“It is important that students bring a certain ragamuffin, barefoot irreverence to their studies; they are not here to worship what is known, but to question it.”

Jacob Bronowski (1908-1974)

My family and I just returned from a great hike in the mountains and my feet feel great! I’ve been trying out barefoot hiking with limited success. Initially the ground was too hot and by the end of the hike my feet were too sore to walk. However, today I finally purchased a pair of vibram’s with the thinnest soles possible. They are fantastic! They kept my feet cool during the heat of the day and enabled me to hike the rest of the trail barefoot during the returning loop.

You’re probably wondering…why hike barefoot? Walking barefoot feels like completing the act of enjoying nature. We see the amazing diversity of life frolicking and thriving around us. We smell the variations of sweet and pungent scents as we navigate different terrain. We feel the breeze on our arms… but our feet are encased in numbing plastic. Freeing your feet means feeling the change in terrain. From the cooling sand to the mischievous pebbles to the sandpaper boulders, you can feel it all.  You may step in a few spots of sap or an occasional up-turned twig, but it’s totally worth it.

Next on the agenda is barefoot running. There is evidence that shows that barefoot running is great for the feet and body. Check out the video below. Remember, if you go barefoot running or hiking, start slow. Don’t injure yourself trying to do too much too fast.