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What is the appeal to you of feeling the surface you walk on more directly? In my experience, having bulky soles enables your feet to take rough terrain for longer ( I did some multiday hikes in the Alps )
Also the soles (of B or A/B class hiking shoes) can have a very comfortable bedding, so it feels like a luxury item to me. I guess that's why if feels strange to me to that some would rather forgo them all together :-)
You have thin soles so you can tell where you are in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.
I hike a lot in my barefoot shoes
I'd say the biggest benefit of feeling the surfaces you walk on more clearly is that my balance is a lot better
But the biggest benefit IMO is that the shoes being super flat improves my posture relieving some shoulder and back pain. And the shoes being super wide in the toe box also improves my balance and means I can walk longer with fewer breaks.
The last hike I went on with my barefoot shoes was 18 miles and I felt better than before I started
I hike a lot completely barefoot, and let me tell you, it's amazing. Highly recommend. I've also hiked in barefoot shoes and minimalist sandals, but regular ol' not wearing shoes on a hike is like a spiritual experience.
Very interesting, thanks for sharing. Lucky for me, both balance and posture during hiking have not been a source of discomfort or pain for me before. Although I can imagine clambering over rocks might be faster with less bulky footwear because it's easier to balance.
It might sound silly, but different terrains tend to be „interesting“. I also feel it has an impact on how i walk and how i stand - so actually back problems and (minor) aches are either easier or gone.
I, too, travel the alps, nock mountains, katschberg mountain, Dachstein etc. I totally wear bulky hiking shoes in the mountains, though, as you definitely want the protection for your foot and ankles. However, i more often than not even hike easy trails in those barefoot shoes. I guess i just am used to it so much that those protective shoes feel too heavy and bulky, even if the bedding is comfortable.
But fir the day to day footwear you have to wear necessarily I almost always choose barefoot shoes over the few remaining normal ones. I will keep one set business shoes, one pair of winter boots and my mountain equipment, everything else will be gone quite soon.
Thanks a lot for elaborating. I can definitely imagine different terrains being interesting. Your explanation of when you would (and wouldn't) use them is very useful for understanding the appeal. If I ever find a nicely priced pair that fit me well, I might give it a whirl!
I'd also recommend something like my "Splay" shoes if you're going to try it. They're barefoot shoes that also have a wide toebox so that your shoes fit your toes instead of your toes fitting your shoes!
Before I switched to the wide toebox I also used boating shoes if you find some of those cheaper.
Things like converse are of course more mainstream, but at least have the "zero drop" aspect, so you're closer to the ground but don't quite feel the ground.
Everyone will say barefoot is bad for your knees, but that's really only true if you're running or jogging on concrete without letting your body adjust.
My feet used to ACHE at the end of the day, now they can still hurt sure, but it feels much more like a tired muscle instead of incorrect exercise if that makes sense.