It’s true that most shod humans are not currently adapted to walk or run barefoot on hard surfaces such as asphalt or concrete, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have the capacity to do so. Our feet are remarkably adaptable and can, with time and careful exposure, learn to tolerate a wide variety of surfaces—soft, hard, smooth, or bumpy—as long as the foot is strong and free of acquired, footwear-induced...
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In order to understand how our feet would develop without shoes, we need look no further than barefoot cultures that currently exist around the world in places like Asia, Africa, and South and Central America. The feet of barefoot individuals are characterized by strong, sturdy arches, thick calluses on the underside of the foot, and perfectly straight toes that are splayed well apart. In shoe-wearing societies, we have lost the...
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Barefoot walking is part of our natural foot health heritage. Our ancestors walked barefoot across a variety of terrain and in a variety of climatic conditions. Many people around the world still walk barefoot, or in minimalist footwear, without experiencing the kind of foot and toe issues—such as bunions, crooked toes, and neuromas—that plague many shoe-wearing individuals. So, is walking barefoot a good strategy for achieving optimal foot health? For...
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