Going barefoot is not just for hippies and the beach. It’s not some gung-ho demonstration of primal instinct. It’s the opposite of what most people think it is. It’s tender loving care for your feet.
If you’ve ever had a broken limb in cast you will have no doubt experienced the weakening and wasting of muscles. Strap your feet into a sensory deprivation chamber every day of the week and I am confident that the same will happen to the muscles of your feet.
Your ability to walk and run literally rests on your feet. Wear shoes all day every day and the most important running appendage you have is likely withering away. This has become common for the vast majority the population, but, is it normal? The more structured the shoe, the less likely it is that foot is doing the work it was designed for.
If you’ve ever had a broken limb in cast you will have no doubt experienced the weakening and wasting of muscles. Strap your feet into a sensory deprivation chamber every day of the week and I am confident that the same will happen to the muscles of your feet.
Your ability to walk and run literally rests on your feet. Wear shoes all day every day and the most important running appendage you have is likely withering away. This has become common for the vast majority the population, but, is it normal? The more structured the shoe, the less likely it is that foot is doing the work it was designed for.
Each foot is made up of 26 bones, 33 joints, 3 arches, tendons, ligaments, 1000s of nerve endings and 100+ muscles. As you go about your day, these structures are perfectly equipped to adapt to a constantly changing environment. Your entire body is working with your feet to tell you where your body is in space, and how you are positioned for the next step. You wouldn’t put a blindfold on to chop your veggies, so why would you disable your feet to walk or run.
Society expends huge resources creating flat homogenised concrete paths and roads. Yet, we still insist that elaborate footwear is required to navigate them. It’s like strapping an additional mattress to your back before hopping into bed.
Yes there can be risks to moving about in barefeet, though most of that risk is removed by the increased awareness of the barefoot wanderer. Barefooters look out for the hazards, and nearly always spot them before they become a problem.
So let’s be clear. Go barefoot in life whenever possible and when it is not, wear the minimum amount of protection you require to perform the task at hand (or foot). Adjusting your running to this will take time, and you may need to relearn it. You should anyway, because efficient running technique is synonymous with a barefoot running style.
Check out our upcoming workshops and events here.
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Society expends huge resources creating flat homogenised concrete paths and roads. Yet, we still insist that elaborate footwear is required to navigate them. It’s like strapping an additional mattress to your back before hopping into bed.
Yes there can be risks to moving about in barefeet, though most of that risk is removed by the increased awareness of the barefoot wanderer. Barefooters look out for the hazards, and nearly always spot them before they become a problem.
So let’s be clear. Go barefoot in life whenever possible and when it is not, wear the minimum amount of protection you require to perform the task at hand (or foot). Adjusting your running to this will take time, and you may need to relearn it. You should anyway, because efficient running technique is synonymous with a barefoot running style.
Check out our upcoming workshops and events here.
Want expert running tips in your inbox? Sign up here for my training tips.
