I’d like a reality check. Was I just being grumpy or is this really a thing?
Today I went for a walk with my partner. Maybe five miles total, mingled with some good food, a few shops, and nice weather — overall an extremely enjoyable date. I wore shoes and socks because she finds my bare or even sandaled feet a bit embarrassing. On the way home (on a quiet rails-to-trails bike path), though, I found myself unusually unhappy. The pavement was unnervingly monotonous, my feet couldn’t really feel anything, and I couldn’t seem to find a comfortable walking rhythm. Get home, take off shoes and socks, walk around a bit, and all of a sudden I feel a lot better; the improvement was of a similar magnitude to when I’ve pushed my endurance too far, bonked, and then drank a cold, sugary soda.
I’m new to this barefoot thing. I’ve been walking in minimalist shoes and sandals for a few months now, but they still feel novel. I’ve only gone for two barefoot runs, plus a few brief walks. There’s a possibility that I’ve acclimated to walking with lots of feeling under my feet, and removing that stimulation makes that part of my brain feel depressed, but there’s perhaps the more likely possibility that I’m over-enthusiastic about barefooting and want to attribute every experience I have to this new project of mine. Or maybe my recent runs have been too much and my body just wants me to chill out a bit — but that doesn’t fit my experience, because, even when sitting and enjoying my day out there, my feet still seemed anxious and unhappy while relaxing, shod, under a table.
So. Have you experienced anything similar? Do you think I’m completely nuts? I’m open to all feedback. (But, regardless, I’ll still think “shodfoot dysphoria” is a great turn of the English language.) Thank you!
Today I went for a walk with my partner. Maybe five miles total, mingled with some good food, a few shops, and nice weather — overall an extremely enjoyable date. I wore shoes and socks because she finds my bare or even sandaled feet a bit embarrassing. On the way home (on a quiet rails-to-trails bike path), though, I found myself unusually unhappy. The pavement was unnervingly monotonous, my feet couldn’t really feel anything, and I couldn’t seem to find a comfortable walking rhythm. Get home, take off shoes and socks, walk around a bit, and all of a sudden I feel a lot better; the improvement was of a similar magnitude to when I’ve pushed my endurance too far, bonked, and then drank a cold, sugary soda.
I’m new to this barefoot thing. I’ve been walking in minimalist shoes and sandals for a few months now, but they still feel novel. I’ve only gone for two barefoot runs, plus a few brief walks. There’s a possibility that I’ve acclimated to walking with lots of feeling under my feet, and removing that stimulation makes that part of my brain feel depressed, but there’s perhaps the more likely possibility that I’m over-enthusiastic about barefooting and want to attribute every experience I have to this new project of mine. Or maybe my recent runs have been too much and my body just wants me to chill out a bit — but that doesn’t fit my experience, because, even when sitting and enjoying my day out there, my feet still seemed anxious and unhappy while relaxing, shod, under a table.
So. Have you experienced anything similar? Do you think I’m completely nuts? I’m open to all feedback. (But, regardless, I’ll still think “shodfoot dysphoria” is a great turn of the English language.) Thank you!
