Using a footer as a replacement for a nav bar is ridiculous. Which requires more interaction? Clicking a button to see available actions or scrolling all the way to the bottom of the page (and making the bold assumption that you happen to know that the menu is at the bottom)?

If you’ve got sufficient space at the top of your page to show your nav items, especially for larger window sizes, just show them instead of hiding them away behind a menu. But if you have limited space, like on mobile, a hamburger menu is a fine solution.