The short answer: the evidence for barefoot walking is thinner than most articles suggest. There is a good trial showing that walking in minimalist shoes strengthens foot muscles, a lab study suggesting lower joint loads barefoot, and real risks. For older adults and for anyone with diabetes-related foot problems, the evidence points firmly against going barefoot.
Foot muscles
The best trial is from 2019 (Ridge and colleagues, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise). About 60 runners who normally wore conventional shoes were randomly assigned to walk in minimalist shoes, to do foot-strengthening exercises, or to a control group. The minimalist-shoe walking was reported to be as effective as the exercises at increasing foot muscle size and strength; a later paper put the increase in muscle size at about 5 to 7% after a walking program of up to 7,000 steps a day, five days a week. Two limits matter. The shoes were thin-soled minimalist shoes, not bare feet, and the participants were runners. Nobody has shown that going fully barefoot does the same thing, or that stronger foot muscles lead to fewer foot or knee problems in walkers.
Joint loading
A laboratory study of people with knee osteoarthritis (Shakoor and Block, 2006) found that peak loads on the knee and hip were lower walking barefoot than in their shoes, and a literature review describes barefoot walking as involving shorter strides and lower peak loads on joints. That is a finding about forces in the lab. It doesn't show that walking barefoot reduces pain or arthritis progression, and the earlier page's suggestion that it helps with "shin and knee discomfort" has no trial behind it. If you have knee arthritis, walking and knee arthritis covers what has been tested.
Balance and falls
The earlier version said barefoot walking improves balance and is "particularly relevant for older adults working on fall prevention." The real-world data point the other way. A 2004 case-control study of older adults (Koepsell and colleagues, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society) found that going barefoot or in stocking feet was associated with a sharply higher risk of falling than athletic or canvas shoes, with an adjusted odds ratio of 11.2 (95% CI 2.4 to 51.8). The interval is wide and the study lumps socks and bare feet together, but a 2008 systematic review (Menant and colleagues) reached the same conclusion: walking indoors barefoot or in socks has been shown to raise fall risk in older people. Barefoot balance can look good in a lab; in daily life, supportive shoes did better. Walking for seniors has what is known about falls.
Diabetes and reduced foot sensation
The 2023 guideline from the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot recommends, as a strong recommendation based on low-certainty evidence, that people with diabetes who are at risk of foot ulcers should not walk barefoot, in socks without shoes, or in thin-soled slippers, whether indoors or outdoors. The guideline allows limited barefoot walking only as part of a foot and ankle exercise program supervised by a qualified professional, for people at low-to-moderate risk. This covers more than the earlier page's "particularly outdoors": the advice includes indoors. If you have diabetes, neuropathy or poor circulation, don't try barefoot walking without talking to your care team.
Other risks
This is general safety advice, not trial findings. Glass, thorns and stones cause puncture wounds, hot pavement can burn, and cold ground carries its own risks. Anyone with open wounds, an active foot infection or recent foot surgery should avoid it, and anyone with a structural foot problem should check with a podiatrist.
What we left out
An earlier version also said barefoot walking produces a "more natural gait," that it builds proprioception in a measurable way, and that grass and sand are "safest." It gave a transition schedule of 5 to 10 minutes building to 15 to 20 minutes over four weeks. We couldn't source a schedule for barefoot walking and removed it. On "earthing" or "grounding," the idea that bare skin on the ground has health effects through electrical charge, we haven't reviewed that literature and we don't make claims for it; treat it as unproven.
If you want to try it
This part is opinion. If you're a healthy adult with normal foot sensation, a short barefoot walk on clean grass or a sandy beach, or around the house on floors you know are clear, is low risk for most people. Build up slowly, check your feet afterwards, and stop if your arches or calves complain. If your interest is stronger feet, the trial evidence is for minimalist shoes, which also protect against debris. Our walking shoes and walking posture and form guides cover everyday footwear and gait, and walking meditation is a natural fit for a slow barefoot walk on grass.
Sources
- Ridge ST, Olsen MT, Bruening DA, et al. Walking in minimalist shoes is effective for strengthening foot muscles. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2019;51(1):104-113. lww.com
- Shakoor N, Block JA. Walking barefoot decreases loading on the lower extremity joints in knee osteoarthritis. Arthritis & Rheumatism. 2006;54(9):2923-2927. researchgate.net
- Koepsell TD, Wolf ME, Buchner DM, et al. Footwear style and risk of falls in older adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2004;52(9):1495-1501. PubMed
- Menant JC, Steele JR, Menz HB, Munro BJ, Lord SR. Optimizing footwear for older people at risk of falls. Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development. 2008;45(8):1167-1181. PubMed
- Bus SA, et al. Guidelines on the prevention of foot ulcers in persons with diabetes (IWGDF 2023 update). Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews. 2024. wiley.com
- Walking barefoot: a literature review of sensory, biomechanical aspects and injury risks. European Society of Medicine. esmed.org
Correction note: an earlier version of this page said barefoot walking improves balance and helps fall prevention in older adults, that it reduces shin and knee discomfort, that it produces a more natural gait, that grass and sand are the safest surfaces, and gave a week-by-week transition schedule; it also said people with diabetes should avoid barefoot walking particularly outdoors. We could not support the first four and the schedule, and the fall evidence points the other way, so they were removed or corrected; the diabetes guidance now reflects the IWGDF recommendation, which covers indoors as well. We checked the figures above against published abstracts and summaries on October 2, 2026; the Ridge muscle-size figure is as reported in a later paper, and we did not read the Shakoor paper in full. This article is for informational purposes and does not replace medical advice. If you have diabetes, neuropathy or any foot condition, consult a podiatrist before trying barefoot walking. This is general information, not medical advice.