How long does it take to switch to barefoot running? There is no single number, and anyone who gives you one is guessing.
A realistic range is several weeks to many months, depending on where you start, how often you run, and how patient you are. The patience is the part most people get wrong.
This is general information, not medical advice.
Why it takes time
When you stop heel-striking in cushioned shoes, a lot of tissue suddenly works harder: the calves, the Achilles tendons, the small muscles of the foot, and even the bones, which remodel in response to new load. Muscles adapt in weeks. Tendons and bone take longer.
That mismatch is the whole reason to go slow. Your enthusiasm adapts in a day; your feet do not.
A sensible pace
A common guideline is to start with a small dose of barefoot or minimalist running, about ten percent of your usual running, and add roughly ten percent a week. Build in easier weeks rather than climbing every single week.
Let your feet set the pace of the change, not the calendar. If a week feels rough, hold or step back before you build again.
Reading the signals
Tired, achy calves and feet in the early weeks are normal as everything adapts. That kind of soreness eases.
Sharp pain, or pain deep in a joint or bone, is different. That is a stop sign, not a sign of progress. If it keeps returning, back off and see a clinician.
For the starting technique see barefoot running tips for beginners, the form details in is there one perfect way to run, and the specific problems to dodge in common barefoot running injuries.