Currently enjoying a nude walk in Shelford.  This weather just comfortable pumps.

I have had  so many problems walking in bare feet I now always wear flip flops or sandals.
I even once stood on my middle toes! Omg that hurt.
My feet are like magnets to thorns, spikey plants, even on a beach.
I guess the answer is whatever feels good to you.

when I go for my naked walks I usually wear a pair or trainers, though if I think it might be a bit muddy I might putt on a pair of wellies.

I quite like the comical walking boots look. :laugh: As djks108 says, it enhances the bare feeling elsewhere and I find it the most practical solution for most of my adventures so far.

Barefoot has never enticed me, I'd be too worried all the time about what I'm walking on, and walking the gritstone landscape around here it wouldn't be much fun. I've tried beach/walking sandals which feel great, but also aren't compatible with our overgrown and stinging-nettle-ridden pathways and woods.

I like the idea that when out I'm wearing only what's necessary or sensible - clothing is a burden on a warm day, but shoes are often sensible (as is a sun hat!). If only more people understood we're just being sensible. 😉

I like the idea that when out I'm wearing only what's necessary or sensible - clothing is a burden on a warm day, but shoes are often sensible (as is a sun hat!). If only more people understood we're just being sensible. 😉

This is pretty much my attitude. For much of the year, I am out with the dog in dark or near dark conditions and can not see what I'm about to step on, so footwear is a necessity given the sharp flints of the Thames valley. However, in summer sunshine, nothing can beat the feeling of being totally unfettered by clothing. So if the ground and conditions are suitable, wearing and carrying nothing is my preference.

As you say, it is driven largely by making sensible choices.

Have fun,

Ian.

i usually wear strapped sandals....the sort with three velcro straps, heel , instep and toe,  theyre quite secure....easy to remove if i feel the ground is safe for barefeet....allow the air to get get round the feet, im sure wearing them most of last summer has done wonders for my fungal nails...
i find wearing one  size larger than normal means the sole projects maybe 3/4 of an inch in front of the toes which goes a long way to protect the toes from prickly foliage and rubbish on the ground in woodland.

I have become fed up with commercial Sandals so I have decided to make a pair of my own, the advantage being that given my feet are the wrong shape for off the peg footwear, they will be a perfect fit.

Whenever I have walked any distance I usually wear sandals. I always assumed that wearing fell boots would feel a bit clumsy though I have never tried it.

We managed to evolve without ever the need for shoes, although they do enable you to go some places that are difficult barefoot. It is largely a question of practise, and learning to land on your forefoot, feeling the ground before you put your whole weight on your foot. You can get away without on easy, soft ground, grass and sand or mud, but not on more difficult surfaces.

When I started into naturism i was already having problems with my feet and boots/shoes and I had been inspired by the thought 'less is more'. It just seemed wrong to wear heavy boots when they weren't neccesary, and gradualy that extended to light boots, shoes and sandals. It just seemed wrong to wear trainers or shoes when otherwise naked and the more I went without them, the less neccssary they became.

I agree that wearing shoes or boots may make you feel more naked, as in more aware of your nakedness, but that is not what it is about to me. To me it is about the connection with nature, feeling sun, breeze or water on your skin, a truly sensual connection to nature. Your feet are your most fundamental connection with the earth, packed full of nerve cells. To coccoon your feei in boots is like wrapping your body up in several layers in spring, when you could be feeling those warming rays direct.

Granted, that same sensitivity can make it an overstimulating experience if you exceed your own barefooting skills too early. But they learn with experience the different surfaces you walk on, develop new muscles and blood supply, as your feet do much more work barefoot. New neural pathways to your brain are developed, improving balance and enabling you to manage more difficult surafaces.

The sensation of connection with the earth is a true naturist experince, which can be experienced even when you have to wear clothes. I keep boots for ski-ing and Sochwa G3s for running on sharp, broken rock or man-made chippings, but otherwise am 99% barefoot and generally need no footwear in the mountains and wilds.

I have been learnig to tread lightly on the earth, which is for me a mataphor for a truly naturist (green) way of living, although the latter is very much a work in progress.....

I have a pair of Keen sandals.
They have toe protection against rocks and proved worth their weight in gold on some of the rocky beaches in Croatia.
They are also comfortable for long distance hikes.
I have them on in my profile pic also at Abbey House gardens but I very much doubt you can see them lol

If im walking i wear walking trainers but id prefer barefoot where possible. I cant wear sandals, i just cant.