Resources:
These are fun, some funny and some deliver very in-depth knowledgeable information. I can recommend these sources:
1.) “The Barefoot Hiker”
Published in the Spring of 1993 by Ten Speed Press of Berkelley CA., the $7.95 paperback edition of this work (ISBN 0-89815-525-8) has since gone out of print. It is around here and there to read in the woods,
http://www.bhthom.org/hikertxt.htm
2.) Words of wisdom from someone who does:
http://appalachiantrials.com/5-questions-i-get-asked-about-barefoot-hiking/
3.) Hilarious:
More hilarity with some practical wisdom:
4.) Society for Barefoot Living
http://www.barefooters.org/
5.) Fun quotes, legal issues don’t really exist, much more and links:
http://www.barefootny.com/quotes/
6.) I also sat down and read straight through “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall. What fun book! There is a whole section about anthropological studies about how we survived, and our scientific mind developed, from barefoot hunting and tracking. It puts a whole new twist on this aspect of “naturism.” There is a mention of a forest service worker who spent a lot of time running through the woods naked, which developed into a world class runner. There is a man running the race through the harsh and remote Copper Canyon, Mexico barefoot. There is some fun history and the story itself is compelling.
“Born to Run: A hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World has ever Seen.” By Christopher McDougall. Copyright 2009. Random House, ISBN 978-0-307-26630-9.
7.) Barefoot Parks in Europe are sensual and mindful ways to love a body.
http://www.barfusspark.info/en/park.htm
8.) Medical advice: This Doc is good. Numerous videos for conditioning your feet to develop flex and natural protection. Explanations. Fixing feet and spinal problems:
http://teamdoctorsblog.com/category/barefoot-running/
9.) This guy is passionate. I mentioned him before, the one who suggested running on asphalt, my feet weren’t conditioned and they got shredded. Be careful, but listen to the wisdom and enthusiasm.
http://barefootrunning.com/?page_id=432
Further information:
Find a barefoot hiker and hangout with him or her.
Try it. Try barefoot walking AND THEN hiking. Take shoes for backup during experimentation with ultra-marathon and thru hiking. Increments in learning, it is fascinating.
Next in the series:
I’m slowly trying out a pair of different “make your barefoot shoe” experiments. I’ll add those to the other make your own, solutions and that will be the last in this series.
Next Week: Romero Canyon, and the value of water.
You know you’re old when someone compliments you on your alligator shoes, and you’re barefoot.
Phyllis Diller
“It is important that students bring a certain rafamuffin, barefoot, irreverence to their studies; they are not here to worship what is known, but to question it”
Jacob Chanowski
The Free Range Naturist 