In previous posts about running shoes I came to the conclusion that shoes should be as simple as possible to avoid interfering with the natural "barefoot" style of walking/running, the gait which we naturally adopt when unencumbered by shoes.
There was an interesting article in the Guardian the other day about walking barefoot:
Get your socks off - Walking barefoot over different types of terrain is said to be beneficial to one's health. To test the theory, Alice Wignall braves the Barfuss trail - mudbath and all
Running barefoot has some interesting material too.
There was an interesting article in the Guardian the other day about walking barefoot:
Get your socks off - Walking barefoot over different types of terrain is said to be beneficial to one's health. To test the theory, Alice Wignall braves the Barfuss trail - mudbath and all
Running barefoot has some interesting material too.
Comments
Foot injuries, athlete's foot, deformed toes, hammer toes, are all problems that can be due to shoes. I'm with you on the minimalist approach. HGs often wore either thin-soled leather shoes to protect from abrasion, or nothing.
I backpack and sprint in a pair of inov8s, the lightest I could find. I actually wish they were even more minimal to be honest.
I think you can add ingrown toenails to the list of shoe-caused maladies.
http://www.vivobarefoot.com/
They need to make a special edition for people with prehensile big toes.
Also, the palms and feet have a lot of nerve endings because they're what we use to interact with the world in a tactile way. There's a reason animals lack fur on their feet and palms. Our brains take in information from our surroundings from what we touch, and walking is part of that.
(Stephan, they need to make a tree-climbing edition for people with prehensile toes.)
Food Is Love
Bare feet are a very sensible choice for "circuit training" or "crossfit" type activities. Anything involving jumping, squatting, short-sprints etc. on an indoor sports-hall surface or outside on grass. Barefoot training enables greater balance, flexibility and better alignment for the above exercises. I recommend that people do not wear shoes for this type of exercise class. If gyms have a problem with this they need only ask a podiatrist ! Some people are embarrassed to train without shoes but they should not be.
Do NOT have bare-feet for long-distance road running though. It will lead to sports injuries in most people- despite what you might read on the Internet.
Cecilia, with all due respect, I'm not sure what you are basing your warning on.
here's what I do: I go out barefoot, and I carry some thin-soled water shoes with me. If the going gets iffy, if the pavement gets hot, if I get uncomfortable, I put on the shoes. But the funny thing is, if the pavement isn't hot, I rarely ever reach for the shoes.
I ran track, cross country and road races year round from age 8 to 18 and have continued running 3-7 days a week since then.
Running barefoot for the past month has left me with no knee pain, no achilles tendon pain, less ankle pain, no back pain.
i have gone from a size 11 1/2 to a size 10 1/2, i presume because my arch has gotten a bit higher from the newly gained foot strength from going barefoot.
I am a convert. My feet were created to support my body. I am no daredevil. I don't like pain. I am not a 'tough guy'. I just love to run and walk, and the barefoot option, so far, has been very beneficial.
See you on the streets of Nashville, barefoot.