Can You Travel Barefoot?

Man was not born wearing shoes. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that our ancestors walked around without shoes for millions of years. The human foot is actually a remarkable evolutionary accomplishment and if you leave the shoes off for a while, your feet will create natural hardened skin that will allow you to walk over the most jagged, hot, or cold surfaces without even noticing. Of course, you won’t look stylish in the latest barefoot model, but then, the purpose of shoes isn’t really to look fashionable anyway.

running barefoot
Its like running Barefoot!!

Today, shoes are essential because of the cultural and technological changes that our world has gone through, however, there are still many places in the world where shoes are not the norm. In fact, there are both conveniences and important benefits for not wearing shoes. Going barefoot is the preferred method for many people, especially in a place like Boracay. Oh I just love walking around the shore barefoot.

In fact, being barefoot brings you some health benefits that you may not be aware of. Ditching the shoes lets your feet and leg muscles relax in ways that it is impossible to do when you are wearing shoes. Many runners prefer to run barefoot because it lets the balls of the feet hit the ground first which is overall better for the knees and joints of the ankle. When wearing shoes, the heel is the first to strke the ground which sends extra shock up the legs and to the knees and thighs. No shoes gives your feet a greater range of motion and lets your toes do the job of providing you with balance. So, when you are barefoot, you actually have better coordination!

yoga barefoot
It feels like Barefoot!

The soles of your feet have one of the highest concentration of nerve endings in the body! Foot therapy is one of the key techniques for deep relaxation. In addition, being barefoot helps to improve posture and spinal alignment.

But, what if you wanted to leave your shoes at home and travel barefoot? Could you get away with it? Despite the advantages of going barefoot, our world has a lot of dangers to the feet and so we need shoes to protect them from injury. In fact, there are a number of shoes designed to copy the sensation of being barefoot such as the Vibram Five Fingers, but what if you want to do the real thing?

five fingers footwear
Now… You can travel barefoot!

The answer, unfortunately, is probably not. Most trains, airlines, and buses require passengers to wear shoes. Many businesses will not let you enter with no shoes (especially in places away from the beach) but, the good news is that with products like the Vibram Five Fingers, you can make it seem like you are barefoot. It has a special design that allows the toes to do their job and encourages the balls of your feet to hit the ground first. In fact, it feels like you are barefoot when you wear them.

So, give your feet a break and ditch the shoes when you can. When you can’t, look at the many innovative and new products which are available to make your feet happy. They deserve it. They’ve brought you all the way to wherever you are right now!

The Vibram Five Fingers store is located at Level R1 Bridgeway in PowerPlant Mall, Rockwell. For inquiries, call (02) 513-1449 or e-mail You could also visit the official website at

