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Dogtra
09-01-2014, 00:55
During my first thru-hike attempt I was introduced to barefoot hiking for the first time... I hadn't even considered it before then. Still makes me smile whenever I remember my fellow hikers, and myself, trying to just walk around camp barefoot. It always ended in laughter and tenderfeet. :D

I've always loved being barefoot whenever possible but even then it was always limited to in and around the house. When hiking I tend to favor sandals because I enjoy them as multi-purpose footwear and they let my feet breathe. But I still think back and wonder what hiking would be like with feet conditioned for barefoot hiking. So over the last few weeks I've begun the long and arduous task of conditioning my feet for hiking. It is going to take a LONG time.

I've been walking/running on many different surfaces and I'm enjoying all the sensation I'm now getting from my regular outings that I wasn't getting before. Concrete, pavement, micro gravel, standard gravel, grass, dirt, mountain trails, creek beds, boulders, roots, etc. The trails and gravel paths are doing the most to toughen the bottom of my feet. But every type of surface is slowly strengthening the muscles and tendons in my feet, ankles, and calves. LOVE the soreness I'm getting in my calves because I know that they're only getting stronger for it. My Achilles tendons are definitely not up to where I'd like but they'll slowly come around. Learned the hard way what kind of damage hot pavement can do to bare feet. Blisters, oh my. Running from shady section, to white lines, to shady section just wasn't good enough. Lesson learned. :)

All in all I'm enjoying the experience and I'm getting stronger. Will it eventually lead to hiking long distance barefoot? Only time will tell.

Was curious if anyone else considered trying this before?

fiddlehead
09-01-2014, 01:32
My feet have been too good to me over the years to do that to them.
I'm hoping for another 10+ years out of them yet.

I do run on the beach most every day and have toughened up the skin on my feet.
But, to abuse my toes by kicking rocks, no thanks.

I lost a toenail last week in a marathon in Cambodia, that was bad enough.

Sarcasm the elf
09-01-2014, 01:58
I lost a toenail last week in a marathon in Cambodia.

Well there's something I've never heard anyone say before!

Sarcasm the elf
09-01-2014, 02:03
Every once in a while I will do a little barefoot hiking or running, either in the road or on the local trail next to my house. It's definitely fun but I don't know that I'd try it for a full or multi-day hike.

On a side note about hot pavement, walking barefoot did get me into the habit of using my hand to quickly test the temperature of concrete and asphalt in the summer before letting my dogs walk on it.

rocketsocks
09-01-2014, 06:17
I know we were brought into the world with no shoes on our feet, and will likely leave the same way...but not wearin' shoes I think would be a great start to trashing your feet and potentialy ending a hike.

Josh D
09-01-2014, 06:55
During my thdu-hike I played around with the idea of hiking barefoot. I would always walk around camp San shoes and in georiga and NC I would start some days barefoot for a couple miles but I was hiking with other people and the barefoot miles were much slower for me so eventually I stopped doing it. But it was fun and I think it can be good for.your feet if you do it very slowly and carefully.

I hiked the entire AT in a pair of teva sandals and folks would always ask me how many times a day I kicked rocks. But wearing footwear that made my feet more vulnerable just made me more aware of where I was stepping. Good foot placement is a much better way to prevent knee hip and foot injuries and falls than a pair of boots. On the whole AT i had one cut on my toe, zero blisters and no leg or foot injuries or pain. If you want to hike barefoot I say go for it and let us know how it goes!

Tuckahoe
09-01-2014, 06:58
Well there is the Barefoot Sister -- http://www.barefoothikers.org/barefoot-sisters.html
And well that website is for barefoot hikers -- http://www.barefoothikers.org/index.html

Theosus
09-01-2014, 09:43
I've barefoot hiked before. I would suggest toughening up the feet before trying it. I've done it before and it feels great, until you step on one of those little root nodules right under a leaf, or a pebble in the mud, or you do like I did and step on "the vine of a thousand spines" while crossing a log, and have what looks like a zipper down the length of your foot for a week.
But it's rewarding. It feels very strange, like being naked in target or something...

fiddlehead
09-01-2014, 09:53
Well there's something I've never heard anyone say before!

The AT is the gateway to the world.
There were 3,000 runners in the race.
It was held at Angkor Wat in Siem Reap.
sorry for the thread drift. I didn't see any barefoot runners there (although did meet the barefoot sisters on their 1st hike)

Offshore
09-01-2014, 10:18
I know we were brought into the world with no shoes on our feet, and will likely leave the same way...but not wearin' shoes I think would be a great start to trashing your feet and potentially ending a hike.

+1
Great way to cut your foot and infect it in one step (so to speak).

joshuasdad
09-01-2014, 10:51
During my final section hikes of the AT in the Whites, my left trailrunner was almost completely blown out, and my backup water shoe was damaged. Barefoot hiking over the Kinsmans was a possibility, but I think I would have tried two wool socks (+ possibly a microspike) first.

rocketsocks
09-01-2014, 11:10
+1
Great way to cut your foot and infect it in one step (so to speak).
I should add I haven't barefooted since I was a teenager...stepped on a pop top and laid my foot open between the toes. So I'm a little leery of the whole idea, but get why one would want to...whatever gets ya there.

...I know that thought just made some of you cringe, still does me too. Sorry bout that, had to be said.

rafe
09-01-2014, 12:07
Barefoot Sisters did it most of the way on their SOBO journey, though they donned footwear in snow and ice. And even then, one of them had foot problems as a result and had to drop out for several weeks.

I did a couple miles of AT barefoot, along the river walk in Baxter Park. It was smooth, dense mud and actually felt pretty good. But for most of the AT.... no way!! Not for me, anyway.

OCDave
09-01-2014, 14:31
I recently acquired a pair of Luna Oso sandals. I wear them constantly. I have hiked some pretty rugged terrain with them but, not with a pack. As these sandals offer the same benefit of hiking barefoot with less risk I see no reason ever to put my feet at risk. I am not sure I'd use them with a pack. My take is that you would need to have a very, very light pack to go barefoot or even with minimalist sandals. I'm not in that neighborhood.

Old_Man
09-01-2014, 14:34
I know that there is a lot of debate about the merits of minimalist shoes--but if you are considering walking barefoot, why not just get a pair of light shoes like the Merrell Trail Glove or something with 0mm drop and minimal cushioning. That way, you could at least protect your feet while still getting the benefits of minimalism. I screwed up my knees from years of poor running form. When I tried to hike on the AT the first time, the hiking down-hill part was hobbling me hard core. That's how I got my trail name Old Man. It felt like there was a huge amount of pressure under my knee cap.

So I stopped jogging for a few years and focused on swimming and biking and hiking. Short-story long, I finally decided to get back into running to condition myself for the trail (plus, not gonna lie, nothing like runner's high:sun). This was right around the time that Vibram was gaining popularity. I'd tried doing barefoot trail running a few times but I just couldn't get comfortable with the idea. I wanted SOME kind of protection for my feet because I use them everyday and they're pretty damn important.

So I bought myself a pair of Merrell Flux gloves and started running again, verry slowly at first, in combination with a lot of swimming, biking, and knee exercises (squats, etc). All of my knee problems are gone--I just recently did my first three mile jog in about 5 years.

Needless to say--I understand the attraction to going minimalist/barefoot.

But--

Most of my experience with minimalist footwear has been with jogging. I did one twenty mile backpacking trip through hilly north Florida sand country in my flux gloves carrying about 30lbs and my feet were fine--no blisters, minimal soreness. The only downside was they were filthy because I wasn't wearing socks.

But I'd always wondered about carrying a heavy pack with shoes that didn't support your ankles--especially in rocky areas. Maybe if there was no pack--but with all that extra weight...

I don't know, maybe some with more experience can shed some light on this.

Del Q
09-01-2014, 17:40
I am concerned going through the Smokies in trail runners, at age 55, 210 lbs + 30 lb pack ............could not imagine going barefooot + how many miles could you do per day. That would get really frustrating.

Shutterbug
09-01-2014, 18:17
During my first thru-hike attempt I was introduced to barefoot hiking for the first time... I hadn't even considered it before then. Still makes me smile whenever I remember my fellow hikers, and myself, trying to just walk around camp barefoot. It always ended in laughter and tenderfeet. :D

I've always loved being barefoot whenever possible but even then it was always limited to in and around the house. When hiking I tend to favor sandals because I enjoy them as multi-purpose footwear and they let my feet breathe. But I still think back and wonder what hiking would be like with feet conditioned for barefoot hiking. So over the last few weeks I've begun the long and arduous task of conditioning my feet for hiking. It is going to take a LONG time.

I've been walking/running on many different surfaces and I'm enjoying all the sensation I'm now getting from my regular outings that I wasn't getting before. Concrete, pavement, micro gravel, standard gravel, grass, dirt, mountain trails, creek beds, boulders, roots, etc. The trails and gravel paths are doing the most to toughen the bottom of my feet. But every type of surface is slowly strengthening the muscles and tendons in my feet, ankles, and calves. LOVE the soreness I'm getting in my calves because I know that they're only getting stronger for it. My Achilles tendons are definitely not up to where I'd like but they'll slowly come around. Learned the hard way what kind of damage hot pavement can do to bare feet. Blisters, oh my. Running from shady section, to white lines, to shady section just wasn't good enough. Lesson learned. :)

All in all I'm enjoying the experience and I'm getting stronger. Will it eventually lead to hiking long distance barefoot? Only time will tell.

Was curious if anyone else considered trying this before?

I hike I Vibram FiveFingers exclusively. That isn't exactly barefoot, but it is close. Most people focus on the toes, but the biggest difference is not having a built-up heel. Back when I wore boots, my feet hurt constantly. My doctor said it was "bone spurs." When I switched to the FiveFinger shoes, all of the pain has gone away.

The biggest problem in hiking with FiveFinger shoes is when I stub a toe on a rock. There is a little protection over the toe nail, but not much on the sides of the toes.

Berserker
09-02-2014, 12:36
I have considered it. I started by trying to do short walks on local trails. The thing that kept happening is that I'd get small cuts, abrasions and sharp things stuck in my feet. So I got a pair of the Vibram Five Fingers, and started using those regulary. I then wore them a few times carrying a pack, and decided that I just don't think it's gonna work for me. I like that extra support and cushion of a trail runner. Plus, getting that thick skin built up on soles to protect from the cuts, abrasions and so forth probably takes a considerable amount of time (i.e. years). I still day hike in the Five Fingers though, and really enjoy it.

swisscross
09-02-2014, 14:22
hmmm.. hike barefoot and carry a pair of shoes to get out of the woods after you trash your feet or
wear a pair of shoes and go barefoot around camp.
I hate carrying more than I need.

LittleRock
09-02-2014, 14:46
A few years ago, I encountered a guy who hiked from Dick's Creek Gap, GA to Fontana Dam, NC (~100 miles) barefoot. His trail name was "Mantis" because he looked like one with all the hopping around he was doing to avoid rocks. He was with his brother who was carrying their food, and his pack only weighed like 25 lbs. He said he had run a marathon barefoot and done several barefoot day hikes in order to prepare for their trip.

When I saw him on their last night on the trail, his feet looked badly cut up and blistered, and he was in obvious pain when I saw him walking around. The next morning, he put his shoes on and walked the last 12 or so miles to Fontana in them.

Dogwood
09-02-2014, 16:30
Love the vibe Dogtra. From one Dog to another. I partly hiked the AT in Keen sandals which I loved for all the reasons you stated plus I enjoyed it during warmer weather in all day rain not caring at all how wet my feet became and for about 60 miles barefooted. My heels started to deeply and painfully crack almost sidelining me despite liberally apply moisturizers and whether or not I also wore socks w/ the sandals. Stubbing toes, gashing them, almost losing two toenails, and having cut feet as a result of going au naturel around shelters(glass shards, wire, alumnium can tabs, old tin cans, asst hiker junk, etc), doing fords(glass, fishing line, old tin, etc) and at trailheads w/ their human refuse while also stepping on and having adhere to my feet disgusting used Band Aids/bandages had me going back to trail runners. Having open cuts on your feet, and that includes not just on the bottom of your feet, while attempting a long AT hike is a recipe for possible infection and being sidelined. And, that sucks! Going barefoot on the beach, around the house, in your yard, at the local park, etc, is one thing; it's a bit different IMHO hiking 15 + miles a day with a backpack on your back and all that separates you from completing the hike or not are taking care of your feet is another thing. Bring sandals/shoes along too if you want to go barefoot or at least be prepared to rock the trail in shoes in case the au naturel thing doesn't live up to your romantic expectations. ;)

Theo
09-02-2014, 16:57
Barefoot, wow. 1969 me and a buddy tried it hiking to the bottom of Grand Canyon. We were from Fl. Did the
Kibab trail 6.something miles to the bottom. This was like July 2nd. That 24 hour period will live with me forever.
Helped me survive Paris Island 2months later. Trail got around 130 degrees by about 10am. By the time we got
Half way to the bottom, we were throwing our t-shirts out in front of us and running to them just to stand on. We
Were stupid 18 year olds. Did the hike from top to bottom and back up in around 23 hours. Brought No food and no water. Took the Bright Angel trail back up because of 2 water stops. Begged hikers for gulps of water. Got to the top around 3 or 4 am. And approx. 6 miles from our car. Live and learn. Bare foot hiking, no thanks.
We begged hikers for a drink.

Shutterbug
09-02-2014, 16:58
During my first thru-hike attempt I was introduced to barefoot hiking for the first time... I hadn't even considered it before then. Still makes me smile whenever I remember my fellow hikers, and myself, trying to just walk around camp barefoot. It always ended in laughter and tenderfeet. :D

I've always loved being barefoot whenever possible but even then it was always limited to in and around the house. When hiking I tend to favor sandals because I enjoy them as multi-purpose footwear and they let my feet breathe. But I still think back and wonder what hiking would be like with feet conditioned for barefoot hiking. So over the last few weeks I've begun the long and arduous task of conditioning my feet for hiking. It is going to take a LONG time.

I've been walking/running on many different surfaces and I'm enjoying all the sensation I'm now getting from my regular outings that I wasn't getting before. Concrete, pavement, micro gravel, standard gravel, grass, dirt, mountain trails, creek beds, boulders, roots, etc. The trails and gravel paths are doing the most to toughen the bottom of my feet. But every type of surface is slowly strengthening the muscles and tendons in my feet, ankles, and calves. LOVE the soreness I'm getting in my calves because I know that they're only getting stronger for it. My Achilles tendons are definitely not up to where I'd like but they'll slowly come around. Learned the hard way what kind of damage hot pavement can do to bare feet. Blisters, oh my. Running from shady section, to white lines, to shady section just wasn't good enough. Lesson learned. :)

All in all I'm enjoying the experience and I'm getting stronger. Will it eventually lead to hiking long distance barefoot? Only time will tell.

Was curious if anyone else considered trying this before?

The one situation where my Vibram Fivefingers are not adequate is hiking across snow fields. Last week, I crossed a number of snow fields on the PCT in the Goat Rocks Wilderness. The first 100 yards or so in the snow aren't too bad, but after that my feet got very cold and because the fivefinger shoes are not water proof my feet were wet too. I don't recommend them for hiking where there is snow.

I have a pair of the insulated fivefinger shoes, but I don't care for them. The insulation makes them less comfortable.

Odd Man Out
09-02-2014, 23:38
As anyone considered it - diffinitely
Could anyone do it - possibly to probably
Would I consider it - no way.
I've always had sensitive feet. When I was a kid, many of my friends would run around the neighborhood all summer without shoes. I couldn't even walk down our sidewalk. Ouch.

rocketsocks
09-03-2014, 00:15
As anyone considered it - diffinitely
Could anyone do it - possibly to probably
Would I consider it - no way.
I've always had sensitive feet. When I was a kid, many of my friends would run around the neighborhood all summer without shoes. I couldn't even walk down our sidewalk. Ouch.
Yup, I'm a tenderfoot too...oohch eeech ouch :(

watching Cody Lund??aen go barefooted in a couple episodes with water moccasins and snow in another...I just don't see how he can do it...but he does.

Dinendir
09-03-2014, 06:54
I have been walking barefoot constantly for the past 4 years (with the exception of things where it is obliged like some work situations) and most of the hiking I've done was on bare feet as well. However I never leave without a pair of fivefingers as backup, since the combination of a pack (which has 22lbs base weight at the moment) and the small gravel/rocks you find on some portions of the trail don't always mix very well.. I plan to my thru in 2016 as much as possible barefoot, but I accept the sometimes it won't be possible due to trail conditions.
One thing you will need to accept if you do this, is that your mileage will be a lot lower and you will need more time for the thru.

Old_Man
09-03-2014, 14:49
One thing you will need to accept if you do this, is that your mileage will be a lot lower and you will need more time for the thru.


Perhaps not a bad thing? Maybe this slowing down thing is why so many minimalist and barefooters report less injury?

I wonder if mileage would improve the longer you were on trail?

Dogtra
09-03-2014, 19:07
Perhaps not a bad thing? Maybe this slowing down thing is why so many minimalist and barefooters report less injury?


Barefoot running seems to be about the same speed for me currently, but barefoot hiking is slower. Being barefoot forces you to watch where you're placing your feet and how you're placing your feet. Two things that can be lacking with hikers using heavy footwear.

As I've only really just begun the conditioning process, I can't say it for myself yet, but I believe barefoot hikers have stronger feet and ankles than those with non-minimalist footwear. That helps with injury prevention. Are there risks to being barefoot? Sure. But I'm learning that there are just as many risks, if not more so, with wearing shoes or boots.

Dogwood
09-03-2014, 19:47
"During my first thru-hike attempt I was introduced to barefoot hiking for the first time..."

Are you eliciting responses on going barefoot for an AT thru-hike? Curious, after one thru-hike attempt what happened that you didn't finish your goal of desiring to complete a thru-hike? Are you not going to carry any shoes/sandals/foot protection at all if you are going to attempt another thru-hike? I would like to know how you'd feel if you did decide to entirely go barefoot on another thru-hike attempt and you failed to thru-hike -possibly as a result of going barefoot?

Dogtra
09-03-2014, 21:32
Are you eliciting responses on going barefoot for an AT thru-hike?

Possibly. Primarily for general hiking but it could potentially turn into thru-hiking barefoot if all continues to go well. I'm not going to make a judgment call until after I've given myself a good chance at conditioning my feet enough for it.


Curious, after one thru-hike attempt what happened that you didn't finish your goal of desiring to complete a thru-hike?

I had lessons to be learned.
My first thru-hike attempt came to an abrupt end when a fellow thru-hiker died on the trail. I wasn't mentally or emotionally prepared for it. Afterwards I found I didn't have the heart to keep hiking. My second thru-hike attempt failed entirely because of my own stupidity. I let a growing relationship affect how fast I had to hike, how far I could go, where I had to stop... It took the joy out of my thru-hike and I didn't last long as a result. My next attempt is scheduled for 2016 and I hope to be more mentally prepared and won't fall into that trap.

Will I succeed on my third attempt? Don't know. But I'm definitely stronger and smarter than I was then.


Are you not going to carry any shoes/sandals/foot protection at all if you are going to attempt another thru-hike?

IF I decide to attempt a barefoot thru, I will definitely still bring my sandals. First while there are no laws or health department codes stating that I can't be barefoot in public, it is still so abnormal that many businesses don't know what to do and tend to just ban bare feet whether it is specifically in their company policy or not. Secondly I would need to be prepared for the unknown. If my feet do become cut or otherwise injured I would need foot protection to help with that. There may also be times where bare feet just may not be suitable. Snow, ice, and exceptionally hot surfaces like hot pavement are a few that come to mind.


I would like to know how you'd feel if you did decide to entirely go barefoot on another thru-hike attempt and you failed to thru-hike -possibly as a result of going barefoot?

After "failing" twice already, I can safely say I wouldn't be too terribly heartbroken. Even though I never finished... they are still some of the best memories of my life and nothing can take that away from me. Finish or not - The time out there is worth it. :D
But again I haven't made a judgment call yet on whether or not I will do it. If I do and it somehow results in my failure - I would accept responsibility for my own choices, continue to learn, and then plan for my next adventure.

Happy Trails, Dogwood. From one Dog to another. ;)

maxpatch67
09-06-2014, 14:26
I don't think its smart over all. I think some people might have more of a natural ablility to run/hike barefoot, but generally for most people it is going to lead to injuries and medical problems. I think its a fad that will not last long term becuase of this. I couple ynears ago I met a guy climbing a 14er in Colorado barefoot who was having a good time, though. I am 100% positive my feet would get badly injured and would NEVER try it.