Heres what I have learned.
To her, naked feet meant freedom.
She gardened, cooked, stacked wood, and even shoveled snow while shoeless.
We would compete to see who could stay outside the longest in the winter with bare feetshe always won.
Living and working in NYC in my 20s, I rarely went barefoot.
But I stumbled across its particular joys again in my early 30s, on my way to a date.
Picture one of those August downpours where the sky just opens up and people huddle beneath overhangs.
It was a hot night, and I was sliding around dangerously on stacked espadrilles.
Normally a fast walker, even in heels, I was toddling slowly through the rain.
I walked, gingerly, then as the rain picked up again, I felt compelled to run.
It felt so free, to dash through the temporarily empty streets in bare feet.
I showed up at the bar drenched and glowing, and Im sure my suitor found me strange.
I tried going barefoot again while trail running in the woods of Connecticut.
And I havent stopped since.
Why Run Barefoot?
Exactly how beneficial barefoot running is for your feet and body is up for debate.
It actually feels awkward to run with a heel-strike motion when youre barefoot.
Starting Out
Like anything new, ease into barefoot running.
Perhaps begin with some barefoot running sneakers (I lovemy Vivo Ultras).
Its about how much more awareness youll have about your body and the world around you.
How do your ankles feel?
What are your toes doing?
You will notice too, how the ground feels under your feet.
This gives me natural foot protectionmade by my very own body!
Which is kind of amazing if you think about it.
Stay Safe
Barefoot running gets easier over time, but its absorbing, and takes concentration.
You absolutely must pay attention to where you put your feet.
Running with sneakers on feels kind of numb to me after running barefoot its just not as interesting.
Ive never cut my foot and never been stung or bitten by an insect while barefoot running.
Running without sneakers is not for everyone, and thats OK.
