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Assuming you actually meant to write None of us do here's a piece of advice: stop with the sweeping assumptions/prognostications OP. So, walking barefoot makes you feel better? Great. You live in FL. The vast majority of people don't. Many of them are happy too. This planet is a big place and humans have colonized much of it even though a naked human's environmental temperature tolerance is quite narrow. They wouldn't have survived in many regions of the world if they dismissed the local environment. Tell me how successful colonization of cold regions would have been if they didn't devise protective coverings for feet, body, head, or hands. Bet you can't!!!!!! Frostbite and other cold injuries are realities. Pretty difficult and uncomfortable to walk if all you have left are gangrenous stumps.
As a kid, in Florida, I used to run around barefoot a LOT. On summer breaks, I was often in a bathing suit, and barefoot or flip flops.
I loved being barefoot...I did. BUT...I got ringworm once, stepped on pinecones a LOT, stepped on stickers a lot, AND fairly often I stepped on thorns from our grapefruit tree.
True. A few years ago I read about it somewhere and a friend of mine told me about this. He was a chiropractor and nutritionist, he passed away. Anyway, there is also a book (I forgot the title) about the subject. After reading about it in an article, I went out to a park here in the area 3-4 evenings/week and walk barefoot on the grass. I did this for 3 months or something like that during the summer. For 20 min/session. Very pleasant, very calming indeed. I'll do it again.
I feel the same way when I do gardening. From I remember ... the soil, grass, sand etc all have vibrations and energy. This energy has great benefits for the nervous system, chronic inflammation, other chronic illnesses, pain etc. It's healing energy. Connection with nature, the source of healing. Very interesting.
I'll get it from the library. Thanks for reminding me about this subject. When I was a child, I used to walk barefoot a lot during the summer. I spend my summers (vacations) in the mountains, or countryside or seaside.
Glad I got someone started, or re started, thread was not a waste of time and feet haters coming at me.
Does it mention at least in my opinion the importance of getting through that initial stage when feet are super-sensitive and it feels so awkward without them?
I don't remember to be honest. Maybe it mentions it.
I found this 15 min documentary on youtube about earthing. The man talking in the beginning is the author of the book. I remember watching this years ago and there is also a longer documentary about it. I watched that too.
After watching this 2-3 years ago, I got an idea. To make a pair of espadrilles. I used to wear espadrilles a lot in my teen years. (I'm from Europe) I used to make them myself, using rope and natural fabric. So...as I said, two years ago I ordered 2 pairs of soles made of ropes. I got them from an artisan (older gentleman) from Spain.
The soles are very well made. By hand. And I forgot about them, shame on me. Now I found them and I'm going to make 2 pairs of espadrilles for myself. I even have the fabric for it. All I have to do is to saw the fabric on the soles as I did when I was a teen.
Here's the way they look, the finished product, see bellow. But I don't put any rubber protection on the soles (so the rope touches the ground - instant grounding!). They don't last very long, a summer or so. That's OK, that's why I got two pairs of soles.
You have to get past the first week and put a little effort into relearning the natural ability all humans have to navigate the world barefoot. Probably a billion people in the world today go most of their lives barefoot.
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You do you. I hope your tetanus and other shots are up-to-date, and that as a diabetic you're careful about wounds and injury, because they could be debilitating.
You do you. I hope your tetanus and other shots are up-to-date, and that as a diabetic you're careful about wounds and injury, because they could be debilitating.
I have a first aid kit to get on it right away.
From what I read most problems are in people with neuropathy they get blisters from their foot rubbing inside of shoes and not feeling it. Symptoms usually develop 10-20 years after the initial diabetes diagnosis. I don't have that at all yet.
I think there is a degree if use it or lose it. Neuropathy is cased by lack of blood flow.
Walking barefoot increases the venous return (rate of blood flow back to the heart) and makes our bones and muscles stronger.
Venous return in the foot is ensured by the plantar venous pump, which propels a quantity of venous blood at each step (in push phase) to both the deep and superficial venous system https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/art...0239787.ref014
There was a famous Austrian architect/philosopher called Hundertwasser who would probably agree with the OP. He had an interesting theory about flat floors which he called an invention of the architects. He said "If modern man is forced to walk on flat asphalt and concrete floors as they were planned thoughtlessely in designers' offices, estranged from man's age-old relationship and contact to earth, a crucial part of man withers and dies. This has catastrophic consequences for the soul, the equilibrium, the well being and the health of man. Man forgets how to experience things and becomes emotionally ill.
An uneven and animated floor is the recovery of man’s mental equilibrium,of the dignity of man which has been violated in our levelling, unnatural and hostile urban grid system." His house-museum which he designed has uneven floors.
There was a famous Austrian architect/philosopher called Hundertwasser who would probably agree with the OP. He had an interesting theory about flat floors which he called an invention of the architects. He said "If modern man is forced to walk on flat asphalt and concrete floors as they were planned thoughtlessely in designers' offices, estranged from man's age-old relationship and contact to earth, a crucial part of man withers and dies. This has catastrophic consequences for the soul, the equilibrium, the well being and the health of man. Man forgets how to experience things and becomes emotionally ill.
An uneven and animated floor is the recovery of man’s mental equilibrium,of the dignity of man which has been violated in our levelling, unnatural and hostile urban grid system." His house-museum which he designed has uneven floors.
I agree with that ^^^^^
That's why is very healthy to walk on sand, especially beach sand, shore, grass, pebbles, leaves, fresh fallen snow, nature paths. Such surfaces mold to the feet. Not the best surfaces for running, though.
But OP is talking about even, hard surfaces like house hard floors and concrete/tiled street pavements. That's different. Those surfaces are not forgiving. Occasionally they are OK, but not all the times. But I guess, modern humans can adapt to that.
For indoors - any surface that provide some comfort and shock absorption is best. Surfaces like soft shag carpet, tiles with foam padding, and even cushioned hardwood flooring can offer a more comfortable surface for walking barefoot.
I am against of the modern, over cushioned shoes, with thick soles, though. The more cushioning a shoe possesses, the harder and more damaging on our joints it may be.
Comfortable shoes to me are those that properly fit and give support. Shoes that are designed for your specific foot type. Thin-soled, flexible footwear is much kinder to your muscles and joints.
Barefoot walking everywhere - sure, if you already adapted and it's good for your mental health.
Grounding or Earthing is something I've been doing for a while now, whenever possible, I go barefoot outside, feet to earth, there are valuable negative ions and minerals in the earth/dirt. When I go to the mailbox, I do not walk on the blacktop/concrete, I walk on the grass/earth instead, barefoot. I've seen the videos. Think about electricity having to be grounded, where? The earth. I'm not a crystal touting hippie, I just think it's good for me. Like the video above!
Last edited by tasmtairy; 12-14-2022 at 08:49 AM..
I'm doing the grounding every night. I got a grounding sheet and put it on my bed. I also received the book that I mentioned as a gift and also a Magazine about grounding/earthing. This is the book:
I started to do the grounding each time when I go out for a walk in the forest, near my house. I get my shoes off and sit on a bench and keep my feet (wearing cotton socks) on the soil for a few minutes, like 5 min. I like to walk early in the morning and it's cold. I don't have a garden, that's why I purchased the grounding sheet to use it at night.
If you're outside barefoot and step in some poop, I don't see how that's good for mental health.
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Assuming you actually meant to write None of us do here's a piece of advice: stop with the sweeping assumptions/prognostications OP. So, walking barefoot makes you feel better? Great. You live in FL. The vast majority of people don't. Many of them are happy too. This planet is a big place and humans have colonized much of it even though a naked human's environmental temperature tolerance is quite narrow. They wouldn't have survived in many regions of the world if they dismissed the local environment. Tell me how successful colonization of cold regions would have been if they didn't devise protective coverings for feet, body, head, or hands. Bet you can't!!!!!! Frostbite and other cold injuries are realities. Pretty difficult and uncomfortable to walk if all you have left are gangrenous stumps.
When I was a child, I used to walk barefoot a lot during the summer. I spend my summers (vacations) in the mountains, or countryside or seaside.
