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5 Benefits of Walking Barefoot

Human beings were meant to have contact with the earth. Sometimes we have to have footwear for safety or societal rules. That said, when we can go barefoot, I think we should. Let’s look at some of the benefits of walking barefoot.

walking barefoot

5 Benefits of Walking Barefoot

I’ve always been a fan of bare feet, but noticed changes in my feet associated with menopause. I talked to my chiropractor, and he said that my joints were loosening up, and suggested wearing shoes for support.

We usually agree on most things, so I gave it a try. It seemed to help at first, but recently, I developed chronic foot pain. I started an exercise routine specifically for my feet, and went back to barefoot walking. This brings us to our first benefit.

1. Pain Relief

Direct contact with the earth – earthing or grounding – may reduce inflammation, improve sleep, and boost the immune system. When I started walking barefoot on grass again, I noticed a significant improvement in my foot pain levels.

Additionally, wearing shoes changes the mechanics of how we walk and run. Barefoot runners and those with minimalist shoes usually hit with a fore-foot strike or mid-foot strike, while shod runners hit with a rear-foot strike. This change increases the risk for injury.

Studies suggest that barefoot walking benefits those with persistent plantar heal pain.

2. Stress Relief

Time in nature and in contact with the soil may not just improve foot health, but overall health and wellbeing. Outside time in a natural setting can lower cortisol levels (the “stress hormone”) and reduce depression.

One version of this is “forest bathing” known as shinrin-yoku in Japan. Even looking at a pastoral image can trigger relaxation, but taking a walk outside is even better.

3. Boost Your Immune System

A 2015 study notes, “Grounding an organism produces measurable differences in the concentrations of white blood cells, cytokines, and other molecules involved in the inflammatory response.”

This may speed wound healing and boost immune response. The photos in the study summary are dramatic. They show improved healing and reduced inflammation via infrared imaging.

4. Better Sleep

The same study also looked at sleep quality. They found that grounding improved sleep quality and circadian cortisol profiles. This means that the study participants slept better at night and were more alert during the day.

5. Stronger, Healthier Feet

When walking barefoot or using minimalist shoes, the feet have room to spread and flex. This restores our natural gait, and impacts the muscle groups of the hips, knees, and core in addition to the feet.

Children who are allowed to go barefoot have stronger and more coordinated foot muscles, and may learn to walk sooner with fewer falls. Going barefoot may also help with varicose veins and edema, as the greater range of foot motion improves blood and lymph circulation.

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Barefoot Kids

The picture below is from March 2007. My kids were almost always barefoot. It was a warm late winter day, and although there was still snow on the ground, puddles of meltwater were everywhere.

Going barefoot is good for your feet

Our yard was still a mess at this point, so the boys could dig wherever they pleased. They decided they needed to make a BIGGER puddle – but once the water had filled in, it was just too cold to play in.

They put their problem solving skills to work to come up with a solution. Little brother stayed in the mud hole while his older brother brought warm water in a kettle from inside. (Note:  boards on ground because older brother didn’t want to walk in the icy mud).

If you’d like to learn more about barefoot kids, visit Parents for Barefoot Children. The site includes history, health benefits, and ideas for fun activities to try barefoot.

One of the saddest parts of the end of the gardening season is less barefoot dirt time for my tootsies. I do try and get out from time, and still go barefoot or stocking feet inside most of the time. I walk barefoot outside year round, but in winter I can’t stay out long!

feet in snow
My big ol’ feet, barefoot in the snow…brrrrrr….

Do you spend time walking barefoot? I know it’s difficult in some areas where thorny plants like grassburs are common. If you can’t go barefoot, minimalistic shoes with plenty of toe room are a good option.

I love any option that can help your body to heal itself for free! It feels good, too.

More Natural Health Articles

Health comes from within, and it’s up to each of us to help our bodies to heal. Here are some more ideas and tips to try.

How to Improve Vision Naturally (I did it)

25 Immune Boosting Herbs and Spices

7 Tips for Better Bowel Movements

Oil Pulling for Oral Health

6 Benefits of Cold Showers

Laurie Neverman, fall 2023

This article was written by Laurie Neverman, engineer by training, health researcher by calling. Disappointed by mainstream advice to “just live with it”, she’s devoted her time to learning more about helping the body to heal. You can read more about how she cleared her skin of psoriasis in her book, “Psoriasis Healing“.

Originally published in 2011, last updated in 2024.

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21 Comments

  1. Women’s shoes never fit right & it used to be when you asked for a 10 1/2 or 11 wide dress shoes, the salesman would laugh you all the way to the door. Boots were even harder to find till i gave up & just wore men’s. I still go barefoot most of the time. I’m a dirty old lady & proud of it 😉

    1. I would give you a hug if I could. It’s so hard to find decent shoes, and my feet just want to be free.

  2. May I add another comment? My neighbor, who just retired from Chicago is amazed that I walk around barefooted even in the snow. He thinks it is unhealthy and worries about stepping on something unpleasant. My reply is this; I wash my feet after being outside, do you wash your shoes after walking? Your feet sweat, sweat attracts bacteria and fungus. Is that not just as bad as stepping on something?

  3. I am 71 years old, I grew up barefooted and to this day, I absolutely hate wearing shoes. As a kid, we were poor but not starving. My brother and 4 sisters were given one pair of shoes a year. The shoes were for school or church.
    Today, I walk around my house, yard and garden barefooted. If I am mowing I will wear a pair of old worn out sneakers, just for safety. Otherwise, I only wear shoes when I absolutely have too.
    I have never suffered from any ailments, Yes, I have stumped my toes and stepped on thorns, but my feet are healthy strong and tough.

  4. What a great and fun posting. Barefoot is definitely best. I started going barefoot as much as possible back in Nov of 2012 after having pain in the tops of my feet for over a year. The pain went away in less than 2-weeks and I haven’t looked back since. Since then, I’ve gotten into barefoot running and I run an informative page on facebook called Barefoot 4 Life. The .org should get you there as well if anyone wants to check it out. Again, great post. Keep em bare!

    1. Do you do youtube videos? I think I may have seen some of your work. The name sounds so familiar.

  5. I read a lot about brain research, and apparently walking barefoot is good for the brain because the extra work done by the feet (more sensitive toe movements for balance, etc.) actually generate more neurons and better connections between neurons. While created for the purpose of walking, this extra brain matter can be used for other cognitive activities.

    1. Makes sense to me. I know I pay attention to where I’m walking and how I’m walking more when I’m barefoot.

  6. It’s nice to go barefoot, except our free range chickens and dogs just leave too much poop around…. I’m just not that natural…. nor do I have a foot wash by the back door…. but on the nicer days when it’s relatively poop free, sure….

    1. Yeah – too much poo is rather nasty. If you can sneak in some time barefoot, say in the garden, I do recommend it.

  7. I’m a runner and have only recently found the benefits of going barefoot…and I do have to say I enjoy every second and every little jab of pain I’ve gotten over the last few months. I plan to run the Bellin Health 10K in June barefoot, and even possibly the Fox Cities Marathon barefoot, or with Vibrams on…Truly love the feeling, nothing like it.

    1. Good for you! I have a friend who switched to Vibrams and barefoot running and it cured her shin splints.

  8. I always loved going barefoot. I can't where we live now, too rocky and we have some terrible thorny things growing. I never wear shoes inside unless it is very, very cold!

  9. I am always barefoot! Inside and outside the house. I even prefer to drive the car barefoot so I never put on shoes when I need to drop someone off or pick someone up. 🙂 Shoes just annoy my feet! My fiance and I are trying to do workouts 5 times a week, but the shoes hurt and rub my feet so bad I'm tempted to walk barefoot/stocking foot, except I think I'd get weird looks around the walking paths we go on. XD

  10. Alas, I have big feet, and most shoes in my size are either ugly or fit poorly, so it makes going barefoot all that more appealing. 🙂 I have a friend who is considering taking a shoemaking class, so when/if she does, I may have to hire her to make me some comfy shoes.

  11. We go barefoot "in" (inside and outside) our house. During late spring through early fall our feet are always dirty. We love it!
    Shoes, although I love shoes have a nice selection, they are over rated. 😉