Learning how to walk (barefoot)

[Adam Bodestyne]

Hi all,

I've recently been trying out spending more time on bare feet or in Vibrams, and as such have become more conscious of how I'm walking, specifically if I'm walking quickly, or further than, say, from one side of my room to the other.

Anyway, I have some questions/observations:

• 
  [*:14els4j2] Where should I land when I place my foot down? On the heel, with the rest of the foot rolling down after it? And when the rest of the foot comes down, should it sort of 'roll' from the outside in, or vice-versa, or should it come down fairly evenly?
  [*:14els4j2] Should my toes 'grip' the ground as my weight shifts over them? I started doing this only recently because it seemed to stop a stiffness that set into my toe joints when walking barefoot. Like, it wasn't really bad or anything, but after walking a while, I always felt the need to curl my toes down and press down to 'crack' them. Since making my toes curl and grip more when I walk, I haven't felt the need to do this.
  [*:14els4j2] Taking smaller strides than I used to seems to have helped reduce the shock of my heel hitting the ground. Should I continue to do this, or is talking smaller steps the wrong way to approach this?

Now, I know I might be overthinking this, and, according to some people, it seems almost like they just magically adjusted to barefoot walking, presumably changing things in response to avoiding various new discomforts. However, I figure that getting some advice, too, can't hurt.

So to summarise, I'm just asking: How should one walk barefoot?

edit: Also, my apologies, I'm not sure which forum would've been most appropriate for this question. This had seemed like a reasonable place when I'd started writing it.

[Blairbob]

Heel to toe through the toes as you lift the foot off the ground.

Interesting enough, the Japanese are noted to take smaller strides than we do in America. I'm not sure what this means.

[Adam Bodestyne]

Thanks, Blairbob. I guess I just need to keep working on ways to cushion that descent. It seems to be fine when walking slowly, but if I walk a little quicker, I notice I start to land more in the middle of my foot, on the little-toe side (the outside of my foot). Probably just to avoid the heel altogether.

Also, that is interesting. I'm assuming that it's taking into account height differences and stuff.

[Jaylene Deane]

Just thought I'd give you some of my personal experiences for you to reflect on, if they aren't terribly helpful then ignore them, but you know...

I myself walk around barefoot most of the time, since childhood, mum encouraged us to take our shoes off as often as possible, and since I found VFF's I only wear normal shoes to work. With the smaller steps, I found if you step on a rock or something sharp/painful, having the smaller step naturally brings your feet under you so its easier to lift them quickly or adjust the foot in the middle of the step to avoid the nastiness. If you have a big stride this is difficult to do as you're overextended. Also I've noticed I stride bigger in normal shoes than I do barefoot simply because I can. If you do that barefoot, you land too heavily and it hurts like hell.

Just listen to your feet! sounds weird, but if I walk across concrete I hardly land on the heel at all, it just touches the ground but it doesn't take much weight, but a nice surface like grass and sand or soft dirt I walk normally, heel to toe. And when I want to walk faster, now that I think about it I don't lengthen my stride but take more steps. It feels better and no pain. And the 'pad, pad, pad of the feet sounds awesome, like an animal!

[David Beckerman]

Interestingly enough the Japanese do take smaller steps. The advantage of this is that you will always have your legs underneath your center of balance. They do often have smaller legs and longer bodies than westerners. They also walk from the hips. Us westerners often walk from the shoulders, in effect we "fall" into our step.

Dancers seem to walk the same way, from the hips. To feel the difference tie a belt or something around your waist and have someone pull you along as you walk. This is what it feels like to walk from the hips. I am not sure if this better but I certainly feel less of an impact on my joints.

Dave

[Blairbob]

Interesting that you know that Dave. Real interesting. As in I'm very interested. Hmm.

In anycase, I do know that my step is longer in shoes than barefoot. Then again most of the time I'm in sandals if not barefoot though there is the rare occasion I wear loafers. Nowadays it's mostly moccasins with socks. Not a whole lot of padding so a small step is less irritating which is even different than my sandals.

[Adam Bodestyne]

Thanks, Jaylene; your description of your own experiences does seem to gel with what I've been finding over the past couple of weeks of usage. So when you walk on concrete, do you still land on the heel (albeit very lightly)? Or do you modify your step such that you end up landing further forward than the heel?

Also, if you've been used to walking barefoot for some time, maybe you won't even notice, but are your toes fairly active when walking? Pushing down as you step off the foot?

DBeckerman: When you say walking from the shoulders as opposed to walking from the waist, is this describing the way one leans when walking? e.g. e.g. when you walk from the waist, you aren't leaning with the upper body into it as much?

[Blairbob]

Western walking uses the arm swing. Traditional Japanese walking doesn't use an arm swing. Namba aruki. This stems from walking in armor and kimono. To note, not all Japanese worked and lived in kimono. Wearing just a happi coat and briefs was common. Hiking up the hakama (pleated trouser-skirt) was also common in fields or when fighting. Kimono in the Imperial court were often way longer than your ankles as it is one way to not be able to move quickly.

http://www.gottsu-iiyan.ca/gottsupedia/index.php?title=Namba

http://www.japanstyle.info/10/entry9829.html

http://www.nanbanote.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Seven-Secrets-of-Nanba-Walking.pdf

Walking in namba is like walking as a cowboy, which makes it cooler. Alright, pardner.

Ok, it is weird to notice the way I walk, but when I walk on my carpet (in socks), I land more midfoot than heel. Steps are shorter, but I have always liked to walk with my hands behind my back or in my front or in the arms of my sweatshirt. Yeah, I probably watched too much Kwai Chang Caine. I used to watch the reruns as a very young child from probably around 3rd grade at least and the second series in HS.

To note, I do push through the tip of my toe as I walk in socks. I view it just like walking in ballet as toe, ball, heel in reverse. I never did dance but I have had to teach beam for 10 years. Toe, ball, heel, toe, ball, heel.

I'm not going outside to try walking in the concrete. It's about 25 degrees and my feet are nice in toasty in my socks and moccasins.

[Jaylene Deane]

No worries, glad to be a help!

Just went outside and had a walkabout, haven't actually analyzed the way I walk this much before! As to concrete walking, my heel does touch before the middle of my foot, but only just. all the weight seems to go on the ball of the foot, but not up near your toes, slightly further back. Also I use the outside edge near my little toes to take a lot of weight. I do use my toes to grip and :shock: they splay quite wide... but gripping happens more on grass than concrete. I seem to use my toes lots when changing direction or if the surface is a bit unstable.

And the observations about hip walking make sense now...mum was always telling me 'don't be *bleeping* lazy and walk from the top of your thighs!' She's right btw. walking from the hip after you get used to it, feels easy and loose. No cramped calves. It really sucks when your mum's always right, but she was a gymnast though!

[Jaylene Deane]

Thanners, how you getting along with your VFF/barefoot experimenting? No Injuries, feeling better/worse?

[Adam Bodestyne]

Hey Jaylene, thanks for asking. Have had the chance to use the VFFs for longer periods of time now. Still not much running, since I don't really do much of that, but I have spent a lot of time just walking around the place on them. It feels pretty good; I'm not experiencing any discomfort or injuries, and I think it's feeling more natural walking in them.

I'm still not sure whether I'm "doing it right" or not, though. (c:

[Jaylene Deane]

Well I think if there is no pain, you're doing just fine. Your body is a pretty good teacher. Oh and if you do make the transition to barefoot running, just be careful with your volume. All those little muscles and tendons get a massive workout and you can get quite sore. I experienced some soreness from 1-2km runs, nothing to write home about, but my running partner she was in that much pain she couldn't run for weeks. :shock: And that was just laps on the local primary school's oval, some nice soft grass.

And have you had random people stop you on the street and point to your VFF's and say 'Excuse me, but what the f*** are those??"

I love it. Now I just need a bright pair in electric orange and eye-popping blue for maximum impact...

[Adam Bodestyne]

Well I think if there is no pain, you're doing just fine. Your body is a pretty good teacher. Oh and if you do make the transition to barefoot running, just be careful with your volume. All those little muscles and tendons get a massive workout and you can get quite sore.

Well, that's fairly reassuring. (c: I can imagine the soreness from suddenly going for a long run out of nowhere. After taking a long walk (unintentional, I just happened to be out and about on my feet longer than intended), I could feel how much some muscles around my lower legs had worked that probably weren't used to it. Made sure to stretch properly after that. (c:

And have you had random people stop you on the street and point to your VFF's and say 'Excuse me, but what the f*** are those??"

I love it. Now I just need a bright pair in electric orange and eye-popping blue for maximum impact...

Hahaha, maybe not in those words, but I have definitely noted some funny reactions to them. It kinda varies, there are people who really do just ask about them, and some who don't say anything. While going into a place for food one day, I'd stepped aside at the door to let another lady out, and as she walked past I noticed her eyes suddenly go wide and her mouth actually dropped open a moment as she glanced at my feet. It certainly amused me.

I've got a black pair which I wear to work. Goes great with my black work pants. (c:

[Jaylene Deane]

LOL! yup, love the look on the faces of others when they see them.

Your boss is cool with you wearing VFF's? I've been debating getting a black pair in leather for work, but I'm a little unsure how that will sit with the brass. Though a black pair would not be that noticeable...might check the dress code tomorrow and see if I can get away with it. Thanks for the idea Thanners!

[Samuel Carr]

I'm able to get away with wearing my black vff's to work too but there is a shoe branched off from terra plana called the vivobarefoot ra that looks like a work shoe but is similar to being barefoot

[Jaylene Deane]

Hmmm. Nice, thanks, I'll look into it. I think I can get away with it though, the VFF comply with the dress standards, they just look a little weird. 8)

[Adam Bodestyne]

Hmmm. Nice, thanks, I'll look into it. I think I can get away with it though, the VFF comply with the dress standards, they just look a little weird. 8)

Haha, darn it, I keep needing to convince friends that they're shoes, not socks. Or at least they're closer to gloves than socks.

[Jaylene Deane]

Yeah, they will pass as work shoes, dead easy. Actually, I have had a pair of Merrell's as work shoes before, years ago. Probably until I tried the VFF's, the most comfortable shoe I ever wore. Lasted 3 years before I wore the soles out of them. Never polished the leather or anything, like I probably should have. I was sad to see them go. Cost me a small fortune when I first brought them though, they were (from memory) around the $200 mark. Cannot get the ones I had anymore as sadly they are discontinued.

Thanks for reminding me about the Merrell brand, I'll have a look at their current range when I'm down in Hobart next.