Tossing out the shoes

[doodle]

The barefoot revolution has gotten a lot of attention in recent years so I decided to test it out for myself. My right foot had always given me trouble since about middle school. I think most of my issues stem from a particularly high arch on that foot that led to periodic stress fractures as well as painful ankle and achilles issues that were also starting to work their way up to my knee. Also the width of my feet meant that my toes were often crowded in most shoes and didnt have room to splay when running.

About thee months ago I moved to a pair of shoes from this company which produces stylish barefoot type shoeshttp://www.vivobarefoot.com. After a very slow and somewhat painful and uncomfortable transition that often would have me hobbling back from walks, my foot issues have resolved themselves. Most amazingly, my high arch has dropped so that more of my foot is in contact with the ground. This takes the stress off the few bones that were bearing all of my weight before. My clicking ankle has stopped and the knee feels better than ever. in addition the muscles in my atrophied feet have come back and my feet actually look visibly stronger.

If I had gone to a podiatrist Im sure he would have recommended some orthotic insert that would have further entombed my foot and prevented its natural movement. Instead, I decided to remove all supports and my problems have miraculously disappeared. Anyways, this is just my personal experience with the whole barefoot thing but if you are suffering from foot issues you might want to give this a try. As a word of warning though...transition veeeerryyy slowly. Our feet have been completely atrophied by modern footwear and overdoing the mileage right off the bat could lead to a lot of injuries.

[Pointedstick]

I'll second the suggestion to transition slowly. A freak coincidence forced me to wear toe-shoes for about 14 hours a day during a hiking trip and I did some real damage to the nerves in my feet after a week. It took me months to regain full sensation and kind of turned me off the shoes, to be honest.

[l82start]

i kinda feel like an early adopter of going bare foot, from a young age i took my shoes off every chance i could and i have ever since, i have never worn shoes around the house and have worn converse high-tops most of my life because they had the best fit for wide feet and flat thin soles, they were the closest feel to bare foot up until the invention of toe shoes.
i have a relative who has started barefoot running and he introduced me to bare foot shoes, but i could barely get them on when trying them out in the store and didn't find having my toes stuffed in separate "fingers" comfortable so the idea of barefoot shoes never caught on with me..

[Benko]

The foot/ankle is connected to the knee, hip and lower back.  So changing things with your feet can have repurcushions far away from your feet.  just saying.

[Gumby]

transition veeeerryyy slowly.

Indeed. I'm a fan of barefoot running, but a recent study suggests that barefoot running can lead to injuries:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/0 ... uries-too/

Two even had full stress fractures or level 4 edema, one in her heel bone and one in his metatarsal, one of the long foot bones.
Source: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/0 ... uries-too/

But, from the description of the injuries, it's pretty clear that the runners were treating their barefoot running shoes like regular running shoes, which will definitely lead to injuries. So, proper running style is crucial. Not only do you need to land properly, you can't have much up-and-down movements. Not so easy for a novice.

I have a pair of these as well, and what I have noticed is that you will always run with your best form if you are actually barefoot. Try it. Take off your shoes and socks and run across the room. Notice how your body just knows what to do? But, the moment you strap on the Vibrams, you start to revert to your old habits a little bit. And the urge to land on your heel will kill your bones.

From what I've heard, actual barefoot running is best in terms of learning the proper technique, to avoid stress injuries, and then using the Vibrams on hot days and difficult terrain while doing your best to maintain the proper technique. Of course, it's not all that comfy to actually run barefoot, so there's a tradeoff.

And I believe Vibram makes different levels of thickness. The thinner the model, the better your technique will need to be — which should decrease stress injuries.

[Gumby]

i have a relative who has started barefoot running and he introduced me to bare foot shoes, but i could barely get them on when trying them out in the store and didn't find having my toes stuffed in separate "fingers" comfortable so the idea of barefoot shoes never caught on with me..

That's fairly typical. After about 5 days of getting them on and off, your toes actually gain the ability to find the holes and pull themselves right in without any work. It's actually pretty weird.

[WildAboutHarry]

After about 5 days of getting them on and off, your toes actually gain the ability to find the holes and pull themselves right in without any work. It's actually pretty weird.

The second sentence is redundant.  The first sentence by itself is a couple of notches past "pretty weird"

[doodle]

Im not a fan of the toe shoes look which is why I opted for the vivobarefoots. They actually look pretty stylish I think. For those who cant get past the lizard feet look I really recommend them. Anyways, the slow transition is crucial. Modern athletic shoes are actually like foot casts which atrophy the muscles of the feet and inhibit the proper and natural human biomechanics of walking and running. Most peoples feet today are in a moderate state of what you could call chinese footbinding. That type of damage takes a while to undo. While there might be certain extreme foot issues that prevent some from going barefoot, I think most would be well served by moving to a shoe with minimal padding and support.

[Reub]

I know of an ultra-marathoner who used to do many runs over 100 miles who switched to thin running shoes and promptly broke her heel bone.

http://www.sahararunner.com/

[doodle]

I know of an ultra-marathoner who used to do many runs over 100 miles who switched to thin running shoes and promptly broke her heel bone.

http://www.sahararunner.com/

Yeah that doesnt surprise me. First, running a hundred miles in any type of shoes sounds like a bad idea although the tarahumara Indians do it with nothing more than floppy sandals well into their 60s and 70s. Second, her feet were probably not given the adjustment period (years) that they needed before attempting such a feet and possibly her running style wasnt suited to the new shoes. Im not claiming barefoot is a panacea for all foot problems, but that it has done wonders to clearing up a foot issue that plagued me for nearly 20 years and had progressed to the point where walking more than a mile was uncomfortable. My personal experience has made a believer out of me but as always each individual is a unique case.

[MachineGhost]

I don't like to wear shoes in the house since its always uncomfortable to wear shoes after a while (where I spend the majority of my time).  So is there any advantage to these vibro shoes?

I wore a pair Australian massage sandals on two separate durations.  They are very painful to break in; takes about a week.  But I never noticed any health difference from wearing 'em.

I've had my eye on Juil shoes for awhile.  They connect you to the Earth akin to walking barefoot on dirt or grass so you can discharge static electricity and reasonate with the Earth's Hz.

[doodle]

I don't like to wear shoes in the house since its always uncomfortable to wear shoes after a while (where I spend the majority of my time).  So is there any advantage to these vibro shoes?

I wore a pair Australian massage sandals on two separate durations.  They are very painful to break in; takes about a week.  But I never noticed any health difference from wearing 'em.

I've had my eye on Juil shoes for awhile.  They connect you to the Earth akin to walking barefoot on dirt or grass so you can discharge static electricity and reasonate with the Earth's Hz.

I would go barefoot everywhere if it were socially acceptable and the streets werent filthy and covered with things that could cut me. Therfore some type of shoe is necessary preferably one which alters the natural biomechanics of the foot in the least type of way. Raised heels and thick stiff soles, constrictive toeboxes etc etc do not improve what nature has given us. I really like the vivobarefoot shoes...they feel like a pair of indian mocassins yet look normal enough to pass as ordinary footwear. As for inside the house, straight barefoot makes perfect sense. No need to wear any sort of orthotic slippers. Of course extreme foot problems may neccesitate something additional... But then again, I did suffer from pretty bad foot pain and getting my feet out of regular shoes alltogether is what cured me.

[Gumby]

The barefoot craze really took off when Christopher McDougall wrote, Born to Run.

http://amzn.com/0307279189

An epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt?

Isolated by Mexico's deadly Copper Canyons, the blissful Tarahumara Indians have honed the ability to run hundreds of miles without rest or injury. In a riveting narrative, award-winning journalist and often-injured runner Christopher McDougall sets out to discover their secrets. In the process, he takes his readers from science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultra-runners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to a climactic race in the Copper Canyons that pits America’s best ultra-runners against the tribe. McDougall’s incredible story will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that you, indeed all of us, were born to run.

Source: http://amzn.com/0307279189

As you can see from the reviews, the response from runners has been overwhelming. Basically the Tarahumara Indians run hundreds of miles on these little sandals, the way we evolved to run — on the balls of our feet.

I know of an ultra-marathoner who used to do many runs over 100 miles who switched to thin running shoes and promptly broke her heel bone.

http://www.sahararunner.com/

Guess she didn't read the book

[Mark Leavy]

I would go barefoot everywhere if it were socially acceptable and the streets werent filthy and covered with things that could cut me.

I do go barefoot everywhere.  Have been for years, winter and summer in the Pacific NW.  I walk 2 miles each way to work and back through the industrial part of town - full of broken glass and homeless people.  I grew up in Southern California and have fought wearing shoes my whole life.

To get into coffee shops, nice restaurants etc, I always keep a pair of thin black socks in my back pocket.  I buy these by the gross (about $1.80 per pair) and burn through a pair every week or two.

http://www.famousfootwear.com/en-US/Pro ... +6-Pk.aspx

Since I always wear black 501 jeans, they look reasonably respectable together - and people's fears of disease, danger or some other irrational catastrophe are completely mitigated.  It takes me two seconds to quietly slip them on before walking into a business.

As far as the nasty things on the road... I don't know what to say.  I walk through a ton of glass every day and I guess I have just learned to walk differently.  Maybe once or twice a year I will have to pull my pocketknife out and dig something out of my foot.  In general I can feel if something is about to pierce my callouses and just slightly shift the weight on my foot as I walk.  Think about all of the people that walk their dogs through those same dangerous areas.  The dogs aren't any more protected against glass than humans are - yet it never seems to be a problem.

I keep a pair of black leather dress moccasins at the office and in the jeep and in my travel bag in case of emergencies, but virtually never use them unless I'm meeting new customers or holdiing business meetings.  The socks work fine, even at the nicest restaurants.

http://www.softstarshoes.com/adult-shoe ... -sole.html

[Reub]

What kind of an office do you work at?

[Mark Leavy]

What kind of an office do you work at?

Mid sized engineering firm (About 80 people).  I'm the CTO and one of the founders - so I have a little more leeway than most people might.

Seriously though, I dress in standard engineer/manager clothes and with the black socks on it is really not out of place for most office environments.

[doodle]

Mark,

Have you thought about these? I wear the with socks sometimes around the office. Not too many funny stares and avoids me stepping in potentially unpleasant things...

http://www.invisibleshoe.com/

[MachineGhost]

http://www.invisibleshoe.com/

Very crunchy granola.  But anyone that goes on Shark Tank gets my respect.

[Mark Leavy]

Mark,

Have you thought about these? I wear the with socks sometimes around the office. Not too many funny stares and avoids me stepping in potentially unpleasant things...

http://www.invisibleshoe.com/

Yes, I've seen those.

When I'm out walking I really don't worry about what is on the ground. There is nothing about humans that makes us more fragile than every other living organism on the planet. Dogs, cats, squirrels, raccoons all walk where I walk.

Walking is a very fundamental aspect of being a human. If you require a prosthetic for this most basic of human activities, then you are a busted human.

The social aspect, though, is very real. As bizarre as my approach to life is, pretending that society doesn't have norms is a delusional exercise.

In offices or businesses it seems that visible skin is a bigger trigger issue than anything.  Having my foot fully covered with a dress sock seems to be enough for even the nicest restaurants - but I wouldn't wear the huarache / sandal thing in a formal setting.  If money is on the line, or I'm meeting new in-laws for the first time, then I break down and put on the moccasins.

The other big social cue seems to be sunlight. I can get away with a lot if the sun is shining bright outside, but if it's rainy cold and damp then suddenly everyone is worried of broken glass, disease and who knows what else.

[doodle]

Im really happy with these vivobarefoot shoes http://www.vivobarefoot.com. They feel almost like barefoot to me and have a sole that is only a few milimeters thick along with a very wide toebox. But they definitely dont give the exact same sensation as walking barefoot.

When you talk about mocassins....what type or brand are you referring to....or did you make them yourself?

The most amazing thing to me about this whole experience has been how typical athletic shoes not only altered my natural biomechanics of walking but also how they physically changed the musculature and structure of my feet. Im amazed at the way that my arch problem has disappered by switching to a barefoot shoe. My feet also look visibly stronger today and the toes are a bit more spread out...

[MediumTex]

Mark,

Have you thought about these? I wear the with socks sometimes around the office. Not too many funny stares and avoids me stepping in potentially unpleasant things...

http://www.invisibleshoe.com/

I would think that something like this would be better for someone who prefers socks to shoes:



My son hates wearing shoes.  He thinks nothing of tearing out of the house barefooted year round.  I always feel weird picking him up in the evening at a friend's house in our neighborhood in freezing weather and he comes to the door barefooted, which means he walked over there earlier in the day barefooted.

As for me, I wear open backed sandals around the house and keep a pair at my desk at work to give my feet a break from dress shoes.

I really like the Nike Free shoes.  Those feel like to me like the ultimate shoe--lightweight, comfortable, easy to get on and off, well-ventilated, and with reasonably good support.

[doodle]

I really like the Nike Free shoes.  Those feel like to me like the ultimate shoe--lightweight, comfortable, easy to get on and off, well-ventilated, and with reasonably good support.

Barefooters would only disagree with the last benefit you mention. The artificial support built into modern shoes is seen as detracting from what nature has already perfected. From my experience, removing the artificial supports built into athletic shoes is what cured my foot problem...

[MediumTex]

I really like the Nike Free shoes.  Those feel like to me like the ultimate shoe--lightweight, comfortable, easy to get on and off, well-ventilated, and with reasonably good support.

Barefooters would only disagree with the last benefit you mention. The artificial support built into modern shoes is seen as detracting from what nature has already perfected. From my experience, removing the artificial supports built into athletic shoes is what cured my foot problem...

Perhaps I should have said I like the cushioning.  It's not too hard and not too soft.

[dualstow]

Since I always wear black 501 jeans, they look reasonably respectable together - and people's fears of disease, danger or some other irrational catastrophe are completely mitigated.

I saw a girl walk barefoot from the elevator to the laundry room of a building I lived in ten years ago, and I definitely thought of sanitation first. I mean, since I wear "normal" shoes with soles, I'm spreading as much dirt around as she is. But, if everyone goes barefoot, wouldn't that make the elevator like one big communal shower-shoeless shower albeit with less moisture? I think I'd be concerned about picking up plantar warts and zod-knows-what bacteria.

I also saw a young woman walk barefoot into the restroom at an Amtrak station a few years ago. Definitely a place where I am grateful to have shoes.

As for glass on the street, I have extremely high arches, so while the front and heel of my feet are tough enough on the underside where I make contact with the ground, the underside of my arch is as soft and smooth as a baby's bottom. When I step on stones at the beach, it's pretty painful. Maybe that would toughen up over time if I always went barefoot, but...I think it would be years of painful experiences first.

[l82start]

the underside of my arch is as soft and smooth as a baby's bottom. When I step on stones at the beach, it's pretty painful. Maybe that would toughen up over time if I always went barefoot, but...I think it would be years of painful experiences first.

  walking bare foot is more technique than foot leather, i have never walked bare foot outside often enough to thicken my calluses since i was a child and i can still comfortably cross sharp rocky ground, its strange but it has more to do with balance and mind than you would expect, if your mind does not expect pain your body doesn't tense up, your balance becomes correct and relaxed and you don't feel the rocks..