Benefits Of Barefoot Walking

Barefoot walking is a craze that got started by runners who wanted an edge in their speed. The craze picked up with the idea that it was beneficial to health and running form. With ideas like: correcting posture and gait, to promoting balance and inner peace, people have become confused at what is fact and what is fad. While there may be strong claims that say walking barefoot is beneficial to health, the fact remains that people have been wearing shoes for hundreds of years. Over the years, shoes have amassed in different variety to cater to peoples’ needs: fashion, sports, leisure, comfort, posture, and correction. We wear shoes for protection, comfort, stability, support, and sometimes to correct alignment and posture. When that protection …show more content…
When we wear shoes, the padding and soles of the shoes provide the protection and cushion to absorb all the shock that would be otherwise absorbed by the body. If you examine the bottom of your shoes, you will find they are hard and made of rubber. When you walk barefoot, your feet are literally bare. Compare the skin on the bottom of your feet to your shoes, you will see that they are soft instead of hard. Now imagine walking barefoot on the ground, since your feet are not covered, they will sense and feel many things that you can’t when wearing shoes. And because your feet are not protected by shoes, there will be friction between them and the ground with every step. This is how blisters are caused, by the repetition of steps and continued friction. Although it is a minor injury that a bandage can fix, you will have to suffer blisters every time until calluses are formed. And even then, there are still people reporting that they continue to get blisters. So if friction causes blisters, then stepping on sharp objects can cause punctures. With shoes, your feet are protected from debris on the ground. At any time, there could be broken glass, nails, rocks, and other debris that if stepped on, could really hurt someone barefoot. Like blisters, this is a topical injury that can be fixed with a bandage and a healing time of about a week. Unlike blisters, to prevent further puncture wounds, that person needs to either learn to be more aware of their footing, or they need to wear shoes so they are