We will advise you how to walk in barefoot shoes so that you do not have to be afraid of any surface. Learn the right walking technique to anchor healthy movement patterns instead of harmful ones.
Content of the article
- Why walk in barefoot shoes?
- Differences of walking in barefoot shoes
- Preparation for walking in barefoot shoes
- How to walk in barefoot shoes
- Errors in barefoot walking
- Benefits of walking in barefoot shoes
Why walk in barefoot shoes?
Why ordinary shoes are not enough and you should wear barefoot shoes?
- Ordinary shoes do not provide enough room for the toes, so the foot does not have the necessary support during walking.
- Ordinary shoes don't have a soft sole that allows a correct unwinding of the step.
- Ordinary high-soled shoes deprive the foot of feedback from the surface.
- Ordinary shoes substitute for the functions of the foot, thus teaching the foot to rely on someone else's support.
Barefoot shoes, on the other hand, do not cause any of these problems.
Differences of walking in barefoot shoes
Walking in barefoot shoes tries to adapt as much as possible to the natural barefoot gait, so you won't find too many differences in this direction. If you have disorganized movement patterns from regular shoes, barefoot shoes will give you significant feedback on where your weaknesses are. You can feel every footfall much more clearly in barefoot shoes. On the other hand, thanks to the space in the shoe, the foot also experiences incredible comfort.
Preparation for walking in barefoot shoes
Children adjust from bare feet to barefoot shoes very naturally, especially if it is their first pair of shoes. Adults, on the other hand, used to ordinary shoes, can be gradually prepared for walking in barefoot shoes.
- Practice walking completely barefoot whenever the environment allows it.
- Try to follow the barefoot instructions for correct unwinding of the step and learn the movement patterns.
- Start with barefoot shoes in a softer environment, such as the outdoors.
- In the beginning, wear barefoot shoes for shorter walks, gradually extend the intervals.
How to walk in barefoot shoes
Walking in barefoot shoes follows the same principles you may already know from the article about correct barefoot walking.
Rebound
The toes of the shoes point forward when walking and the toes are spread out in a fan in the barefoot shoe. The heel rises from the surface first, then the sole, and the toes are the last to unfold. It is from the big toe that the whole foot bounces and moves forward.
Tread
During walking, the foot is stepping on the heel. Try to keep the tread as soft as possible and apply an even load to the entire heel area. The weight is then transferred to the whole foot until it reaches the bouncing toes again.
Step length
Shorter steps allow for softer treading. The weight on the heel also falls at a much healthier angle. If you are in a hurry, increase the frequency of your steps rather than the length. On the other hand, don't artificially stutter with small steps that would spoil the naturalness of the gait.
Walking speed
It probably won't surprise anyone that rushing doesn't do the foot any good either. In a hurry, you don't watch your walking technique enough and you stomp too much. Such sloppy walking combined with the thin sole of barefoot shoes can do more harm than good.
Errors in barefoot walking
The most common mistakes in barefoot walking include:
- Stomping on heels - barefoot shoes do not cushion impacts like regular high-soled shoes.
- Walking exclusively on tiptoes - harmful to the feet, similar to walking on heels.
- Stepping on the edge of the heel (rear, inner and outer) - overloading the foot in the wrong place.
- Insufficient involvement of all fingers in the rebound.
- Tip curls inward or outward during rebound.
- Too much leg extension - knees should remain slightly bent when walking and standing.
Benefits of walking in barefoot shoes
Physiotherapist Lucie Kropáčková mentions some advantages of walking in barefoot shoes:
- Return to natural gait.
- More sensitive perception of your own body.
- General improvement of attention.
We recommend you try it for yourself.