Is It Advisable To Exercise Aerobically With No Shoes?

Barefoot workouts have both advantages and disadvantages. You might be drawn to the idea of aerobic exercise without shoes as a way to feel more natural, save the expense of exercise shoes, and avoid the blisters and rubs which can develop with shoes. However, wearing shoes during exercise provides you with greater traction, in addition to protecting your feet from cuts, bumps and toe-stubbings.

Expert Insight

A study regarding barefoot running, published in the December 2009 issue of the journal "PM&R," involved 68 healthy adult participants -- 37 women and 31 men who each regularly ran at least 15 miles per week. The researchers concluded that running barefoot exerted significantly less stress on participants' hips, ankles and knees than running in running shoes.

Fungal Infection

According to Dr. Brian B. Adams, an associate professor of dermatology at the University of Cincinnati, it is not advisable to exercise aerobically without shoes at a gym facility or health club. Adams indicates that wearing shoes when you work out protects you from fungal infections such as athlete's foot. Symptoms of fungal foot infections include burning, itching sensations, and peeling and cracking skin. Wearing shoes while working out or walking around the gym reduces your risk of getting a fungal infection.

Stability and Traction

Depending on the type of aerobic workout you wish to perform, stability and traction may be factors to consider in the decision to go barefoot or wear shoes. If you are lifting weights, for example, wear shoes in order to provide traction and reduce the risk of your feet slipping during a lift; while playing soccer, the added traction afforded by cleated footwear can give you greater speed and stability on the pitch; gymnasts, however, typically exercise barefoot so that they can grip gymnastic equipment such as beams with their feet and toes.

Considerations

If you decide to work out barefoot, minimize the risk of damage or injury to your feet. Obviously, outdoor areas where surfaces may be sharp, uneven or littered with sharp objects are not advisable for barefoot exercise. Clean, sandy beaches or short, soft grass may be safer options. Make sure your feet do not get too hot or cold during barefoot exercise, as this could cause numbness, poor circulation or skin cracking. Also, consider using toning shoes, which are designed to simulate barefoot walking, thereby forcing greater use of your leg muscles. Inherently unstable, toning shoes may decrease your stability and traction during a workout, but offer barrier protection to your feet while emulating a barefoot workout.