Barefoot Friendly Bike Pedals

In the summer I try to go without shoes as much as possible. There's something liberating about having your bare feet in direct contact with the ground. There are benefits to being barefoot too; walking around barefoot also stimulates the flexibility and mobility of your foot, and results in a more natural gait (Wikipedia). However, there are some limitations to being barefoot; one of them being how much harder it is to ride a bike, especially with pedals like these. Instead of reincarcerating my feet, I decided to come up with a solution. I found that the pedals are quite comfortable and great for casual rides, the key word being casual. Please be careful!

Thanks to everyone who voted for me in the Wheels Contest and the Summer #mikehacks Contest!

Step 1: What You Need:

- Two sponges (preferably ones with an abrasive side that will grab your feet)

- Zip Ties or elastics

- A box cutter

Step 2: Make the Pedals

- Use the box cutter to cut the sponges down to the size of your pedals.
- Place the sponges abrasive side up on top of the pedals.

- Use the Zip Ties or elastics to secure them in place. Make sure you have full coverage of the pedals.

Comments

[camping crazy]

Simply genius!! I go barefoot everywhere around home in the summer but hated how the pedals drive into my feet!! By the end of the summer its no problem because your feet are tough enough but in the beginning... Ouch

[br.robertbenedict]

I also love Feet and walking Barefoot 24/7!

[M3G]

I know how you feel, the first couple of weeks suck!

[Brian99]

I am going to do this and I showed my one friend too. I never wear shoes in the summer.

[br.robertbenedict]

I’m a 24/7 Barefooter and I either walk Barefoot or cycle in my Barefeet everywhere. Develop Thick, Callouses with lots of ground in Black Dirt and cycling on pedals with teeth isn’t a problem.

[ShawnM35]

I found that these [ https://barefootpedal.ecwid.com/ ] are totally comfortable and don't slip or restrict pedaling at all.

So, the pedal attachments need to be slightly larger than the pedal because the foot treats the pedal differently when it is barefoot vs having a shoe on. Basically, more platform is needed when barefoot.

[M3G]

Thanks for the info!

[MeneerRuud]

I love biking barefoot. But, even with my plastic pedals, my feet start to hurt after about 5 km. So I took some old flipflops and cut two 'pedal-sized' pieces. Then removed the sole, made two cuts trough which I pulled some velcro. Then placed the sole back with spray glue.

It's like biking with flipflops, without the flipflops!

[M3G]

Wow, that's genius!

[LiveCrafts]

So simple! Never even thought of that! You're a genius!

[buck2217]

great idea just don't forget and use your feet as brakes

[crashzoom]

Love the idea

[darrenhall]

You clever bugger - I love this instructable - wicked, just wicked.

Have you seen the skateboard with the deep carpet on it - nearly wet myself laughing, then thought " ya know what - that's a bloody great idea ".

Good job.

[M3G]

I haven't seen that, I'll have to look it up!

[emilygraceking]

Congratulations on the contest win! I love how simple and ingenious your idea is.

[M3G]

Congratulations to yourself as well! Have you recieved the PM with the forms you need to fill out to claim your prize yet?

[emilygraceking]

I haven't received the form yet. I am SUPER excited about going on some watery adventures with the new gear!

[M3G]

Thank you so much!

[ladykalous]

Great so we are now encouraging kids to ride with out their shoes? Whilst this might seem like a good idea, its really not. Stubbed and scrapped toes, torn up feet when they crash and burn. Just like a helmet to protect their head, their feet should also be protected.

[M3G]

This is true, children should wear protective gear when riding a bike. However, this was intended for older, more responsible people who have some experience riding bikes, not kids.