Perhaps rewilding starts with our feet. When we walk, our feet are the connection with the earth we are walking on. But we don’t feel the earth, as our feet are clad in shoes, often with thick soles. We want to protect our feet against stones, spines, insects, snakes and dirt. And that makes sense – humanity has probably worn some kind of feet protection since the invention of clothes. But to wear shoes every single day on every single surface is taking it too far. Our feet are made for walking in very diverse circumstances, with 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments (1). Strong feet can handle uneven surfaces, steep hills and downward slopes. To keep your feet strong, you don’t put them in sturdy shoes all the time, as this will weeken your feet muscles.
I only discovered the existence of barefoot shoes a few years ago. And it immediately made sense to me. I had always had trouble finding shoes that were actually comfortable and that kept my feet warm in winter. I loved living in the tropics, as I could wear sandals or flipflops most of the time. Or just walk barefoot on the grass.
Back in The Netherlands, I wanted to hold on to that feeling, so barefoot shoes – made to protect your feet while if feels like you are walking barefoot – seemed like a perfect solution to me. My first pair of barefoot shoes was a pair of Merrell shoes, from their barefoot collection. It was a big shift from hiking on regular (low) hiking boots to these shoes. To transition into them, I would take them with me on my hikes, and only wear them for short amounts of time on unpaved paths. At the same time, I did exercises at home to strengthen the muscles of my feet (2).
After a while, I was able to do entire hikes on barefoot shoes, and added some other pairs to my collection. My favourite brands are Vivobarefoot (they have great waterproof hiking boots for winter hikes), Merrell and the German brand Wildling. The best shop to get barefoot shoes in The Netherlands is Barefoot & More in Arnhem. They have a great collection of shoes and an experienced and helpful staff. If Arnhem is too far for you, try Huna Outdoor in The Hague. They sell Merrell and Vivobarefoot shoes.
The next step on my barefoot journey was to go completely barefoot. To actually take off my shoes during a hike or walk and to feel the ground under my feet. It felt like adding a whole new dimension to my experience of nature. I suddenly became aware of the temperature of the soil, the texture of the sand, the leaves or the pine needles on the path. It made me feel grounded and very much in touch with nature.
Going barefoot is not possible under all circumstances or weather conditions. You also need to give the soles of your feet time to get used to touching the ground without the protection of shoes. If you want to seriously try this and make it a part of your daily life, I can recommend the book Barefoot Walking by Michael Sandler and Jessica Lee.
For those times and circumstances that hiking without any shoes is not possible, I like to wear Vibram’s Five Finger shoes or, in summer, barefoot sandals made by Panta. They come closest to what is feels like to walk without shoes.
Would you like to free your feet? Try taking off your shoes on a sandy path or on the beach during your next walk. Or invest in a pair of barefoot shoes and feel what that does for your feet and your whole body!
(1) Source: Wikipedia; (2) A great book on transitioning into barefoot shoes is Whole Body Barefoot by Katy Bowman
Rewild Yourself 