Why Are so Many People Walking Barefoot? 5 Benefits of Ditching Your Shoes

Many experts extoll the virtues of barefooting, or ditching your shoes and walking barefoot. For those who want to approximate the feeling of walking barefoot but prefer the protection that shoes provide, the booming minimalist, barefoot shoe market caters to those needs.

Check out the five benefits of walking barefoot below as we explore why some people insist on ditching their shoes. 

It is important to consult with your doctor before making any changes like this to your everyday lifestyle. If you have a trusted podiatrist, they can provide expert insight into how going barefoot can affect you.

At both the cultural and hygienic levels, leaving your shoes at the door and walking barefoot in others' homes is a great sign of respect.

According to The Washington Post, taking off your shoes before entering someone's home is common in many cultures, and it serves the dual purpose of protecting your home from "tracked-in" contaminants via your shoes.

From cancer-causing chemicals to general dirt debris, eschewing your shoes indoors and walking barefoot in your home mitigates the risk of exposing your home to unnecessary risks.

“Seventy-nine percent of the soil found in carpet is tracked-in soil,” Rainbow Restoration Director of Canadian Operations Jack White tells The Washington Post.

According to Healthline, walking barefoot may strengthen your feet and improve your gait, which is important for injury prevention and mobility. Your hips, knees, and core are said to benefit from an improved gait, which happens as a result of walking barefoot.

“The most straightforward benefit to barefoot walking is that in theory, walking barefoot more closely restores our ‘natural’ walking pattern, also known as our gait,” Dr. Jonathan Kaplan, an orthopedic surgeon at the Hoag Orthopaedic Institute, tells the outlet.

There are many things a growing body of research says we can do to protect our well-being as we age. One way to protect against falls and improve our balance is walking barefoot, per Healthline.

Walking barefoot may mean developing a heightened sense of how your body moves to steel you against falls as you age.

Balance declines with age, per The Foot Collective. "Strong, functional feet are the foundation of stability," the organization wrote on Instagram. The good news, they say, is that with practice, you can regain your stability and balance as you age.

As Dr. Paul Thompson, the influencer known as The Barefoot Podiatrist, attests, grounding has many purported benefits. Some of the alleged benefits, according to Well+Good, include improved mental health, better sleep, and reduced overall pain and wound healing.

Not everyone agrees, however, with the legitimacy of the claims of the benefits of the earthing, or grounding, movement.

Do not misconstrue the alleged benefits of walking barefoot for medical advice. If you are considering grounding or earthing, consult with your general physician and podiatrist for a well-rounded perspective.

According to Foot and Ankle Surgical Associates, walking barefoot can support your child's sensory development, foot and leg strength, development of motor skills, proprioceptive awareness, and cognitive functioning.

Some research indicates that children who walk barefoot may have an advantage in some areas over kids who do not.

"Research has shown that kids who are habitually barefoot are noticeably better at jumping and balancing," Dr. Thompson writes on Instagram. "Apart from being good for posture, walking patterns, joint alignment, proprioception, strength, and balance...going barefoot also helps in reaching milestones and healthy development."