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All this chaos reminds me of the last barefoot thread. Seems like people on both side of the fence get pretty salty over a lot of nothing. Either way, I highly advocate for going barefoot whenever possible, but you NEED to know what you're doing if you want to go /out/ without shoes. Definitely make sure to ease into it. Start on pavement and loose gravel, then make your way up. Forest floors tend to be nice and soft, but they do hold hidden dangers in the form of rocks and twigs. I've developed thick enough soles that I can get fairly deep gashes without drawing blood, but I'd for sure be screwed if I did what I do now with normal, soft feet. Another thing to keep in mind is that your feet are built to carry YOUR OWN weight. That means hiking with a heavy backpack is a big no-no. I'd recommend getting Lems boots for the actual hiking around bit. They provide enough cushioning that you won't mess up your feet with the weight of your pack, but they're thin enough that you still feel what you're walking on. Also, never run on your heels. It's kind of a meme in the running world that guys read "Born to Run" and then go off preaching to everybody about how terrible heel-striking is, but for real, do not do this barefoot. You'll get shin splints if you do it too much.
