It feels great, doesn’t it? Walking barefoot on a sandy beach or grass isn’t only pleasant, it’s healthy too. The reason is that “you train your foot muscles when you go barefoot,” says orthopaedist Dr Matthias Manke. Particularly the muscles in the soles of your feet are activated. This is important, because “if you don’t train them, they atrophy,” he points out. What’s more, your feet have many free nerve endings that provide sensory feedback to your body. This, together with stronger foot muscles, improves foot mechanics, which can improve the mechanics of your knees, hips and core, balance…