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Backpacker Magazine – August 2011
How to Walk
Yes, there's a better way to put one foot in front of the other. Improve your stride, trek farther, and end leg and back pain with our guide to the new science of healthy hiking.
Should You Go Barefoot?
Yes, no, maybe. The experts debate the controversial new craze. Proponents of barefoot running and hiking—booming in popularity since the 2009 publication of Born to Run—claim that training shoeless builds foot strength and reduces injuries. One outfit, Barefoot Hikers (barefooters.org/hikers), organizes boot-free jaunts all over the country. And barefoot-running clubs, websites, and even races have taken off. But naysayers warn that forsaking foot protection only invites new injuries. Who’s right? We think the jury is still out. You?
Yes
“I have been hiking barefoot for 50 years,” says Richard Frazine, 63, author of The Barefoot Hiker. “Going shoeless requires finding the right foot fall with every step. No step is the same. You literally feel your way down the trail with your feet.” A 2009 study by researchers from the University of Belgium and University of Liverpool found that South Indians who spent their lives barefoot had significantly wider forefeet—allowing a more effective redistribution of downward pressure across the entire surface area of the sole—compared to people who grew up wearing shoes.
No
“For people who have grown up wearing shoes, hiking without them is a bad idea,” says Arizona-based physical therapist Brian Schmitz, echoing the consensus of sports medicine professionals interviewed for this story. “You need structure around your foot for support when hiking. And you also need the protection that hiking footwear offers against cuts and injuries.” That doesn’t mean you don’t need the strengthening touted by barefoot advocates, but it’s better to achieve it through training, advises University of Calgary kinesiology professor Reed Ferber.
Maybe
“The ability to hike barefoot depends on the condition of your feet and how much ‘movement wisdom’ you have,” says Esther Gokhale, who studied indigenous populations in India, Asia, and Africa for her book 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back. She found people who grew up wearing minimal footwear had stronger feet with healthier arches—not to mention a healthy posture and back for carrying loads—compared to well-shod Westerners. Unless you have muscular feet with well-developed arches, Gokhale suggests a “happy medium.” Wear a supportive shoe that has a thin sole, she says, “so you feel contours on the Earth.”
| PRO | CONS | TIPS | |
Barefoot |
Putting skin to the ground strengthens your foot’s muscles, tendons, and ligaments, develops tougher and thicker skin, and trains your sensory nerves to help with balance. Unrestricted toes provide stability, disperse pressure, and help propel you forward. | Ouch! Most Westerners don’t have the toughness to enjoy walking or running barefoot on rough surfaces (though feet can be trained up to it). And if you get a cut or injury, you might have to abort your trip. | “Always step straight down and avoid shuffling or dragging feet,” says Frazine. “No natural hazards like sharp rocks and sticks can harm you if you walk properly. Anticipate every foot fall and look at where your foot is going to land.” Start with short runs or hikes on mellow terrain. |
Vibram Five Fingers KSO $85; vibramfivefingers.com |
For people who want all of the benefits of barefoot training—without the barefoot part—this is the solution. The foot-glove design frees your toes and affords utmost flexibility, while protecting skin from sharp and rough surfaces. Testers welcomed the traction of the sticky rubber tread. | The style will spur questions (and a few giggles) on trail. And while the thin materials improve ground feel, there’s little insulation. Testers liked them for short summer hikes and for water trips, but found it hard to get them on/off. | Like barefooting, it takes a little getting used to. Start slowly. And be sure to get the right fit by trying on several sizes. You’ll lose some of the benefit—a close-to-the-ground feeling—if they’re sloppy big or pinchy tight. Our testers also liked wearing them around the home and office for “passive” training. |
| Nike Free Run +2 $90; www.nikerunning.com  |
Like other natural-running shoes, this model offers the protection of a traditional shoe with maximum flexibility, encouraging the forefoot strike advocated by barefoot runners. Deep grooves in the soft EVA sole allow easy flex vertically and horizontally. | The superpliable midsole is not supportive enough for running on rocky trails without painstakingly selecting foot placement. Testers also found that tiny pebbles get stuck in the sole grooves. | To minimize foot pain when making the transition to barefoot running, replace thin factory insoles with cushioned footbeds. Our tester used the Chi Running method (chirunning.com) to help make the switch from heel striker to forefoot striker. |
| Chaco Z2 Unaweap $95; chacousa.com  |
This sandal is uniquely therapeutic for metatarsal pain because it keeps the forefoot fixed in place while allowing the metatarsal bones to spread out and irritated nerves to heal. Testers liked it for hiking and as a camp shoe to help sore foot muscles recover. | It’s heavy for a sandal (2 lbs. per pair), so it’s hard to justify as a camp shoe when you’re trying to keep pack weight low. And, of course, you might as well be barefoot when it comes to weather protection. | Beware pointy sticks and cactus spines, and try to keep your toes pointed downhill on uneven terrain to keep feet from sliding. Not a sandal hiker? Consider Sole’s Sport Flips ($65, 13 oz., yoursole.com) as a camp/recovery shoe. They have arch support, a heel cup, and metatarsal pad. |
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GREAT article. I leave basically untrained - for the Camino de Santiago next week - this will at least give me things to think about whilst walking:)
GREAT article. I leave basically untrained - for the Camino de Santiago next week - this will at least give me things to think about whilst walking:)
Confirmed: Check Barefoot Running for the Complete Idiot. When Foot strikes, first thing that happens is an outside heal strike. Further as this article demonstrates foot then rolls to the inside heal while almost at same time engaging little toe-mound, then back momentarily to the inside heal while progressing to big toe mound to a big toe lift-off. Each of the four corners of the foot engage a complete kinetic chain from foot to top of head. Hands follow same sequence as foot while running. A complete fluid flow of the body in motion occurs. This is very important stuff to review in both walking and running to identify compensations culturally induced, or through injury or stress.
Why am I hearing bagpipes when I look at your "take the test" guy?
The description of how to walk reminds me of racewalking. It is not that the stride on level ground is short, but that there is less of the stride is in front of the body and more of the stride is behind the body. Also when you are using your hips as described the effect is your overall stride length is longer.
Why no mention of shin-splints and stress fractures and how to prevent them? It's a very common long distance hiking injury.
Also, enough with the barefoot fad already.
I have been hiking barefoot consistently for a couple years, and can generally do it every season but winter (and as long as the ground isn't very wet, a pair or two of wool socks help). I have always hated shoes and wear then as little as possible. I guess it isn't for everyone, but I find the sensation of feeling the trail is just as exciting as the sights and sounds. I also feel like I am making less of a negative impact. I have to be conscious of where I step rather than clumsily tromping through the bush.
Short strides can lead to blisters due to overheating. So it's best in my opinion to find a good balance, not just start taking baby steps as recommended here.
You're kidding...??? Maybe backpacker will teach me how to dress myself as well...
You're kidding...??? Maybe backpacker will teach me how to dress myself as well...
i snow ski barefoot and find it to be a more in tuned way to enjoy the nuances of the snow. this is something you have to build up to for maximum thermal value.
The third picture downhill "right" is an error. Tell me someone else caught this? Ha.
I personaly walk around barefoot as much as I can, but I almost never hike barefoot. Anyone who goes barefoot will agree with me, gravel sucks. In the article it says to hike barefoot to strengthen your tendons. I don't think you need to go totaly barefoot, but have shoes that let your feet move the way they are supposed to. While I don't hike barefoot, a well made pair of mocasins and a pair of good socks get the job done great.
Walked in woods for 50 years, Tried the Vibram rubber foot gloves but are using them mainly for workouts indoors.Still married to good shoes and boots for outdoor treks and activity.
Very good analysis, but I think you could also mention stride frequency and oxygen debt. I am a former distance running coach, who constantly advised athletes to "start slow". On a Nepal trek I observed fellow hikers begin the day excited and striding quickly--only to begin gasping within 30 minutes. Oxygen debt should concern everyone, but especially hikers at altitude. Aside from starting every day at a slower & controlled pace, benefit will also result from deeper breathing--and even more so from yoga breathing.
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