I love this video! I always wore shoes until I was about 47, then, after listening to the audiobook version of "Born to Run", I decided to try the barefoot thing, and it has improved my life and my health in so many ways! I always hated running, now I love it! It took some serious trial and error to figure it out, but it was so fun to go barefoot, after the initial few months of carrying around a pair of sandals and doing little bits at a time, that I kept coming back to it. To anyone on the fence about this I say: gently, carefully, patiently go for it! If I was going to tell my former self some advice it would be: -- Get Ken Bob Saxton's book "Barefoot Running Step by Step" -- Stay away from minimalist shoes for running until you have a bombproof running form figured out for bare feet. They don't give you enough of the ground feel to keep you from pounding too much and they don't give you enough support to keep you from hurting yourself. Google a popular toe shoe brand plus stress fractures to see evidence. -- Skin grows fastest, followed by muscle, and bone takes a while to build up. Be gentle, take your time. -- Sharp gravel is your friend with learning running form. Start with learning to stand on it, then step back and forth, then learn to run gently on it. It will clue you in to any issues with hunching, pounding, overstriding, etc. Find a running route that has sharp gravel near the beginning and notice your good and bad days. Maybe even loop back to that same spot toward the end of your run and see if you have settled into a better form by then. -- Thin mud can help clue you in to overstriding and pushing off as you feel your feet slide at the landing or take off. -- Have tons of fun! Thank you Paul for this video! As for backpacking, I always bring a pair of sandals, just in case. If you are way out there it is good to be prepared. I do feel though, after a little more than a few years of this, that my backup for the sandals not working is becoming my bare feet! I just don't go as fast backpacking barefoot. All the best, Scott

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

Just pinned this comment to the top. I need to start talking from some notes :) You laid it out perfectly. I actually had that book at my feet and totally forgot to bring it up....a problem stemming from not talking from notes :)

@sfmarckx

3 жыл бұрын

@@PaultheBackpacker I started jotting down notes as I listened. This has been one of my obsessions! (My poor wife has had to hear about it way too much!) Another great source of inspiration and information is Thea Gavin's blog: theagavin.wordpress.com/ She has done some pretty amazing barefoot runs and hikes and has a lot of helpful information, along with great writing and pictures on her blog. Thanks for your fun videos! All the best, Scott

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

When I retire :) I hope to make my video descriptions a rich source of information and add places people can go for further reading. I just added your link to the description, and here is another I added after it was shared by someone www.barefooters.org/

@sfmarckx

3 жыл бұрын

@@PaultheBackpacker You are already doing that! That Society for barefoot living site is a great find. Thank you for your work with this! All the best, Scott

@mulchgranny

3 жыл бұрын

@@sfmarckx Thanks for the shout-out, Scott! Hey, anyone reading this--Scott is an amazing barefooter + much more; read this interview for more insight into "What Can A Person Accomplish Without Shoes" theagavin.wordpress.com/2019/10/10/what-can-a-person-accomplish-without-shoes/

I switched to hiking in minimalist sandals (Bedrock Cairn) a couple years ago, and have not been happier. Definitely the best hiking decision I've made.

"KZread Empire" lol, this cracked me up. Great video, love the DIYs as well!

Preach! Good stuff here.

Your channel is a breath of fresh air in the backpacking and hiking KZread universe. I always enjoy the discussion - keep ‘em coming!

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much for the kind words :)

Great video. For all of my hiking career I used the typical rugged hiking boots. On 99% of my trips I would twist an ankle and on one occasion I twisted both. One evening I reflected back to my childhood and realized that as a kid I NEVER experienced an ankle sprain. Why? I grew up on an Island and only wore sneakers for about 5 hrs a day 5 days a week while in school. The rest of the time I ran around barefooted or in flat foam type slippers. I decided to make the switch to Vibram Five Fingers. It's a very slow transition. Taking the dog for walks etc 5 miles. It was a bit painful in the beginning, but by mile 60 I could feel a positive difference. In June of 2019 I section hiked the NJ portion of the AT. Going to sleep that first night I prepared myself to wake up with pain in my feet, because my arches were sore. Amazingly I woke up with feet so refreshed. I've done many many miles of of rugged White Mountain backpacking in my vibrams since then and I do not have any complaints. Daily in the house I'm barefoot, but when doing yard work or errands in town I'm in Crocs. After watching your video I've decided that I'll be switching to my Vibram 5 fingers exclusively. Thanks for providing great content. Looking forward to your follow up video.

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

A few weeks ago I was at a birthday party and this video came up -- people close to me get previews weeks before the general public :) He mentioned how research was done with doctors and nurse and the negative impact of crocs long term. Dug intro it and sure enough he was right. On the other hand, so interesting to see Drs recommending crocs for the same reasons shoe companies recommend their shoes, but with no research to back it up.

I went straight from always wearing shoes and socks to mostly being barefoot in the middle of Winter. It wasn't a problem at all except for numbness when it's too cold and wet. I would recommend NO BACKPACK, especially not a large heavy one until your feet have strengthened and you've learned basic balance! Being able to feel the ground allows you to quickly judge how slippery it is and other things, and dirty feet make you not care about getting dirty hands so much. :)

..."this massive youtube empire...". Good one!

I am almost 70 now. I started a transition to minimalist footwear a few years ago after I retired. I echo most of what has been said in the vid by Paul (thanks, Paul), and others who have been through the transition. There is great info in some of these comments. So...what I will say as an old, over-weight retired lady is: I SURE wish I had made the change decades ago. I also hike and do a little backpacking. Have (had) very bad feet, like Paul. Not so much now. Do keep in mind the slow transition depending on age, and amount of barefoot walking you’ve done in the past. Don’t rush it. It IS worth it!

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

So as you probably know :) As you get older your balance starts to go. So combine that with padded shoes and all sorts of trouble follows. I read many stories in my research of people giving older folks minimalist shoes and they became more stable because you aren't fighting the decline of balance that comes with age, and the imbalance caused by shoes. "Don’t rush it. It IS worth it!" You said it!

@kathydomokos3265

3 жыл бұрын

Paul the Backpacker Yes, sir. I have found that to be true. Not that I don’t still on occasion do the ‘pinball’ walk down the hall in the early hours!

Hearing all of those things about shoes (not just this video, also other videos an other research I did), makes me glad I never have and never will wear shoes inside my house. I'm excited to try barefoot shoes and sandals for outdoor use ^^

@PaultheBackpacker

2 жыл бұрын

Yep...i always barefoot inside too :)

Thumbnail: hey I recognize that foot! 😃 Just discovered your videos regarding the barefoot footwear. Really enjoying them! What the heck happened to modern medicine?! It seems to be the same everywhere, and it’s getting worse over the years: doctors just issue pills and pain medication. They went to school for years of training for that? We pay them the dollars we do for that? It’s becoming a scam. Great video! Thanks!

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

I think you used a key word..."trained." They only know what they have been trained to do. And once you start your business and learn the "truth" or an alternative solution you can't tell people the truth because then your business is over. What if podiatrists told people that orthodontics aren't really needed in almost all cases? That is a lot of orthodontics no longer being sold :) To be fair most occupations have something similar. All research shows that grades are detrimental to learning, but could you imagine if schools decided to stop giving grades? People want the easy fix given to them by someone else so that they do not have to blame themselves for their behavior or condition!

The moment you said walking barefoot in the woods I clicked subscribe!

2:30 - So good and true. Im sold already :)

Your videos are always my favorite. Keep up the killer vids 👌

Well you got me conviced! Actualy you just confirmed what I already knew. I have been barefoot for les than a year and I am still contioning my feet and toes. The big advantage for me is that I loner suffer from chronic back pain.Funny thing is that those shoes you have are the exact same I got and the first thing I did also was to remove the insoul.

@PaultheBackpacker

2 жыл бұрын

You know I really haven't thought of it, but I used to have a lot of back pain to and now no longer have it.

I stumbled onto this video after watching your bidet video and so happy I did! As a barefoot hiker/backpacker I can not agree more with everything you had to say; I maybe using some of your examples in the future as I talk to others about my journey to a barefoot life style. Thank you for putting yourself out there. See you on the trail, 😎👣

Loved it : thank you !

Great information, thanks for sharing! We live up in Northern Alberta Canada and always look forward to spring time when we can take our boots off! During the winter we're using more and more of our own handmade moccasins and mukluks. Leather is superior to rubber when it comes to connecting to the magnetism of the earth you were talking about, making moccasins and mukluks the ultimate barefoot "shoe." That's incredible to hear how your knees and entire body was transformed just by taking off your foot casts! Thanks again :)

Many years ago I was told by a specialist that, “the human foot has evolved over millions of years to not wear shoes”. 6 months later no more back, hip, knee, ankle problems….a year later, no more flat feet! Worked for me, might for you

I was waiting for this video as you mentioned in other videos that you were using barefoot shoes for hiking. And here it is! I transitioned to barefoot shoes and also barefoot hiking in 2014. It was definitively a transition and within time I accumulated so much knowledge about foot health that I cannot imagine going back once more to coffin shoes. It all began with vibram five fingers and it took me some time to reverse the bad habit of heel walking agains forefoot walking, we naturally do as children. Slowly I learned that the palms of my feet could also become used to walk barefoot on any ground. It took me some time before I could walk on any surface without much problems. Gravel is still a bit of a pain but there is nothing better than feeling earth directly beneath your feet and feeling every step you walk in nature. Every sensation is enriching my experience (temperature, texture, firmness, moisture, etc.). I like to go minimalist or barefoot on smaller day hikes, but for long distance or technical hikes I prefer to use zero drop shoes with large toe boxes, like Altras, to reduce the risk of injury.

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

At times I become a little angry for having grown up in a world that convinced me that I needed "supportive" shoes. I feel like I had decades of happy hiking stolen from me! For at least where I live, it is amazing how ingrained it is that parents need to put shoes on their kids. Last year a parent got very angry at me for suggesting that kids don't need shoes :)

@ShantiHikes

3 жыл бұрын

@@PaultheBackpacker I believe that. We have been trained by shoe companies to not doubt "their" science for decades. I often travel to India and I admire their feet. Most of them walked barefoot all life and have such healthy and strong feet. There is a nice community out there about barefoot walking. It is called the society for barefoot living. May be you like it...

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

@@ShantiHikes I listened to a podcast once that had a recording of a panel discussion of shoe company representatives from some big conference. Nike, Adidas, Brooks, etc... Someone asked if any of them would be willing to say that their shoes prevent injuries....none of them were willing to answer :) I will throw in the link to the Society of Barefoot Living for anyone reading these comments www.barefooters.org/barefoot-hiking/

Great stuff! I also recently bumped into the book Born to Run and have begun transitioning to zero drop and minimalist shoes. Up and downs so far but headed in the right direction. Thanks!

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

Born to Run does tend to be the Bible of the Barefoot minimalist movement :-)

after watching your video months ago, I transitioned from high heel drop, to low drop to zero drop. Then I transitioned from max cushion to mid cushion to no cushion. Then I transitioned from shoe to sandal and then sandal to barefoot. Then I transitioned from man to woman, and white to ethnic Korean, and then transitioned to a dolphin and no longer walk barefoot, I only swim. Thanks! 🙏

It's funny how seemingly random things come together. A few weeks ago I was watching a backpacking youtuber hike the South or North Boundary trail (Jasper NP) with two friends and the fellow commented that he was backpacking the trail barefoot. Hmmmm I thought and was taken back to my childhood in the 60s and 70s when spring would set us free from winter boots and our tender tootsies would feel the earth for the summer. We'd spend the summer mostly barefoot and it felt wonderful. Separately, a friend then sent me a link to a video about grounding (as you mentioned in yours) and I only watched part of it and then i randomly came across you video above (and watched to the end). I'm going to give this some thought and might start doing evening walks so my square, platform shaped high-arched feet can finally do what they are designed to do. I remember how wonderfully tactile barefootedness is and if not done for a long time, is almost over-stimulating. Thanks for taking the time to make this video. Wonderful job and content.

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

Watch this one on grounding kzread.info/dash/bejne/lYaLkrqIYtu9npc.html

@wanderworm

3 жыл бұрын

@@PaultheBackpacker Thanks for the link. I'll watch that one after I finish watching The Earthing Movie which also features Clint Ober. Such a simple concept yet we've so insulated ourselves. No wonder I feel great when I walk barefoot on a beach or get my hands dirty in my garden. Thanks again.

An observation about grounding: we go to the beach and take off most of our clothes, and definitely our shoes, to relax. When we come back from the beach we feel refreshed and renewed. I believe it's from the grounding effect. Last night, I walked barefoot from my house 4 blocks to the beach with my dog. It was dark. He thought we were out hunting rats, lol. I walked on concrete, really rough asphalt around the RR tracks, grass, and the sand. I walked in the shallow wash up from the waves and enjoyed the night. I walked home. This morning, I hiked about 1/2 mile barefoot up a trail. I'm totally hooked. I have tried to walk at least several blocks daily barefoot, and hike a couple days a week. I'm really not looking forward to putting on shoes when I have to now...

@PaultheBackpacker

2 жыл бұрын

Awesome :) my problem around here right now is that I have to wear sneakers a little bit more cushion because all of the Hickory and acorn nuts have fallen! Acorns have a little bit of Squish to them, but the pointy shells of the Hickory nuts after the squirrels open them up are ridiculous so sneakers it is for another month or so

Haha u are putting my feelings in words.. no wonder I always put away my costly shoes away and prefer my flat slippers to walk around

I stopped wearing all enclose shoes back in 1999 do to metatarsal problems (the narrowness inflamed the nerve under the foot) so I just wore Chacos for like 15 years which looking back are heavy& bulky...it was not until Altra (superior) that I could wear running shoes again and then I switched to Luna sandals and put Sierra Vibram soles on to make them slightly more robust for Alpine trekking....Now I am going to buy a pair of the inexpensive Whitten barefoot shoe on Amazon they.. look sweet

@PaultheBackpacker

2 жыл бұрын

Altar superiors were my first comfortable shoes. Just found a pair on eBay for $45 :)

I made the transition fairly easily. Perhaps its because I did a lot of hiking and backpacking here in Colorado wearing low-top Chuck Taylors, and climbing in climbing shoes. I often went barefoot for large parts of the summer, and whenever inside in winter. Still, I kept my hikes at 1 mile sections, then rest a few, then another 1 mile for a couple weeks, and later added longer hikes.

Intresting idea, not sure I could go completely shoeless, can't afford to break that many toes, I am looking forward to your minimalist video as I would consider sandals. I am always struck by the stories of soldiers fighting shoeless in the Revolutionary and Civil wars to name a few. I recently read about Tierra del Fuego tribe that only wore loincloths so I suppose your right that it is all about what you get used to.

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

I left out the part about breaking a couple toes, but then again, I have broken my toes at least five time's so maybe it was just coincidence that I was barefoot and it only happened when on really rocky trails :) Once I slowed down, and changed how I step (foot landing underneath me) my broken toes stopped! It is what you are used to. Recently we lost power after the tropical storm. Everyone around us panics and throws on their generator. We do not have one. Someone was politely telling us we were crazy and can't live that way when my daughter responded that it was just basically like camping except inside a house :) With the exception of this series of videos being posted a week late, everything went on as normal because we were used to it.

Hey mate thanks for this video. This is by far your best video so far. Just thought I'd share my experience also... I used to be a national level track athlete (200m) and now have grade 3 cartilage degradation in my knees as a result (runner's knee...) along with a recurring foot injury near the ball of my right foot and a few other niggles. I recently (6 months ago) bought a set of Xero Z-Trail sandals and Xero Ipari Prio runners in confidence that my biomechanics will somewhat be altered to a degree so I strike the ground more gently and use my foot to absorb the energy instead of shooting it up through my legs to my knees. I've combined that with a multitude of other things to improve my strength, stability and balance and I really feel as though it (the combination of all) is working. Trying to avoid a knee replacement for as long as possible since I'm in my early 30s. I still wear my Scarpa SL Active boots for backpacking. I still wear mountaineering boots for when I'm in the mountains and need crampons. But I'm using the Xeros more and more in every day life- soon I'll be at the stage where that's basically all I'll wear in normal life. I'm really walking much more lightly these days and I'm sure that must help in the long run. My partner bought me a set of Asics Kayanos to wear casually and the softness really causes my foot injury to flare up. Painful as hell. No such issues with the Xeros. Reminds me of my weightlifting coach- you were not even allowed to step foot in the gym without proper solid weightlifting shoes; no runners allowed due to the squish. Way too easy to injure your back that way.

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

Weightlifting, martial arts, race car drivers, even drumming....no squishy shoes. I do wonder with the knee replacements/braces/surgeries if they are mostly slated to allowing people to continue to heel strike and walk/run unnaturally. How many could be avoided by a switch to different shoes and stride? No body will make money researching that. What company or doctor wants to hear that they will sell less shoe or do fewer profitable surgeries.

@icewallow2611

3 жыл бұрын

@@PaultheBackpacker my thoughts exactly.

Grounding I believe one of the greatest sources of grounding is water immersion. I also believe that salt water immersion is slightly better than fresh water. That is why surfers are so chill, hours spent in the salt water makes them grounded. My proof that salt water grounding works is? I took a Mexican vacation and we were traveling by sea for our dinner reservations. I am a Teetotaler so I was not partaking of the Liquid refreshments that were available. Now granted I grew up as a competitive swimmer and had water skied extensively from power boats in lakes and rivers. The rocking of the Boat from the waves. The idling speed the trimaran was being operated. Having an empty stomach all contributed to a mild case of being sea sick. Part of the dinner cruise was we were to stop at a beach for an hour or so and then continue to our destination. The crew promised that as soon as the boat stopped I should jump in the ocean and that I would instantly feel better. I did and instantly became grounded. If you have read Horace Kephart He talks about the best form of footwear for the outdoors man is the moccasin. The Leather moccasin and the leather sandal are the original Zero drop footwear. I am not ready to make a commitment to bare feet. I believe I could manage moccasins and sandals though. Hot pavement at the swimming pool kept me in sandals growing up. I honestly tried the southern boy look of bare feet and liberty overalls with no shirt but the feet never got tough.

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

I love when comments are more interesting than the video :) Yep, at one point our footwear was all conductive. My family was just talking about water the other day....in a conversation about grounding. Beach days, lake days...hard to come back stressed from them. By the way, my next series is all about ultralight weight backpacking overalls.

@markgang1861

3 жыл бұрын

@@PaultheBackpacker Water grounding in movies. An actor is either in a fight or in a hysterical state and somebody throws a bucket of water on them and the situation is quelled. Then there is water intoxication. When the participant continually drinks water to obtain a different state of consciousness. Starting to think the early alchemist had something going there with the four basic elements. earth, water, wind, fire. Paul you are the new alchemist taking the science vegan/vegetarian and stoveless. I look forward to your next trending fashion ultralight weight runway piece.

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

Did you know, if you wet the back of your neck an old internal instinct kicks in and you blood pressure and pulse start to decrease (I think it was those two things) and you become calmer. Supposedly goes back to some old think built into us to helps us not drown or something....then there is the old ice cube on the Feng Fu point....go ahead, pause here, look up Feng Fu point, get an ice cube, let me know how it goes :)

@markgang1861

3 жыл бұрын

@@PaultheBackpacker mild mannered former custodial engineer walks to file cabinet to consult his hong kong book of Feng Fu. Tried it and it did have a calming effect. Also know as the Mammalian diving reflex can also be acquired by splashing cold water in ones face and neck.

I hike in Chacos Z Clouds. Not zero drop or minimalist but breathable and no blisters. Tried thinner soled sandals but need the support. Love my sandals.

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

I love the not worrying about blisters. Never knew that was a bonus of sandals until I tried them.

Liked the video, watched til the end. Maybe I'll try it 🤔

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

Please do!

What a wonderful video ! Very informative and helpful. Thank you sir, for creating and uploading. (Very minor point: As an electrical engineer, I think the "electrical grounding" thing is bonkers. My experience is absolutely that barefooting in nature is a very much more relaxing experience than walking in shoes. But I think that is easily explained by the fact that it engages the body and the senses more fully, as you explain in the video.)

@PaultheBackpacker

2 жыл бұрын

I know but I so want to believe :)

@mmneander1316

2 жыл бұрын

@@PaultheBackpacker :-) Heh. Well, in the end what matters is the experience, not the theory. Thanks for replying and thanks again for the video ! Greetings and be well.

Not to sure I’d go bare foot in our area, the surface would rip your feet apart, it dies to our shoes. On the stride thing I completely agree. Doing 20-30 hikes over striding is a big no no. It’s funny watching the students we take out hiking each year and watching them walk, and teaching them long ways of long distance hiking. Another thing we teach them is how to breath. Maybe another video for you to do.

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

Breathing....another person a few months ago recommended a breathing video :) And I don't want to imply I go barefoot everywhere. Around here you really have to only do it a a few trails. And after the tropical storm came through a couple weeks ago, I think barefoot is done for several months. The amount of sticks and branches down is crazy.

I just heard about minimal shoes thru your previous video. I'm not a backpacker, just love to walk. The Whitin shoes has made me "feel again". My wife asks when i'm gonna wear a different shoe, i don't want to take them off.

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

I have a more legit review of them coming up tomorrow. I really can't believe they have not started to fall apart! For a little more than $30 they have stayed in better condition than any other sneaker I have ever bought.

I love hiking in my toe shoes

Thanks Paul. You have the best channel about this topic. Going through the same process you are describing now. What do you wear during winter?

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

I'm trying to figure out winter, thinking about finding a pair I can wear some thick wool socks with for the winter :-)

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

I should add and if it's just plain old cold I normally just wear a pair of Whitten shoes Or I also have some Altra lone peak's. Only in measurable snow do I go to boots, and around here, it's been quite some time since I've had to do that.

I started flirting with barefoot running in 2012 and gave up my cowboy boots for the most part. When I left NYC in 2013 it was far easier to make the transition, but I still went to the gym in Vans, which have a more traditional toe box. I've never made the final transition to doing away with "normal" shoes, still have some combat style boots and vans kicking around, but this past winter I started doing Wim Hof breathing and running shirtless, and in Fit Kicks when I could. This year I want to make the full on barefoot leap, and then next year hike the Appalachian Trail in minimalist shoes.

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

Check out Evan's video on his AT thru hike....he did it in sandals kzread.info/dash/bejne/iZemtJmwp622oKw.html I think the key is to learn how to walk bare foot first, then take that skill and transfer it to minimalist shoes.

Great video! 1) I relate to what you said about cushioning. It creates knee pain for me, even in zero drop shoes, and also my big toes tend to push harder into the ground and it makes them really sore. I think this is because the toes are doing what they're meant to do in trying to get information from the earth through the cushioning. I've also experienced that drunk feeling before. It's pretty crazy lol. I've been wearing just Altras recently but my knees have been hurting, so yesterday i went for a walk in a pair of Deliberate Life sandals (a choice inspired by your review of them!) and the pain went away. I'm struggling with getting a comfortable strap adjustment but it made such a difference. I'm looking forward to going out in them today. 2) I've spent long periods of time wearing barefoot shoes so my feet are used to flexing. When i wear a shoe with arch support, my feet feel like they're going to break, because the rigidity of the arch support fights against the flexing, forcing them into a position they are not meant to be in. and 3) i super relate to resetting by walking barefoot. I tend to get clompy n' stompy, even in barefoot shoes, and walking barefoot for a while is really helpful. But you know, there's something about minimalist sandals where i don't have that issue so much. Maybe there's a psychological advantage in having the feet much more free than they are when covered?

@PaultheBackpacker

2 жыл бұрын

I am recovering from a very weird running injury and slowly trying to build my mileage back up. Long story short, for various reasons I have not been wearing my sandals. I run 1,2,3, and 6 miles each week in ALtras or another minimalist shoe I have. Yesterday I was going hiking on a really rocky trail with my deliberate life sandals. I decided to run all the flats and downhills. I got back to my car 10 miles later and felt better than I do after my 3 mile runs. It was amazing how much more I was able to go when my body was moving more naturally. Granted I did have "uphill" walking breaks, but still :) Sorry...did I just make that comment all about me :) On the Deliberate Life sandals, I found they to be more comfortable after I decided to crank down on that little black strap that comes in front of your ankle. I think what I figured out is that when I am sitting and adjusting it is not the same once I stand up. The tendency is to adjust sitting and then start walking, then sit back down and adjust. We should all find someone willing to adjust them while we are standing straight up!

@teeoconnell8716

2 жыл бұрын

@@PaultheBackpacker That's pretty amazing that you ran that far in the sandals and it felt better than shorter runs in shoes! Sounds like your injury recovery is going well? Weird injuries are the worst! I had one several years ago that lasted for months. Never figured out where it came from but it was after i started running in Brooks Ghosts. It was shortly after that that i bought my first barefoot shoes (VFFs). And thanks for the tip on cranking down the black strap!

Ah, such timing on your video. I've been dabbling with sandals and burned thru a few pairs of Altras the last few years. I started getting heel pain recently out of the blue. With Covid, and too much time to shop online, I found a pair of Hoka Torrents half price. Such a mistake! I clomp thru the woods now, and I miss the feel of the ground under my feet! Now I think my pain is from less hiking time this year, not the shoes. If I don't wear out the shoes, my wife will give me the stinkeye so damn. LOL

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

Tomorrow I have the Whitin minimalist shoes going up, Monday Deliberate Life Sandals, and Tuesday Xero Z-trek sandals....think I got those days right.... Give her the stink eye right back :)

@rogerc7972

3 жыл бұрын

@@PaultheBackpacker OK, but she can kick my ass - BTW did you watch Evan's backpacking channel? Last year he hiked the AT in Luna sandals, I was amazed.

i hiked barefoof for the first time the other day. I was able to go way farther, over much rougher terrain than I had imagined. It was a great feeling. One thing I noticed, on my way back, I put on my shoes and immediately noticed how everything from the hips down was sorta out of my focus now where before, while barefoot, I was really highly aware of my entire body. With shoes on, it was like my legs were on auto-pilot. I really prefer hiking without shoes on now, but need to do it more to build up stamina and calluses. If you have never tried it, just go for it; take off your shoes and see what it's like. You will probably be very surprised.

@PaultheBackpacker

2 жыл бұрын

"Sorta out of focus" I like that line. Perfect analogy.

I ditched my favorite la sportiva wildcats because the drop was 12 mm. Working my way down to zero over time

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

You might work your way down to no shoes at all :)

I've transitioned to barefoot shoes yesterday，been wanting to do it for a long time and now it's happening. I wore shoes since birth basically and now I realized how bad my feet are, I have a knee injury and just by walking barefoot it got a little bit better. As he said in the video, I started to feel all the muscles that were sleeping on my foot, calves and achilles tendon. (I'll come back six months after this comment to give an update of how I'm doing)

@PaultheBackpacker

2 жыл бұрын

Just go slow. The problems arise when you think you can make a big jump in miles/time.

@brendanforcucci8750

2 жыл бұрын

Ok 6 months here. How are things going?

i love the straight forward explanation but MAN waaaaay too many ads. but nice job on the presentation of good stuff.

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

I literally was just watching a few KZread videos and noticed a pattern in the last month or so in which KZread is changing how they insert their ads. Out of curiosity can you give me a ballpark number of how many ads there were? This is not something I do for income so I really don't manage that part of the channel, but I know I can go in and change some things.

great topic! thank you for sharing. I am also in transition to 'barefoot' walking. for at least 3 years now, I wear 'barefoot' shoes daily. I am just starting to run in them. you mention "soreness". I'd like to share my experience with that on also taking care of the inner body. I practice sport (fitness and some walking/running) 2 tot 3 times a week and everytime I had sore muscless, fatigue and recovered badly. especially in my calves and bottom/inside of my feet. Then I read about MAGNESIUM deficiency. we are supposedly short of that, because it is less in our food as say 100 years ago. and, as we age, our body absorbs nutrients less well as when we were younger. Well, that is what I read. I am 48 years old now. So, in order to see in what state I was, on MAGNESIUM, I tried weekly a warm foot bath with pure MAGNESIUM flakes......and boy, did I notice a difference! actually, right away! That night I slept better, noticed my muscless more relaxed. of course a warm footbath alone, helps to relax muscless, but in time, I noticed, I had less or no soreness in my calves and feet nor after a workout. My workout routine stayed the same. the same weights, same intensity. now, I also take Magnesium supplements and use the magnesium bath less. But the positive effects stay the same, or sometimes even better! also, I take the supplements as magnesium is involved in many other processes in your body. (like vitamine D, which I also supplement). Anyway, I wanted to share my story. perhaps it can help others, also. You and I are in the same age category. so, perhaps it is something for you to consider. take care!

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

Magnesium is so important. And as for magnesium for recovery....one thing about magnesium is that it is not only used to help your body recover from muscle stress, but over all mental stress. So you could have the right amount of magnesium for muscle recovery, not figure in your stress level, and still fall short.

@mulchgranny

3 жыл бұрын

I have also had good results with magnesium and Vit D supplements . . . and other fun stuff like nose breathing etc. All part of my lifelong "health journey" of which barefoot trail running, hiking, and backpacking have been part of for the last 10 years :) Happy Trails!

@olekike72

3 жыл бұрын

@@PaultheBackpacker ok. so, you are aware of magnesium. I didnot mention it, but I use magnesium also for mental health. magnesiumbisglynate for the head and magnesiumcitrate for the muscles.

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

Awesome! I know I talked to one dr. So many people in the population are short of magnesium and has nothing to do with the powering their body, because their brains are still over stressed! Do you take it before bed?

@olekike72

3 жыл бұрын

@@PaultheBackpacker yes, the magnesiumbisglynate I take one or two capsules (50 mg per capsule), just before bed time, on an empty stomach. advised, by the store I bought them. the magnesium citrate (200mg per capsule) I'll take one or two of those capsules on one day. depending if I have done some sport.

I have been going barefoot more around the yard, I want to build up to hike barefoot but I'm apprehensive because many times when I'm on trails around where I live there's glass chards and sometimes it's hard to see. Also what is your choice for hiking in colder weather?

@PaultheBackpacker

2 жыл бұрын

You could get just a really thin sandal. In the winter I wear Altra lone peak's. I found that with some of the Minimalist Shoes that I have just that thin sheet of rubber conducts the cold right to my feet!

Hi i have steel in my feet so i noticed that i cant use shoes that are higher in the heel, i need flat feet and i noticed that i can walk better in flat foot shoes, so im going to look un to these, Thank you for the video

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

Alright...tell me more about this steel. What do you have and why?

@MarkRuslinzski

3 жыл бұрын

@@PaultheBackpacker i have steel plates in my feet cause i was on the 2nd floor in Atlantic city and 2 guys robbed me and beat the hell out of me and u got knocked off the 2nd floor so i have fractures in my back and nerve damage and steel plates in my feet and right arm, that's what happened to me

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

Ah, so plates reconnecting bone and reduce flexibility... feet were probably put back together to be in the most natural position so that's why shoes without heels probably work best because they keep your feet in the most natural position.

It is possible to wear a "max-cushion" shoe like Hoka One One and still doing incredible things. Just look at John Schwarze "Airborne" or Jeff Garmire "Legend". They kind of know what they are doing and if you hike 30 miles +, every day for months maybe you need this kind of cushion since after two months on the last half mile of your day, you maybe can't produce the perfect stride anymore. Hoka gives you 0 ground response. And they are trained athletes, at least on a semi-professional level. We, as ordinary and boring as we are, get a far better experience with wearing less shoe. For those who are not cool enough to get bedrock sandals, Altra and Topo are the shoe of choice. Yes it is maybe not incredibly wise to get the shoe in the morning and in the afternoon doing a stroll from Klosters to Engadine in Switzerland, since you have to walk through a recent rockfall for miles where every boulder moves and you need to balance out every stepp. Maybe you don't want to hike 30 miles either if you wore boots for the last two decades. Boots are stupid for hiking and doing miles. It's like having a dumbbell assortment in your pack, since you want to train your arms in camp. The step between Topo, Altra and sandals, namely wearing "barefoot" shoes, is an odd one. From my personal experience barefoot shoes are often constructed like rubber boots, just with a flexible piece of rubber and all kinds of materials in the upper. Because this rubber moves on the sole of your feet I got horrible blistering all over. Topo and Altra offer a more stable platform with less junk in the upper and far stickier material on the outer sole.

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

You can do great things with big ol shoes :) I have an OLD pair of super thick road shoe Altras. I broke a toe about two months ago and wore them for a few weeks. It was like my toe was not broken anymore. Amazing what I could just plow through without feeling anything. And while it is possible to "do great things" it is not the same as good for your long term health :) And yep, If I plan on going faster and longer I will throw on my Altra lone Peaks for just what you mentioned about how my stride is at the end of a long day.

How do you avoid Lyme ticks out on the trail? That might make a good video. Thanks

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

I live 45 mins from Lyme, CT. Certain years, and times of the year ticks are just an inevitable part of life. Use pyrethrin spray on clothes kzread.info/dash/bejne/e52Ys9qef7KWqZs.html For most of the year when I am in shorts I usually never have a problem. I normally can feel a tick and remove it. I can only really remember once that I had a tick embedded in a leg, never a foot. Remember that a tick has to be embedded in you for 24 hours to transmit Lyme. So if you just do a check at end of day you are all set. I have never gotten a tick embedded while hiking, but working in my yard is another deal...at least 5+ per year. And they itch and leave a scab for weeks after picking them out!

@seaotter52

3 жыл бұрын

Pinetree Send your clothes to Insect Shield and they'll be tick resistant for the rest of their useful life www.insectshield.com/ISYOC.aspx

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

That is a really good price vs yearly use of permethrin spray

To much to go into but painful foot problems here. Go barefoot at home and in the garden. Shoes only when I have too. Walking in concrete agitates foot problem. Each season when changing from summer shoe/sandal to boots I end up with tendonitis. Always go barefoot at camp. Want to try this but I’m a winter hiker. What do you do for cold protection?

@markie3394

3 жыл бұрын

Actually now thinking about it, when I did work (in the hospital) and my feet hurt , I’d secretly take off my shoes and wear a pair of paper booties. Some of my coworkers who were runners wore those toe shoes. I’m not a runner. Do you know anything about those? Recommend?

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

Those toe shoes would be the same as a very minimalist sandal. Vibram makes them. Also not all sandals are equal, key would be to find the ones that are not stacked high with cushioning and no heel. For where I live, I don't wear the sandals in the winter time. I wear another minimalist shoe, like the Whitin that I have a review on right after this video. I just wear a slightly thicker sock, and then have a much thicker pair of socks for sleeping.

@markie3394

3 жыл бұрын

Paul the Backpacker thank you so much Paul!

Do you backpack with these shoes, or only day hike with these?

@PaultheBackpacker

2 жыл бұрын

I have not gone much in the covid era, but I think I have used these once on a weekend and I have going multiple times in other sandals that were nearly not as comfortable.