave, I wear good-fitting shoes (but not tennies, unless I'm going hiking or or walking around Disneyland all day or something).

 

Also, Mr. Ellie was born with feet severely turned in. When he was little he had to sleep with special shoes that had a bar between them to help turn his feet *out*, bless his heart. His podiatrist prescribed orthotics to be worn in his shoes, but he also said for Mr. Ellie to go barefooted as much as possible, and when Mr. Ellie was old enough, he took roller skating lessons, 'cuz you cannot be pigeon-toed and roller skate! Today Mr. Ellie's feet are perfectly straight...and I'm the one with the foot problems!

Edited June 7, 2010 by Ellie

[IsabelC]

I sweep twice a day and vacuum once a day, and I still hate the feeling of random things on my feet.

I hate that too (although not enough to wear footware inside lol). My worst experiences have been Lego (several times) and a scorpion (once). Not fun. It's truly amazing what a few kids can do to a floor: we also sweep and vacuum often but if you came to visit you'd probably swear that I don't clean up more than once a month (and you'd lace your shoes up firmly!!)

[iquilt]

We remove our shoes at the door. Barefoot inside in summer, comfy slippers or socks in winter. We try to maintain good shoes for when we go out, sturdy sandals or good sneakers but we do have flip flops in the mix.

[Mom in High Heels]

I go barefoot (or usually slip on some socks) in the house, but only because we live on the 3rd floor of our apartment building and we have hardwood floors. If I wore my heels inside I think my downstairs neighbors would go crazy. I never, ever go barefoot outside. YUCK!

[Ravin]

I've got some issues with my feet such that most shoes make it hurt to walk. I actually taught myself to walk without pain--barefoot. If I'm going to wear rigid shoes (such as work boots) for an extended period, I need orthotics I can't afford. So, I wear very cheap sandals that are very flexible, or aqua socks (I put gel insoles in the latter for work--my foot can still move like barefoot, but I have some cushion to spare my back from the hard floors). I used to wear ghillies from Nativearth shoes, which had recycled conveyor belt soles, but I can't afford another pair. When I was pregnant I went barefoot most of the time even when the pavement was quite hot--I'd slip on sandals only when I absolutely had to.

 

I encourage DD to go barefoot as much as possible, too, and have always bought her very flexible shoes (preschoolians or, more recently, cheap canvas sneakers). Rigid (even regular sneakers are fairly rigid side to side, if not front to back) shoes are bad for normal foot development.

 

www.barefooters.org is a cool website.

[Rhonda in TX]

I typically only wear shoes if I'm going somewhere. I find, though, that if I'm spending a lot of time standing up (especially on my kitchen tile floor) my feet really start to hurt. Putting on shoes helps with that.

[LizzyBee]

We have a shoe rack in the front hall because we kick off our shoes the minute we come in. I even take my shoes off at work when I'm in my office. One time I wasn't thinking and walked through the reception area without my shoes, but thankfully it was winter and I had socks on! :D

[BikeBookBread]

Barefoot for the sake of the carpet while at home (unless it is too cold)... but I've noticed that my heels are cracking like CRAZY since I started this. Perhaps I should wear socks while barefoot?

[Guest Katia]

Barefoot here as well. No shoes on at all inside the house, just socks in the winter.

 

Outside in my own yard, I like bare feet. To go somewhere in the summer, I throw flip-flops in the car to wear when I get there (yes, I even drive bare-foot). For out-of-the-house excursions in the winter, I have good fitting tennis shoes for every-day, and slip-on black Dr. Scholl's for 'dress'.

 

No heels. Ever.

 

Same with my kids. We raised them bare-foot. None have foot problems. (they are young adults) I'm 50 and have no foot problems.....I have injured my ankles in an accident, but that had nothing to do with foot-wear or lack there of.

 

My dh was raised to wear shoes all the time, as does his mother. Dh has a lot of foot problems, especially with standing for long periods of time on hard surfaces. It hurts his back. Also PF. He doesn't believe me that wearing shoes all the time is the issue.......but he's the one with the foot problems; not me!

[nono]

Do you go barefoot inside?

 

Yes. We're keeping to the Chinese tradition of shedding our shoes at the door.

[fairfarmhand]

I have a knee injury that is aggravated by bare feet, so if I'm going to be on my feet even inside for a good part ofthe day I wear my tennis shoes. Outside, the kids are barefoot more often than not. But we are country folk. They even step in cow pies barefoot and it really doesn't phase them. That just means they get to play in the hose.

 

I do make sure they wear good shoes when they leave the yard though.

[Ellie]

Barefoot for the sake of the carpet while at home (unless it is too cold)... but I've noticed that my heels are cracking like CRAZY since I started this. Perhaps I should wear socks while barefoot?

When I'm not dealing with plantar fasciitis, I have little sockies that I wear in the house, 'cuz I don't like the cracked heels, either.:glare:

[Mommy22alyns]

I go barefoot in the house all the time. Outside, never! If you saw our lawn, you wouldn't either. :glare:

[joannqn]

I started kicking off my shoes all the time when my feet started to hurt from a Morton's Neuroma 12 years ago. Barefoot was pain free where shoes caused so much pain I couldn't walk. Fast-forward many years and I finally got surgery for the Morton's Neuroma but I still prefer barefoot, flip flops, and sandals. When I'm going to be walking, I wear New Balance and look for the styles that say SL-2 inside them. SL-2 refers to their mold that has a normal width heel but wide toe box. It allows the foot to spread.