When we walk, our feet strike the ground creating vibrations that travel through the ground and up through our bodies. These vibrations cause our bones to vibrate, which is what we perceive as sound. However, the sound of our own footsteps is muffled because our bodies act as a barrier to the sound waves. Our muscles, fat, and skin absorb the sound waves, preventing them from reaching our ears. Additionally, the surface we are walking on can also affect how loud our footsteps are. For example, footsteps are louder on hard surfaces like concrete compared to soft surfaces like carpet.

In contrast, when we hear someone else's footsteps, the sound waves travel directly to our ears without being muffled by our own bodies. This is why we can hear other people's footsteps more clearly than our own.

Here are some additional factors that can affect how well we can hear our own footsteps:

- The type of shoes we are wearing: shoes with hard soles make louder footsteps than shoes with soft soles.

- The surface we are walking on: footsteps are louder on hard surfaces than soft surfaces.

- The distance we are from the person walking: the further away we are, the quieter the footsteps will be.

- The ambient noise level: if there is a lot of background noise, it can be harder to hear our own footsteps.