Barefoot trails invite visitors to get down to earth a step at a time

Barefoot trails located around the world invite visitors to get close to nature in a different way.

Feeling cool mud squish between toes and pine needles, tree stumps or stones on soles that aren't often exposed to the outdoors transform a routine walk into an immersive experience.

A park in Germany's Black Forest region and another in northern Arizona invite visitors to explore 2 kilometers, or 1 mile, of varied natural surfaces.

Theories about the benefits of going barefoot have gained popularity among runners and other athletes in recent decades, as well as with environmentalists and as an alternative mental health treatment, but the idea has been around for well over a century.