Barefoot Walking Technique Explained

September 27, 2023 by Coach Clifford

Introduction

Leonardo De Vinci said "The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art." The foot has the ability to be flexible and malleable when it needs to absorb shock and generate tremenduos stiffness when it needs to generate force. The human foot is equipped with 33 joints, 26 bones, and more than a hundred muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

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The human foot is well designed and robust. During the Trans-Saharan Slave Trade ¹, captives were forced in an arduous and horrific journey to walk from the center of the African continent to the edge of the meditarranean completely barefoot. These men and women used a different walking technique, called a forefoot walking gait to complete their journeys. But how do you execute a natural walking gait?

Natural Walking Technique:

Step 1: The touchdown

The human foot has the ability to be flexible when it needs to absorb shock and generate tremendous stiffness when it needs to generate force. The outside of the foot offers the greatest flexibility with the inside of the foot generating the greatest stiffness. Because of that, the touchdown of the foot should land on the ball of the foot below the pinky toe.

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Step 2: Loading

In the same way that a tennis ball will store and release energy when faced with impact, the foot will store and release energy when contacting the ground. This energy will be stored in the Achilles tendon and requires the foot to shift the weight back to the outside of the mid-foot. This is the equivalent of pulling back the string on the bow of a bow and arrow to store potential energy. The heel should get as close to the ground as possible without touching as the heel resting on the ground will let the tension out of the achilles tendon.

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Step 3: Pronation and Stiffening of the Plantar Fascia

The Windlass mechanism describes a movement pattern of the foot that can transition the plantar fascia from being flexible and malleable to building tremendous stiffness for the rebound of the gait. When the plantar pressure is on the outside of the forefoot, the foot is malleable and flexible, but as the plantar pressure moves to the inside of the foot under the big toe, the foot will stiffen and build tremendous elastic energy. The foot will start to pronate, which describes the natural outwards to inwards horizontal angle of the knee.

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Step 4: The Rebound

With the achilles heel loaded, and the plantar fascia stiff, the kinetic energy will get released with a BOINGG!!!! as the foot moves over the big toe.

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Helpful Tips With Barefoot Walking Techniqe

1: Heels never touch the ground

On the loading phase of the running gait, the heel should get as close to the ground as possible without touching. If the heel relaxes on the ground it will let the tension out of the achilles tendon and lose the potential energy store.

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2: The foot should be totally relaxed

It won't happen overnight as mobility limitations and the activation of new muscles can cause all sorts of involuntary movement-phobic responses... but eventually you want the foot to be totally relaxed throughout the walking gait. Walking and running is a movement powered by tendons and reflexes that should move the body effortlessly. If you are straining during the walking gait you need more time!

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3: Touch the ground, don't drag the ground

Each step in your natural walking gait should be planted, and not pulling or pushing. If you pull the ground under you, you could get blistering on the bottom of your feet. Instead focus on firmly planting your feet on the ground and try to pick your foot as soon after as possible.

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4: Run Quietly

American bison are 2,000 pound animals but walk very quietly. This helps them avoid calling attention to themselves and becoming prey when moving through forest. Humans evolved to walk silently to sneak up on prey. A natural running gait should be silent.

Footnotes: