Barefooters

A group for those of us who enjoy being barefoot as much as possible. For the hardcore barefooters among us, it's a way of life!

The marks of a true barefooter

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When you see someone barefoot in public, how can you tell that person is hardcore, and not just a casual barefooter? Observing myself, I've noticed a few things:
1. Black soles. This one is the most obvious. Full-time barefooters have those permanently dark soles. After awhile, the dirt just doesn't wash away anymore!
2. Speed. An experienced barefooter is well-conditioned and has thick, tough pads on the bottom of his feet. Rocks, gravel, acorns...none of it will slow down a barefooter, and won't change his stride in the slightest.
3. Gait. People who've been walking barefoot for a long time tend to walk correctly. That is to say, they land on the balls of their feet instead of their heels. This is ultimately better for a person's ankles, knees, and back.
Who falls into these categories? And what other barefooter characteristics have you noticed?

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RE: The marks of a true barefooter

Besides their thick,soles...and dark soles,some like myself have cracked heels...broad feet,strong toes and tanned,especially in nudists,their upper feet are equaly tanned as their bodies.Hot and cold surfaces are alike.They negotiate stones and pebbles with ease,and usually,when you see people like myself hiking naked and bare feet,that's a sure tell tale

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RE: The marks of a true barefooter

I agree re the darker soles and cracked heels. It's obvious looking
around the nude beach that most have their feet in shoes or sandals most of the
time, and indeed, most arrive at the beach that way. I have an upturned
plastic brush in the bath which I use to clean my soles, and treat the
heels regularly with Scholl Cracked Heel Cream which I find excellent
for keeping the heels (and balls/edges) of the feet in good condition.
It's all the more important if they're on show most of the time.

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RE: The marks of a true barefooter

True, the time of year makes a difference, too. Easy to keep clean during the rainy season!

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RE: The marks of a true barefooter

When you see someone barefoot in public, how can you tell that person is hardcore, and not just a casual barefooter? Observing myself, I've noticed a few things:1. Black soles. This one is the most obvious. Full-time barefooters have those permanently dark soles. After awhile, the dirt just doesn't wash away anymore!2. Speed. An experienced barefooter is well-conditioned and has thick, tough pads on the bottom of his feet. Rocks, gravel, acorns...none of it will slow down a barefooter, and won't change his stride in the slightest.3. Gait. People who've been walking barefoot for a long time tend to walk correctly. That is to say, they land on the balls of their feet instead of their heels. This is ultimately better for a person's ankles, knees, and back.Who falls into these categories? And what other barefooter characteristics have you noticed?Well, I definitely fall into this category ... another aspect I've noticed in myself and fellow barefooters is that toes tend to be splayed with gaps between them and not all scrunched together like you see on the feet of many who keep them stuffed in shoes all the time. As far as my black soles, they clean very easily in the bath/shower, but they get black again the next day far quicker than they did in my youth. I've rarely experienced cracked heels ... and haven't experienced that at all since I started using a Ped-Egg.

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