4 Mile Barefoot Hike With Fully Loaded Pack (last mile and a half in a light storm)

[TxAggie]

You crazy!! :-)

I had PF for 12 years, since I was in my early 20s. TWELVE **** YEARS.

In the last year it's been way, way improved since going to a therapist with a different approach (dump the orthotics, do these 3 exercises every day, etc).

If I can make a suggestion: since barefoot works for you, I'd suggest going with a zero drop shoe with a lot of flex. That way your heel-toe stay level and things feel better. Altra Lone Peak is popular (but pretty padded).

The other thing I do is wake up, stretch my feet up/down/slant left/slant right, then stretch by pointing big toe down and other toes up (then switch), then do a 20' walk on toes, 20' walk on heels. I did those exercises and was instantly able to dump the orthotics for the first time in over a decade, and I haven't put them on since.

Those changes have literally meant that instead of being limited to about 3 miles a day, I can tackle 10 no problem. The recovery has been insane. Maybe some of this can help you too.

I've heard other people mention the big toe one way, other toes the opposite from a couple of people, but I was never agile enough to pull it off. You're the first person I've heard from that actually does it regular and it works, so I might have to try that one again. Thanks for the tips.


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[QFT]

I've heard other people mention the big toe one way, other toes the opposite from a couple of people, but I was never agile enough to pull it off. You're the first person I've heard from that actually does it regular and it works, so I might have to try that one again. Thanks for the tips.

Others that I don't do every day (to save time) but I was doing religiously initially 2-3x a day:

Lift up on toes 10x and lower
Big forward lunge, then twist upper body L if your L foot is forward (or R if R foot is fwd). Keep lunging until you've done about 10.
Sideways lunge: step one foot pretty far to the side and a little forward, then squat over it while keeping your feet in place. Keep doing this/crossing over your feet to lunge and squat, do about 10

This is all designed to strengthen stabilization muscles in your feet and legs. They specifically told me not to stretch, not to wear orthotics, and to start working my footwear down towards flexible, "zero drop" stuff (I previously favored stiff, stabilized footwear). All of this made an immediate noticeable difference and over time continued to slowly improve. It's counter-intuitive in some ways but totally worked. My legs (hamstrings and calves) are much less tight than they ever were when I was stretching every day.

[SkidvonArk]

This is awesome. I've never tried the five fingers but I'm starting to get into sandals for more active wear. I have a pair of Xero Shoes that I've been running in for the last month and I love it. I have a pair of Bedrock Cairn Pros coming tomorrow and I intend to try those out as hiking footwear. I would definitely recommend checking out either of these companies. I think these kinds of sandals would give you the same benefits as being barefoot but with a little protection.

I see Xero shoes mentioned a lot, I'm going to be taking a hard look at their options. I have a pair of Lems Primal 2s coming in this week to use for casual/after work/weekend wear to help keep my feet in shape. Still looking for a trail option so these could be a good choice.

Hardcore. I stepped on a little stick or something in the lake over the weekend after being barefoot for a couple minutes. It's still hurting. May need to dig something out.

The bottoms of my feet are still a little tender Still a long way from having feet leathery enough to strop a knife with

Good for you noticing what was working and fallowing that. Barefoot is natural. Its our original way of walking and we have the genes to support that. Not saying that it is the answer for everyone but good on you for doing what works. Your feet will toughen up and your sore muscles will be ok as long as you don't over do it to begin with.

It definitely isn't for everyone, but it's what's working for me and in a big way. I'm definitely taking my time and easing into it. I've made so much progress over the past couple of months that I don't want to set myself back

You crazy!! :-)

I had PF for 12 years, since I was in my early 20s. TWELVE **** YEARS.

In the last year it's been way, way improved since going to a therapist with a different approach (dump the orthotics, do these 3 exercises every day, etc).

If I can make a suggestion: since barefoot works for you, I'd suggest going with a zero drop shoe with a lot of flex. That way your heel-toe stay level and things feel better. Altra Lone Peak is popular (but pretty padded).

The other thing I do is wake up, stretch my feet up/down/slant left/slant right, then stretch by pointing big toe down and other toes up (then switch), then do a 20' walk on toes, 20' walk on heels. I did those exercises and was instantly able to dump the orthotics for the first time in over a decade, and I haven't put them on since.

Those changes have literally meant that instead of being limited to about 3 miles a day, I can tackle 10 no problem. The recovery has been insane. Maybe some of this can help you too.

Others that I don't do every day (to save time) but I was doing religiously initially 2-3x a day:

Lift up on toes 10x and lower
Big forward lunge, then twist upper body L if your L foot is forward (or R if R foot is fwd). Keep lunging until you've done about 10.
Sideways lunge: step one foot pretty far to the side and a little forward, then squat over it while keeping your feet in place. Keep doing this/crossing over your feet to lunge and squat, do about 10

This is all designed to strengthen stabilization muscles in your feet and legs. They specifically told me not to stretch, not to wear orthotics, and to start working my footwear down towards flexible, "zero drop" stuff (I previously favored stiff, stabilized footwear). All of this made an immediate noticeable difference and over time continued to slowly improve. It's counter-intuitive in some ways but totally worked. My legs (hamstrings and calves) are much less tight than they ever were when I was stretching every day.

That's awesome you were able to dump the orthotics after that long! I actually picked up a pair of the Altra Lone Peaks after I realized the raised heel on my La Sportiva Wildcats was making my PF worse. It was during this time that I was starting to realize that I was making more progress not interfering with the natural way the foot is supposed to move. First hike in the Lone Peaks my PF still acted up but it took 4 more miles to do it. I think after I get my feet strong enough to really take advantage of the way the Lone Peaks don't impede natural movement that they're going to be awesome for high mileage days where the padding and rock plate could be beneficial to me. I'm going to try picking up something like the New Balance Minimus or Merrel glove series for day hikes and short trips and see if that becomes preferable to the padding. I have a pair of Lems Primal 2 "barefoot" shoes coming for casual/after work/weekend wear to keep my feet in shape. The hard part is finding something like that for work where I have to wear steel toe. I'm wondering if those slip on steel toe covers would work ok with the wider toe boxes of minimalist shoes

A lot of those exercises have been part of my routine and they've been immensely helpful in strengthening my feet, but there's a lot of them I haven't tried yet. . I also like to walk on the outside and insides of my feet after doing the toes and heel walks. I just tried the big toe down, other toes up one though and that definitely felt good. I'm going to try the twisting and sideways lunges in the morning after work. They're going to be added to my routine. Thanks for that!

[kwpapke]

I switched to minimalist (Five Fingers, Merrell Trail Gloves, etc.) shoes for running and hiking about 6 years ago after battling PF for years. Made this video about what I learned:

I've done a fair amount of backpacking in Xero shoes, but haven't used them for a while. Got tired of picking rocks out of the sandals - it's really irritating. They are nice for wet areas/weather though. Been wearing Lone Peaks lately, which are overly cushy, but zero drop.

I have added something for foot strengthening in the last year that you could try to toughen your feet: barefoot rope jumping. I do 2-5 minutes/day. The nice thing about jumping rope is it can be done anywhere, and is very portable if you are traveling. There's a great cardio benefit, and will *really* toughen your calves and feet if done barefoot. I do it on concrete/brick surfaces, which are easy on the feet. You can pick up a cheap jump rope for $5 at discount stores.

I've tried doing the barefoot running/hiking thing, but my feet bottoms are just too sensitive.

Good luck!

--Kurt

[Charliev]

Growing up in the south as soon as school ended at the beginning of summer we took our shoes off and didn't wear them again till school started back in the fall. Our feet would get tough and leather and we walked everywhere. Rock, gravel, hot asphalt, didn't matter. I remember stepping in melted tar on the roads that stuck to our feet but didn't hurt. We stepped in a lot of other stuff also but I won't go into that. Occasionally we would get cuts on our feet or stumped toes but nothing serious enough to slow us down. Our feet are designed to walk without shoes and will get calloused enough to handle most anything over time. Good hiking.

[Slack Packhiker]

Altus Superior 2 is more minimalist than the Lone Peak. Best shoe I've ever worn.

[SkidvonArk]

Moving my images here since Photobucket has apparently gone rogue

I switched to minimalist (Five Fingers, Merrell Trail Gloves, etc.) shoes for running and hiking about 6 years ago after battling PF for years. Made this video about what I learned:

I've done a fair amount of backpacking in Xero shoes, but haven't used them for a while. Got tired of picking rocks out of the sandals - it's really irritating. They are nice for wet areas/weather though. Been wearing Lone Peaks lately, which are overly cushy, but zero drop.

I have added something for foot strengthening in the last year that you could try to toughen your feet: barefoot rope jumping. I do 2-5 minutes/day. The nice thing about jumping rope is it can be done anywhere, and is very portable if you are traveling. There's a great cardio benefit, and will *really* toughen your calves and feet if done barefoot. I do it on concrete/brick surfaces, which are easy on the feet. You can pick up a cheap jump rope for $5 at discount stores.

I've tried doing the barefoot running/hiking thing, but my feet bottoms are just too sensitive.

Good luck!

--Kurt

First off thanks for that video! Really well done and gives me hope that I'm heading in the right direction. I've subscribed to your channel. I think I'm definitely going to go towards shoes over sandals for that very reason. I've got my Lone Peaks and they are really cushy. Not sure if all that extra cushion will be a hindrance or not. I've also got a pair of Lems Primal 2s in for day to day casual wear to help keep strengthening my feet and a pair of New Balance Minimus shoes for work and light hikes. Hoping to build up my feet to where I can do full backpacking trips in fully minimalist footwear. I just like the grounded and stable feeling I get when barefoot.
Also, thanks for the jump roping tip. I'll have to dig out my old rope and start incorporating it back into my routine. Sounds like it's going to be a killer way to help strengthen everything.

Growing up in the south as soon as school ended at the beginning of summer we took our shoes off and didn't wear them again till school started back in the fall. Our feet would get tough and leather and we walked everywhere. Rock, gravel, hot asphalt, didn't matter. I remember stepping in melted tar on the roads that stuck to our feet but didn't hurt. We stepped in a lot of other stuff also but I won't go into that. Occasionally we would get cuts on our feet or stumped toes but nothing serious enough to slow us down. Our feet are designed to walk without shoes and will get calloused enough to handle most anything over time. Good hiking.

I grew up in Ky so I know exactly what you mean. I used to run around the woods barefoot all summer. Shame I stopped and started keeping myself in shoes as I got older.

Altus Superior 2 is more minimalist than the Lone Peak. Best shoe I've ever worn.

I like my Lone Peaks, but they are overly cushy. I've got a pair of New Balance Minimus coming in to try for work (with steel toe slip on cover ) I'm going to try some hikes in those, but if I find the 4mm drop in them to be too much then the Superior's are next in line.

[TxAggie]

Moving my images here since Photobucket has apparently gone rogue








First off thanks for that video! Really well done and gives me hope that I'm heading in the right direction. I've subscribed to your channel. I think I'm definitely going to go towards shoes over sandals for that very reason. I've got my Lone Peaks and they are really cushy. Not sure if all that extra cushion will be a hindrance or not. I've also got a pair of Lems Primal 2s in for day to day casual wear to help keep strengthening my feet and a pair of New Balance Minimus shoes for work and light hikes. Hoping to build up my feet to where I can do full backpacking trips in fully minimalist footwear. I just like the grounded and stable feeling I get when barefoot.
Also, thanks for the jump roping tip. I'll have to dig out my old rope and start incorporating it back into my routine. Sounds like it's going to be a killer way to help strengthen everything.

I grew up in Ky so I know exactly what you mean. I used to run around the woods barefoot all summer. Shame I stopped and started keeping myself in shoes as I got older.

I like my Lone Peaks, but they are overly cushy. I've got a pair of New Balance Minimus coming in to try for work (with steel toe slip on cover ) I'm going to try some hikes in those, but if I find the 4mm drop in them to be too much then the Superior's are next in line.

Merrill Trail Glove is another to keep in mind.


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[MoeTCrow]

I see Xero shoes mentioned a lot, I'm going to be taking a hard look at their options. I have a pair of Lems Primal 2s coming in this week to use for casual/after work/weekend wear to help keep my feet in shape. Still looking for a trail option so these could be a good choice.

I love my xero sandals unless they get wet. Then my feet slide like crazy in them. I usually wear tevas when I'm hiking because of that reason. That way I don't need them overly tight and can just walk through the water and not care. If I'm not hiking and need to wear shoes then it's the xero. Well unless I need to dress fancy, but that's not often.

[oldgringo]

I'm kinda attached to the idea of my feet being at least semi-clean when I get in my hammock. Otherwise, I'd be all in on the barefoot thing.