Customer Reviews

The Barefoot Hiker

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Maybe you're one of the many people who slip off their shoes as soon as they get home. Maybe you even remember running around barefoot when you were a kid. If so, then you're already aware that going barefoot is mighty comfortable (and maybe even faintly subversive).

Did you also know that it provides a number of medical benefits? Well, it does; there are lots of chronic problems -- and not just foot problems -- that are caused in part by wearing shoes unnecessarily.

So have you ever tried barefoot hiking? If not, Richard Keith Frazine would like your attention.

In this altogether charming book, Frazine sets out the case not only for hiking barefoot but for avoiding shoes in general. Far from being unsanitary or gross, he holds, going barefoot is actually physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy.

Frazine invites the reader to explore not only the benefits of going barefoot but the sources of various attitudes _about_ going barefoot. Why, for example, are bare feet associated by some with poverty or bad manners and by others with freedom and tolerance? (I myself avoid shoes whenever possible and I'm occasionally surprised by people who think there's something rude or offensive about bare feet.) And he clears up myth after myth about the supposed dangers of going barefoot and its associations with negative feelings.

As for hiking itself, there's a lot of sound advice in here about how to do it safely (and a lot of correction of the misunderstanding that it isn't _possible_ to do it safely). And it's also fun to read; Frazine's prose style has a delightfully old-fashioned, New England-y air that reminds me a bit of Emerson and Thoreau.

A fine book all around, then -- a well-written volume of sound advice and arguments, devoted to a subject on which I agree with the author. Now _that's_ a treat.

Going barefoot: it's not just for hippies anymore.

(You can preview the text online if you know where to look...

I bought a copy of this from Ten Speed Press a little while back. Richard did an excellent job writing about a subject that most people would not even attempt. The only way to appreciate the book is to have actually done some barefoot hiking. This encourages one to go barefoot when doing other things on a daily basis, such as walking to the train on your way to work, just carry your footwear in your hand and slip it on when boarding the train, etc. This keeps one's feet in condition for barefoot hiking. Go barefoot and go barefoot some more, especially in the Summer. It just feels great and really is good for foot health. Richard's "basic rules" to follow are excellent advice. I just want to conclude by saying it is a wonderful little book.

It's a "how-to" book on barefoot hiking, but also on bare feet in general including thoughts, perceptions, and a historical and cultural viewpoint. It's a wonderful little book. Richard has inspired many others to try and greatly enjoy hiking barefoot. "Why hike barefoot?Because it is an exercise in reverence, vulnerability and respect in which we humbly admit our dependence on the earth for our very existence. It symbolizes our willingness to open up instead of shut down to the natural world around us. Maybe in this exercise, we will begin to realize our interconnectedness to the whole of life and to each other."

Offering advice for year-round barefooting experiences, the author promotes barefoot hiking as a positive family pastime. There is advice on foot preparation and care. There is even a section on founding a barefoot hiking club in your area.

On a separate note, if you want to connect with other barefooters, I recommend the Society of Barefoot Living.

http://www.barefooters.org

I bought a copy of this from Ten Speed Press a little while back. Richard did an excellent job writing about a subject that most people would not even attempt. The only way to appreciate the book is to have actually done some barefoot hiking. This encourages one to go barefoot when doing other things on a daily basis, such as walking to the train on your way to work, just carry your footwear in your hand and slip it on when boarding the train, etc. This keeps one's feet in condition for barefoot hiking. Go barefoot and go barefoot some more, especially in the Summer. It just feels great and really is good for foot health. Richard's "basic rules" to follow are excellent advice. I just want to conclude by saying it is a wonderful little book.

The Barefoot Hiker: A Book About Bare Feet and How Their Sensitivity Can Provide Not Only an Unique Dimension of Pleasure, but Also Significant Bene

I've always loved my feet touching the earth and I love hiking.

Sometimes shoes can be a real bummer. I liked this book and the suggestions on getting your feet ready for hiking barefoot.

This is a great story of a barefoot hiker, who also give great descriptions and advice on how to start as a barefoot hiker. Excellent, quick read book.