Mindful Feet – by Isabelle Brough (2023)
Our feet support us with every step we take. When we care for them, we make our connection to the ground stronger, improve our balance, ease the pain in our joints and put a spring back in our step.
This guide will help you discover for yourself how your body navigates everyday life and how you can embrace healthy movement habits. Images are used throughout the book to explain simple, easily applicable steps to get you moving better and feeling better too.
NOTE: As of this entry, this book is available only in the U.K.
Link to information about the book here.
I Don’t Like Wearing Shoes – by Kimberly Oyedele (2021)
In this children’s book, young Lizzie doesn’t like wearing shoes. She would rather let her toes take her on new adventures right in her own back yard.
At first, mama tells her to put on her shoes when going outside. But too many wonderful sensory distractions keep getting in the way. Will mama understand? Find out!
Bear Foot – written and illustrated by Richard Jensen (2021)
A delightful children’s book. Wandering deep into the wood, Humphrey the bear cub discovers a pair of shiny trainers that look comfy. His pals feel jealous, but will flashy shoes suit a bear? Shoes with thick cushioning and “support” prevent feet (and paws) from feeling the ground. One wouldn’t expect bears to wear trainers, so why do humans run in them? (See more about the book here)
Child of the Woods – by Susi Gott Séguret (2019)
Exploring the world through the eyes of a young child whose life was defined and enriched by the natural settings that surrounded her, this collection of short stories and insights by Susi Gott Séguret highlights the wonders of growing up in rural Appalachia and learning to live as one with the land.
Readers here will especially appreciate the chapter entitled “Barefoot” in which the author beautifully expresses the simple joys and wonders of going barefoot.
Shoes Off, Mommy? – by Alison Rose (2017)
A children’s book. Ali loves to take her shoes off and go barefoot. No matter the season or even the setting, she feels most free without her shoes. With the support of her mom she discovers modern dance, her true calling, where she can be herself-barefoot and free!
This inspiring story will encourage every child to find what makes them feel free. “Shoes Off, Mommy?” will be sure to warm your heart and wiggle your toes.
Balanced and Barefoot – by Angela Hanscom (2016)
How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children.
The author, a pediatric occupational therapist and founder of TimberNook, shows how outdoor play and unstructured freedom of movement play a vital role in children’s cognitive development and growth, and offers tons of fun, engaging ways to help ensure that kids grow into healthy, balanced, and resilient adults.
Video describing the book
Fixing Your Feet – by John Vonhof (2016)
The author, an avid runner, paramedic, orthopedic technician, and emergency-room technician, discusses footwear basics, injury prevention and treatments. Vonhof writes from his own experiences, and also includes information from extreme endurance athletes and foot experts.
Although this book does not directly target barefooters, they will find invaluable information in it.
Barefoot and Before, One Woman, One Country, Two Bare Feet – by Lynne Allbutt (2015)
In her autobiography, Welsh celerity Lynne Allbutt describes how she decided to see if she could run across the country of Wales – barefoot. Not an ultra-runner or extreme sports enthusiast, Lynne’s disquieted past motivated her to undertake the challenge.
Her book not only chronicles her training diary, including the highs and lows of preparing for the 52 mile run, but also the unconventional and often chaotic challenges of her personal life.
Barefoot Strong – by Dr.Emily Splichal (2015)
Podiatrist and Human Movement Specialist, Dr. Emily Splichal explores the science behind barefoot training and how this often overlooked area of health and fitness is actually the secret to youthful movement.
Through barefoot science, fascial fitness and neuromuscular conditioning, Dr Emily shows how to survive the unnatural conditions of today’s shod society and optimize movement patterns.
The Brotherhood of Sfarr – by Mark Davies (2012)
Book one in the Weavers and Wyrders saga. Cast into a deadly maelstrom of assassination and intrigue, Jenna must risk revealing her true identity to save her city, her people, and her brother. A science fiction story with a barefoot theme.
More publications by Mark Davies (and other authors also)
The Barefoot Running Book – by Jason Robillard (2012)
Jason writes, “My methods can help anyone learn to run barefoot, or run in minimalist shoes. I use a combination of research, collaboration, and my own experiences to bring the latest methods for making a safe, enjoyable transition to barefoot or minimalist shoe running.”
Build Strong Healthy Feet – by Patricia and Paul Bragg (2012)
Advocating for nature’s way to healthy, strong and happy feet, this book provides extensive information on proper foot care, including exercises, pain reduction, reflexology and more.
Disclaimer: This book talks a lot about shoes and seems to assume that readers will continue to wear them; but it also recognizes the benefits of going barefoot and identifies the significant ways in which shoes contribute to foot problems.
Sample of first 32 pages here.
Running Barefoot Step by Step – by Roy M. Wallack and Ken Bob Saxton (2011)
“Ken, Bob Saxton, a pioneer of the modern barefoot running movement, has logged more miles in his birthday shoes than just about anyone I know, and he has helped countless people run barefoot. As one would expect, this delightful book, full of wit and wisdom, is an invaluable guide for anyone who wants to run barefoot, avoid injury, and have fun.” — Daniel E. Lieberman, professor of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University”
Born to Run – by Christopher McDougall (2011)
McDougall’s journey began with one simple question, “Why do my feet hurt?”
Follow McDougall’s incredible journey from science labs at Harvard to Mexico, where he learns the secrets of the Tarahumara Indians, who run hundreds of miles without rest or injury.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Barefoot Running – by Dr. Craig Richards and Thomas Hollowell (2011)
The book shows how to successfully transition to barefoot (and minimalist shoe) running as you perfect your running form and reduce injury from the ground up. Written by a renowned doctor along with a prominent barefoot running coach, it is filled with the latest scientific research and cutting-edge training methods
Two books by Marco Peel (2011)
Both books, A Parallel Path and City On Clouds, skillfully weave the accounts of intriguing characters who share, among other things, a love of going barefoot.
The author, Marco Peel, lives a barefoot life after he left his shoes at home to walk the Camino de Santiago. Architect and composer, he now lives in Spain with his wife and two sons.
The Barefoot Book – by Dr. Daniel Howell (2010)
Dr. Daniel Howell, a Professor of Biology at Liberty University, lives a barefoot lifestyle. His book, The Barefoot Book: 50 Great Reasons to Kick Off Your Shoes discusses how the foot works, how shoes affect your feet, and what you can do about it.
This well researched book sites scientific studies demonstrating the benefits of going barefoot. The book also discusses minimalist footwear, the barefoot lifestyle, activities such as hiking and running, and many barefoot myths. View the video
Feet and Footwear, A Cultural Encyclopedia – by Margo DeMello (2009)
This encyclopedia, written by a cultural anthropologist, walks us through the history of shoes and the feet that wear them, from Achilles to the Wizard of Oz.
This A-Z reference work contains over 150 fascinating entries and intriguing sidebars that look at feet and adornment of feet across the many cultures of the world throughout time. A wide range of international and multicultural topics are covered, including customs and beliefs related to the foot, myths and folktales featuring feet or shoes, the history of footwear, and the types of footwear worn around the world.
For students and general readers interested in the human body, fashion, and medicine, and also scholars looking for more in-depth coverage on the social and cultural uses of the body.
Barefoot: Poems for Naked Feet – by Stefi Weisburd (2008)
Think of a world without problems, without cares, without . . . well . . . shoes! Have you ever stomped through leftover paper like a monster or plunged your feet into a chilly sleeping bag while camping? Maybe you’ve put your soles up against a Jacuzzi jet.
If so, you’ll find company in this collection of musings (through 26 poems) about the beauties of being barefoot. A children’s book. (Google review with excerpts from the book.)
The Adventures of the Barefoot Sisters – books one and two, by Susan & Lucy Letcher (2006)
In 2000 and 2001 two sisters, Susan and Lucy Letcher (Isis and Jackrabbit) hiked the entire Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia and back–much of it while barefoot.
Their two books describe their experiences and adventures on the trail.
In 2009 the two sisters wrote a third book about their experiences: The Barefoot Sisters Walking Home – Adventures on the Appalachian Trail.
The Poet of Tolstoy Park – by Sonny Brewer (2005)
The novel, inspired by the real life of Henry Stuart, begins in 1926 with his doctor incorrectly diagnosing his illness as terminal. Henry, 68 years of age, responds to the news by slogging home in the rain barefoot.
He then sheds his materialism, which includes giving away his shoes to live barefoot–a positive theme throughout the book that plays an important role in Henry’s life (which lasts another 18 years).
Barefoot Times – by Jeff Pages (2004)
A series of full-length novels written by SBL member Jeff Pages.
In the first book, we meet fourteen-year-old Peter Thorpe on his first day at his new school in the country town of Narrabri, where he is befriended by a lonely Aboriginal boy named Billy Collins. Before long they discover that they share not only a love for astronomy and barefooting, but a destiny that changes the course of history.
More publications by Jeff Pages (and other authors also)
The Barefoot Hiker – by Richard Frazine (1993)
The Barefoot Hiker, by Richard Frazine, offers practical information for anyone wanting to learn more about going barefoot–whether on a hike or in any other situation. Frazine has a relaxing but engaging writing style and his passion for the subject shines through on every page.
In addition to discussing barefoot hiking and the benefits of going barefoot, Frazine also touches on tips for safety, dealing with special circumstances such as cold weather, and the fascinating history of attitudes toward feet and shoes.
The Barefoot Bushwalker – by Dorothy Butler (1991)
Awarded the Australian Geographic Society’s Gold Medallion as Adventurer of the Year for 1988, Dorothy Butler, who died in 2008 at the age of 96, had an infectious enthusiasm for life. She started bush walking and mountain climbing early in life. Her story is filled with thrills, romance and challenges as she recalls childhood, her career, marriage and adventure.
See also:
- Bushwalker magazine tribute to Dorothy Walker (a collection of all the stories she wrote for The Bushwalker magazine since 1934).
- Blog remembrance of Dorothy following her death in 2008.
Barefoot Abe – by Sadyebeth and Anson Lowitz (1976)
A wonderfully entertaining and educational children’s book about Abraham Lincoln. Each page includes a large illustration related to the text.
Every illustration covering Lincoln’s life from childhood through about the age of 21 shows him barefoot. Over the book’s 50 some pages, 30 show barefoot people in various activities. Historically accurate for a time in America when going barefoot was not seen as unusual.
The Foot Book – by Dr. Seuss (1968)
A classic Dr. Seuss book for young children, introducing them to the world of feet–left foot, right foot, wet foot, dry foot.
Take Off Your Shoes and Walk – by Dr. Simon Wikler, D.S.C. (1961)
One of the first published works on the harm that footwear causes to the body, this book explores conclusions drawn from 30 years of practice in the fields of chiropody and podiatry.
Link to online version of the book content
Space Below My Feet – by Gwen Moffat (1961)
In 1945, Gwen Moffat, then in her twenties, left the Army and went to live rough in Wales and Cornwall, climbing and living on practically nothing. She hitchhiked her way around, with all her possessions on her back–which amounted to little more than a rope and a sleeping bag. The mountains attracted Moffat and she tackled the toughest climbs, going on to become Britain’s leading female climber—and the first woman to qualify as a mountain guide.
As the book also describes, Gwen often climbed barefoot.
In December, 2016, Banff Mountain Film Festival included the short film, Operation Moffat, inspired by the life of Gwen Moffat. In the film, writer Claire Carter and film-maker Jen Randall follow in Gwen’s footsteps literally – including climbing in bare feet.
Going Barefoot – by Aileen Fisher (1960)
In wondrous words and beautiful pictures, Going Barefoot describes the joys of a child’s anticipation and yearning for the weather to be warm enough so he can go barefoot, and thinks about all the animals that go barefoot all year-round.