Barefooting Bulletin Board

A: Little use of feet on rough surfaces. Grass and carpets preferred

B: Comfortable on prepared surfaces like textured concrete, but wary of catching small bits of gravel.

C: Small rounded gravel not a problem.

D: Sharp edged gravel negotiated reasonably well. Need to pick your way through irregular stones.

E: Can tackle most loose rough surfaces easily.

F: Unpredictable surfaces like twigs in conifer forest or beech mast. Non-contact parts of the feet like between the toes have to be resistant.

G: Resistant to prickly surfaces like holly leaves.

H: Thick soles able to take short thorns without frequently stopping the walker. Occasional thorns will need to be picked out.

J: Able to walk and run in the African or Australian bush.