Take off your shoes and socks to enjoy the health and exercise benefits of barefoot walking this summer. The weather’s certainly warm enough!

We’ve talked about walking barefoot at Walking.org before, but now that we can enjoy a spectacular summer in Great Britain, it’s time to take of your shoes and socks, wiggle to toes and give barefoot walking a go!

We won’t lie to you, walking barefoot feels weird and it goes to show just how much we wear shoes. Small stones will most likely hurt, pavements will be incredibly hot due to the sun, the grass will tickles and generally your soles are going to be very sensitive to start with.

But the more you walk in your barefeet, the more comfortable you will become. Even if you’re a seasoned hiker, the soles of your feet are going to take some time to toughen up.

Barefoot walking has a number of health benefits over normal walking because you use the muscles in your feet and calves all the more. This is because instead of heel striking, like you would in a pair of cushioned shoes, you have to walk using your mid foot. If you continue heel striking, it’s going to hurt!

We’d recommend only barefoot walking on soft surfaces at first, like grass and sand. In fact, there’s nothing quite so lovely as a casual stroll through the fields or along the beach.

If you’re worried about sharp stones, hot sand or anything unpleasant you may tread on, we wholeheartedly recommend Vibram Five Fingers. They are quite expensive, but there’s a fantastic FiveFingers review if you’re interested.

So get out there and enjoy the sunshine this weekend and let your feet breathe while you’re at it. You’ll miss the warm weather when it’s gone!