Barefoot shoes allow you to walk with a barefoot gait, without a bare foot, avoiding the injuries that could sideline you. Rocks piercing the foot or breaking a toe on a curb is the end of a barefoot experiment, so I’m looking at this as an urban stepping stone to barefoot hiking when I’m better conditioned and more aware.
The benefits of barefoot shoes are amazing though. The modern shoe restricts the flexibly of the foot and alters your stride increasing the impact force absorbed by your heels. When barefoot the body is allowed to move in it’s natural gait eliminating the hard heel strike and generating less collision forces in the foot and lower leg.
Many sports involve barefoot activity such as beach volleyball, gymnastics, martial arts, swimming, surfing, water polo. And many others can easily incorporate barefoot athletes such as water skiing and hiking.
Modern society encourages high-heels as a sexual prop. Heels dramatically alter posture putting unhealthy forces on ball of the foot. Over use can result in bunions, corns, and hammer toe. A survey by the American Pediatric Medical Association showed that 42% of women admitted that they would ear a shoe they liked even if it gave them discomfort.
Recent evidence has shown that adults with osteoarthritis may benefit from walking barefoot. Another study entitled “Shod Versus Unshod: The Emergence of Forefoot Pathology in Modern Humans?” compared 2000 year old skeletons to modern skeletons. This study saw the older skeletons without foot ware, had healthier feet than our modern skeletons with foot ware. With all of these it has been shown that people who regularly go without shoes have stronger feet, with better flexibility and mobility, and fewer deformities such as flat feet or toes that curve inwards.
The flexible but rugged soles force you to adopt a more natural bio-mechanical stride. Rather than landing on your heel, as we’re accustomed to doing with cushioned soles, you land on the mid-foot or ball of the foot. This gait is less stressful on your knees and forces you to place the “strikepoint” of your foot beneath your hips, which also means you initiate forward movement with a lean instead of leg drive.
One alternative to going bear foot is wearing barefoot shoes. Five Finger Shoes are the best barefoot shoes. These shoes provide substantial protection from abrasions, cuts, etc. yet allow for the foot to operate in it’s natural state. They are similar to a glove which conforms to the foot and allows for maximum flexibly. Within minutes of wearing these shoes there is a surprising new awareness of the ground, and a sense of tactile awakening. They provide a cushion and as a result alter the strike of the foot. However, the allow for maximum flexibly of the foot as the five finger shoe flexes and bends similar to the foot itself unlike other running shoes.
Protect Your Feet From Now On – Get Your First Five Finger Shoes!
