View Full Version : hiking barefoot
brother brzo
02-28-2015, 15:10
ok, i expect some of you will warn against this, but has anyone ever heard of someone trying to do a thru-hike barefoot. if so, did they succeed? if not, why? something I've been considering doing myself. any particularly hazardous sections of trail for this?
Sirsnappy09
02-28-2015, 15:16
Around 08 there was guy named mountain. Man that was barefoot and had very little gear. He was hiking with his dog. Not sure if he ever made it.
Look up the book: The Barefoot Sisters Southbound, (Adventures on the Appalachian Trail)
Look up the book: The Barefoot Sisters Southbound, (Adventures on the Appalachian Trail)
And their equally entertaining sequel, Walking Home.
Slo-go'en
02-28-2015, 15:40
Yes it's been done. Your feet will likely never be the same afterwards. Not only do you risk breaking toes, any cuts could get infected and you could pick up parasites like ring worms. You'd best make sure you have thick calluses on the bottom of your feet before you start.
There is a reason footwear was one of the first things humans invented.
Yes it's been done. Your feet will likely never be the same afterwards. Not only do you risk breaking toes, any cuts could get infected and you could pick up parasites like ring worms. You'd best make sure you have thick calluses on the bottom of your feet before you start.
There is a reason footwear was one of the first things humans invented. Ringworm is not a parasite but a fungus type skin infection
Read the barefoot sisters stuff. Best I can tell it all becomes about walking without shoes, not about hiking. Like an entirely different, almost completely unrelated experience. No value judgement here, to the best of my limited ability...
Feral Bill
02-28-2015, 17:43
The Barefoot Sisters went to boots for the dead of winter. I doubt anyone would do otherwise. It's a good read.
I met a young man named Alex attempting a thru-hike in '13 who was unshod, but he'd end up injured because of it (plantar fasciitis on both feet, due to progressively more pronounced collapsed arches). Although I hiked slowly, he fell far behind and I'm not sure if he ever completed his journey. At the time he said the walking was not the issue so much as the weight on his back. Although he carried a light load (24lbs at most he said, with food and water), it was still too much weight and stress to enable his feet to adapt and grow stronger.
I wear Vibram Five Fingers around home and town, to help strengthen my feet (at least in theory), but I do the long hikes in more supportive running shoes, despite a super light load on the back. Bare-footing the whole AT can be done, but I'd hedge my bets on a high, high failure rate. The backpack along for the ride changes everything.
brother brzo
02-28-2015, 19:16
thanks 4 the tips. will have to check out that book. mostly hike in sandals, even with like 3 feet of snow on the ground, any one have any clue if that would help me w/ this?
joe valesko from zpacks thru hiked the pct and cdt entirely in sandals. had some serious snow in colorado. used vapor barrier socks.
4eyedbuzzard
02-28-2015, 19:59
ok, i expect some of you will warn against this, but has anyone ever heard of someone trying to do a thru-hike barefoot. if so, did they succeed? if not, why? something I've been considering doing myself. any particularly hazardous sections of trail for this?No judgement here, but I just can't imagine hiking barefoot from a foot/toe protection and sometimes traction standpoint in most parts of PA, NH, and ME.
brother brzo
02-28-2015, 20:40
No judgement here, but I just can't imagine hiking barefoot from a foot/toe protection and sometimes traction standpoint in most parts of PA, NH, and ME.
thats kind of funny considering that i live in pa and do most of my hiking here
have done once or twice w/o shoes
squeezebox
02-28-2015, 21:51
I'm curious about what's your motivation for hiking bare foot. You will have to bring shoes for grocery stores etc. though.
bemental
02-28-2015, 23:35
I have every intention of hiking in Vibrams, but I've also been working up towards the feat (ha!) over the course of the past few years. I've been running in Vibrams for the past four years, I walk in them frequently, and do all of my weightlifting in them as well.
As others, I would caution anyone from 'jumping right in' and going full bore on the trail with your pack and bare feet. But if you're truly interested in doing it up while on the trail, and I was you, I'd take a set of Vibrams (or go barefoot), and I would *very slowly* up the mileage.
I'm talking a quarter of a mile with the pack for a week, then the rest of the day with shoes. Next week you could go for a half mile, but again, *listen to your body - by the time you're hurting it's probably too late*.
-----
And again, as others have said, ask yourself "why am I doing this".
ok, i expect some of you will warn against this, but has anyone ever heard of someone trying to do a thru-hike barefoot. if so, did they succeed? if not, why? something I've been considering doing myself. any particularly hazardous sections of trail for this?
If going old school, why not try a pair of knee high moccasins. Foot coverage plus gaiters all built into one, be sure and incorporate fringes. (fringes swinging keeps the flys away)
Shutterbug
03-01-2015, 00:13
ok, i expect some of you will warn against this, but has anyone ever heard of someone trying to do a thru-hike barefoot. if so, did they succeed? if not, why? something I've been considering doing myself. any particularly hazardous sections of trail for this?
I have been hiking in Vibrams over 3 years. Eventhough my feet are totally accustomed to them, I still stub my toes from time to time. I can't imagine how one could keep feet healthy with no protection at all.
Traveler
03-01-2015, 07:57
I would imagine there are people who want to be around scalding hot water without gloves, use stone chisels without eye protection, and play the goalie position in hockey without a face mask. All have their reasons I suppose, so with that desire you can certainly do what you want but for the life of me I cannot fathom it (with apologies to Gump Woresley).
The Barefoot sisters paid attention to where they were placing every step. They grew up in Mount Desert Island and spent their entire lives walking barefoot on the rocky coast woods of Maine. It can be done if you want, but you need to watch where you place every step. Most modern people are walking on pavement and we quit paying attention to where we put our feet once we put on shoes. Our feet evolved to be walked on, without shoes. Shoes make your feet weaker, Not stronger. If you want to not wear shoes, go for it.
brother brzo
03-01-2015, 15:10
If going old school, why not try a pair of knee high moccasins. Foot coverage plus gaiters all built into one, be sure and incorporate fringes. (fringes swinging keeps the flys away)
that might not be a bad idea. i will admit, part of my reason is to make a bit of a statement/do it old school, i like seeing he looks on peoples faces. the few times i have hiked barefoot, my main problem was pricker bushes and, during the colder months, the ice sucking the warmth out of my feet (yes, i've tried going barefoot in the winter, the ice/snow is the only new problem winter seems to present 4 me). thanks for the idea
Shutterbug
03-02-2015, 20:17
that might not be a bad idea. i will admit, part of my reason is to make a bit of a statement/do it old school, i like seeing he looks on peoples faces. the few times i have hiked barefoot, my main problem was pricker bushes and, during the colder months, the ice sucking the warmth out of my feet (yes, i've tried going barefoot in the winter, the ice/snow is the only new problem winter seems to present 4 me). thanks for the idea
If your motivation is to see the look on people's face, try hiking without pants.
fastfoxengineering
03-02-2015, 20:54
If your motivation is to see the look on people's face, try hiking without pants.
I met not only one, but two different people that hiked only in exofficio boxer briefs.
yes, it does make day-hikers jaws drop when they show up to a shelter. Most thru-hikers don't really give it a second thought on the trail.
fastfoxengineering
03-02-2015, 20:58
oh and if you wanted to hike over 2000 miles barefoot, you should of made that lifestyle change years ago to prep your feet.
foot health is a MAIN priority on the trail, why put them at so much risk?
I don't see anything wrong hiking in teva's and it would probably a good transition from shoes to going full blown barefoot.
If your motivation is to see the look on people's face, try hiking without pants.
It rather funny.... Not that I would know from experience.
Canoe is correct: ringworm is a fungus, like jock itch and athlete's foot. That being said, one can pick up parasites through the soles of the feet, especially in the southern climate area. Wear shoes.
that might not be a bad idea. i will admit, part of my reason is to make a bit of a statement/do it old school, i like seeing he looks on peoples faces. the few times i have hiked barefoot, my main problem was pricker bushes and, during the colder months, the ice sucking the warmth out of my feet (yes, i've tried going barefoot in the winter, the ice/snow is the only new problem winter seems to present 4 me). thanks for the idea
Deer works good for mocs.
LittleRock
03-03-2015, 10:46
ok, i expect some of you will warn against this, but has anyone ever heard of someone trying to do a thru-hike barefoot. if so, did they succeed? if not, why? something I've been considering doing myself. any particularly hazardous sections of trail for this?
Yes, but the guy I ran into who was doing it said he wouldn't recommend it. His feet were pretty badly cut up and blistered after a week of barefoot hiking in NC.
steve0423
03-03-2015, 11:07
I love the idea of doing it different, just keep in mind a thru is tough enough without stacking the odds against yourself. In 2013 I met a guy hiking in a pair of Merrill glove shoe thinys. He was off before hot springs with plantars. Also met a guy in VT who was missing a toe from a previous thru attempt in sandals.
brother brzo
03-03-2015, 15:33
I love the idea of doing it different, just keep in mind a thru is tough enough without stacking the odds against yourself.In 2013 I met a guy hiking in a pair of Merrill glove shoe thinys.He was off before hot springs with plantars.Also met a guy in VT who was missing a toe from a previous thru attempt in sandals.
with the sandels, not to conserned. the ones i would probably use are probably some of the few closed toe ones that can be found easily. keens
Read the barefoot sisters stuff. Best I can tell it all becomes about walking without shoes, not about hiking. Like an entirely different, almost completely unrelated experience. No value judgement here, to the best of my limited ability...
They also hiked much slower than their peers, almost certainly much slower than they would've with shoes or boots.
that might not be a bad idea. i will admit, part of my reason is to make a bit of a statement/do it old school, i like seeing he looks on peoples faces. the few times i have hiked barefoot, my main problem was pricker bushes and, during the colder months, the ice sucking the warmth out of my feet (yes, i've tried going barefoot in the winter, the ice/snow is the only new problem winter seems to present 4 me). thanks for the idea
While you're at it, bring a bow and a quiver of arrows and catch or harvest all your own food in the wild.
pickNgrin
03-03-2015, 18:45
I used to day-hike barefoot about 25 years ago. The thing I liked about it was I could really feel the trail in a way that I never could with boots/shoes/sandals. I was much more aware of nuances of the terrain when barefoot, usually in a good way. I never had any injuries.
However, I would not recommend it for long distance hiking with a backpack... particularly if you are not used to going barefoot. A lot of people have already given good reasons why. If I were you I would plan on doing most of my hiking with foot protection. You could always take them off and go barefoot for small sections.
Trying to impress strangers is usually not a good reason for doing anything!
Hot Flash
03-04-2015, 09:54
The Barefoot sisters paid attention to where they were placing every step. They grew up in Mount Desert Island and spent their entire lives walking barefoot on the rocky coast woods of Maine. It can be done if you want, but you need to watch where you place every step. Most modern people are walking on pavement and we quit paying attention to where we put our feet once we put on shoes. Our feet evolved to be walked on, without shoes. Shoes make your feet weaker, Not stronger. If you want to not wear shoes, go for it.
Not only that, but it took them something like 8 months to do the AT, and they didn't do the whole thing barefoot.
perdidochas
03-04-2015, 12:39
Ringworm is not a parasite but a fungus type skin infection
Well, it is a parasite. Skin infections are parasites. That said, I think Slo probably meant hookworm, which is the classic disease gotten from walking barefoot.
brother brzo
03-04-2015, 20:20
While you're at it, bring a bow and a quiver of arrows and catch or harvest all your own food in the wild.
dont tempt me, that has already crossed my mind
Traveler
03-05-2015, 07:16
Too much Mick Dodge.....
brother brzo
03-07-2015, 11:45
that show always seemed so fake to me
fadedsun
03-07-2015, 13:02
I hike barefoot a good bit. Love it and recommend it for those places where it is appropriate.
I spend a lot of time barefoot and have toughened up my feet a lot. I've also spent a lot of time in mocassins, flip-flops and sandals which has strengthened my arches. I hike mostly in Florida where there are no rocks.
Even with all this going for me, I never hike barefoot all day. I recommend that you bring good footwear to put on and wear it most of the time.
You should experiment and see what works well for you.
You will have to bring shoes for grocery stores etc. though.
Not necessarily. There are no laws or health codes prohibiting people from going barefoot in stores, restaurants, etc. There are certain stores that have policies in place against them -- but more often than not you would only be challenged by people that 1) Mistakenly believe its against Health code and/or 2) Are wary or uncomfortable with people that do something abnormal and will ask you to leave regardless of store policy.
For those considering hiking barefoot, or even just want to go barefoot around their town, bringing a pair of lightweight sandals at the very least would be something to fall back on if you do get challenged.
squeezebox
03-08-2015, 14:21
There's a ton of places I've walked into that have a sign " shirt and shoes required". Going barefoot, most people will consider you unstable and at least marginally mentally ill.
There's a ton of places I've walked into that have a sign " shirt and shoes required". Going barefoot, most people will consider you unstable and at least marginally mentally ill.
Yes. I'm aware of the signs you're talking about. They, combined with the general attitude in your second sentence, have contributed to the common misconception that being barefoot is against the law or some health code. Many of those signs you see will even say, "Shirt and Shoe required" - by the Health Department. It's a lie.
Regardless -- barefooters should carry some sort of footwear if going to any place they've not gone before, just in case.