Why Not to Bushwalk Barefoot

[Son of a Beach]

To put this is context, I usually walk around barefoot at home, around town and around the street, etc, and do go jogging barefoot some times too. So it comes naturally to not think twice about leaving my shoes behind, and walk about barefoot without really thinking about it. So...

I was with a mate ('delphin' here at the forums) who was keen to do some fly fishing on our bushwalk over this weekend just gone (Lk McKenzie, Explorer Creek, Lake Nameless, Ironstone Hut - click here for details of the rest of this walk). We wandered over to the group of lakes just west of Lake Nameless, leaving our packs and gear at Ironstone Hut. When we got to Lake Chambers, delphin decided to fly fish anti-clockwise around the lake, so I thought that to avoid disturbing the fish, I'd take off my shoes and go for a paddle clockwise. It's a shallow lake, with a nice sandy bottom, and beautiful clear water. On a hot day, this is a very natural thing to do.

So leaving my shoes on a rock, I waded knee deep around the lake until my feet go so cold they were in danger of going numb. I then walked up on the rocks and continued walking around the lake over the rocks and grass on the bank. It was such a beautiful spot and I'd never been there before, I just kept going. Eventually, I got to half-way around the lake and found myself in the middle of the isthmus between Lake Chambers and Lake Douglas. I noticed 4 other bushwalkers making their way around the far side of Lake Douglas, fully laden and walking fairly slow. I thought to myself that I could easily catch up to them, and have a chat and find out where they're off too (I was keen to learn of any other good camping spots in the area - and I found heaps on my own, by the way).

So I continued along the isthmus, and then around to the far side of Lake Douglas, all still barefoot, and could see the other walkers disappearing around the hill in the direction of Lake Halkyard. I eventually caught up to them just as they were dropping packs and pulling out their tents on the banks of Lake Halkyard. Had a bit of a chat, and wandered back, this time taking the the other side of Lake Douglas, just for a bit of variety.

About half way around Lake Douglas, walking at a quick pace - almost jogging really - with no pack or shoes (under 1kg base weight!) I stepped on what much have been a pointy rock that I couldn't see amongst the grass (didn't see it even after stepping on it). Yeow! It sure hurt. Took off a bit of skin, and put a lot of pressure right in the arch of my foot, which is of course not designed for that!

So then I had to walk all the rest of the way up Lakes Douglas and Chambers back to my shoes with a very sore foot. Thankfully once I had my shoes on again, it wasn't too bad, but that last kilometre or so without the shoes was very awkward.

Anyhow, delphin took a photo of my foot at Ironstone Hut the next morning (see below). So I strongly recommend against bushwalking barefoot, in any case. (I think I walked about 3 kms barefoot on this occasion).

[delphin]

You really are a Dag.
I had to laugh to myself when I saw you coming back from Halkyard with no shoes on - thought well that's Nik alright...
Although I have to be truthful and say I'm surprised you hurt your foot. The amount of times you run past home with no shoes on I thought you'd have had pretty damn tough feet by now.

[TassieMargie]

Did you learn your lesson Nik?

[Son of a Beach]

Did you learn your lesson Nik?

Time will tell.

I'm still not wearing shoes around the house and garden most of the time, but I think I'll be more careful next time I try a 3km off-track bushwalk in bare feet. Mind you, this last time was unplanned and just sort of happened by circumstances before I realised what I was doing.

[corvus]

sob when I was growing up in post war Europe having no shoes was a sign of extreme poverty so walking barefoot is an no no with me today and I often growl at my wife for going barefoot around the house and do a double take when I see barefoot people walking around the city.
How times have changed (even in my hippy days I wore sandals) so your post of barefoot BW was an education for me

[TassieMargie]

Sounds like you may have learnt a little something Nik.

[Son of a Beach]

sob when I was growing up in post war Europe having no shoes was a sign of extreme poverty so walking barefoot is an no no with me today and I often growl at my wife for going barefoot around the house and do a double take when I see barefoot people walking around the city.
How times have changed (even in my hippy days I wore sandals) so your post of barefoot BW was an education for me

I seem to have a knack of unintentionally offending people in obscure ways (not saying I've offended you here, but you know... it's a segue, so let me run with it...).

I once went skiing on Ben Lomond, wearing a genuine Russian army hat that my father had brought back from a conference trip he did to Russia. Little did I know that I had scared willies out of a Polish guy who was in Tasmania at the time visiting his brother who lives here, and is a colleague of my father. Those guys have obviously been through some terrible stuff to still be easily shocked by the army hat of their old oppressors.

[TassieMargie]

I can understand that Polish guy being scared...me though I would have been laughing. Did anyone get a shot of you in the hat? and btw you need to shave those hairy legs

[Joe]

I can understand that Polish guy being scared...me though I would have been laughing. Did anyone get a shot of you in the hat? and btw you need to shave those hairy legs

Perhaps thats the real reason he was in the beautician


I think Nik that you are living proof that this guy...

http://www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/FAQ_Footwear.htm

...may have a point. You walked barefoot and worst that happened was stepping on a sharp rock. Stick on some kt-26's (worlds best shoe ) and that would no longer be an issue.

[Son of a Beach]

I think Nik that you are living proof that this guy...

http://www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/FAQ_Footwear.htm

...may have a point.

That's encouraging!

Where barefoot and shod populations co-exist, as in Haiti, injury rates of the lower extremity are substantially higher in the shod population (Robbins and Hanna, 1987). Furthermore, running-related chronic injuries to bone and connective tissue in the legs are rare in developing countries, where most people are habitually barefooted (Robbins and Hanna, 1987)

[Pompom]

I've watched this topic waiting for the obvious[in my opinion] reply to no avail. Here's mine for what it's worth.
Barefoot bushwalking? What a *&%$#! stupid thing to do.

[Joe]

If that rock had been any sharper it may well have been bleeding and/or blood soaked. I don't know, really what sort of example is our illustrious leader setting for younger members....walking barefoot and also wearing cotton clothing within a 6 month period...drawn and quartered i say.

[Son of a Beach]

If that rock had been any sharper it may well have been bleeding and/or blood soaked. I don't know, really what sort of example is our illustrious leader setting for younger members....walking barefoot and also wearing cotton clothing within a 6 month period...drawn and quartered i say.

Forums leader, maybe, but don't assume I'm any kind of bushwalking leader! See the fourms welcome topic

Note that I do not consider myself an expert in the subject of bush walking. I'm ... not a highly accomplished bush walker

.

Besides, I'm setting a very good example of what NOT to do. Everyone would do well to learn from my foolishness.

[Joe]

haha fair call...

just noticed you are even barefoot in the new avitar....you must save a bundle on shoes/

[Son of a Beach]

haha fair call...

just noticed you are even barefoot in the new avitar....you must save a bundle on shoes/

I've been wearing these feet for decades... they haven't worn out yet. My bushwalking boots, on the other hand, usually only last about 10 years of heavy duty walking (at least for my previous two pairs).

PS. I was wearing cotton in the avatar photo too. Shock horror!

[corvus]

And no HAT

[Son of a Beach]

And no HAT

Yeah, do what I say, not what I do, people!

[tasadam]

And no HAT

Looks from that photo like you were walking in the dark so we can let you off on that one.
But the cotton and the bare feet... well... um....

[north-north-west]

Pffft.
I've done many miles barefoot. Mainly in the Centre, of course, or on nice soft, smooth reliable tracks. It's the water that's dangerous. Softens up the skin. Keep 'em dry and they're tough enough.

[tasadam]

Pffft!

Dislocated toe (yes, from barefoot bushwalking).

[north-north-west]

It was all the (now ex) boyfriend's fault. The jerk looked up after taking a photo, couldn't see me, and assumed I'd just hauled off down the track without saying anything. Idiot. So after I realised he'd gone, and I made sure he wasn't in the vicinity, and asked a couple of passing walkers if they'd seen him, I hared off after him though he was (for once) going faster than I could, even before I did the toe.
At least it wasn't broken. Dislocations don't hurt much. And I don't wear shoes in FNQ if it's at all avoidable. This was just a gentle little creekside amble up in Eungella.

[stepbystep]

Never walk barefoot on concrete(or any cold hard surface), leads to Kidney stones - and that's no joke.
Same goes with sitting on cold concrete, and drinking anything too cold, water, beer etc.
Bushwalking, although painful. might not hurt the kidney's too much

[corvus]

It was all the (now ex) boyfriend's fault. The jerk looked up after taking a photo, couldn't see me, and assumed I'd just hauled off down the track without saying anything. Idiot. So after I realised he'd gone, and I made sure he wasn't in the vicinity, and asked a couple of passing walkers if they'd seen him, I hared off after him though he was (for once) going faster than I could, even before I did the toe.
At least it wasn't broken. Dislocations don't hurt much. And I don't wear shoes in FNQ if it's at all avoidable. This was just a gentle little creekside amble up in Eungella.

Pffft!

Dislocated toe (yes, from barefoot bushwalking).

Yea Yea Yea always someone else's fault when you stuff up "honest sir it wisney me that done it wis that big boy that forced me!! " or ( I thought I would just pull the trigger to see if there was one up the spout) always someone else's fault indeed
c

[Son of a Beach]

Never walk barefoot on concrete(or any cold hard surface), leads to Kidney stones - and that's no joke.

Is that for real? How does that work?

I do walk barefoot on all surfaces (including the odd bit of barefoot bushwalking) and I've only had three or four kidney stones (that the scans found).

[north-north-west]

Never walk barefoot on concrete(or any cold hard surface), leads to Kidney stones - and that's no joke.

I don't believe a word of it. Spent more time barefoot than with shoes on and never had a hint of kidney trouble. Old wives tale.
Besides, sitting on cold concrete is supposed to cause a different problem.

[north-north-west]

It was all the (now ex) boyfriend's fault. The jerk looked up after taking a photo, couldn't see me, and assumed I'd just hauled off down the track without saying anything. Idiot. So after I realised he'd gone, and I made sure he wasn't in the vicinity, and asked a couple of passing walkers if they'd seen him, I hared off after him though he was (for once) going faster than I could, even before I did the toe.
At least it wasn't broken. Dislocations don't hurt much. And I don't wear shoes in FNQ if it's at all avoidable. This was just a gentle little creekside amble up in Eungella.

Pffft!

Dislocated toe (yes, from barefoot bushwalking).

Yea Yea Yea always someone else's fault when you stuff up "honest sir it wisney me that done it wis that big boy that forced me!! " or ( I thought I would just pull the trigger to see if there was one up the spout) always someone else's fault indeed
c

Pffft! I blame that jerk for everything that's ever gone wrong in my life, including things that happened before he was born. That's about the only thing he's been good for.

[geoskid]

Never walk barefoot on concrete(or any cold hard surface), leads to Kidney stones - and that's no joke.
Same goes with sitting on cold concrete, and drinking anything too cold, water, beer etc.
Bushwalking, although painful. might not hurt the kidney's too much

Stepbystep, my mum told me this too when I was in kindy, but by the time I was in grade 2 I thought she was pulling my leg, and by the time I was in grade 7, I thought it was bollocks, by high school I knew it was bollocks. It aint true!(my belief).
Happy for someone( please) to scientifically weigh in here!
Edit - Santa Claus, Easter Bunny and the Fairies at the bottom of the garden suffered the same fate at about the same time as this myth in my mind.

[Nick S]

Hmm sounds like that other wives tale that sitting on cold concrete give you piles! Never heard of this one though.
Dehydration and diet are the biggest risk factors for kidney stones..
geoskid I couldn't find any scientific articles on it after a quick search, I guess researchers just haven't considered in in their studies

[stepbystep]

Yeah, yeah....
Science schmience. Wouldn't believe a word the health(sickness) industry comes up with.
It is fairly well established cold drinks(particularly beer) cause stones to build up. The sheer workload beer puts on Kidney's is fairly obvious if you knock a few back(and I have).
Way's to get around it 1/Brew your own. 2/Drink preservative/additive free beer. 3/ Drink it at room temperature.
There is a huge amount of chemicals used in the industrial brewing process.
As for barefoot on concrete etc, the anecdotal evidence shows that those of European descent - who have been sticking shoes on our feet for many many generations are more susseptable to Kidney disorders and one reason could be, by taking them off in a warm climate such as Oz. Having watched my old man(RIP) pass many stone, I'll do anything to avoid that, old wives tale or not.

How you can go barefoot in Tas for any but a few days a year mystifies me anyway?

[bushrunner]

On Monday I drank scotch and water and got a hangover.
On Tuesday I drank vodka and water and got a hangover.
On Wednesday I drank rum and water and got a hangover.
Obviously water is causing me to get hangovers so I better stop drinking water (or walking barefoot on concrete).