I would think it's fine if it's more comfortable that way. There's a website you can check out for more info. www.runningbarefoot.org

I'm sure if you can run barefoot, walking would be just fine!

Lol! Good question Vickey. I was exercising barefoot in my living room until the bottom of my feet, mostly big toe got real sore, I guess from rug burn. My sister said you should never exercise witout shoes. I am not as comfortable with the shoes but have been trying to wear them. I keep thinking the shoes might wear out that area on my carpeting.

As long as there are no pins in the rug or kid's toys on the floor, it won't hurt.

I hate shoes and only wear them when necessary.Any indoor exercising I do I don't wear shoes.Only when I am walking or running outside.

I also never wear shoes exercising. I just don't like wearing them as a general rule.

I don't like wearing shoes either, but good support for the bones of your feet is very important!! Your feet hit the ground first, and with no padding for shock absorbancy, your hips and knees are subjected to a lot of force which leads to injuries.

I recently learned I have high arches which REQUIRE supportive shoes and orthotics. I never knew about this until I started having pain in my feet, in my 40s. I've always gone barefoot because I don't like wearing shoes. Now, finally, I understand the importance of taking care of my feet and that includes protecting them with good shoes.

I bet a podiatrist would advise you against exercising barefoot, unless you're doing yoga or something that doesn't require bouncing and landing on your feet.

Just my .02.... and wishing I knew this sooner!

Jen

I workout at home now and only wear shoes when I do leg exercises. I have a low ceiling so I can't do any overhead exercises so I'm sitting on the bench for most of my workout.

Bench press, shoulder press, curls, cable crunches, rows, etc... all barefoot.

Squats, lunges, elliptical machine, etc... shoes!

If there is any exercise that puts pressure on my feet... I wear shoes. (mainly for the reasons stated above)

depends on what kind of shape your feet are in, what exercises you do...

I go barefoot at every opportunity, but have no arches and trick ankles, so HIKING I can do barefoot- but walking across the parking lot, I need running shoes for; )

I habitually bike in sports sandals and toe-clips, which is as little shoe as I can find while keeping my feet on the pedals.

but I definately work out barefoot at home, and it works out well for me.

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one! I do at-home aerobics with video tapes and almost always do it barefoot, unless I'm doing a high-impact tape. Most of my tapes are low-impact so I just go barefoot, which is my natural way. I hate shoes. They come off the minute I walk in the door. :)

I just bought inserts for my shoes because I was having shin splints from walking on the tread mill. I thought the proper shoes were important. The inserts helped until last night and I only did machines not the tread mill. So now I don't know what to think.

What is a shin splint, exactly? That term to me sounds like it should refer to a remedy, not a problem. LOL but I have never known what a shin splint is....

I didn't know what they are but the front of my legs ache from the knee down to the ankle.

Googled

Shin splints can be caused by sudden increases in mileage, walking uphill, overtraining, walking faster than normal, jumping, running stairs, or just too much distance. They can occur on the medial, or inside of the shin, or on the lateral, or outside of your shin. Medial shin splints are usually caused by excessive pronation or flat feet, and often by pounding from running, or sports like tennis, volleyball, and other weight-bearing activities. If you have medial shin splints and flat feet or excessive pronation, an orthotic device or over-the-counter arch support like Powerfeet or Spenco can sometimes be helpful. Make sure it's a full-length insert.