VivoBarefoot in the Woods

Last time I said I was going to wear VFF’s in the woods to further this ideal of "barefoot bushcraft", However, mine are too low cut on the heel and ankle and I thought impractical as this is the area that sneaky stinging nettles or brambles can bite. Nevertheless, I was keen to see how a barefoot shoe would cope in the woods so I wore some old Vivobarefoot moccasins. To get the whole barefoot feel I wore shorts and a t-shirt with an idea of getting close to nature. A rookie error to romanticise a wild wood! I soon found that the woods were thick of biting flies and mosquitoes making the walk uncomfortable and not very enjoyable. I had to move as quickly as possible to my covert camp to start a fire. A valuable lesson learnt!

The Vivobarefoot shoes did enhance my movement though. In boots my feet feel clumsy and “stupid” but in the moccasins I felt I was able to walk quietly, and I was able to weave my feet through all the noisy obstacles on the floor. I noticed with interest that in these thin flexible soles, the foot naturally points down toe first snaking through the obstacles to find solid ground, rather than in boots when the  heel goes down crunching through the undergrowth and snapping branches. I realised I wasn’t going to move fast through these wild woods anyway, so the barefoot shoes allow a more considered walking style, definitely quieter and I did get close to deer really easily. The weight difference between normal boots and the barefoot shoes was also a positive factor in this too. The whole experience, aside for the inappropriate clothes, was very positive.

So, my conclusion is that I am going to get some barefoot boots, probably the Vivobarefoot trackers, as the benefits to tracking through the woods was very evident to me. I had looked at the Vibram Five Fingers Trek but again they don’t look too practical. At the end of the day one doesn’t want to buy style over substance as nature really shows you quickly what is practical and what is not. Especially when swarms of flies and mosquitoes are trying to drink your blood!

Going proper barefoot still has its uses of course, where the environment allows. Nothing like exploring a fast flowing river barefoot! I think "barefoot" doesn't have to be the "be all and end all". In the end common sense should prevail. And that's what bushcraft teaches us anyway!