Not that I mind, but… wearing shoes has a purpose… and the most important one IMO is to make sure our feet stay harms way from broken bottles, nails, stuff like that.
I’m not even gonna get into how cold it must be not wearing them in the winter… or how hot the asfalt might get during the summer. The asfalt can go up to 80, 90°C where I live during the summer, people have fried eggs on it for kicks.
I totally think it is not a thing. Just two random ignorant fools doing it (maybe, and maybe not).
Barefoot shoes are a thing though, with a very thin sole and a very direkt Response to ground texture. I have a small collection of these and i am a big fan of them. However, if i want to go completely barefoot (or simply forget my shoes again), i just don’t Wasser shoes.
What is the appeal to you of feeling the surface you walk on more directly? In my experience, having bulky soles enables your feet to take rough terrain for longer ( I did some multiday hikes in the Alps )
Also the soles (of B or A/B class hiking shoes) can have a very comfortable bedding, so it feels like a luxury item to me. I guess that’s why if feels strange to me to that some would rather forgo them all together :-)
I hike a lot in my barefoot shoes
I’d say the biggest benefit of feeling the surfaces you walk on more clearly is that my balance is a lot better
But the biggest benefit IMO is that the shoes being super flat improves my posture relieving some shoulder and back pain. And the shoes being super wide in the toe box also improves my balance and means I can walk longer with fewer breaks.
The last hike I went on with my barefoot shoes was 18 miles and I felt better than before I started
It might sound silly, but different terrains tend to be „interesting“. I also feel it has an impact on how i walk and how i stand - so actually back problems and (minor) aches are either easier or gone.
I, too, travel the alps, nock mountains, katschberg mountain, Dachstein etc. I totally wear bulky hiking shoes in the mountains, though, as you definitely want the protection for your foot and ankles. However, i more often than not even hike easy trails in those barefoot shoes. I guess i just am used to it so much that those protective shoes feel too heavy and bulky, even if the bedding is comfortable.
But fir the day to day footwear you have to wear necessarily I almost always choose barefoot shoes over the few remaining normal ones. I will keep one set business shoes, one pair of winter boots and my mountain equipment, everything else will be gone quite soon.
Thanks a lot for elaborating. I can definitely imagine different terrains being interesting. Your explanation of when you would (and wouldn’t) use them is very useful for understanding the appeal. If I ever find a nicely priced pair that fit me well, I might give it a whirl!
