How Bad Is It To Walk Around Barefoot At Home? Doctors' Answers May Surprise You.

If you're worried about the health of your feet, this may make you feel differently about how you move around your house.

When you walk in the door and kick off your shoes, does it actually hurt the health of your feet to walk around barefoot on hard floors? It’s not the most comfortable feeling, but doctors say there can be some benefits — with a few caveats.

First, let’s start with a definition of barefoot: According to the Cambridge Dictionary — and experts ranging from podiatrists to dermatologists — walking barefoot means having no shoes or socks on.

“Barefoot is skin to ground,” explained licensed clinical podiatrist Dr. Robert Conenello. “Anything else is considered to be shod, as even socks alter the mechanics of movement.”

There are benefits to going barefoot at home.

“I’m a big advocate for going barefoot at home,” Conenello said. “[The practice] increases intrinsic muscular strength within the feet.”