Barefoot

Barefoot is the state of not wearing any footwear.

There are health benefits and some risks associated with going barefoot. Shoes, while they offer protection, can limit the flexibility, strength, and mobility of the foot and can lead to higher incidences of flexible flat foot, bunions, hammer toe, and Morton's neuroma. Walking and running barefoot results in a more natural gait, allowing for a more rocking motion of the foot, eliminating the hard heel strike and generating less collision force in the foot and lower leg.^[1]^[2]

There are many sports that are performed barefoot, most notably gymnastics, martial arts and swimming, but also beach volleyball, barefoot running, barefoot hiking, and barefoot waterskiing.

^ Lieberman, D. E.; Venkadesan, M.; Werbel, W. A.; Daoud, A. I.; d'Andrea, S.; Davis, I. S.; Mang'Eni, R. O.; Pitsiladis, Y. (2010). "Foot strike patterns and collision forces in habitually barefoot versus shod runners". Nature. 463 (7280): 531–35. Bibcode:2010Natur.463..531L. doi:10.1038/nature08723. PMID 20111000. S2CID 216420.
^ "Biomechanical Differences Between Different Foot Strikes". Biomechanics of Foot Strikes & Applications to Running Barefoot or in Minimal Footwear. Daniel Lieberman. Archived from the original on December 6, 2019. Retrieved April 11, 2018.

[Lieberman_DE-1] Lieberman, D. E.; Venkadesan, M.; Werbel, W. A.; Daoud, A. I.; d'Andrea, S.; Davis, I. S.; Mang'Eni, R. O.; Pitsiladis, Y. (2010). "Foot strike patterns and collision forces in habitually barefoot versus shod runners". Nature. 463 (7280): 531–35. Bibcode:2010Natur.463..531L. doi:10.1038/nature08723. PMID 20111000. S2CID 216420.

[2] "Biomechanical Differences Between Different Foot Strikes". Biomechanics of Foot Strikes & Applications to Running Barefoot or in Minimal Footwear. Daniel Lieberman. Archived from the original on December 6, 2019. Retrieved April 11, 2018.

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