Go Barefoot: It’s What Our Feet are for!

When was the last time you walked around barefoot? Going from the kitchen to your bedroom doesn’t count. Not only is walking around barefoot natural and pretty nice, it actually heightens your mood and relaxation. You really should try it. Go outside when it’s raining and walk through some puddles, run through the grass and drag your feet through the sand. As soon as I get home from a day at the office where my feet are held hostage inside their nemesis the evil loafers, I take my shoes off.

Instantly my morale is boosted, my mood lighter and my mind free. It’s not all about your mind though. Shoes are actually, straight up bad for you. Whether you believe in evolution or not, it’s just not how we were meant to walk. It’s how society has chosen to walk. Stylish? Yes, shoes are cool or unique or expensive. But your feet say so much more about you.

Facts about your Feet

Last year, researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, published a study titled “Shod Versus Unshod: The Emergence of Forefoot Pathology in Modern Humans?” in the podiatry journal The Foot. The study examined 180 modern humans from three different population groups (Sotho, Zulu, and European), comparing their feet to one another’s, as well as to the feet of 2,000-year-old skeletons. The researchers concluded that, prior to the invention of shoes, people had healthier feet. Among the modern subjects, the Zulu population, which often goes barefoot, had the healthiest feet while the Europeans had the least healthy. Dr. Bernhard Zipfel, when commenting on his findings, noted that the American Podiatric Medical Association does not “actively encourage outdoor barefoot walking for healthy individuals. This flies in the face of the increasing scientific evidence, including our study, that most of the commercially available footwear is not good for the feet.”

Release the Feet!

Humans were meant to walk on their feet, without arch support, platforms, heels or crunched toes. Our feet were meant to breathe and the padding on the bottom suggests it can handle just about anything natural. Foot infection and bacteria would hugely decrease if we just gave our feet a chance to enjoy the fresh breeze and maybe even see a little sunlight. Dark, moist, smelly shoes are a miserable place to spend all of your time. How would you like it if you had to remain at work without sunlight or a break all day and night, except to sleep? Awful. If it seems feasible, give your feet a break and toss your shoes in a corner until the next day.

eDrugStore Staff

We specialize in providing our over 1,000,000 customers with relevant product and condition information created by our professional editorial staff which includes our team of medical writers, medical practitioners, and health educators. eDrugStore.com Staff on Facebook