[People Met Through Books] Feeling the 'Taste of the Earth' with Your Soles... Even More Enchanting on Rainy Days

23 Years Running a Shoe Company
Woke Up Barefoot While Caring for Wife's Illness
'Earthing' Effect Receiving Earth's Energy
Influences Whole Body Including Blood Circulation

Humanity has progressed in ways advantageous for survival. To ensure a safe life, the vulnerability of the body was compensated for in situations exposed to danger. Shoes are one of them. They opened the path for humans to walk upright safely. However, they can also threaten health. By blocking direct contact between the ground and the feet, they prevent various benefits. They also hinder the toe joints from functioning properly. Change was needed. This is the background for the renewed attention on barefoot walking. It is regarded as a supplement for a healthy life. Those fighting illnesses sometimes consider it a treatment.

Some doctors are skeptical about the improvements from barefoot walking. However, its effectiveness is gradually being scientifically proven. In the documentary “Secrets of Life, Aging, and Death,” a person who walked barefoot for four weeks showed decreased post-meal blood sugar and increased skeletal muscle. Effects such as reduced body fat, lowered cholesterol levels, and decreased triglycerides were also observed. Of course, there are concerns about injuries. How can one achieve maximum benefits while ensuring safety? We asked Kim Do-nam, the barefoot walking coach and author of “Barefoot Walking (Think Smart),” who founded the Seoul Forest Barefoot Walking School in 2017 and has taught barefoot walking methods to over 2,200 people.

Kim Donam, President of the International Barefoot Walking Association (front row right in the photo), is taking a commemorative photo with participants at the Barefoot Walking Spring event held at Seoul Forest last May.

- I am curious about what prompted you to start barefoot walking.

▲ I operated a shoe-related manufacturing company in Busan for about 23 years. In 2007, my wife collapsed due to “Moamoa disease.” She has been bedridden in a vegetative state ever since. She is unconscious and unable to communicate. I closed my business and stayed by her side, which led me to take an interest in health. I wanted to help those who are ill. Since 2009, I have been involved in medical tourism, and for the past eight years, I have worked as a senior health coach specializing in barefoot walking.

- Why barefoot walking?

▲ While coaching health, I met Park Dong-chang, the chairman of the “Barefoot Walking National Movement Headquarters,” at a reading club. I was invited and measured the vascular age of the movement’s members using a simplified pulse wave measurement method. This led me to serve as a planning director for three years at the movement headquarters, running the school together. Creating pulse wave measurement data for about 100 members gave me confidence in the benefits of barefoot walking. Barefoot walking was the top solution for natural healing and recovery. It was not about whether some do it and others don’t; I felt everyone should do it.

- What aspects were so good?

▲ When you walk barefoot, your body absorbs the earth’s natural healing energy. This is called “earthing.” The earth’s negative electrons enter the body and neutralize positive ions inside. When negative charges enter, blood circulation improves significantly, thinning the thick blood inside the body from a ketchup-like consistency to a wine-like fluidity. When measuring the body with a voltmeter, the body voltage, which ranged from 140 to 2000 mV, drops to zero when stepping barefoot on the ground. The earth’s negative electrons greatly reduce the stress hormone “cortisol.” This is why being in deep mountains or temples calms the mind.

- I am curious about cases of people who have actually seen effects.

▲ A person who had difficulty walking due to a stroke improved within three months. Stroke and cancer are frightening because of recurrence, but their walking posture completely changed. Their voice, which was weak like a mosquito’s buzz, became very clear. They regained vitality. There are also cases where hypertension or breast cancer patients walked barefoot for 3 to 4 hours daily for a year and healed naturally. This is due to anti-inflammatory effects. Some patients diagnosed with blood cancer and given a six-month terminal prognosis went to the hospital after nine months, and the cancer cells had completely disappeared. Even doctors were amazed.

- How should one start barefoot walking?

▲ It is best to get help from an expert at first. If you attend the walking school, you can learn five walking methods and how to prevent injuries. Barefoot walking is different from walking with shoes. You must walk like a turtle stamping, step by step, to avoid injuries. For three years, every Sunday at 3 p.m., we have been running a free barefoot walking school at Seoul Forest.

- How is barefoot walking different from walking with shoes?

▲ Walking is a physical movement. Barefoot walking connects directly with the ground, allowing the body to absorb the earth’s energy. When feet are trapped in shoes, you cannot experience the earthing effect. The toes and foot arches are also important, but shoes impose many restrictions. It is also difficult to get acupressure effects.

- Why are toes important?

▲ Shoes lock the toes in place. There are 33 joints in the foot. When wearing shoes, the bones cannot move fully. Barefoot walking allows this. Especially the big toe is like a highway directly connected to the brain. You can stimulate it sufficiently by walking with “pot lid steps,” where toes are clenched, or “frog foot steps,” where toes are spread and pulled. The little toe also greatly affects the hip joint and musculoskeletal system. Ballet steps walking on tiptoes greatly benefit hip joint health. Raising the toes and touching the foot arch (the hollow part) to the ground stimulates the Yongcheon acupoint (湧泉穴). Since it stimulates the brain, walking alone can help solve dementia problems.

- Are there specific ground conditions for barefoot walking?

▲ It must be “earth ground.” Asphalt and concrete are no good. It must be a dirt path. Naturally, dirt paths in apartment complexes built over underground parking lots are no good. It must be directly connected to the earth. A bit of moisture is good, and wet soil on a beach sandbank is optimal. People who love barefoot walking almost enter a trance on rainy days (laughs). The feeling is good, and the effects are great. Hours pass like a flash. Dry sand is less effective. In that sense, Seoul Forest is a place where you can fully experience the taste of the soles. There are all kinds of paths: hiking trails, forest paths, loess soil paths, and ponds where you can dip your feet. Since it is flat, it is good for patients like Yubyeong-in (people who are ill) to stand or be supported. You don’t necessarily have to walk mountain trails. Just standing barefoot and earthing has effects.

- Are there any special precautions?

▲ Some worry about getting injured while walking barefoot. In such cases, it is good to get a tetanus shot. It is better to get the shot and be at ease than to be stressed. Barefoot walking requires well-maintained paths. It should be done in places with a solid foundation.

- You established the International Barefoot Walking Association. What are your future plans?

▲ Barefoot walking can quickly become a major program for health management. Proper preparation is necessary for that. Above all, “grounding rights” (areas with dirt paths where barefoot walking is possible) must be properly established. Many people say there is no place to walk barefoot near their homes when attending the walking school. It is necessary to expand the base nationwide. Movements like “removing urethane” are needed. We plan to open academy courses to train barefoot walking instructors. We also plan to expand the barefoot walking school base nationwide. As a caregiver for a vegetative patient, I want to embrace positive energy and influence many people toward better health.