In The Event That...

You Didn't Just Get a Pedicure

by Monica Weymouth

Barefoot Hike

Sat., May 5, 11 a.m., free, Tyler State Park, 101 Swamp Road, Newtown, 215-364-4889, www.barefoothikers.org

Not everyone is psyched for the flip-flops and espadrilles of summer. In celebration of the warm weather, Barefoot Hikers of PA plan to kick off their shoes and get down and dirty for the first hike of the season.

A nationwide movement, barefoot hiking is as simple as it sounds: hitting the trails sans footwear. While this might seem uncomfortable � not to mention kinda perilous � followers cite benefits from alleviation of back pain to decreased trail erosion. For many, direct contact with the earth means a more connected experience, as the trip is quieter and more attention must be paid to the trail. Special techniques, such as keeping the weight on the balls of the feet and taking light steps, help protect even the most pampered of soles.

Joining the hike will be all-star Susan Letcher, who walked 2,000 miles on the Appalachian Trail � no shoes involved. The trip, which she completed with her sister, included terrain from Maine to Georgia, and even the occasional snowfall. "Once you get started, you just readapt to the natural way of hiking," says Chris Roat, founder of Barefoot Hikers. "It just feels better."