Not that I mind, but… wearing shoes has a purpose… and the most important one IMO is to make sure our feet stay harms way from broken bottles, nails, stuff like that.
I’m not even gonna get into how cold it must be not wearing them in the winter… or how hot the asfalt might get during the summer. The asfalt can go up to 80, 90°C where I live during the summer, people have fried eggs on it for kicks.
I hike a lot in my barefoot shoes
I’d say the biggest benefit of feeling the surfaces you walk on more clearly is that my balance is a lot better
But the biggest benefit IMO is that the shoes being super flat improves my posture relieving some shoulder and back pain. And the shoes being super wide in the toe box also improves my balance and means I can walk longer with fewer breaks.
The last hike I went on with my barefoot shoes was 18 miles and I felt better than before I started
I hike a lot completely barefoot, and let me tell you, it’s amazing. Highly recommend. I’ve also hiked in barefoot shoes and minimalist sandals, but regular ol’ not wearing shoes on a hike is like a spiritual experience.
Very interesting, thanks for sharing. Lucky for me, both balance and posture during hiking have not been a source of discomfort or pain for me before. Although I can imagine clambering over rocks might be faster with less bulky footwear because it’s easier to balance.