This is why our bodies can feel sore after a long day of being barefoot or wearing shoes that do not support the arch of the foot, such as most flip-flops and other flat shoes.Īpart from causing an achy body, walking barefoot also exposes our feet to bacterial and fungal organisms that can infect the skin and nails. This imbalance can then translate upward affecting other parts of the body, such as our knees and back.
This imbalance may increase the progression of underlying foot deformities, such as bunions and hammertoes, and lead to painful conditions associated with excessive pronation, such as arch/heel pain, shin splints/posterior tibial tendonitis, and Achilles tendonitis. Our feet naturally pronate (turn in) during the gait (step) cycle, however when we walk barefoot we pronate for a longer period which then alters the biomechanics and distribution of pressure and weight across the foot.
Walking barefoot on hard surfaces causes our foot to collapse which can lead to a tremendous amount of stress not only to the foot but to the rest of the body too. Our feet are naturally arched, and even though many generations before us walked barefoot, we should avoid it. When we walk barefoot, we are not only putting the skin of our feet at risk but also the biomechanical function of the foot. Well, here's some news for you: there’s a whole lot more to worry about when it comes to walking around barefoot. And usually we listen because we want to avoid hurting ourselves such as stepping on glass or we want to avoid picking up skin infections such as warts. We've heard it a thousand times: don't walk around barefoot.