Barefoot Is Human 

Going barefoot is usually thought of as removing our shoes, but what if we turned that idea around?

From the time we are born, we are not lacking shoes. We arrive fully equipped with feet that are ideally suited to learn to crawl, walk, run, climb, dance, and participate in other normal human activities. Going barefoot isn't the removal of shoes, but remaining what we are in the first place.

The hashtag #BarefootIsHuman sums up our message: We are barefoot. Shoes are an optional addition to our human condition.

Human feet are meant to function without footwear. Each foot contains thousands of nerve endings. One quarter of the bones in our body are below our ankles. Our bodies are intended to use the intricate system of joints, ligaments, and tendons in our feet. Shoes limit the functioning of this system and block our bodies from the world around us.

People who have not yet experienced the comfort and freedom of living barefoot often believe that our society is too dangerous for bare feet, but this fear comes from the unfamiliarity of it, and from the false information that gets spread around, rather than the actual level of risk. In reality, hazards are rare and human feet are incredibly adaptable and resilient, as well as waterproof, easy-to-clean, and able to quickly self-repair minor injuries that might occur. Any location or activity that does not require special safety equipment for our hands, knees, eyes, or heads is almost certainly safe enough for the soles of our feet.

We live in a society in which footwear is the norm. Clothing norms are continually changing, however, and we think it's about time to change the social expectation that all of us should have shoes on anytime we step outside our front doors.

We invite you to look around our site, learn the facts about going barefoot, and when you're ready ...

Start remaining what you are: human.