Veteran BF'ers: do you WALK differently?

I've seen all the studies and slow-motion vids of barefoot runners where the forward stride foot comes down more towards the ball area of the foot as opposed to the heel. But with plain walking, do seasoned barefooters take on a similar sort of stride? I've been BF'ing nights and weekends for probably 3 months now and I find that my normal walking is still on the heels of my feet on forward strides. Am I doing it wrong?

 

i change my gait accordingly to the type of surface and my speed. running over , say, gravel , makes me touch the ground with toes and ball of the foot ONLY. when walking, not running, over big thick gravel, i tend to go down flat with my sole, toes contracted, weight shifted forward. over hazardless grounds like floors, once i did the heel-first walk , now i found that im putting down the foot flat down and shifting weight over the outer side. i think there is no rule, gait is a personal thing, just let your body adjust to the new conditions and listen for its signals. this is just my pace, and my feet aren't yours, so what can be good for me isn't necessarily good for you too.

 

Probably for the FIRST time, you (we) are doing it correctly. Shoes impose a heel-strike tendency; being barefoot, the forward-foot motion is the natural one (sort of like toes going ahead of the rest to make sure the path is OK). That's why (my humble and likely incorrect guess) newbie barefooters have so much calf strain the first few weeks as the leg muscles readjust to...NORMAL! Besides, the barefoot pleasure is worthwhile, right?

 

I don't know if I walk differently but I sure as hell walk more confidently. Don't know why.

 

well, I can't BF 24/7 (work at an office on weekdays) but nights and weekends have pretty much all been BF for at least 2-3 months now. Yet I still feel soreness in my feet this morning after walking just over a mile BF last night, or other mornings after being on my feet for several hours the night before.

And then there's my son who has been BF pretty much since he started walking 7 months ago, and he always walks heel first. I think he just likes the *slap slap* sound of his feet hitting the hardwood floor or something.

 

Welcome to the human body!

 

I definitely walk differently as i don't get severe arthritis in my knees any more. But i still walk heel first after 6 years of no shoes, it's just that being barefoot i don't slam my heels down, they just touch and the contact just rolls up the foot and off the toes.

When i first started barefoot, my heels did strike quite hard, but after a few months i just naturally adjusted to placing the heel down and rolling forwards.

As said above, the way we walk is very individual. Just walk how you walk, adjust naturally and don't think too much about it.

:sunny:

 

I was thinking about it while walking today and yeah it's a kind of heel first rolling onto the ball and then toes. Thank you 2barefeet.

 

Well, I'm not a veteran barefooter by any means, I was very footshy until about a year ago, but once I started barefooting around the house, it's been like a floodgate opening, I hardly ever wear shoes anymore. Still, definitely not a veteran, but I have noticed a few differences.

I take shorter strides because the longer my stride, the more I'm impacting on my heel, and I like the more delicate heel-to-ball-to-toe motion, both because it doesn't hurt and because (IMO) it looks better. Yes, I'm vain, don't flame me please. I think I look great barefoot (especially in jeans).

I also noticed that my foot seems to compensate by shifting weight (mostly automatically) when I step on an obstacle like a stone or whatever. I don't know how visible that shifting is in my gait, but I noticed it happening. I also tend to spread my toes as I step down and roll forward, this is not automatic, but it feels great, especially on warm surfaces like sun-baked asphalt. Finally, I am trying to exaggerate my push-off from my toes at the end of my step, leading to the next step, again because it feels great. I am almost tiptoe at the back of my stride.

I know someone will say it, so I'll say it first LOL: "You are analysing too much, trying too hard, just be natural!" Well, sorry, but like I said, I am vain, very self-concsious, and no matter how good it felt (it does), if I felt I looked funny or crazy or poor or any of the other stereotypes, I wouldn't be barefooting.

 

I find i walk just like Jagerhans. "fox walking"

 

Welcome to the pleasures of going barefoot. You ARE walking as your body meant to (with individual variation), and you ARE noticing the sensations and benefits. If you DO think about "those others," though, you will lose your sense of self in the maelstrom of "others' perceptions." You're living your life for YOU, not THEM. GO BAREFOOT!

 

I should clarify: I don't feel that I look funny or crazy or poor. However I know that others do think that when they see me. Their opinion does not sway me, but if I agreed with them, I wouldn't barefoot, no matter how good it felt. I think I look great, better than when I'm shod, and it feels great, so I do it.

Just to be clear, I am barefoot 90% of the time, or more. Just not in stores (with a few exceptions), not because I'm against it, but because so many others are. Fear of hostility and confrontation trumps reason and rationality I guess. But I still walk right up to the door carrying my sandals lol, then drop 'em and slip 'em on before I walk in. Still get looks, but no comments so far. Gettin' used to the looks at least!

 

I walk a lot differently. I push off with my toes and thereby use the muscles all the way up my legs and into my abdomin and buttox. This tends to help me tighten my stomach muscles and gives me good posture. My toes are spread to distribute the forces and give me more stability. I have high arches now, whereas I used to be flatfooted.

 

So I've been waking up lately with sore muscles around my forefoot. It usually subsides later in the morning, but being on my feet most of this afternoon and evening is really taking a toll on them. Might need some Aleve or something.

 

Check yourself to make sure you are using your whole body to bear the forces of walking....not just your foot muscles. Try to drive your steps from the center of your body.

 

Been trying to train myself to have more of a forefoot strike gait instead of heel strike, even just strolling around the house.