Opinions Needed on Working Out Barefoot Please

ehte_h
ehte_h Posts: 297 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Opinions on barefoot (or at least in socks) training please? My small circuit training/boxing gym is having new floor/padding put in and requested everyone to not where there outdoor trainers there for a few days. (My gym shoes are Asics running shoes and have seen a lot of ware and tear out of the gym. I could carry another pair around with me but it's a pain in the *kitten* cause I cycle everywhere (For the extra calorie burn in between wherever I have to be). So discussed the possibility of barefoot training with the instructor who was all for it. However i'm not so sure, could do with some advice on people who have tried this out.

Replies

  • ehte_h
    ehte_h Posts: 297 Member
    Anyone?
  • LavenderBouquet
    LavenderBouquet Posts: 736 Member
    If you usually wear supportive shoes you might want to take it a bit easy going barefoot at first as some of your supportive muscles in your foot/ankle may be weak. I always work out barefoot now, but I started wearing less and less supportive shoes and then went into full barefoot after a couple weeks.
  • amanda_danielle18
    amanda_danielle18 Posts: 35 Member
    whenever i work out at home .. unless i'm on the treadmill, i usually workout barefoot. i live in an apartment, so i feel its better for the people who live underneath us, as our walls/floors/ceilings are badly insulated or built, cause you can hear everything!
    and i've gotten so used to it that when i do exercise with shoes, it starts to hurt my feet a bit.
    it hurt my feet at first, but it does take time getting used to it.
  • jaynalawayna
    jaynalawayna Posts: 80 Member
    I'm a middle aged diabetic - so I never go anywhere without my shoes and socks - but for a healthy, non clumsy person I'm thinking bare feet would give you better traction than socks.
  • patsyacs
    patsyacs Posts: 1,322 Member
    I am barefoot most of the time. I have trouble finding shoes that fit because my feet and legs are different in size. I don't go to a gym to exercise though.
    Gymnasts workout in socks or slippers - same thing. I doubt the trainer would have suggested socks if it could hurt you.
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
    Never. Not safe. Too high a risk of injury.
  • squatsandlipgloss
    squatsandlipgloss Posts: 595 Member
    If you don't have any joint issues, it is actually recommended to work out barefoot. I've been doing it for months and I love it. Every shoe will hurt my foot and numb my arches. People are designed to survive barefoot, conditioned to wear shoes all the time. It's definitely better than wearing running shoes for anything other than running!! That's a big no-no!
  • LavenderBouquet
    LavenderBouquet Posts: 736 Member
    Never. Not safe. Too high a risk of injury.

    I don't think that's necessarily true...
  • Mr_Excitement
    Mr_Excitement Posts: 833 Member
    I workout barefoot a lot. I run barefoot as well.

    With certain things, like squats, being barefoot is great-- and if you're not going barefoot, some flat shoe like Converse would be good.

    Everything else is just whatever feels good to you. It's not like your average sneaker is going to protect your foot much from an errant dumbell anyway.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    I do my barbell workouts in socks or barefoot. One of the many many reasons I'm glad I can work out at home. :)
  • 67Vert
    67Vert Posts: 12 Member
    Use a Minimal shoe: Almost like being barefooted and they're light weight, easy to pack. I use New Balance Minimus w/o socks.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Never. Not safe. Too high a risk of injury.
    Many of the folks in my gym lift in toe shoes. Some lift in converse. Neither of which would protect feet.
    I run in socks (in the winter, inside) and lift in minimalist shoes.
  • maulop
    maulop Posts: 15 Member
    do it, it is safe, think of people who do martial arts, they do it barefoot, and run, lift weights and do weird movements with their feet. just be careful to not drop a weight on your foot or kick the walls with the pinkie toe.
  • dixiewhiskey
    dixiewhiskey Posts: 3,333 Member
    I workout at home in my barefeet.. I don't have any equipment like treadmills here so it works for me. I would wear a shoe at the gym.. martial arts, going by e.g here, is one thing to be barefoot in but lifting weights, working out on surfaces that aren't padded without shoes is not advisable.
  • sunshinestater
    sunshinestater Posts: 596 Member
    I'm a Floridian so I'm in flip flops most of the time anyway. I do my DVD workouts barefoot on my carpet.
  • Emtabo01
    Emtabo01 Posts: 672
    I do NROL4W at home barefoot, videos barefoot and my elliptical in flip flops.
  • triggsta
    triggsta Posts: 140
    I wear my vibram barefoot shoes (multisport type) to the gym now. I like them because they have no cushioning so I really feel sturdy when doing my exercises (especially squats and lunges and the sort).
  • Amy106Days
    Amy106Days Posts: 172 Member
    In my house and out of doors I love being barefoot. In a gym I would worry about catching athletes foot or toe stubbing. When I studied Muay Thai some of the other students wore ankle wrap socks with open toes they seemed happy enough.
  • cchamil1985
    cchamil1985 Posts: 74 Member
    I got myself a pair of Adidas Adipure Trainers and I absolutely LOVE them. They allow your foot to move naturally and provide protection for the soles (and from having to walk around barefoot, too many germs on a gym floor for me). You can see them here:

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009SOYKC8/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    You can't make it a few days? It's actually better to have minimal shoes for squats and dead lifts because the arch sometimes make it harder to keep weight on your heels. I presume you're talking about cardio and not weight training...
  • KayteeBear
    KayteeBear Posts: 1,040 Member
    I only workout at home so I do everything barefoot. Even Insanity. It CAN cause injury if you're not used to it or if your feet aren't used to it. However, wearing improper shoes to workout in can also cause injury so neither one is worse than the other. I personally go barefoot whenever I can (shoes in public however, in summer, when I'm at my friends' farm I ALWAYS go barefoot) I love being barefoot. :) But that also means that my feet are more accustomed to being barefoot so I have no problem working out without shoes on.
  • Lifting_Knitter
    Lifting_Knitter Posts: 1,025
    I got converse for my weight training since there is no support in them.
  • hebehrens
    hebehrens Posts: 55
    I think it totally depends on your foot and ankle structure and strength. For example, I have pronated feet and weak ankles. My feet tend to pronate and go into eversion. If I try to do much barefoot, it ends up throwing my whole alignment out of whack and my ankles and knees start hurting.

    In general, I'd say you can try it, but go into it gradually. Make sure going barefoot isn't changing your form and you are able to keep proper alignment with your ankles, knees, and hips.
  • is80833
    is80833 Posts: 6
    I find working out barefoot at home on carpet is much easier, I usually wear shoes at the gym but for me barefoot there too would be more comfortable.
  • gabesgourmet
    gabesgourmet Posts: 78
    I started working out barefoot-it feels much more natural and I can increase intensity while staying light on my feet! Now I've transitioned to Merrell barefoot shoes-they protect my soles yet still provide flexibility and light feet! Cannot recommend enough!!!
  • nataliefamily3
    nataliefamily3 Posts: 189 Member
    I work out at home barefoot. . At the gym I wear shoes though

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