By Benjamin Boden
Theirs no time to lose! Lets get started!
#1 Take off Shoes
Start your journey right by taking off your shoes. Simple right?
Shoes are a hindrance to your life. By taking off your shoes you are saying you will only settle for the best life possible!
#2 Love your nude feet
Podophobia = the fear of feet. This is a widespread mental health disorder in today's society. By taking off your shoes you must come to terms with your feet. They are beautiful and need love!
Do something nice for your feet, like getting a massage, or painting your nails. Make sure to tell yourself how wonderful your feet are!
Your goal here is to normalize your bare feet for you and those around you. Love your nude feet! Be proud that you are a barefooter! It is ok to feel sorry for all those pore shoe wearing people that will never understand the joy of barefoot.
#3 Foot Yoga
Your feet have been suffocating in your shoes for a long time. They will be stiff and not used to flexing normally. Do some stretching and massaging to limber up
Take a ball (lacrosse or tennis balls are my favorite) and roll the bottom of your foot to stretch out, and get used to touching the world with your bare feet.
Spread your toes and then scrunch them closed to work out the tendons in the top and bottom of your feet. This builds your arches and calf muscles!
Check out these extra physical therapy exercises for your feet!
#4 Learn to Walk
If this is your first time going barefoot you will quickly notice walking and running barefoot does not feel like you're used to. This is ok! You just need to adjust your technique.
To walk, start by walking backwards. Notice how you land toe first and roll to your foot directly under you? That is how you should walk forwards! Your stride will always start under your center of gravity and push backwards.
No reaching forwards and pulling forward! That is how you get shin splints. Your feet should always land under you and push with your glutes and calves backwards.
You don’t have to run/walk strictly on your toes (called “toe striking”). it is ok if your heel brushes the ground. In fact, you will find that a “midfoot strike” is often the most comfortable way to walk and stand.
The faster you walk/run the harder your foot hits the ground, and the more shock absorption you will need from your calves, so build up strength to sprint on your toes like an Olympian.
#5 Daily Play
It will take about one month to transition to barefoot if you work on it daily. Your first few days are the hardest so be gentle on yourself. Take a barefoot walk one day and then put your shoes back on the next day. Do this for several days, always trying to go a little farther, until your feet are comfortable moving about barefoot every day.
It usually takes two weeks of diligent strengthening and barefoot walking to have calluses that won't hurt when walking all the time barefoot on asphalt.
Harder surfaces are easier to learn to walk on, like concrete sidewalks. As you get stronger you can graduate to stretches of asphalt (you'll be part of the “Black Sole Tribe!”) And finally you can walk on the uneven grass and dirt. Grass and dirt will give your arches a hefty workout because your foot will have to flex more on the uneven surfaces.
#6 Tie your Shoes
Sometimes it will be impractical to go strictly nude footed every ware. You will need shoes for protection. Fortunately there are many great “barefoot” shoe companies out there!
Good barefoot shoes should mimic your foot's natural movements while giving protection from cuts, scrapes, and bruises on the foot. Barefoot shoes are thin soled for good flexibility, have no cushion or “support” to allow your feet to strengthen themselves, and be completely “zero drop,” aka flat, from heel to toe just like when you're barefoot.
The best all purpose barefoot shoes I have tried are the Merrell Vapor glove 4. Highly recommend!
What's your favorite barefoot shoe? Share in the comments below!