Working out barefoot?

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  • tatianna68
    tatianna68 Posts: 90 Member
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    Barefoot for everything except machines and outdoor walking not on beach. I feel better grounded and balanced barefoot.
  • goodbyefreshman15
    goodbyefreshman15 Posts: 71
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    I wear shoes for everything except yoga. I have one weak ankle (potentially looking at a surgical fix) and need the support!
  • potatogirl741
    potatogirl741 Posts: 64 Member
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    I work out at home. No gym. I will walk on the treadmill barefoot too but will wear shoes when running. Sometimes I just HATE wearing shoes, sometimes its a time issue. Sounds lame but I am a single mom to an 8 month old and sometimes need every second I can get to work out!
  • Joehenny
    Joehenny Posts: 1,222 Member
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    When I box, or squat/dead.
  • Minx675
    Minx675 Posts: 30 Member
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    I spent many years working out barefoot in karate and have gotten very used to it. Now, I work out at home and still work out barefoot. I just don't find running shoes comfortable, but I like having the traction, so I finally bought a pair of Vibrams and love them. I found, over the years, that working out barefoot has really strengthened my stabilizing muscles and improved my balance a lot. I run in Vibrams outside too and find my knees don't hurt anymore when I run. I think it's whatever is most comfortable for you. My fiancé needs a really good pair of workout shoes with a lot of support to be comfortable. I need the opposite.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    The short answer - Converse-type shoes.

    The long-winded answer - The adaptations from lifting barefoot are different than lifting in shoes, and since my goal is to be stronger for outside the gym, i train in shoes that are similar to what i tend to wear outside, to get the maximum carryover benefit.
    I'd wear "barefoot shoes" outdoors but i don't feel they provide enough foot protection for my lifestyle. Converse-type shoes are a good compromise, with their thin sole and low heel.
  • tweetypixx
    tweetypixx Posts: 65 Member
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    I generally always go bare foot, I do exercise dvds, including aerobics and yoga and as I have carpet have always preferred no shoes. Only home workout that I wear my trainers for is my exercise bike.
  • odonogc
    odonogc Posts: 223 Member
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    Be careful, I hurt myself this way.

    For cardio type activity, you really need the support of the shoe to keep you from rolling your ankle easily.

    Now that I just do yoga, I am barefoot though. :)
  • fannyfrost
    fannyfrost Posts: 756 Member
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    I work out barefoot at home, but it is important to also strengthen your feet. We keep our feet in shoes and the arch is supported, etc. So our feet get very weak. Take a look at a Ballet dancer or Modern dancer and how strong their feet are. So if you choose to workout barefoot, remember to workout and stretch your feet as well as the rest of you.

    FYI, weak feet is also why women get stress fractures wearing flip flops.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Be careful, I hurt myself this way.

    For cardio type activity, you really need the support of the shoe to keep you from rolling your ankle easily.

    Now that I just do yoga, I am barefoot though. :)

    oh no!!! ssshhhhhssss don't tell any dancer that!!!! They've been doing it wrong for years then!!!!

    I do nothing in sneakers- I don't own any. I do barefood- new balance minimus- vibrams- and I just saw Nike has a new proto-type sticker thing- I can't wait to try them.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,065 Member
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    Running shoes on the treadmill

    Barefoot or in socks for weights
  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
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    I find my feet move too much when doing wide stance squats or deadlifts in socks. Also this time of year it's too cold in my basement to go barefoot!
  • GoMizzou99
    GoMizzou99 Posts: 512 Member
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    barefoot or socks for anything on carpet...shoes for everything else.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    I've been doing all my workouts barefoot for over a year - that's all types of cardio/circuit training/pilates - in the beginning I found the backs of my heels/Achilles tendons a bit achy but that was just cos they weren't used to having no support, I also would have got a slight ache in my feet but no more - like others I firmly believe working out without trainers strengthens the feet in general :) I never liked how sweaty my feet got in trainers, plus at 6am its a hassle I can't be bothered with (I would do my workouts in the buff if I didn't need the support for my girls lol)

    p.s Jessica Smith does a lot of her workouts on youtube barefoot - she also would suggest that its good for the feet.

    I do my workouts on wooden flooring.

    pps I actually did a blog ages ago called 'barefoot workouts rock :-D' just in case anyones interested in reading that :)
  • mbherleman
    mbherleman Posts: 1 Member
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    Barefoot lifestyle? YES!!!
    When I can't be barefoot I wear these...
    Primal Professionals for work, Lem's for casual, Merrell trail glove 2 or Vibram 5 fingers.
    Other than that my feet are bare and I feel 100 times better than when I wore hard soled shoes.

    P.S.
    It takes a few years to recover and strengthen your feet & calves after a lifetime in horrible shoes. Go slow
  • kbolton322
    kbolton322 Posts: 358 Member
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    My feet hurt more when wearing shoes while doing Insanity so I don't wear them...
    if I'm out side running then yes I wear them...
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
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    I'm not going to walk around in the gym barefoot or in socks. For one it's not exactly safe (hello weight falling on my toe!) and two that's just icky.

    Hygiene matters aside, unless you're wearing steel-toed shoes, a weight falling on your feet is going to hurt pretty much the same regardless of your footwear.

    Re OP's question - I go barefoot when I can, including weight lifting (I have my own weight set, so no worries in the hygiene department). When I can't go barefoot, I wear Vibram Five Fingers.
  • FrauMama
    FrauMama Posts: 169 Member
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    I wear minimalist (New Balance) shoes when working out most of the time, but do sometimes workout at home barefoot. Running on soft, deep sand when I lived in Hawaii helped strengthen my feet and ankles quite a bit. Now they're strong enough to handle barefoot workouts, but it's definitely more tiring and unstable-feeling (which I like) than even the minimalist shoes. But I've also had far fewer knee problems/pain since losing the highly supportive (used to wear only the higher-end Asics Gel Kayanos) shoes, and I do a ton of squats/jumps/rotational stuff.

    Definitely work your way up to it, if you decide to go either the barefoot or minimal route. Good luck!
  • Resolve2B
    Resolve2B Posts: 86 Member
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    Hate to wear shoes at any time but in our cold winters I have to at least wear socks. So glad to find this thread because I just came up from exercising (doing RIpped in 30) and found that with socks on carpet there were a couple of times I was slipping too much. I might look into those "5 finger" type shoes after reading this thread.
  • timbrom
    timbrom Posts: 303 Member
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    If you're lifting heavy, and moving a serious amount of weight on your squats (> 1.25x bodyweight or thereabouts) get lifting shoes. I just bought mine a month or two ago and I cannot begin to describe the difference it makes. You think you feel solid barefoot? It's like being nailed to the floor in those things.

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