Ok, not to be negative I wanted to have a positive post about barefoot hiking as well. What are your favorite textures in the woods? I'm fond of rotting logs and short moss Also, there's one stretch of woods near my parents house that has random sand patches in it, not sure how common that is, but sand in the woods is SOFT
I like fallen leaves best, especially just after it has rained. They can stain your feet an odd color, too.
A thick layer of fallen pine needles, soft and bouncy. Sun warmed granite slabs with lichens and moss
I love the softness of dirt about half an hour after a nice rain. It's not too muddy, but it's soft enough to make grass feel spongy.
Limestone forest trails are almost always cool and moist and the large banyan roots you find there make great "steps". Outside of the forest, large, smooth boulders and beach sand are my favorites.
I like most the fallen pine needles. They are soft (good for the joints, like knees) and at the same time rough. Feels pleasant and not as dull as, say, soft grass.
All of these things. Pine needles, spruce needles, soft moist earth, moss, lichen (the spongy fruiticose kinds; after rain, you don't crush them by walking on them,) bare granite surfaces, grass.
The things I enjoy hiking on the most barefoot: Any surface when I take off my hiking boots after a hard days hike. Other surfaces: cool moss, wet rocks with moss (don't slip though), and a good fallen tree with course texture.
i love pine needles, moss, sand after a rain, the cool earth after the slight rain, and mud after a hard rain, just don't slip, lol.
