Barefoot walking, nature connectedness and psychological restoration: the importance of stimulating the sense of touch for feeling closer to the natural world

Abstract

Exposure to green/blue spaces is associated with greater nature connectedness and feelings of restoration but the focus has primarily been on visual/auditory experiences. We explored the potential role of experiences of touch, through walking barefoot. Participants took part in a repeat cross-over experiment that compared walking barefoot vs. shod, in a public garden and beach environment. Barefoot walkers had higher connectedness and restoration than shoe wearers in both environments, though increased tactile experiences only mediated the relationship in the beach setting. Findings suggest that walking barefoot is a viable and low-cost activity to facilitating greater feelings of nature connectedness and psychological restoration.