Questions & Answers

13 Jan 2011

Hello everyone! I'm here to seek some answers! I was just recently introduced to the concept of barefooting not too long ago and found it intensely intriguing. But my question lies with what exactly is possible, and how soon can I achieve that?

I'm on a time frame because of a trip I'm making within the next year and a half. I'm walking 820km (510miles) across some of the most gorgeous, yet brutal land in canada to try and raise Nature and Wildlife Conservation Awareness.

Since I've noticed Barefooting, I've wanted to introduce a new factor to this trek. That being to do the entire trip barefoot!

I am a little skeptical on just how quickly my body will be able to acclimatize to such grueling conditions without much time to prepare.

Is there anyone out there that knows if - considering my time period - it is possible to do this trip barefoot?

AlexPaull 26

13 Jan 2011

As you may have guessed, my name is Alex. I'm here for a few reasons, but mainly for assistance.

In about a year and a half I'm going to be filming a documentary on Nature and Wildlife Conservation up here in Canada where I'll be hiking in a straight line from Edmonton, AB to Vancouver, BC (with a 20km leeway on either side of the line). For those who don't know where either of those places are, they're both located on the west side of Canada. The distance between them is roughly 820km (510miles).

I've just recently come into contact with a few barefoot communities and really wanted to give it a shot. However, I wanted to integrate this walk of mine with barefooting! I'm just not quite sure how quickly my body can acclimatize to the stresses that I'll face during this trip.

So! You'll see a few topics popping up everywhere on this forum by me asking some questions, the more help the merrier!

I'm sure I'll get to know (and perhaps meet) some great people on these boards!

AlexPaull 26

12 Jan 2011

Barefoot/minimalist in Fort Collins, Colorado. Gravitate toward weird/different ideas like "gee, you can run barefoot?" Started with KSOs, then got a pair of Invisible Shoes, then a pair of RunAmocs. In-town I'm barefoot, 5-8 mile runs. Trails are rocky around here, so I take the RunAmocs there, and also a pair of Inov-8 195's. Like my wife says, "you've got an awful lot of shoes for someone who runs barefoot" :-)

jbmfc 1

12 Jan 2011

Hi everyone. Looks like a great new site. I've recently gotten back into running after taking a significant break. Started running barefoot this past fall and would like to keep it up not just in the warmer months.

Zudnik 3

12 Jan 2011

In Europe there are some barefoot parks. Parks that have a trail that is made especially for walking barefoot. If you want other people to experience the benefits of barefoot walking you can built your own barefoot park or barefoot sensation trail. The website http://www.barfusspark.info/en/ shows some information about it including a design guide. I think this website is very interesting and inspiring.

Huib van der Wal 167

11 Jan 2011

After a few months of VFF running I decided to see what all the true barefoot fuss was about and took the ten minute plunge. I like it. Sure, it the sharp pointies hurt, and the blisters do too at first, but feet toughen up. Makes you (me) feel kinda special and more connected to the world around me when I'm barefooting it, or going hobbitt-style as I called it on my recent trip to New Zealand. What a great way to mix up your run and re-energize that last mile or more than to take off the shoes, even Vibrams, and finish naked foots.

Dirtbag 2

11 Jan 2011

I'm a relatively new barefoot runner, although I lifelong barefoot-lover. 2010 marked a wicked trail-running ankle injury (8 weeks to walk without pain, 6 more months before I could walk down stairs normally) and the end of my irrational love of high heel dress shoes. I'm 5'10", did I really need to wear 4 - 5" high heels?

I'm barefoot 90% of the time now and am delving into the minimalist shoes for going to the store, etc. Frustrated that Zappos doesn't carry any minimal shoes. Hoping to take some BFR workshops during my travels. I'm also on BFT's hauraches/minimalist google group.

Bounding along, Darcy

RattleFox 1

11 Jan 2011

I'm a huge fan of barefeet! Having three kids and realizing that "normal" is really uncomfortable, expensive, and just plain exhausting, I have been doing my best to unlearn the way I was taught to do just about everything! That includes ditching the shoes most of the time - for myself and my boys! Who's idea was it anyway? Shoes on babies? Come on... Let's all start examining why we are doing what we are doing!!

LeeAnn 1

11 Jan 2011

My name is Jesse, and I have been making the transition to the minimalist running/footwear world over the last 6 months.

I am very excited about this site, because shoes are becoming an issue since I have been increasing my BF distance and dialing my form.

Thanks for putting this together. A site similar to this has been on my wish list... -Jesse

jjessew 1

11 Jan 2011

Hey everyone! It's nice to see a community of minimalist shoe fans coming together. When I must wear shoes -- I regularly wear nothing on my feet, but shoes are required sometimes -- I only wear minimalist footwear.

I'm a husband and father of 3 great kids and live in the Kansas City metro area. I work in audio-visual support for an area hospital, so end up walking around our facility a lot. Having logged countless -- we're talking hundreds -- miles working in minimalist footwear, I can tell you first hand that you CAN live exclusively in minimalist footwear or barefoot.

I welcome you to check out my Web site, Barefoot and Grounded, at http://www.BarefootandGrounded.com. I talk about all kinds of things there related to going barefoot. I try to stay focused on the practicality of it and dispelling a lot of the negative info that's out there.

I also founded The Primalfoot Alliance in 2010. We advocate for people to go barefoot and find prudent ways to let feet be feet first. Many of us who go barefoot would like to do so in public, but are often shunned by claims of "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service." This is often wrongly backed up with incorrect claims of health codes or laws that prohibit such behavior. If you would prefer to go barefoot when and where you please, join us at http://www.PrimalfootAlliance.org.

Smiles, Michael

BarefootMichael 4

27 Dec 2010

HI Everyone,

I'm Al Gauthier from LivingBarefoot.info.

I'm excited about this website - it's turning out to be a great resource.<br> About myself - well I live in Melbourne Australia where barefooting is common place. So common in fact that no one takes any notice if I'm barefoot. I shop for groceries, ride transit, and walk around on the streets all the time barefoot and I've never had a comment.

It's wonderful and freeing to be in this type of atmosphere. It's also very normal and logical - they are after all just feet.

What is it like in your neck of the woods?

Al

livingbarefoot 1

21 Dec 2010

Greetings Toe Salad!

I'm an avid barefooter from Toronto, Canada. I've been practicing a predominantly barefoot lifestyle for about 20 years. While I'm not a runner or a regular user of minimalist footwear, I think Toe Salad is a great venue for all of us to share important information about our lifestyle and the products we can rely on, whenever needed.

Please feel free to say hello and get in touch. I love meeting like-minded people and I'm always up for some virtual "footsies".

Keep 'em bare!

http://www.barefootcanada.ca

Barefoot Moe 6

You go barefoot? I go every day to work even if it is winter or summer. Winter walk on snow or ice, and summer walk on hot cement and I feel great. I soles summer black dust. I soles dirty.

Idziesz na bosaka? Id? na co dzie? do pracy, nawet je?li jest zima czy lato. Zima chodzi? po ?niegu lub lodu, a latem na spacer na gor?cym cementu i czuj? si? ?wietnie. I podeszwy letniego czarnego py?u. I podeszwy brudne.

KarlKwiatkowski

Hi! I'm looking for a wide minimalitic shoe. I have KSO, which works ok. And Merrell embar glove which is a bit narrow. I bought the corecttoes large and love to spread out my toes, but i can't find a shoe that allow full movement.

How to i meassure the width of my feet? I'm from Sweden and are note familiar with the american widht system, 2E, 4E etc. From side of my big toe the widest part on the other side i meassure 11cm, and heel to toe 26cm.

I'm actually looking for two pair of shoes. One summer shoe width very good ventilation and a more covered version for spring and autumn which stands a light rain and wet ground. Any tips?

Thanks in advace, Toesalad is awsome

Celena Firick