Working out barefoot?

2

Replies

  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    Running shoes on the treadmill

    Barefoot or in socks for weights
  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
    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
    barefoot or socks for anything on carpet...shoes for everything else.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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.
  • kill3rtofu
    kill3rtofu Posts: 169 Member
    i used to when i had a home gym until i dropped a dumbbell on my foot !
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
    In taekwondo, I'm bare foot. During home workouts, I'm bare foot. If I walk on the treadmill at home or go for a walk outside, I have shoes on.
    I don't go to a gym.
  • Boogage
    Boogage Posts: 739 Member
    I work out barefoot as I think my feet get more of a workout too. I broke my foot last Christmas and it wasn't until I ditched the shoes last summer that I started to have less pain because of the previous break.
  • LishLash79
    LishLash79 Posts: 562 Member
  • MzzFaith
    MzzFaith Posts: 337 Member
    For some reason I love to, but was told that you suppose to wear @ supportive tennis shoe. Some about falling, & etc etc.
  • mom2kpr
    mom2kpr Posts: 348 Member
    This was really interesting for me. I always thought I was the odd one working our barefoot. I workout in my carpeted basement - things like Ripped in 30, Body Revolution (starting this week) - & I always go barefoot. My arches actually hurt worse when I wear shoes. I have tried several different styles & nothing seems to work, so I keep going back to bare feet.
  • Blacklance36
    Blacklance36 Posts: 755 Member
    I wouldn't do that at the gym, not everyone is as clean as I am and there are a lot of germs that live on gym floors and in the locker room. I don't have a phobia but I don't want athletes foot either.
  • NatalieG525
    NatalieG525 Posts: 65 Member
    I spend the majority of my time barefoot. Hate shoes and socks! So yeah, I workout barefoot :)
  • RaeLB
    RaeLB Posts: 1,216 Member
    I would love to! but I think shoes are a requirement at my gym.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    The only thing I would do barefoot is yoga.

    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.

    I did Insanity barefoot a few times and then I did some of it in my Vibram 5-finger shoes and I screwed up my foot.
    To be fair, unless you're wearing steel toed boots, shoes won't do much for you if you drop a weight on your toe. Maybe contain the bleeding...
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    I got scolded at my gym a week or so ago for deadlifting in just my socks. The woman that worked there said that if I dropped the weight on my foot, it would break it.

    My response? I looked at her and told her that unless I was wearing steel-toes, it wasn't going to matter what I was wearing on my feet if I dropped 355 lbs on my foot.


    edit: HA! Dragonwolf and tigersword just posted this, basically.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    The only thing I would do barefoot is yoga.

    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.

    I did Insanity barefoot a few times and then I did some of it in my Vibram 5-finger shoes and I screwed up my foot.
    To be fair, unless you're wearing steel toed boots, shoes won't do much for you if you drop a weight on your toe. Maybe contain the bleeding...


    And make it more difficult for the paramedic/nurse/doctor to get to the broken foot.
  • jenn26point2
    jenn26point2 Posts: 429 Member
    I HATE being barefoot, but prefer running/working out as close to barefoot as possible so I use these:

    41IBZqLAOYL.jpg

    They give me grip and stability while I'm lifting and help me focus and monitor WHERE my feet are when I'm running/bouncing around more, which has always been a big problem for me.

    For those of you with issues of pain in the arches from being barefoot for long periods. That's muscle pain and knots, just like anything else. Roll a golf ball under your arches for a few minutes a couple times a day to work on the knots. Your feet will get stronger over time.

    I do all my workouts (lifting and running alike) in vibrams. And these are super freaking cute!! I agree with the arch pain.

    I used to get arch pain and my doctor actually told me to roll with a golf ball (or one of those actual arch roller things you can buy from a specialty running store) and then suggested I find a way to go barefoot more often (not a lot right away, but increasing it slowly over time) b/c when in shoes, the arch supports prevent your arches from doing their job (shock absorption) and then get weak - and this is why people get PF issues. She said the arches are a muscle that need to be worked out as well as the rest of them. Since taking her advice, no more PF.

    I have also run in just my socks while at the gym. My gym is ok with it as long as I realize I can slip and get hurt and blah blah blah.
  • celtbell3
    celtbell3 Posts: 738 Member
    I prefer no shoes for most workouts
  • gsmithnp
    gsmithnp Posts: 139 Member
    Shoes when on the elliptical, and of course for anything outdoors or involving jumping/impact. Otherwise, barefoot it is--no socks even. I work out at home and have cushioned mats on the floor. So far I've not had any trouble with slipping or with foot/ankle pain (and I used to twist my ankles just walking on a flat surface). I really do think my feet and ankles are stronger. I currently have a broken pinky toe (a kitchen stepstool attacked me) and there is no way I could lift with shoes on--I can barely walk with shoes on. I was able to do my full workout on Saturday without any trouble at all.
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    I HATE being barefoot, but prefer running/working out as close to barefoot as possible so I use these:

    41IBZqLAOYL.jpg

    They give me grip and stability while I'm lifting and help me focus and monitor WHERE my feet are when I'm running/bouncing around more, which has always been a big problem for me.

    For those of you with issues of pain in the arches from being barefoot for long periods. That's muscle pain and knots, just like anything else. Roll a golf ball under your arches for a few minutes a couple times a day to work on the knots. Your feet will get stronger over time.

    I do all my workouts (lifting and running alike) in vibrams. And these are super freaking cute!! I agree with the arch pain.

    I used to get arch pain and my doctor actually told me to roll with a golf ball (or one of those actual arch roller things you can buy from a specialty running store) and then suggested I find a way to go barefoot more often (not a lot right away, but increasing it slowly over time) b/c when in shoes, the arch supports prevent your arches from doing their job (shock absorption) and then get weak - and this is why people get PF issues. She said the arches are a muscle that need to be worked out as well as the rest of them. Since taking her advice, no more PF.

    I have also run in just my socks while at the gym. My gym is ok with it as long as I realize I can slip and get hurt and blah blah blah.

    I injured my hip quite badly about a year ago while trying to get back in to running. Figured out it was because of the serious jaring my hip was taking from my aweful heel thunking running gate. Switched in to these over the summer and haven't looked back. Funny I never made the connection before though, EVERY animal out there that is adapted for serious running, does it on the ball of their foot or all the way up on their toes. These things don't LET you heel thunk so you have no choice but to correct your gate.
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    For some reason I love to, but was told that you suppose to wear @ supportive tennis shoe. Some about falling, & etc etc.

    You were told a load of malarky. Wearing "supportive" shoes is akin to keeping the training wheels on your bike or keeping a cast on your limbs even when they're not broken. The shoes are specifically designed to immobilize the fine muscles in your feet, ultimately weakening them.

    Yes, after decades of wearing "supportive" shoes, you do run the risk of falling if you suddenly start doing everything barefoot. It's the same as doing anything when first taking a cast off. You can't expect to go directly back to squatting 1.5x your bodyweight the day you get your cast off from a broken leg. You have to rebuild the muscles first. The same goes for your feet and ankles - you have to rebuild the muscles back up by starting slowly - walk around the house, then walk other places, then walk for exercise, then build up to running or whatever other cardio activity you're doing on your feet.
  • iplayoutside19
    iplayoutside19 Posts: 2,304 Member
    When I lifted at home I did so barefoot. Had a few close calls with dropping weights, but never had one connect.

    Now that I go to a public weight room I wear my 20 year old wrestling shoes...which are essentially high topped socks with flat pads on the bottom. I won't drop $80 on something that is essentially a foot condom.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Barefoot, socks or vibrams. Even my running is in vibrams or other minimalist shoes.
  • Walter__
    Walter__ Posts: 518 Member
    I do squats and deadlifts in flat shoes. Specifically the knockoff Converse I got from Walmart for like $8. I think the're called Faded Glory. Works very well.

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