Walking Barefoot in Bangalore: Is it Possible and Safe?

Our ancestors roamed the world barefoot just like lions, but is it possible for us to go back in time and ditch our shoes? Well, that’s what I debated about with one of my patients – Walking barefoot!

The 19-year-old young vivacious boy came to my clinic for the treatment of chronic urticaria. At the end of the consultation, after I explained each aspect of his treatment he revealed his passion for a marathon run.

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He was a great fan of the super hot model, fitness enthusiast, marathon runner, and trendsetter Milind Soman. He was swayed by his advocacy on the benefits of barefoot running and asked me if he too could run barefoot.

It is no new science that running barefoot or foot reflexology is associated with several health benefits. Our ancestors lived a healthy life without shoes. We entered into this intriguing converse of discussing the many benefits of walking barefoot.

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Health benefits

Walking barefoot creates pressure on our feet that activates the acupuncture points which works wonders for our health.

• Many studies have claimed that walking barefoot can cure insomnia.
• Walking barefoot stimulates the pressure points that help in improving your eyesight.
• Walking barefoot improves the nervous system, blood circulation, and cardiovascular system.
• It helps in improving one’s immunity. 
• The electrons present in the earth act as antioxidants that help to decrease inflammation.
• Walking barefoot can help in controlling hormonal imbalances during pregnancy and menopause.
• It is a great stress-buster.
• This results in improvements in balance and body awareness and helps with pain relief
• It ensures improved mechanics of the hips, knees, and core.

The list of benefits of walking barefoot seemed endless. But is it really feasible?

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Walking barefoot – Is it practical?

He was convinced to hit his next marathon barefoot. However, there was another side to this coin. 

I spoke about the classic Bengaluru roads and gardens which are filled with gravel, stones, glass, and pits. Shoes offer a significant amount of protection from this road debris.

Also, this sudden change could be a shock to our feet. This could result in painful conditions like Achilles tendinitis, calf strain, and plantar pain. Further, this sudden switch from shoes to barefoot can result in painful blisters. 

Kicking off your shoes can help prevent a host of foot injuries. Bunions, heel spurs, and bone deformities, among others. In addition, running barefoot can lead to a tremendous amount of stress not only to the foot but to the rest of the body. Not to mention the host of bacteria that thrives on your foot. It could also give you scaliness and itchiness to the foot which leads to unpleasant odour.

I finally convinced him to go for his walk and jog in regular sports shoes. Though everyone professes these benefits of walking barefoot, it’s not really practical in our cities. We both shared some laughs and talked a bit more about life in villages before heading in different ways of our life.