Step straight down. Dragging your feet will only increase your chance of injury. On lumpy ground, put most of your weight on the front part of your foot. Pick your spots. Keep your eyes on the trail ahead.
Beginners often look stiff and awkward during the first part of their first hike.
Berrow says the shade trails, soft dirt and pine needles of Redwood Regional Park in the Oakland hills west of Moraga make it a good beginner's trail. Richard Frazine says barefoot hiking for two or three miles two or three times a week for two weeks should be enough to condition hikers for most any trail. That regimen, of course, varies as much as the kinds of footprints. The East Bay Barefoot hikers usually schedule a hike once every two weeks. It's free to join.