Dirt paths look nicer than sidewalks anyway, so I guess we’re just going to have to tear up the streets and stroads all together, rather than trying to staple on walkability!
ps: all in all it's just another point in the fact that modern life is really mediocre
Every so often I do hit a wonky patch that I'm surprised didn't cause an injury or sprain but so far so good. That's mostly on me for combining the enjoyment of uneven terrain with an enjoyment of nighttime walks haha, but does happen during the day too now and then.
Good to hear it might be a little bit beneficial too! Yay for eccentric walking!
A little bit deadly if it's been raining but if it's dry out it's a heck of a workout going directly up/down the pictured desire path rather than following the proper path round and up. Usually I'll go up the steep and down the regular path rather than risk breaking my neck in public, that would be embarrassing.
Loads of steep but this-side-of-possible hills around the local castle ruins - built on a hill as pictured, plus where the former moat was, and plenty of hills and valleys around the immediate area :D
I'll have to mix up the path I take around that bit to keep my brain awake and aware! Good shout!
I usually follow tractor tyre lines as it was until recently working farmland (I'd never want to damage the crops!) but it's just regular grass this year so I can walk wherever freely - I think the farmer sold the land so the council can run a road through the middle of it.. trying to get the most out of it before it's paved over and I need to find a new regular trek haha
"flat sidewalks are too flat and not enough fun to walk so lets make erratic sidewalks instead" has got to be one of the dumbest takes I've seen on HN.
While some fundamentalists might go completely barefoot, I've always heard people talk about that book in terms of using light sole shoes instead of heavy shoes, not ditching protective footwear entirely. Even the subject of that book often wear thin moccasins during long distance runs.
I remember once bushwalking with a group and there was a sudden torrential rainstorm, and you could see all the little leeches sticking their heads up from the mud. By the time we got back to the van, I was the only one without a single leech on me.
I only ever had issues with cuts etc in town on the bitumen or gravel (but I suppose it could be quite dangerous in some parts of the world).
Now that's an oxymoron if I ever saw one!
Though, in a certain way, shoes can be said to be barefoot from the start: they aren't wearing any shoes themselves.
So yes, while it sounds like an oxymoron, it is actually just an industry term of art (you’ll see major companies advertise certain of their shoes as barefoot - Merrell comes to mind with their VaporGlove and Trail Glove, both of which are fantastic shoes).
The other nice thing about barefoot shoes (since I find myself in full on sales mode) is that due to the lack of padding, they last significantly longer than traditional mass market shoes. My trail runners (the Merrell’s) are in season 5 now, when my old trail shoes by Saucony lasted one season Max, and my mileage has increased substantially from when I used to wear the Saucony’s.