You’ve probably worn padded shoes for most of your life. Don’t expect to toss them and be able to do the same distance—whether walking or running—with bare feet. To a certain extent, you have to relearn how to run and walk. You will have to make a conscious effort and it can be very difficult. You not only learn, you also dropout some inherent habits. The important thing is to go slow. Very, very, unreasonably slow.
How you approach barefoot shoes depends on what you’re looking to do. I happened to start running, it went well because I Have to slow it down (I suck). If you’re currently a super marathon runner and want to try barefoot shoes, you’ll have a hard time restraining yourself. If you’re somewhere between those poles, it’s still hard not to overdo it. Focus on the discipline you normally use for entry distance Are not do distance.
If you don’t know where to start, see Graham Tuttle’s YouTube Channel, especially exercises that strengthen his legs. These will help you develop the foot and ankle strength you lack if you’ve been wearing padded shoes for years and help relieve muscle soreness once you start running barefoot. Tuttle also offers some paid program to give you a more personalized guide (I haven’t tried any of these). Another YouTube channel that I find useful is MovNat channel, is not specifically for going barefoot but has a lot of helpful advice on going barefoot in its content. And if you haven’t read Christopher McDougall, both Born to run And Born Hero are interesting readings related to bare feet. Indeed, Born to run is said to have done more to popularize barefoot running than anything else since the advent of padded shoes in the early 1970s.
It should also be said that walking barefoot is not a zero-sum game. For over a year, I wore barefoot running shoes, casual shoes for other work, and the rest of the time in sandals. It’s not all or nothing. If you jog barefoot and then slip on your favorite pair of Converse shoes, that’s okay. It is equally important to know that everyone is different. It took me six months to completely switch to barefoot. But that’s just me. It can take you two months or two years. Go at your own pace and don’t worry about other people’s experiences.
