Question:
Do you think it is good for your feet to go barefoot ?
anonymous
2007-08-06 02:57:45 UTC
Do you think it is good for your feet to go barefoot ?
Nine answers:
Sheriam
2007-08-06 13:47:42 UTC
Yes! It's very good for your feet to go barefoot, and for your general health as well. Our feet do not 'spread out' from going barefoot any more than our waist 'gets all thick and fat' from not wearing a bodice like the women in the 17th century do... that's their natural shape! Almost all shoes, especially women's shoes, are too narrow and push our toes together. Nor do we need arch support; a survey of people in Asia who had never worn shoes included many rikshaw coolies, who ran barefoot on pavement all day long, and they had *very* few foot problems, far less than Western folks with all their fancy footwear! It's possible you may get flat feet or too-wide feet if you're obese, but that causes problems in legs, knees etc too... if you're normal weight, going barefoot even on hard surfaces is NO problem.

Disease is unlikely, while the dirt on the ground is very visible, our skin is made to keep pathogens out and generally does a very good job of it. Unless you put your feet on the table or lick your toes, you're at little risk. We're at far greater risk of picking something up through our hands; while the dirt on surfaces touched by many people (shopping carts, railings, door knobs, money) may not be as visible, these are covered in as many or more germs as the ground... and with our hands we're much more likely to transfer those germs to our face and/or food, where they *can* enter our body.



The cold doesn't harm us either; if you keep the rest of your body warm, it's possible to go barefoot in cold temperatures without discomfort. I've been barefoot all year round for over ten years; I used to be sickly from early fall until late spring, coughing and sneezing all the time, nothing helped. Since I've been barefoot that's gone. I've called in sick once -for all of two days- and even having a minor cough is rare.



Injury is unlikely as well, feet get very tough very quickly. I never divert my step no matter how much glass I see and I get a tiny splinter maybe once a year, never had a cut. Just in case I do have my tetanus shot, but that vaccine has been around since the 1920's, provides very good protection, and really everyone should keep it up to date; there are other ways of catching tetanus apart from stepping on a rusty nail barefoot.



It's sad there is so much bias against going barefoot in the US, for the fears are unfounded. Fortunately the people in charge of the law know better than the average bloke or store manager; in spite of persistent myths there are NO laws against going barefoot in stores or restaurants, insurance companies don't require or even recommend shoes for customers, and there are NO laws against driving barefoot.
Ken F
2007-08-13 12:51:13 UTC
Depends on the circumstances:

- Workplace: No, keep your shoes on to keep a professional appearance.

- Hiking: No, hiking shoes provide the traction you might need. I have seen some people hike barefoot, but this is a rare skill, and only useful on relatively flat terrain.

- Running: Maybe...I mean look at those Kenyan runners who keep winning marathons and races. Running barefoot develops certain foot muscles that normally would not get worked out if using running shoes. But for most of us urbanites, running shoes are needed to help soften the shock to our knees.

- Yoga: Yes, you need bare feet to keep traction to the mat.

- Walking around the house: Yes, your toes need time to spread out and breathe...at home is a perfect and sanitary place to practice this. Your feet are compressed into a shoe most of the time...give them a vacation.
Peter F
2007-08-06 05:15:47 UTC
In general, being barefoot promotes healthy development of musculature in the feet and legs, while excessive reliance on shoes tends to promote atrophy and weakness in those same muscles. This suggests that overdependency on shoes can have serious consequences. A study published in the September 2006 issue of Arthritis and Rheumatism found that “modern shoes may exacerbate the abnormal mechanics of lower-extremity osteoarthritis.” Researchers concluded that maybe it was time to re-evaluate our daily walking programs,

presumably to include time for walking barefoot.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/546308



In many parts of the world, reflexology paths and “barefoot parks” offer feet a chance to experience varieties of textured surfaces. In addition to biomechanical advantages of regular barefoot exercising, many holistic health practitioners believe the tactile stimulation underfoot while walking barefoot on natural surfaces has positive effects on body, mind and spirit.



Walking barefoot is also a good way to avoid athlete’s foot. Contrary to a widely believed myth, it is not the sole-to-ground contact that presents a risk so much as it is feet going back into the moist, dark, warm environment found inside shoes. Closed-toe shoes especially are ideal incubators for fungi and bacteria to live and breed. Allowing the feet to “breathe” also prevents foot odor.



Any overview of health issues regarding bare feet must include the developing feet of children. Dr. Lynn Staheli, who directed the orthopedics division at the Children's Hospital in Seattle for 15 years, documented that children raised in parts of the world where shoes are rarely worn had better flexibility, mobility, and strength, which resulted in fewer foot-related problems and injuries. In the 1960 classic “Take Off Your Shoes and Walk,” chiropodist Simon Wikler notes that children who go barefoot regularly develop stronger, healthier, and more functional feet than children who are generally shod. (He notes that a “constantly shoe-wearing tenderfoot” is rarely able to comprehend the innate capability of the human foot.) The following site covers such topics as when and when not to let children go barefoot, what doctors think, and parental testimonials. It also features excerpts from “Take Off Your Shoes and Walk.”

http: www.unshod.org/pfbc/index.html
anonymous
2007-08-06 08:00:04 UTC
Yes. And the longer you go barefoot, the more skilled you become at it. I don't even have to watch the ground and I know when to step around bees or sharp objects!
Barefoot Tex
2007-08-07 14:27:32 UTC
You bet it is! I go barefoot all the time. There's nothing more I can add that hasn't been said by the previous 3 posters.



GO BAREFOOT!!!!!!!!



Barefoot-n-Nude in Texas!
duffina
2016-10-09 11:54:56 UTC
The final time I wore footwear without socks it felt slimy and made my footwear stink in a considerable way. Plus I have been given blisters. Now I placed on my footwear without-tutor socks. they are low adequate that they don't tutor and your footwear do not stink.
Mims
2007-08-13 14:17:11 UTC
Hell yeah, and definitely in the grass. Away from dogs though.

lol!!
eil ashti
2007-08-06 03:09:39 UTC
for me its not good to walk as barefoot.

it will just cause crack feet.

you cant tell if you are walking

to a clean place.

you will adopt some diseases

derived from the soil.
Leo
2007-08-06 03:05:53 UTC
Yes untill i tread on something.. then no...lol


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