I had not heard of paper sandals until you just introduced me to them, Anon. As an advocate of barefoot walking, running, hiking, etc., a paper sandal seems like a pretty neat idea. I’d imagine it would offer the same benefits that barefoot walking and running do by training your feet to make more natural movements as opposed to the movements a shoe causes you to make.

Some people say that the moment we first wear shoes, our feet are ruined. That’s because when we wear shoes, we’re less aware of what’s beneath our feet and thus, we walk heavily and carelessly. That kind of gait can really damage your joints, especially when running.

When you run with shoes on, you hit heel first and that impact (which is a force 3-4 times that of your body weight) is absorbed by your ankles, knees, and hips. When you run barefoot, you naturally land on the ball of the foot. Upon landing, your foot and leg are aligned to act as a sort of spring to dissipate that impact without causing damage.

I imagine that the paper sandals provide some protection for your feet without entirely numbing your mind to the substrate you’re walking on, so it seems like a really frugal way of improving your gait and protecting your feet some. I feel like it’s a perfect idea for people who want the benefits of a natural gait, but don’t want to be walking around town completely barefoot.

More information about barefoot walking and running can be found here.