赤脚，古称跣足，即不穿鞋和袜子。原始社会的人一般赤脚，现代人在某些场合也赤脚，例如在进行与水有关的活动和在练习跆拳道、空手道、柔道等时，同时赤脚也使用在某些宗教仪式中。

据研究显示，赤脚可以增进血液循环、减少足癣的发生率、放松身体舒解压力、增进食欲、降低扁平的发生率、促进足弓的成形、增加平衡感、使头脑清醒、唱歌时可以使音域扩展、符合人体工学。

现今的人们已经太仰赖"鞋子"，对于鞋这种东西有一种不能没有的感觉，在家有室内拖鞋，出外有布鞋、拖鞋...大家都忘记了其实赤脚是最好的。赤脚绝对会比穿鞋舒服，然而现在的人们习惯了有鞋子的生活，所以难以接受赤脚的感觉，所以不管到哪里都要穿着鞋子，但大家都不知道，其实鞋子是可以不用穿的，在部分欧洲国家认为赤脚是一种休闲更是一种健康，甚至已经有学者证实"鞋子其实是假必需品"。

Barefoot is the most common term for the state of not wearing any footwear. Barefootedness is not regarded as unusual in many domestic environments, but is subject to criticism in public spaces in many urban environments.

Wearing footwear is an exclusively human characteristic. It has been normal in cold climates since early antiquity, and has since become a convention in most cultures. This is particularly the case in most urban situations, where going barefoot is unusual. While footwear is generally worn for functional, fashion, and societal reasons, many people do not wear shoes at home.