Lucas' mother, for one, thinks he's a little weird. But Lucas suspects there are many others like him, people who like feeling the pine needles as much as smelling the roses, who feel trapped inside their boots, who are not afraid of a few thorns. It's more natural, causes less soil erosion, and, according to Lucas and others, is healthier for the feet. They don't get smelly, for one.
Ankle sprains are less likely because the foot is directly on the ground, with less chance to twist.
Lucas eschews shoes off the trail as well as on, sometimes going weeks at a time without lacing up. His feet, accessorized with a toe ring and several string ankle bracelets, are tanned a comely brown. Low foot esteem I count myself among the clumsy for sure, but decided the only way to report fully on the barefoot hiking phenomenon was to try it myself. Always self-conscious about the appearance of my feet, which resemble narrow boards, I was less worried about splinters than getting laughed at, even scorned. I wasn't entirely joking when I told friends I would rather go topless than barefoot.