Barefoot walking and earthing

Barefoot walking is the oldest form of walking, practiced since long before humans wore shoes. It became hugely popular in Korea in the 2020s. Places such as the red clay trail on Gyejoksan Mountain in Daejeon became well-known destinations, and many local governments built barefoot paths and red clay trails in parks and enacted ordinances to manage them.

Earthing began with Clinton Ober, who worked in the American cable television industry. Around 1998, drawing on his experience of grounding cable equipment to eliminate electrical noise, he reportedly began wondering what changes might occur if the human body were also connected to the ground. In 2010, he published *Earthing* with cardiologist Stephen Sinatra and others. Products such as grounding mats and sheets for indoor use followed.

Barefoot walking is generally discussed from two perspectives.

The foot and movement perspective. The soles of the feet have a dense network of sensory receptors. Walking barefoot lets you directly feel the contours, temperature, and texture of the ground, and your body uses your toes and ankles with greater precision to maintain balance. The intrinsic foot muscles, usually supported by thick soles, also work harder to support the foot arches. The foot core paradigm, which views the small muscles within the feet as comparable to the core muscles of the trunk, represents this perspective. One study found that runners who gradually increased their walking in thin-soled shoes over 8 weeks gained foot muscle size and strength.

The earthing perspective. Earthing holds that the Earth's surface is rich in electrons and that when bare feet touch the ground, the body takes on the same electrical state as the Earth. It proposes that electrons entering the body calm inflammation and tension and help with sleep. For this reason, people who practice earthing choose conductive surfaces such as wet soil, grass, or beach sand rather than dry asphalt, and view rubber-soled shoes as breaking the connection with the ground.

• Location: Start on soft ground, such as a red clay trail, dirt path, lawn, or sandy beach. Before walking, take a look around for broken glass or sharp stones.
• Duration: About 10–20 minutes is enough at first. Gradually increase this over several weeks, watching how the soles of your feet adapt.
• How to walk: Take slightly shorter steps than usual and step lightly with your whole foot. Rather than pounding down on your heels, walk slowly as though feeling the ground with the entire sole.
• After walking: Wash your feet thoroughly, dry them well, and check for small cuts or other wounds. If your heels tend to crack, apply moisturizer thoroughly. Many barefoot paths in parks have foot-washing facilities.

• People who enjoy walks and want to add a new kind of stimulation to their walking
• People who spend long periods sitting and feel that their feet are stiff and less sensitive (Sedentary behavior)
• People who want to strengthen their foot arches and foot muscles (Foot arch, Flatfoot)
• People who want to clear their heads and relax in nature
• People interested in earthing who want to experience it for themselves

• Increase gradually. Feet that have long been supported by shoes may become sore in the soles and calves if you suddenly walk for a long time. Keep walks short during the first week, then gradually increase the duration as your feet adapt.
• Take a break if you have wounds or blisters. It is safer to start again after they have fully healed.
• Check more carefully if you have reduced sensation in your feet. If diabetes or another condition has reduced sensation in your feet, small wounds can be easy to miss, so wear shoes when walking or check your feet every time afterward.
• Pay attention to the weather. Shorten your walks on cold days, and avoid sand or stones heated by the midsummer sun.
• Keep walks short if the soles of your feet or heels hurt. Walk gently on soft soil or grass, and take a day or two off if the pain increases. You can read more about heel pain in Plantar fasciitis.

On urban streets where walking barefoot is difficult, minimalist shoes with thin soles and no heel-to-toe height difference are often used as an alternative. They protect the feet while preserving some of the sensory input through the soles and the use of foot muscles. For details, see Minimalist footwear and barefoot activity. From the earthing perspective, however, direct contact with the ground is important, so bare feet or grounding shoes are recommended instead of rubber-soled shoes.