09/09/2026
“Last one there is a rotten egg!” my 6-year-old yells as we—all barefoot—head toward the trampoline.
My destiny is clear, as my girls gracefully run across rough gravel that I much more gingerly traverse.
Are their feet more callused? Not really. As far as I can tell, their bodies have organized themselves to move softly, quickly, and efficiently. They've spent most of their lives barefoot or in minimalist shoes, and likely that has helped develop their body's internal communication.
Our feet are blessed with a rich supply of nerve endings. They provide a detailed picture of the ground beneath us, information the rest of the body uses to make countless tiny adjustments—mostly without our conscious awareness.
Your feet want to tell you a story.
They want to help your knees, hips, pelvis, spine, and the rest of your body move. But they have to feel the ground to do this.
Most shoes provide enough cushioning and structure to greatly reduce that information and skill development. You can slam your foot on the ground repeatedly and not notice the consequences for years.
Going barefoot or in less supportive shoes, when appropriate, can be a simple way to give your feet—and your whole body—more information to work with. As with anything else, safely stressing your feet is important. Discomfort is inevitable, but pain is at least a yellow light.
Speaking personally, I notice relatively fast changes in my foot mobility and control as well as my whole body's ability to soften since spending more time barefoot ...even if I'm still the rotten egg.
If being barefoot is challenging for you, developing that ability could be a high leverage way to address excess tension, postural issues, joint pain, and other issues!
