Barefoot and Grounded .com

It's Best to Be Grounded

2011-12-27T11:37:00.000-06:00

After weighing a number of factors, I've decided to put new posts to this blog on hold indefinitely. It's been a pleasure sharing my thoughts and experiences with you the past couple of years, but the blog's traffic simply does not encourage me to focus much on the posts I want to write and other life obligations must also take a higher priority. I've decided to focus my time on my family and further developing The Primalfoot Alliance and its programs into 2012.

Thank you for visiting Barefoot and Grounded! Below I've listed what I believe are the "highlights" of my posts the last few years. I hope that you may find good information and encouragement from them and will further your barefoot journey:

Commentary

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Barefootedness - You have a natural biological freedom to live without shoes. Fight for it!
Exposing Another Healthy Taboo - What other natural and beneficial activity has seen unnecessary scrutiny - but unlike bare feet is protect by law in most places?
A Backwards Look at Liability - Who should be liable for injury to our feet: Those who encourage barefoot living or those who make shoes that damage our feet?
Bare Feet v. 'Barefoot' Shoes: The BIG Difference - It's all about sensation. You feel me?
When It Comes to Shoes, More Is Less - How much shoe is too much shoe?
If the Tables Were Turned: Hypothetical Reactions to the New 'Fad' of Shoes - What if we lived in a barefoot world and people started promoting the shod lifestyle?
18 Questions to Ask Yourself if You Are Opposed to People Going Barefoot - Really think about the positives and negatives.

Interviews

An Interview with a Podiatrist and 'Barefoot Advocate,' Dr. Steve Bloor - He turned his practice upside down after realizing the truth about feet and shoes.
Reflections on a "Barefoot Book" Tour: An Interview with Author Daniel Howell - Dr. Howell shares some interesting stories about acceptance and total rejection of his bare feet.

My Research

Most Facebook Users Would Go Barefoot in Public: Poll - A statistically significant survey with some surprising numbers.
Driving Barefoot May Noticeably Improve Gas Mileage - A short study comparing shod v. barefoot driving.

Stories

158 Hours Barefoot, Part I and Part II - For a week in 2010 I never wore shoes including at the store, a hospital and street festival.

Injuries While Barefoot: The Elephant in the Room

2011-08-25T17:36:00.000-05:00

Okay, everybody. Bring it back in for a minute. We need to talk candidly about something.

"Don't worry. Going barefoot is
VERY safe. I'm not going to
get hurt. Really."

For as much as many others and I promote the barefoot lifestyle and talk about how low-risk it is, a very real possibility is that we will actually get hurt because we're not wearing protective shoes. We can even get hurt wearing minimalist footwear when something might have protected us better. The general public believes that catastrophic injuries to bare feet are waiting in every aisle of every store and under every table of every restaurant. We know that's not true, but injury risks still exist. It sucks.

My intent is not to turn anyone off to the barefoot lifestyle. I think it's so beneficial and that most people can live better through it. But just as "stuff" happens to our heads in car crashes, our hands when working with power tools or any other countless scenarios, "stuff" can happen while we're barefoot that, unfortunately, is really, um, "stuffy."

Why am I bringing this up? "You shouldn't be talking about this!," you may say. And that's exactly the reason I am.

We can't be ashamed, as barefooters, that we might get hurt doing the very thing we promote to others. Just as with ANY injury to ANY part of our bodies, we must do the best we can to pick ourselves up, brush ourselves off and move on after a foot injury. We must also support those who've gone through such a thing by encouraging them to not shy away from what's best, overall, for their feet.

I had an extensive conversation on Twitter the other day with a woman by the handle of @QuotidianLight. We'll call her Q for the remainder of this post since I don't know her real name. Q shared with me about how she hurt her foot two years ago after falling off her chair at work and slamming her foot into her metal desk. It was just a freak accident, but she ended up with a neuroma that's been tough to get healed and still gives her pain today - so much, in fact, that she can't go barefoot. She was wearing Vibram Fivefingers at the time, but told me, "If I'd been wearing shoes at work that morning... I'd have ran THIS morning."

The main point she wanted to impress on me was that she felt isolated and alone because she believes barefooters never talk about injuries and just hold in guilt when we get injured.

She's right. It makes sense to keep that information to ourselves so that we don't have shoe promoters feeling validated in their assertion that going barefoot is dangerous. But it also doesn't help when barefooters never address the proverbial elephant in the room.

"It annoys me that people think NO ONE get's hurt barefooting and if you do it's your fault so people don't speak up," Q said. She continued later, "I just wish more people would be open about their injuries. *shrugs*"

I pledged to her that I'd write this post.

Getting a stress fracture while
running in Vibram Fivefingers
turned my barefoot world upside down
in January 2010.

She thanked me and concluded with, "I hate when people get hurt and give up barefoot entirely cause they feel out of options/support."

I've heard it numerous times. Someone loves going barefoot until they get hurt - whether it's a broken toe, bee sting, cut or something else. After that, they get nervous it'll happen again and they hardly go barefoot for the rest of their lives. I know of at least two people in my immediate family who feel this way. It's very real, and these folks need encouragement to go barefoot again.

So there's three points I'd like to make here:

First, we shouldn't ignore the fact that we can - and probably will - get hurt from going barefoot, but we also shouldn't feel ashamed if we do. Understand that your feet ARE more vulnerable when going without shoes or even just minimalist footwear. Resign yourself to the fact that freak things happen sometimes. No matter how an injury to your foot occurs, don't beat yourself up and don't feel guilty or embarrassed about what happened. Just as importantly, let the criticism of shod people roll off your back when they pitch I-told-you-sos in your direction.

Second, don't give up going barefoot because you do get hurt. Obviously, take care of yourself and do what you have to do to get better. Get medical attention to treat and resolve the problem. That may mean a hiatus from going barefoot, but most injuries can and will heal completely. After that's taken care of, remember that you can still confidently go without shoes again. Though risks still exist, the benefits from living barefoot outweigh the risks. Move on a little wiser for the experience. Seek out the support and advice those of us who also go barefoot so that we can encourage you.

Third and finally, support other barefooters who get hurt. Friends, if we find out that one of us has been injured from going barefoot, let's kill them with kindness and not criticism. We need to be wary of pointing fingers and assigning blame when none needs to be assigned or doing so wouldn't help anyway. We want barefooters to stay barefooters, and the only way to do that is to be friendly and understanding with one another.

In closing, both of my brothers used to ride motorcycles on a regular basis. They always had a mantra about the likelihood of having an accident. They'd tell me, "It's not a matter of if you're going to wreck, it's matter of WHEN you're going to wreck." Yet even when they did wreck, they'd fix the bike, heal their bodies and get right back on. Injuries, minor or major, are all but inevitable when going barefoot. It's the mindset we have that determines what we take away from it. In anything we do, we only fail if we give up. Will we let foot injuries isolate us and make us quit, or make us stronger and wiser when we keep going?

Thanks, Q, for your story and inspiring me to write this.

So, community, let's talk about injuries. Do you share Q's opinions? Should the barefoot community be more open and honest about injuries or keep them in the closet? How do we respond to the I-told-you-so remarks from our naysayers? Please leave your comments in the section below.

Bring on the Toe Shoes!

2011-08-24T17:41:00.001-05:00

First there was Vibram Fivefingers. Then there was Fila Skeletoes. Now, the second-largest athletic shoe company in the world has announced that they are releasing their own version of toe shoes: The Adidas Adipure Trainers.

The Adidas Adipure Trainer (men's)

In response, the folks at MyFiveFingers.com asked via Twitter, "So what does everyone think of the just announced Adidas 'copycat' version of FiveFingers?" They posted a page on their site about the Adipure Trainers saying, "Another FiveFingers (sic) knockoff. Oh great."

Actually, yeah. It IS great!

The Vibram Fivefingers Jaya

Listen folks, just because Vibram was the first to develop shoes with separate toe pockets doesn't mean they are or will be the end-all, be-all toe shoe manufacturer. Heck, my response to all this is is, "What took everybody so long?!"

How long have we had gloves with individual finger pockets for our hands? Did the second company that made gloves with finger pockets get called a "copycat" or "knockoff?" I don't know, but you don't hear The North Face or any other glove manufacturer getting called those names today.

It makes sense for shoes to have individual toe pockets. It's how our feet are built, after all. That way of making shoes really should be the rule more than the exception.

I think it's great that more shoe manufacturers are coming out with toe shoes because it drives innovation, competition, and public acceptance. That's only good news for people who like to wear minimalist shoes AND it's only good news for the barefoot movement.

The Fila Skeletoes

I'd like to see someone make a better toe shoe than Vibram, because then that would push Vibram to make Fivefingers even better than they already are. I hope the Adipure Trainers are better than Skeletoes, because then maybe Fila will improve their abysmal product.

The competition between manufacturers will naturally force DOWN the prices of these shoes and make them more accessible for the general public.

If a bunch of shoe companies release their own brand of toe shoes, more and more of the public will see minimalist toe shoes and, I believe, see them as a good and acceptable thing. "Heck," they'll think, "if all these companies are making toe shoes then they must know something I don't know." Minimalist, foot-conforming footwear could become -- gasp! -- commonplace?

Maybe, just maybe, people will then take the next step and realize that they can just take off their toe shoes and bare their actual toes by living barefoot. It could happen - and ultimately, I hope it does.

Like I said in the subject line: Bring on the toe shoes! The more, the merrier!

A Backwards Look at Liability

2011-07-27T17:00:00.001-05:00

I've been told on several occasions to be careful how I promote barefoot activity. The concerned persons say I might end up liable if people end up hurting themselves. This is a completely backwards and thoroughly confusing concept to me.

How is it that our society's collective thinking has gotten so twisted that we now believe that I could be liable if people use their feet as nature intended and that shoe companies are free from liability for weakness, stiffness, skin conditions and other ailments that are caused or exacerbated by their products? Do you see how topsy turvy that thinking is?

I wonder how many billions of dollars have been spent in the U.S. in the last half century to pay for the various treatments of ailments caused - or at least exacerbated - by shoes including...

Arthritis
Plantar fasciitis
Fallen arches
Bunions
Hammertoes
Morton's Neuroma
Corns
Callouses
Dry/cracked skin
Toenail fungus
Athlete's foot
Hangnails
Ingrown toenails
Stress fractures
Fractures
Sprains
And more!

I assert that a great number of these ailments would have never occurred if people had gone barefoot more. Would injuries have happened to barefoot persons? Sure, but I'd bet it'd be far fewer than many would like to believe and that the overall costs of treating such problems would have been less.

If I would be liable for someone who goes barefoot getting injured, why aren't the shoe manufacturers liable for all the ailments listed above that their products may have caused for their customers?

It would be interesting to see how a class-action lawsuit against shoe companies would play out. Would it be thrown out by a judge? Would the plaintiffs successfully plead their case that shoe companies sold their products knowing full well that they could cause these ailments in customers without warning them of such dangers? Would the defense actually try to convince the court that shoes don't cause any of these ailments or that shoe wearers should have known the risks involved?

This feels a lot like the lawsuits that were successfully brought against the cigarette industry years ago. These huge companies spent loads of money in reparations after they'd been found guilty of duping and damaging the American public to make a buck. Warning labels were required on EVERY pack of cigarettes thereafter. The shoes available for sale and use today are just as bad for the feet as cigarettes are for the lungs, but many people don't know it.

Daniel Howell, PhD, author of The Barefoot Book and a professor of biology, believes that sellers of high heeled shoes should put warning labels on them. I agree. How many women would stop wearing heels if they knew that 20,000 women go to the hospital each year due to heel-related injuries? How many women would stop wearing heels if they knew they were far more likely to develop bunions, hammertoes, Morton's Neuroma, corns and other ailments because of them? Are the high heel manufacturers telling their customers this vital information? NO, but they should be.

If someone wants to sell us footwear or cigarettes, we should go into the purchase knowing what risks are ahead of us. Most importantly, if we want to opt out of using such products, we have every right do so and should not be forced by anyone to use products that will likely cause us some harm.

Worth noting is that no one had to convince anyone else that breathing without smoke in your lungs is a good, natural thing. That said, why does society put the burden of proof on barefooters that going barefoot is good, natural and acceptable behavior? As I've stated on this blog before, barefoot is the baseline. It is the natural condition for our feet, just as breathing non-smoky air is for our lungs. Sure, there are risks involved, but we understand that as part of our human nature. That said, I can't tell you how many barefooters have been told to put on shoes for their "safety."

Imagine if a restaurant manager changed the way you dine for your "safety.":

"Good evening, sir. I see you ordered the steak. Because of that I'm going to have to ask you to wear these protective gloves while you use your steak knife to cut the food. We don't want you cutting yourself. Alisha here will also be making sure that you've chewed each bite thoroughly and that you're not speaking before you swallow each bite. We don't want you choking, after all. Just looking out for your safety!"

When we use a steak knife with bare hands, we know we must be careful lest we get cut. When we eat steak we know we must be careful not to choke. Likewise, when we go barefoot we understand we must be careful not to step on something dangerous or stub our toes. We don't need someone coddling us and protecting us from things we already know and understand! What we DO need is more public education on the harm that shoes are actually doing to our feet.

What do you think? Should shoe manufacturers be held liable for selling the public on products that exacerbate foot ailments? Should shoes come with warning labels? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

A Barefooter Went to Camp

2011-07-20T17:09:00.005-05:00

I recently spent six days as a counselor at a summer church camp for middle school kids. I haven't been to this or any other camp for four years - a span that predates my time as a full-time barefooter - so I wanted to see how things would go with maintaining a fairly barefoot lifestyle. I say this because the camp does have a rule that shoes are required at all times. I came to discover that this rule had several fortunate exceptions.

The camp directors, with whom I have been friends on Facebook for many years, were all aware of my barefoot lifestyle as we staff all gathered on Monday evening of last week. I had told Carol, the camp's liaison to the sponsoring church, ahead of time that I planned to be barefoot all the way up to the point that campers arrived midday on Tuesday. She said, "Okay."

My intent during the camp was to respect the rules of the campground by setting a good example for the kids while they were on campus. I would wear minimalist footwear when out and about, but go barefoot in our lodge room -- it's a pretty swank campground, so there's no tents or anything.

It turns out that I had other opportunities to go barefoot and that former emphases from years ago on wearing shoes had been relaxed quite a bit. It used to be that flip flops were officially discouraged because they still exposed campers' feet to rocks, sticks and other undesirables. Close-toed, secure shoes were what was recommended. Not anymore. The informational materials only said that shoes or sandals were required at all times.

The interior of the tabernacle building

Even so, there were many occasions that other campers and I would slip off our flip flops or other footwear and go barefoot or just in socks. This was a frequent occurrence at the "tabernacle," an open-sided building in which we held most of our "indoor" all-camp activities. The floor of the structure is a smooth concrete slab, so it was very barefoot friendly. Many of us also slipped off our shoes at the nightly campfires, even going up front to perform skits sans footwear. I taught two hour-long classes - both indoors - each full day of the camp. I'd slip off my shoes upon arriving at each of them and teach barefoot. As the week went on, other campers took my lead and kicked off their shoes during class, too! When at the pool, most people went barefoot as well, naturally.

Shoes were used most when traveling between locations and at mealtimes in the dining hall. Because of the high amount of heat and the fact that many roads around the campground are gravel, going barefoot from place to place wasn't the easiest thing to do, even for me. There was one time, however, that I walked barefoot from the lake up to our mini lodge because my Vibram Fivefingers had gotten all wet and I was none-too-interested in walking all the way back in them. Fortunately, most of the ground between those locations was paved. In the dining hall are signs that say "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service. Sorry, this even goes for camp." So we did all keep our shoes on when the campers were there, but for the three meals we staff ate before the kids arrived, I was barefoot the whole time and the kitchen staff - employees of the church-owned campground - never hassled me for it.

In general, I was very pleased with how "barefoot" I could be during the week. While I did need to wear some kind of footwear much of the time, I kept it minimal and had many periods when I could kick it off and go fully primal with my feet. I said earlier that the directors know of my barefoot lifestyle, and I did make the camp nurse aware of my chiropractor's note that I should be allowed to go barefoot. All were receptive and understanding of my choices. I think if I'd pressed the issue more I would have been allowed to go without shoes whenever I pleased, but I did want to wear something when going across the hot pavement and gravel roads.

I can't say with any certainty that my barefoot lifestyle has softened the camp leadership into being more accepting of it, but I'd like to think that. I'd also say that our youth are quite willing to go barefoot more often than adults. Middle school-aged kids haven't been fully programmed yet that shoes are necessary all the time. Even so, it was my job as staff to set a good example. That example, this time, was to only go barefoot at our destinations - an example many campers were willing to follow. It's a start.

What are your experiences with going barefoot at a campground? Have you been blocked by camp policy or the wishes of others from going without shoes there? Have you vastly expanded your preferences for going barefoot because you were camping? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Barefootedness

2011-06-30T11:34:00.002-05:00

On the 4th of July each year, the people of the United States of America celebrate Independence Day, the anniversary of the signing of The Declaration of Independence on the same date in 1776. Although an official constitution was not ratified until 11 years later, we Americans generally think of July 4th as the anniversary of our country's founding.

Patriotic toes!
Courtesy: Elizabeth McCullough

Freedom is something we hold dear and do not take lightly in the U.S. Our country was founded on the basic principle of having the rights to say and do as you please (so long as it is within the law). Ask any American and they'll tell you that, for all of our country's flaws, this is still the best place to live in the world. I do believe that...to an extent. Why? Going barefoot in this country is a freedom that many of us do NOT have -- not really.

Americans have a deep relationship with -- even addiction to -- shoes. As much as women complain about how much heels hurt their feet, many would never think of giving them up. For many groups, the shoes they wear are a status symbol among their peers. Like addicts with a drug, most Americans feel like they need shoes. Footwear has become a part of our identities and influences how we feel about ourselves. They've become a prophylactic antibiotic that we've become convinced we will suffer without. The problem is that this country's addiction to shoes has led us to believe in inappropriate distortions and perversions of key biomechanical functions of our bodies.

Even though the Declaration of Independence says each one of us is endowed by our creator with the "unalienable" rights of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," our shoe-centric society has declared that those rights are at the discretion of others when it comes to our feet. Even though feet are not considered "private" areas of the body and going barefoot would bring no real harm or liability to anyone else, we somehow do not have the liberty to live in the way we feel is best for our own bodies.

There's Just No Justice

Though it's perfectly legal to drive, shop or dine barefoot almost everywhere in this country, the prevailing assumption is that it is illegal. It's all not true! Because these myths are so prevalent, they've percolated down into the collective of social norms so that many people now are convinced that it's wrong to go without shoes. It's widely thought that going barefoot -- that is, making the choice to not wear foreign objects on our bodies -- is unsafe, unhealthy, unhygienic and inappropriate. Because of that, we who prefer to live barefoot are often discriminated against by friends, family, business managers and more.

The scales of "justice" for bare feet.

That "and more" includes discrimination by the courts. Bob Neinast, a barefooter in Ohio, has actually brought suit against public facilities in his state for disallowing his bare feet and has subsequently LOST each one of the cases. The courts ruled that going barefoot is dangerous enough that the facilities have a right to bar their patrons from going without shoes. These rulings have been made without any legal or scientific evidence to back them up. These are obviously judges who carry the same biases against feet as so many others in our country.

It doesn't make sense. Where's the real "justice," here? The Declaration of Independence says I should have these freedoms and the 10th Amendment of The Constitution ultimately leaves all this up to the states "or to the people." No state has made illegal the practice of going barefoot, so I should be in the clear because the right belongs to the people - of which I am one - right?

One could argue that business proprietors also have a right to pursue their own happiness -- a happiness that may come partially from having all their patrons keep their shoes on so that they don't get hurt and the owner doesn't get sued. I wonder, though: Who ultimately gets to decide that a business proprietor's rights supersede my individual right to not wear shoes? What if the establishment is a public institution whose purpose is to serve the people (e.g. a public library, courthouse, city hall, capitol building, etc.)? All of Bob Neinast's lawsuits have rightfully argued that these tax-funded institutions should not be biting the hand that feeds them and have no reason to deny people entry simply because they are without shoes. Likewise, you'd think that most businesses wouldn't take issue with a paying barefoot customer so long as they're not putting others at risk. Does the danger of allowing customers go barefoot really rank worse than losing their money and helping your bottom line?

The Realities of Risk

I've heard all the ill-conceived reasons to deny people the ability to go barefoot into an establishment. There's a widespread belief that walking barefoot inside a store or restaurant is an enormous risk to the feet and has the potential for significant injury. In all actuality, the risks in going barefoot are very low - much lower than other activities, actually, that are allowed by various establishments. There is rarely any broken glass or super infectious disease just laying about, especially the kinds that can cause serious injury.

When you take a close look at what patrons of most establishments are allowed to do, it's surprising that bare feet are what get banned for "safety" reasons. There are no other social norms, legal precedents, or identifiable risk concerns that require the constant restriction or "protection" of ongoing biological systems like those for the feet:

Hand Function: Restaurants do not require that diners wear protective gloves when using a fork or steak knife. Diners are expected to be careful and try not to cut themselves. Establishments (except for specific areas of some hospitals) do not require that patrons wear surgical gloves on property to avoid the risks associated with communicable diseases. Individuals take on the risks of being infected when in public places. Library patrons aren't expected to wear gloves to protect against paper cuts when flipping through books. It's expected that they take on those risks.
Respiratory Function: Establishments (except for specific areas of some hospitals) do not require that patrons wear protective masks to avoid the risks associated with communicable diseases. A social norm exists that individuals take on the risks of being infected when in public places. Gas stations don't require that customers who fill up their cars wear gas masks to protect against noxious gasoline fumes. Everyone involved understands that the risk of inhaling such things is part of the process.
Neck Function: Amusement parks do not require people to wear neck braces on roller coasters or bumper cars. (In fact, I can tell you from my experience working a roller coaster years ago that riders with neck braces would not be allowed) Policies are posted that you take on the risk of injury by riding such things. Car manufacturers do not require that drivers and passengers in their vehicles wear neck protection as part of the safety features in case of a collision. A social norm exists that people take on the risk of being injured if a collision occurs.
Hearing: Concert and auto racing venues do not force attendees to wear ear plugs for their own safety even though these events can get to volumes that are dangerous for the hearing. Concert goers and racing fans understand that by participating, they take their hearing into their own...ears.
Eyesight: Outdoor venues do not require on sunny days that their guests wear sunglasses for their eyes' protection. People understand that they take responsibility for their own eye health.

Are the risks from going barefoot so much worse than those from the activities above? Is the potential for impaired hand function, lung infection, neck pain, hearing loss and cataracts so much less objectionable than a cut to the foot?

Biology's Best

One natural - but very controversial - biological function has had to be protected by law to prevent discrimination against those who practice it. Even with legal protection, breastfeeding is still looked upon poorly by many in our society. In fact, many mothers hesitate to use their right to breastfeed in public even with the protections afforded by law in almost every state. As I blogged about in June 2010 ("Exposing Another Healthy Taboo"), going barefoot and breastfeeding both have many health benefits and are legal in public, but both also have a prudish stigma attached to them. One is frequently protected by law, but the other is not. Do the health benefits of breastfeeding far outweigh the benefits from going barefoot?

The hands and feet are both unique sections of the body that serve important and specific biomechanical functions. Just as a core element of our hands is to feel, grasp, move and use objects, our feet serve a critical function in our ability to stand, feel, balance, walk and climb objects (like stairs, for example). Both hands and feet have a large number of bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints and nerve endings that are used to carry out these jobs. Blocking our feet from feeling the ground, a process called exteroception, stifles an important and significant biomechanical system that aids the body in balance and danger avoidance. Reducing foot flexibility by requiring footwear increases the likelihood for tightened soft tissues and foot stiffness.

For each establishment that requires shoes on our feet, it forces the equivalent of gloves on our hands, masks on our faces, braces on our necks, plugs in our ears and shades on our eyes. By denying us - heck anyone - the ability to choose what is best for our own bodies, we are being denied something that was "endowed" to us by our creator - or nature, if you so choose. It's one thing for a person to choose for themselves to wear shoes - that, too, is a liberty afforded in this country - but it's another when a person is denied entry to a business, church or publicly-owned facility only because they prefer to go shoeless.

The Pursuit of Protection

I assert that going barefoot should be legally protected from an establishment's ability to set codes of conduct or attire. We have a natural biomechanical right to go barefoot and take on the risks associated with it. It's an issue of health and personal liberty. Just as laws have been established to protect the biological functions of breastfeeding women and their babies, laws should be put in place to protect the biomechanical functions of bare feet. It's the right thing to do. Realize that dress codes dictating what kind of pants can't be worn or prohibiting certain kinds of hats is not in the same vain as this issue. This is a matter directly related to protecting key systems of the human body.

My fear is that we could see a very appreciable and negative backslide for the barefooting movement if these issues aren't proactively tackled now. Many of my readers may disagree with me, but I believe that the increase in barefoot activity that we're seeing could lead to the tables turning against us. In some ways they already have because of the precedents set in the court decisions mentioned earlier. We don't want court precedents discriminating against barefoot activity to continue, that is for certain.

Going forward, I will begin pursuing the legal and legislative intricacies related to all this. Through my own efforts and the collective backing of The Primalfoot Alliance, we barefooters will hopefully soon be able to see significant positive change in support of the barefoot lifestyle. I don't know where this road will ultimately lead. I hope it doesn't end in disappointment at every curve. With the arguments I've laid out above, I hope to present a solid case to attorneys and legislators that protecting bare feet is the right thing to do. It's a pursuit of happiness that should be protected.

What do you think? Should barefoot activity be protected by law? Am I off base by comparing bare feet to other biomechanical systems of the body or even breastfeeding? What do you think needs to be done in the U.S. to press the issue of greater barefoot acceptance and less discrimination? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Report: The 38th Annual Hospital Hill Run (Half Marathon)

2011-06-17T17:26:00.000-05:00

On June 4, 2011, I ran in and completed the half marathon (13.1-mile) course of the 38th Annual Hospital Hill Run (HHR) while totally barefoot. If this race report was made up of only that sentence it would sound kind of impressive but only tell a tiny part of the story. The HHR was a beast of a race that I went into somewhat unprepared and came out of well educated.

Training

Ever since I registered for the race in late 2010 I had the finish line in sight. I had run distances as long as a 10K (6.2 miles) up to then, but the half marathon distance was one I felt that needed to be tackled on my way to my "bucket list" item of completing a full marathon in my lifetime. Though I'd heard and read that HHR is one of the tougher halves in the whole U.S., I decided I was up for the challenge. All I had to do was train smart so as not to get hurt and consistently look toward the prize of crossing that finish line.

Everything was going well with my training until I got a flare-up of tendinitis in my right big toe a few weeks out from HHR. I can only speculate why it happened, but I figure that my form and overdoing it contributed to the problem. It made it somewhat painful to run on but not to the point that I felt I was in any danger. Still, I consulted with my running friends on dailymile and they recommended that I rest it as much as possible. I took their advice -- sort of. I cut back on my running a lot but still worked on getting the long runs in on the weekends. It was only when, lifting my toe upward, I could feel the friction of my soft tissues grinding against each other because of the inflammation that I finally backed off significantly and ramped up my intake of anti-inflammatories. With a week or two left until the race, my toe was back to normal. That said, it ended up that the longest run I'd had prior to the half marathon was an 8.77-mile run two weeks prior. I wondered if that was quite enough.

The Start of the Race

On the morning of the run I had a bowl of Chocolate Cheerios, a banana nut Gowalla bar and a Gatorade Prime drink. I washed it all down with a good helping of water -- or what I thought was. More on that later.

I left the house early in order to arrive and have plenty of time before the 7 a.m. gun. I hadn't even left the parking garage when I heard my first comment about my bare feet. "So are you doing this barefoot?" I replied in the affirmative. "Okay!," the man said. I got to the race area, used a porta-john, donned my fuel belt full of mango-flavored Gatorade (yum!), checked my bag and started warming up with dynamic stretching.

After chatting with some other racers -- including a few familiar faces -- lined up and got ready to race with the huge mass of bodies in the starting chute. I figured I'd finish in about 2 hours, 40 minutes, so I lined up near that pace marker. We were all warm. Not only was there a lot of body heat with us all crammed in shoulder to shoulder, but the temperature at the start of the race was already 78 degrees Fahrenheit. God help us all.

I started out the race at what I thought was a "slow" pace. I'd heard over and over that you don't want to start a race too fast, so I was trying not to. My goal was to average about 12:00 to 12:30-minute miles over the course of the 13.1 miles. About a 1/4 mile in I looked at my Garmin Forerunner 305 and saw that I was running a 10:48 mile! Holy crap! I don't hardly feel like I'm moving at all and I'm running at 10:48? Oh boy. I eased up even more and managed a more manageable pace.

Another piece of advice I'd heard was to not blow through the early aid stations. Stop and hydrate because you'll need it later on. I heeded the advice and took Gatorade and water. "I'll save my personal stash for later," I thought. The miles began to add up and I hydrated on what I thought was a good schedule.

The Walking Begins

Although my goal was to actually run the entire race, I found myself needing to take a walking break at about 5.2 miles in. This was on a hill next to the UMKC campus that raised 132 feet in 0.6 miles. Once to the top I ran for more than another mile.

My wife's picture of me
at the 7-mile mark.

I didn't think that my wife and kids were going to make it out to the race to cheer me on. Our church was holding a Father's Day brunch (two weeks early) that morning and my father-in-law really wanted for my family to be there. Our son also really wanted to see grandpa. So the plan was that my wife and kids would go to that, because the logistics of getting them out to the race and then to the brunch was going to be too difficult. Even so, my wife surprised me by bringing the kids out to cheer me on at about the 7-mile mark. That was a nice surprise and gave me a bit of a mental boost.

I also got to spend some time talking to a fellow runner, Greg Vaughn. Greg's known for carrying an American flag with him on his runs. It's to raise awareness for all the emergency responders who serve our country each and every day. I'd chatted with him at a few previous events, so we knew each other somewhat. Chatting with him helped make some of the walking more tolerable.

Just after the 8-mile marker I noticed that I had some blistering starting on my right big toe. For whatever reason, my gait when barefoot makes that exact spot prone to blistering on my longer runs. I ended up having to put some athletic tape on the pad of the toe to help keep it from getting any worse. It's a strategy that has worked well in the past and also worked well at the HHR. I really need to take a look at what's causing the blistering in the first place, though.

The run/walk intervals continued for a while and became a little more frequent each time. I was hot, I was tired because I'd pushed my early pace a little too much, and I now know that my hydration was messed up.

The Wheels Fall Off

Disappointment started to set in as I realized that the race I wanted to run had fallen out of reach. Not only was I not running the whole race, but the pace groups for 2:40 and 2:45 had passed me. What's more, I noticed that my hands were starting to swell up some. My wedding ring fits me well, so when my fingers swell to the point that I can't take it off then I know there's an issue.

By mile 10, I didn't want
to finish, even if I knew
that I was going to.

I was approaching the Country Club Plaza and the dreaded "Broadway Hill" at the 10-mile marker when I began really feeling like I didn't want to be out there anymore. I was going to finish, but I didn't want to. I was hot. I was tired. My hands were swollen. My stomach had a knot in it and I just wasn't enjoying it anymore. I had been out there for just more than two hours and had managed a 12:52/mi. pace. I had gone a mile longer than I'd ever gone before and I wished I could just quit. But I didn't.

For the next half an hour and almost two miles, I walked. I trudged up the nearly 150 feet of the Broadway hill's incline. At some point along the way I met up with Greg again. I told him about my fingers and he told me that if we were running an ultra the medics would pull me out. Essentially, I'd messed up my hydration by drinking too much Gatorade and not enough water, and he told me that I needed to lay off the Gatorade and just drink water from then on. Drink only water until I could pee again. So I did.

What was interesting was that I never felt lightheaded or stopped sweating. I know that those are tell-tale signs of dehydration, but they never showed up. It seems to me that I was hydrated well enough but just had too much sodium in my system, a condition called hypernatremia. What's interesting is that runners often suffer from the opposite effect of not having enough sodium in their system, hyponatremia. By trying to hydrate well, I overdid it to some extent. I never found the right "cocktail" mixture of water to salt intake.

The Finish Line

The finish line! Greg was
right behind me carrying
his American flag.

Greg and I walked the last hill to the 12.4-mile mark and it was all downhill from there. We went for it. We ran the rest of the way in. After a grueling three miles of personal disappointment, I finished strong. In that last 3/4 of a mile I ran an 11:14/mi. pace...and it felt good to finally cross that finish line. It may have taken me three hours and two minutes, but I FINISHED!

After I'd been given my bottle of water and medal I just about broke down in tears. That was certainly the roughest race I'd ever run. Certainly, it was the longest, but mentally it drained me. Looking back it'd be easy to say that should have pushed myself more. I could have found ways to be more motivated and run more of the areas I walked. Maybe so, but in the moment I felt I was doing well just walking, walking, walking toward that finish line. When I got tired of being out there at the 10-mile marker I could have just thrown in the towel, but I didn't.

All things considered, I'm proud of myself and I learned a lot. I set a goal when it was still cold out to run this race on a warm June morning. I persevered and fulfilled my goal to do the whole race barefoot. I got the same medal that the first-place finisher did. And next time I run Hospital Hill -- or any half marathon -- again, I'll know better about how to pace myself, hydrate properly and push beyond my perceived limits. I'll also have a pretty good chance of setting a new personal record!

Show Your Feet Their Independence on Your Day Without Shoes This Saturday

2011-06-07T20:47:00.001-05:00

As Founder and Chief Primalfoot Officer of The Primalfoot Alliance, I've planned a couple of organized activities in my hometown for Your Day Without Shoes this Saturday, June 11. Supporters and advocates of barefoot activity from around the midwest are welcome to come together to eat, play, enjoy the outdoors and show their barefoot independence in...Independence, Missouri.

The shoeless activities will start at 11:30 a.m. with a picnic (bring your own food) and barefoot time at Waterfall Park behind the Bass Pro Outdoor World on the southwest corner of I-70 and I-470 in Independence. The park is a unique space, set up next to a large man-made lake and with paved trails leading throughout a natural setting. There is also lots of space for kicking a ball around or throwing a frisbee. For kiddos, there's a large playground area set up with a climbing rock and customary jungle gym. The playground surface itself is very barefoot friendly, composed of a rubbery wood-chip-like surface.

Independence Center Mall

After that, we'll make our way to the nearby Independence Center on 39th Street, just east of M-291 highway, a uniquely cavernous shopping mall with stores ranging from Macy's to Radio Shack. While there, we can window shop, make any "necessary" purchases, grab an orange julius from the food court and/or have the kids play in the large play area of the mall.

Participants are then encouraged to continue the day on their own while barefoot. Whether it's shopping or dining elsewhere, taking in a movie or countless other activities, I encourage everyone to bare their soles and continue experiencing the world without shoes for the rest of the day.

I should point out one thing: Some of our plans, whether for this organized event or on our own throughout the rest of the day, may get sidetracked due to discrimination from management or security at the places we go. That's part of the reason for Your Day Without Shoes. We want to begin educating others and advocating for our feet. We want to begin changing the tide away from misinformed policies that keep people from living in a way that they find healthy and comfortable -- and that is perfectly legal.

Make sure to visit YourDayWithoutShoes.com to read up on how to make it the best day possible. Print off a bunch of the informational fliers on the Resources page. When people push to make you wear shoes, push back with respectful information that can help others understand that we're not just a bunch of troublesome hippies.

It's Your Day Without Shoes, and the more support we get, the better.

Things That Make You Go Hmm...: The Barefoot Edition

2011-06-02T16:33:00.001-05:00

One of the most frustrating things for me as a barefooter is that so many of the claims criticizing barefoot activity are made without the critics giving any thought to what they are actually saying. I know that the following observations are a bit snarky and pointed, but they're worth thinking about:

Lots of people have told me that they successfully went barefoot "all the time" as a kid, playing on rocks and gravel, in dirt, and around all kinds of dangerous things. Then they insinuate that the flat, smooth surfaces of the adult world (e.g. concrete, asphalt, tile, linolium and carpet) are too dangerous for going barefoot.

Hmm...

There's a prevalent thought that going barefoot is terribly unsanitary and can spread disease, yet most diseases are spread through direct contact from our hands to our faces, or from face to face. Still, no one insists that we all wear surgical masks and gloves during the height of flu season and no one polices public restrooms to make sure that we've all properly washed our hands when leaving.

Hmm...

Lots of people think it's "gross" or "disgusting" to go barefoot, but then put shoes on that their feet have sweated in day after day and which act as incubators for problems such as athlete's foot and toe fungus.

Hmm...

Going barefoot in a store is supposedly very unsafe and a high risk for injury, yet high heels -- which put 20,000 women a year into hospital ERs and often have no traction at all on their soles -- are acceptable footwear.

Hmm...

Many people claim that they "hate feet" and can't stand the sight of them, yet they're fine when others wear open-toed shoes. It's only when the small amount of shoe material is removed that the sight of the feet is offensive. The exception: bare feet are rarely hated at the pool.

Hmm...

Countless women have told me that they don't go barefoot because they have "sensitive" feet, yet are willing to wear shoes which cause regular pain and blistering in and on their "sensitive" feet.

Hmm...

Podiatrists and other experts say that there's no evidence to support claims that running barefoot leads to less injury. There is also no evidence to support claims that running with standard cushioned shoes causes less injury, yet they are fine recommending those.

Hmm...

Many people think that going barefoot puts feet at a high risk of injury, yet many people regularly close car doors, use sharp steak knives and scissors, light matches and more without wearing protective gloves.

Hmm...

Naysayers claim that there's loads of broken glass, sharp rocks, nails, and even hypodermic needles strewn about all over the place, yet they can never point out where any of it is when asked.

Hmm...

Though many podiatrists say that our bare feet aren't capable of properly supporting us, countless athletes successfully compete barefoot in gymnastics, martial arts, dance, running and more.

Hmm...

Some people believe it's inappropriate for someone to shop a store barefoot, yet customers are regularly allowed with offensive shirts and tattoos, bad body odor, loud children and more.

Hmm...

A common thought is that bare feet may make business floors excessively dirty. A person who regularly goes barefoot cleans their feet at least once a day. People who wear regularly wear shoes rarely, if ever, clean the soles of their footwear.

Hmm...

You know who -- or what -- is allowed barefoot into a store? Service animals. It may be "no shoes, no service" for people, but guide dogs are allowed on the very same unsafe floors AND they cannot be made by management to wear protective booties, per a blog post I wrote a while back.

Hmm...

Speaking of bare feet being inappropriate, it used to be that women should only wear skirts, children should only speak when spoken to and flip flops were only for the pool or shower room. My, how things change.

Hmm...

Do these things also make you go "Hmm..."? Does it give you a different perspective on bare feet? What would you add to the list? Am I off base with some of them? Please leave your comments in the section below.

Image: graur codrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Barefoot Likely Better Than Shoes If You Step on a Nail

2011-05-12T09:55:00.000-05:00

A common argument against going barefoot is that one might step on a nail and it could go straight into the sole of your foot. By wearing shoes, many people believe, you can protect your soles from such puncture injuries. On the surface this seems like sound advice, but when you look more closely at the issue you'll discover that it's probably just best to take your chances barefoot.

Some "protection."
(Image: Cirris Systems)

Before I write any further, it's important to remember that nails can pierce into the feet even if someone is wearing footwear. Construction workers experience this a lot - especially those involved in demolition work. Closer to home, I recently had a friend post on Facebook the following status: "How worried should I be that my 5 year old stepped on a nail outside? Went through his flip flop and made him bleed. Says it's still hurting this morning..." The flip flop was likely intended as a protection for his feet but failed at its job. Some people might say that if he'd gone barefoot the injury could have been even worse. I disagree and here's why:

First, stepping on a nail while barefoot does not automatically mean you'll get a puncture wound. Because each foot has 200,000 nerve endings in its sole, our bodies are exceptional at reacting to painful stimuli beneath us and reacting accordingly. It's like pulling your hand away from a hot pan on the stove. Almost before we can realize it our body's natural systems have kicked in to protect us from harm. If we begin to step on a nail or other sharp object while barefoot, our feet - if flexible enough - can mold around the offending item and/or pull away before much damage is done. I'm not saying that a puncture wound won't happen, but it could be far less deep and serious without shoes.

Keep in mind that when we wear shoes, almost all sensation of the ground below us is blocked. Our bodies cannot react until the offending object has already pierced through the layer(s) of sole material in the shoe and by then it's too late. We've already begun to put so much force down that a puncture is all but guaranteed. Likewise, the material of the shoe holds the nail or other object in place! We can't take the foot out of the shoe until we've pulled out the nail or destroyed the shoe. If, while stepping down, we sense that the nail is there and then try to step away from it we can't.

Shoe material partially
removed from around a nail
in boy's foot.
Image: Cline's Family Blog

Secondly, a nail that is stepped on barefoot is likely to be less harmful than one stepped on with shoes due to a lack of additional foreign material that can enter the wound. If a person does puncture the foot with a nail while unshod, pretty much the only thing going into the foot is the nail. On the flip side, a nail that has already punctured through a shoe's material(s) may end up depositing fragments of that material inside the foot. Depending on the shoes, this may include rubber, foam, fabric and/or glue. What's more, any contamination that has occurred to that material via mud, animal excrement, foot sweat or various forms of bacteria may also go inside the foot as well. If foreign contaminants are left inside the foot and the wound heals around them, it could cause infection and other problems long into the future. For diabetics or others who have difficulty with wounds healing, this can be especially bad.

Let's be clear: I'm not saying that going barefoot keeps you from stepping on sharp objects like nails. I'm also not saying that shoes won't protect against such objects -- they obviously will to some extent. What I am saying is that my chances while barefoot seem no worse than with shoes. In fact, I feel like there's a better chance of avoiding some puncture wounds and further complications by going barefoot instead of wearing shoes. All things considered, I'll just go barefoot, be careful and let the chips fall as they may. I'm up to date on my tetanus shot, and that's what's really important. It's a good idea for anyone.

We should remember that for most people, stepping on a nail is not a risk to life or limb* and doesn't prevent you from going barefoot again in the future. Stuff happens. I stepped on a nail while barefoot in our house as a kid. It hurt. There was a lot of drama around the experience. I moved on, though. I grew up and became a barefooter who realizes that risks are out there, but the rewards of living unshod are so much greater.

What do you think? Have you ever stepped on a nail, whether barefoot or shod? If so, do you think the situation would have been worse if you'd had your feet the other way? Has some past injury made you skiddish about going barefoot more often? Please leave any and all comments you have in the section below.

* - People with difficulty healing wounds or with peripheral neuropathy should take extra caution to keep floors clear of debris and clean as a way to prevent potentially-catastrophic injury. Always consult with your doctor about the wisdom of barefoot activity in relation to your condition(s).

Driving Barefoot May Noticeably Improve Gas Mileage

2011-04-25T17:11:00.002-05:00

With gas prices in the U.S. on the rise and warmer weather becoming more regular, I wanted to revisit a topic I blogged about almost two years ago. I decided to do a little experiment to more definitively find out if the act of driving barefoot has any real impact on gas mileage. I wasn't terribly surprised by the results.

Driving barefoot may improve your gas mileage by double-digit percentages and, although it's believed by many to be against the law, it's perfectly legal in all 50 states, Canada and the UK to drive without shoes. The one exception is in Alabama, where motorcycle riders must don footwear.

Methodology

I conducted a generally unscientific study over the course of a month with my own vehicle, a 2003 Hyundai Sonata GLS with automatic transmission, to see what noticeable difference I might find driving shod versus barefoot. I set up a strict set of rules in order keep everything as equal as possible. This would ensure that the results would be more accurate and better comparisons could be made. The test involved driving on two subsequent tanks of gas. With the first, I drove with minimalist shoes on almost the entire tank and with the second, barefoot almost the entire tank.

While I would have liked to drive every bit of each tank only with shoes or barefoot, the logistics of making this happen were quite unrealistic. For the most part, however, driving with the opposite foot condition was very limited and ended up being only a few miles maximum.

The following rules were used in ensuring near equal conditions for both tanks:

Both tanks were filled to near capacity, allowing for a few "clicks" of the pump when finished filling.
I would drive with similar patterns of accelerating and braking with both tanks.
A very small amount of driving - only a few miles - with the opposite foot condition would be allowed with each tank for logistical reasons.
I would only record the mileage driven up to the point that the gas indicator light came on while in the process of driving. (The gas indicator light comes on when approximately two gallons of gas remain in the 17.2-gallon tank.)
Similar routes would be used for driving to and from work each day.
A near identical mix of city and highway driving would be attempted.
No maintenance would be conducted on the vehicle during the test. (e.g. No car washes, oil changes, tire pressure adjustments, etc.)
The same brand and grade of fuel would be used for each full tank.
I would use the air-conditioning unit, radio and other ancillary systems for a similar number of miles.

And so I proceeded to drive. It took approximately 2 weeks to burn through each tank of gas. When all miles were driven and the test was complete, I did see a difference.

Results

Driving barefoot showed an improvement of 2.1 miles per gallon, a difference of +11.3%. In total, I drove 31.7 miles farther on a tank of gas without shoes.

This may not seem like much, but over time the savings would add up. According to AAA's Website, the national average for a gallon of gas in the U.S. on Wednesday, April 20, was $3.84 per gallon. When you figure out the difference in cost per mile (two cents, based on the MPGs from the results) and extrapolate that out to annual savings based on the U.S. Department of Transportation's annual mileage data, an average American could save about $284 a year, or almost $11 per bi-weekly paycheck, just from driving barefoot in a car similar to mine. That doesn't include any other fuel-saving measures that could save additional money. What could you do with an extra $11 in each paycheck?

Conclusions

The apparent increase in fuel efficiency from driving barefoot makes sense for a couple of reasons. I can tell you from experience that driving barefoot gives the best feedback from pedals to foot that anyone can achieve. Wearing shoes, I only feel the inside of my shoe. When barefoot, I'm able to use the thousands of nerve endings and dozens of bones, joints and soft tissues in the foot and ankle to add or remove the slightest degree of acceleration or braking that is necessary. With shoes on, much of this sensation and movement is limited or eliminated, and then I must use only larger groups of bones, joints and muscles to make adjustments. Essentially, if you can feel the pedals better and exert only the exact pressure necessary, you will use only the gas you need and save fuel over time. Think of it as kind of very intelligent cruise control.

Based on all this, I have a few thoughts on my results and what they mean for the "bigger picture."

Was this experiment scientifically valid and can we make solid scientific conclusions based on this information? Absolutely NOT. Don't flame me because I didn't do this or that to conduct a proper scientific experiment. This was a test conducted by one person in one car with two tanks of gas. I'm no Mythbuster. That said...
This data and my previous experiences driving shod vs. barefoot all do point in the direction that driving barefoot does provide better gas mileage. Though I've never kept solid numbers except for this experiment, I can tell you that I notice an uptick in my mileage the more often I drive barefoot. I really do think there's something to this.
A person who begins driving barefoot after using regular (read: non-minimalist) footwear could see even bigger numbers than I did. Remember that I only wore minimalist footwear during the shod test. These types of shoes provide better ground feedback than regular shoes do, so it's not far fetched to say that going to barefoot from regular dress shoes or sneakers with thicker heels and less flexibility could show an even bigger improvement. Heck, there might even be cause to say that just switching to minimalist shoes for driving would provide it's own uptick in gas mileage.
With current gas prices as high as we've seen them in three years, why not try whatever you can to save gas? If a combination of fuel-saving measures, including driving barefoot, can show at least some noticeable positive difference in mileage, it seems prudent to try them out and see what it can do for your pocketbook. Remember, driving barefoot is absolutely LEGAL.
I really want to see someone scientifically study this. There's a lot of anecdotal evidence and vague postings out there to support the idea that driving barefoot saves gas, but my study is the closest thing to scientific analysis that I've seen on this topic. Maybe this very blog entry will spark some auto club or group to look further into this. I think it's safe to say that there's plenty of people who drive barefoot when flip flop weather comes around. Now let's see some real data to find out if they happen to be saving themselves money. Maybe I should ask the Mythbusters...

What do you think? Do you drive barefoot and, if so, have you gotten better gas mileage because of it? Can having direct skin-to-pedal contact really allow for finer sensation and adjustment of the pedals? If you disagree with my assertion that there's something to this, why so and what do you really think the difference is between driving shod or barefoot? Please leave your comments in the section below.

The Little Runner That Could

2011-04-19T10:07:00.001-05:00

Today feels different. Waking up today was different. This morning's short 2-mile barefoot run felt different.

I feel a little bit like The Little Engine That Could when it comes to my running. I've been climbing and climbing this figurative hill trying to get into a rhythm, saying all the while, "I think I'm a runner. I think I'm a runner." Now I actually feel like I'm crossing over the peak and starting on the downhill slope, soon to chant, "I know I'm a runner! I know I'm a runner!"

It's a whole bunch of little changes culminating into one BIG change. Waking up in the morning to go for a run is so much easier than a month ago. Getting everything together for a run in the morning is going quicker. My feet are holding up well for longer and longer runs. Most importantly, the act of running is becoming more "natural" for me. Running is working for me instead of me working for the running. My body is beginning to get into a habit of running that it didn't have before. I've NEVER felt this way, even with all the running I've done so far.

Up until now, running has always just felt like a lot of work. It never felt quite "right." I thought during this morning's run about the words of Micah True, Born to Run's 'Caballo Blanco:' "If it feels like work. You're working too hard."

After this weekend's Trolley Run and this morning's short run, running isn't feeling as much like work anymore. Instead of being something that I do, it's becoming something that I am. Maybe it has to do with that whole concept of developing habits. They say that habits take 30 days to form. I think mine is finally forming, and I look forward to continuing that momentum.

Are you a runner? Have you experienced the same kind of feelings about the sport? If you're a non-runner, have you ever tried and just couldn't get a momentum going? Please leave any comments in the section below.

Report: The 23rd Sabates Eye Centers Trolley Run (4-miler)

2011-04-18T17:24:00.000-05:00

My first fully-barefoot race of the 2011 season was outstanding! After running a 5K in late January with Vibram Fivefingers Sprints on almost the whole course, I'd been conditioning my feet to do a lot more barefoot running. With this four-mile Trolley Run, I took a bit of a risk because I wasn't totally sure if my soles were yet conditioned for that distance. It turns out that they did GREAT and carried me to a four-minute improvement on my four-mile-race personal record (PR). I finished in 41:11 with an overall pace of 10:18 per mile, officially.

Up and at 'em

My family got up early on Sunday, April 17, in order to leave our house at about 6 a.m. The starting gun was set for 7:45 and I had a few things to do to get to the starting line - more on that in a bit. We traveled down to the Country Club Plaza shopping district in Kansas City, Missouri, where the finish line was located and the other events of the day were set to take place. We got the kids and my wife situated just after the finish line so she could get pictures of the finishers and other happenings.

It was then my job to get a little bit warmed up and head to the shuttles that would take me and 11-thousand other runners to the starting line. You see, unlike most races, this one doesn't go in a loop with the start and finish lines in generally the same area. This one actually starts four miles away - and uphill - from the finish line! (Any guesses how popular this mostly-downhill race is for the most elite runners?) After warming up some and using a, ahem, "plastic facility" in ~47 deg. F. conditions - brr - I kissed the wife and kids goodbye and headed totally barefoot to the line for the shuttles.

The Shuttle Shuffle

The experience of shuttling to the starting line is a whole big story in itself. I kid you not: From the start of the shuttle line to the end was literally three city blocks of people long! Wait that long in line barefoot and people are bound to talk to you about it. I had a nice chat with one guy who started off by saying I had to have real toughness to go barefoot. My feet and I were warm when I got in line, but by the time I got onto the bus, my feet were sufficiently chilly (i.e. NOT warm like a barefoot runner's feet should be). I spent the 15-minute-ish ride up to the start massaging my feet with my hands trying to get them warmed up again. The total time I spent waiting for the shuttles and riding one to the start was probably longer than I took to actually run the race!

On the positive side, I had a great conversation about barefoot living with a young lady on the bus. I don't remember her name, except that it was a non-typical name that started with an O...I think. Let's call her Olivia. We quickly got into a conversation about going barefoot and barefoot running. To keep a long story a bit shorter, I told her that I also live barefoot as well as running sans shoes - even shopping, dining, etc. She said she does the same a lot, much to the chagrin of many of her friends and family. I told her about how I founded The Primalfoot Alliance, and she seemed genuinely interested in the organization and for barefoot living to be much more acceptable. I'm glad that, although my feet were cold, Olivia and I could meet and we could have such a great chat.

The Start

As the bus pulled up to the drop-off zone, I glanced at my Garmin 305 GPS watch and saw that it was 7:55. TEN MINUTES after the starting gun was to have gone off. Seriously?! All that work attempting to get there in plenty of time and it still wasn't enough? Well, I'll just know better next year. For the record, the race web site indicates that I actually crossed the start line 12:21 after the starting gun.

My effort to re-warm my feet on the bus paid off as I started the race. That effort, plus the sun-warmed pavement, made it so my feet never felt too cold.

Off in the distance I could see the back end of my wave of runners. It was kind of surreal. The Trolley Run bills itself as the largest four-mile race in the nation, yet I was starting with just a few dozen people from our bus because everyone else was already gone! It was actually kind of nice. I didn't have to worry about getting my feet stepped on by a huge mob of people's Asics, Nikes, New Balances, etc. at the starting line. I've said a number of times that one of the biggest risks to living barefoot is other people's shoes.

The Race

After driving the course the day before, I was mostly looking forward to this mostly-downhill race. What I wasn't excited about was the approximately mile-long stretch of rougher pavement in the first part of the race. About three quarters of a mile in, we ran a while on smaller side streets. For those who don't normally run barefoot, side streets are not as friendly for barefoot runners because they're not as frequently traveled by cars. Therefore, the blacktop is not typically as smoothed out by constant traffic and there aren't as many tire particles to take the edge off the pavement's rockiness. Anyway, I was hoping that my feet would hold up through that part of the course and my technique would provide as little friction as possible to let me finish the race un-blistered, and it worked out. Awesome!

The elevation chart for the 4-mile Trolley Run shows a net
elevation loss of 164 feet - downhill almost the whole way!

There were a few fun and/or humorous moments for me throughout the race. One dude carried a Christ-like cross the whole way, though I'm not sure Jesus' model had a tire on the bottom of it like this guy's had. I have to think our savior's journey to Calvary might have been a little easier if it did. A random young lady was standing beside the course playing bagpipes, of all things, for all of us. I became acutely aware at a couple different times of all the "clopping" of the other runners' shoes on the ground while I was cruising along in stealth mode. The best story, however, is about a woman who I'd just passed. I ran by her and her friend and the next thing I hear is, "Hey, Susan." Then, nothing. I can't be positive because I didn't turn around to look, but I can picture in my mind's eye the woman pointing her finger down at my feet and looking at her friend with this stunned look on her face while she silently mouths, "He's barefoot!" At least, that's one scenario that could have happened. :-)

I am pleased with how I felt during the run. My heart rate stayed up but didn't push the limits to the point that I felt I had to back off from my pace. My legs felt good, never feeling like they were going to give me problems. The only slight issue I had was with a little more than a mile left. I started getting a little cramping in my right side - an issue I've had before - so I took appropriate measures to squash it. I had read right before my first 5K last year that exhaling when the same foot lands on the ground while running can lead to cramping on that side after a while. To fix it, just change up your breathing so that you exhale when the other foot lands. Voila! The cramping goes away! And mine did.

I felt a little bit tired in the last half mile or so, but I think part of that was mental. I knew that the end was (literally) in sight and my mind started giving up a little bit. A bunch of people did pass me when I slowed down at the end, but I still think I finished pretty strong.

Overall, I ran a very good race. I actually ran the whole thing barefoot, never stopped to walk, kept an elevated - but comfortable - pace and set a new PR for the four-mile distance. Speaking of pace, this is the second fastest pace I've ever run in an organized race, short of the Groundhog Run in January. Could I have pushed it a little bit more? Sure, but I can't complain. I also discovered that this is the longest barefoot run I've had since November 2010! My bare feet are back to where they were before winter, baby! It's all good.

Now, my training marches on as I prepare for the Hospital Hill Run (half marathon) on June 4. I'm planning for bare feet for that race, too. I wonder if pseudo Jesus and the bagpipe girl will be there, too...

Barefoot Season 2011: No Backup But The Doctor's Note

2011-04-13T17:18:00.000-05:00

Now that Spring has sprung and warmer weather has moved in, I've decided to revise my Barefoot Code of Conduct for the 2011 "barefooting season." The idea is to keep it relevant and keep current my own personal preferences and standards related to going barefoot. There are two big changes for this year:

The first change is the elimination of regular "backup" footwear. Up to now, I've kept a pair of flip flops under the driver's seat of our car and minivan. The original purpose was to have a pair of backups available if I needed them for some reason. This included my willingness to comply with signs that required footwear and having the option of returning to my vehicle for them if asked by a business' employee/manager/security to put on shoes. I still had every intention of walking into most places totally barefoot.

The problem that I discovered, however, is that I relied on these flip flops too much. Instead of going into most places without any shoes, I kept slipping on the flip flops and then taking them off inside. This even included stores with no signs prohibiting bare feet! I was getting "soft." Instead of dictating how I was going to live my life, I found myself acquiescing to the assumed preferences of others and avoiding assumed confrontation. I don't like that.

There have been a few occasions in the past when I didn't have any backup footwear with me...and I LOVED it. This rarely occurred, but when it did I felt a sense of relief and a weight lifted off my shoulders. I was pleased with the reality that I had to go barefoot and that I didn't have to make a choice I didn't want to make. The certainty of inevitability can be quite soothing, sometimes.

If I know ahead of time that I will genuinely need footwear -- such as in times of extreme temperatures or when participating in more risky activities, I'll take shoes with me. The overall point is that having those "just in case shoes" on hand has come to an end.

The other big change is that I have acquired a note from my chiropractor. It says "Patient needs to be allowed to be barefoot regardless of location/establishment." (see photo below) I had a conversation with him about my barefoot lifestyle, and he understands the benefits of going barefoot. Because of that, he was more than willing to write up the note. I have heard success stories from other barefooters about how having a doctor's note helped their cause immensely. I haven't been questioned or had a need to use it yet -- and quite frankly I don't know if it carries any real legal weight (I've been researching this) -- but I welcome it as a "tool in the tool chest" when barefooting in public.

My doctor's note (altered for privacy purposes).

I should point out that I decided to ditch the backup footwear before I ever considered getting a doctor's note. The decision to talk to my chiropractor actually came on a whim when I overheard another patient talking with him about one.

This could be interesting. For example, I have a paid membership to Costco, a wholesale warehouse that requires footwear of their members. I have already been asked once (pre-note) to put on my flip flops while in there -- I complied because I had my flip flops in the cart. I like my Costco membership, but I also prefer to go barefoot. Without any backup footwear, I hope that the doctor's note is able to satisfy them enough to allow me to shop unshod. If not, I could consider Sam's Club, but they also have a shoe rule and may not allow me even with a note.

I still want to be able to function in society and purchase the things I need at the price I'd like, and anybody should expect the same whether they prefer to wear shoes or not. I founded The Primalfoot Alliance to advocate on behalf of barefooters because policies still exist that discriminate against us. I like having a doctor's note to show that I have medical backing behind my decision. That said, I also like the idea of being able to shop without hassle at Costco and many other places and not need a doctor's note or any other reason.

Rest assured that I will not back down from my dedication to The Primalfoot Alliance or other barefooters even though I have a doctor's note. The cause is still important and I will still be approached by many managers and security officers. I may "get off" with the note -- we'll see -- but I'll also take the opportunity to educate.

I will be posting again with information about how the doctor's note has worked out. I think it will help in many cases. If you have a chiropractor or doctor who you know is barefoot friendly, consider having a conversation about your desire to go barefoot into places but that you're often discriminated against. It may be that, if you ask, he/she would be willing to back you up with a note of your own.

I ask you, dear reader: What are your thoughts? Do you think the doctor's note will help? If Costco holds fast and rejects the note, should I stand on conviction and kick them to the curb? Have I taken this too far? Please leave your comments and suggestions in the section below.

Most Facebook Users Would Go Barefoot in Public: Poll

2011-04-11T17:41:00.002-05:00

About half of Facebook users would "almost always" go barefoot in public if it were socially acceptable and the weather was nice, according to a recent online poll answered by 533 respondents on the social media site. Another quarter of responders replied that they would go barefoot "some of the time" under the same circumstances. The poll begins to give a better view of people's perceptions of going barefoot and it's societal acceptance. (The results hold a 95% confidence level with 4% margin of error.)

Methodology: Asking the Right Question

A barefoot shopper. (Photo by
colorblindPICASO on Flickr)

I've been very interested for a while in getting some kind of good data about people's impressions of barefoot living. As founder and president of The Primalfoot Alliance, I very strongly believe in advocating for those who want to go barefoot - even in public places where so many barefooters are discriminated against. The first thing I wanted to find out when researching all this is how many people actually would go barefoot if given the chance. Knowing that could influence how much effort The Primalfoot Alliance should put into our...um, efforts.

But what should be the first question? Well, I have my feelers out all over the internet when it comes to hearing people's thoughts on bare feet. I'm friends with numerous people who live with and without shoes, I watch a Twitter search related to all things "barefoot," and I get daily emails of Google search results related to the topic. A consistent message that I hear from a lot of people out there is their desire to go barefoot if it were only "socially acceptable" or if they "could." Furthermore, many people have told me that they would go barefoot more often if they lived in a better climate - specifically, warmer conditions. There are other factors that people take into account as reasons they don't go barefoot, but those two seem to be the foundational reasons why going barefoot isn't an option for them. I figure that for every person that says it, there may be many others who at least are thinking it.

So I asked the question, "Would you go totally barefoot in public if it was socially acceptable and the weather was nice?" I included the caveat for nice weather to make it more reasonable to imply that the basic conditions for personal comfort are favorable enough that they'd feel comfortable going barefoot in the first place. Notice that I made no mention of sharp objects, diseases or any other issues that naysayers bring up against going without shoes. I wanted for respondents to answer while keeping those concerns in mind. Finally, a key word in this question is 'totally.' I thought it was important to clearly state that there would be nothing on their feet. This eliminates the possibilities of socks, flip flops, minimalist footwear or anything else being considered.

The answers were written to be simple and few in number. I wanted to get a good cross section of responses in which anyone and everyone could find a comfortable answer. Respondents could choose "No, thank you," "Sure, some of the time," or "Absolutely, almost always."

The Results: Surprising Even to Me

It turns out that one out of every two people on Facebook would frequently go barefoot in public if their perception of social acceptance was achieved. Furthermore, about three out of four people would go without shoes publicly at least some of the time. Only about a quarter of the respondents indicated that they still would not go barefoot.

But there's more to these results: One thing I wanted to know was how skewed the results might be based on the ratio of responses from my friends versus those who I'm not friends with on the service. Basically, did those who know me and my barefoot lifestyle mess up the numbers. Interestingly enough, the responses were almost identical all the way across the board. The biggest deviation in responses from friends versus non-friends was about 2%. Not bad.

Let's look at some charts. First, here's a pie graph of the overall answers to the question with all 533 Facebook users who responded represented.:

Next up, here's a visual breakdown of each the responses by those who I'm friends with on Facebook (red) versus those I'm not (green).:

A full 83% (444 people) of the 533 total responses came from people with whom I am NOT friends on Facebook. The remaining 17% (89) are.

So how accurate are these results? I wondered that myself. Using a sample size calculator from Creative Research Systems, I determined that for Facebook's more than 500 million active users (using 500 million as the population size), the results hold a 95% confidence level with 4.25% margin of error.

Conclusions

With everything I've written and presented so far, what does all this actually mean? I have drawn a few conclusions of my own, but yours may vary. (Don't berate me because your conclusions don't agree with mine.):

Because this poll was based only on Facebook users, it's hard to know exactly how it translates to the general populace. Although there are 500 million users on Facebook worldwide, only slightly more than 116 million of them are from the U.S. It's difficult to know how breakdowns of nationality, age, gender, political and other characteristics vary between Facebook's user population who responded and the general population. Without anything better to go on at this time, however, I believe it's reasonable to draw some conclusions about the general population from a good sample of 500 million users. After all, that's more than the entire population of the United States.
If one questions whether going barefoot in public is "socially acceptable," I have to conclude that it probably IS. If you assume that those who are willing to do it are fine with others doing it, too - a reasonable assumption - that means that most of the public really are okay with others' public barefootedness. The number may even be higher if you consider that those who don't want to go barefoot themselves may still be fine with others doing it, though there's no data to support that assumption (i.e. That's another question to ask).
There is widespread mistaken assumption that most of us are opposed to people going barefoot in public. It goes back to the notion of perception versus reality. People may not think it's socially acceptable, so they don't go barefoot in public. The problem is that a LOT of people think that and therefore the perception continues. I'd bet that this perception translates to business managers and security who think they're keeping the other patrons from being offended. It's pretty likely that a vast majority of the other patrons actually don't care. In all actuality, they would probably rather be barefoot, too.
I find these results to be VERY surprising. I expected that there could be 20-30% of people who would go barefoot most of the time, but not half of all responders. The fact that three out of four people would go barefoot in public at least some of the time tells me that people do have a respect for their feet. The results back up two big sentiments that I hear on a regular basis: "I LOVE going barefoot," and "I used to go barefoot all the time as a kid." Even though they say these things, they DON'T go barefoot in public. Maybe the reason for this is because of perceived social norms. That said...
We need to educate people that going barefoot in public is okay and that others are supportive. If people who prefer to go barefoot understand that they have the support of many others behind them, the visibility of bare feet in public could skyrocket in the next few years. As more people choose to go without shoes in public, there will be more pressure on businesses to allow them as patrons.
We need to educate businesses that many people would prefer to go barefoot while out and about and that they are not a threat to the bottom line. I really do believe that many managers and security base much of their discrimination off baseless thinking that other patrons will be offended by seeing people go barefoot. I've experienced it myself when an art gallery manager -- after I shot down all his other reasons for denying me -- told me he didn't want other patrons to be offended...in an art gallery that had a number of potentially offensive/disturbing pieces on display.
More research and polling needs to be done about these topics. There's so much more I'd like to know about people's stances on bare feet. For instance, what are people's primary reasons for opposing the idea of going barefoot in public? What do people see as the primary use for shoes? Are men or women more accepted when they go barefoot? The clearer the data we can get on all this, the better.

What do you think of these results? Do these responses surprise you? Do you think I made a mistake and these results aren't reliable? What can we take away from this poll? Please leave your responses in the comments section below.

Barefoot and Glovehanded

2011-04-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

After lots of research and contemplation, I've decided to shift up my lifestyle significantly. Though I still believe in the benefits of going barefoot and will continue to do so, I am increasingly aware of the risk for viruses and bacteria that can be spread from person to person through bare hands. I have had a few instances lately of getting sick and cutting my hands or fingers on various objects.

It is because of these concerns that I've decided to regularly wear medical-grade gloves in daily life. They will provide a barrier that will both guard against infectious diseases and offer some protection against cuts.

We've heard it over and over that the best way to stop the spread of infection is to wash your hands. As I hate having dry skin and I think constant hand washing could lead to that, the next best thing is to regularly wear gloves. I figure, if surgeons wear them to keep surgeries safer, why not I wear them all the time to keep myself safer? I really do think it will help based on some of the evidence I've seen.

As far as their protective properties, let me first say that I'm tired of nicking or cutting my hands. Scratches just annoy me and I know they can lead to infection. If I wear protective gloves, even simple surgical gloves, they can be what catches on items that are capable of scratching or cutting me. While not being able to protect against every risk, I truly believe my risk of injury will go down significantly.

Since some evidence (PDF link) shows that surgical gloves can lose their protection over time, I intend to change them out no less than every two hours throughout the day. In cases when they might get overly contaminated from food or other, ahem, activities, they'll be changed outright afterward.

Now I won't wear gloves all the time -- THAT would be ridiculous, right?! I'll take them off at bedtime...and that's probably about it. Eight hours of barehandedness a day should be enough to keep my skin healthy.

This practice begins TODAY, April 1. I figure it's as good a day as any. To wait any longer would be foolish.*

What do you think? Am I just being paranoid? What would you do to negate the risks of infection from bare hands? What are you doing today to improve your health? Please leave your comments in the section below.

* - If you didn't figure it out by now, APRIL FOOLS! There's no way I'd ever do any of this, though it does provide an interesting commentary on what risks are actually out there and how people irrationally interpret and react to them. We really do have a higher risk of getting sick and injured via our hands than our bare feet.

Discrimination Against Barefooters: It Really IS That Bad

2011-03-17T17:17:00.002-05:00

I love hearing from my readers, so I leave the comments open for people to share pretty much whatever they'd like -- short of spam or abusive language. Most of the time, whether I agree with comments or not, I simply read them, take them to heart and move along.

One comment from reader "RevTieDye" really stood out to me today, though. It's in response to my article, "Who Holds The Burden of Proof About Bare Feet?" I'm posting the comment as its own entry to educate and stir discussion. There have been several people who've asked me, "Is discrimination against your bare feet really that bad?" This real-life example, while a bit more extreme than most, helps answer that question. I have my own stories that I've already told, and Dr. Daniel Howell shared a similar story of discrimination that happened on his book tour last year as well.

RevTieDye wrote...

"

A day after reading this post I was in a grocery store that I've been frequenting barefoot for almost a year now. At least 20 visits without shoes. But this time an employee informs me that I can't be in there barefoot.

Me: Can you show me where it says I can't be barefoot.
Employee: No, but it's a health code.
Me: I'm sorry, but that's a myth. There is no such law. [exit SL]

2 minutes later the "Manager's apprentice" (that's actually what it said on his name badge) with two more large male employees flanking him arrives to tell me I had to leave. Like I'm brandishing a weapon or threatening another customer, or something.

I've seen a dozen ways to handle this politely, by people far more clueless than him. He didn't ask, he didn't politely inform, he didn't suggest that I wear shoes next time. He cut straight to

Apprentice: Sir, you have to leave--I can't allow you to be barefoot in here.
Me: Can you show me where it says I have to wear shoes.
Apprentice: Sir, I've asked you to leave, and you haven't. Now you're trespassing.
Me: I just want to see it in writing, because there are a lot of myths about bare feet. Can you show me that your company supports your opinion?

Note: So far, I have kept it at a conversational polite level the whole time, but now he starts raising his voice.

Apprentice: Sir you are trespassing. My next step is to call the police.
Me: Are you seriously saying that you would call the police and say "This is Jeremiah at W***o, come quick, we’ve got a barefoot guy down here?"

But at this point I knew I needed to back down and leave before I got my dander up and started contributing to the scene he was already making. So I left while I could still pretend to be calm.

I do believe you're right. We shouldn't have to bear the burden of proof. But I like to go barefoot because it's relaxing and makes me feel connected to the world. Dealing with the adrenaline levels of being confronted by an over-zealous apprentice manager and his intimidating wing-men is the opposite of what I'm after. I may have to hang up my protester hat, and just put on those vile flip-flops I keep under the seat of my truck.
"

Michael here again. Please understand that this is only ONE example of a countless number very similar to it. Barefooters are discriminated against like this on a regular basis -- and it's been happening for decades now. We're not just blowing it out of proportion or getting unnecessarily upset.

It's situations like this that made me start The Primalfoot Alliance, an organization that advocates for people's natural right to go barefoot if they so choose. If you haven't heard of it, here's the Web site.

Now, a few things stand out to me about RevTieDye's story:

First, it's not uncommon to go barefoot into a business multiple times without problems and then suddenly get stopped by the shoe police. It doesn't matter that you've safely shopped there unshod before -- even if other employees have clearly seen you doing it -- even if you mention that to them. From then on you're supposed to wear shoes. Period. (And don't expect that they'll put a sign up prohibiting barefooters from then on. They have every right to have a policy and not let their patrons know about it until it's been violated.)

Second, the myth of the health code prohibiting bare feet is huge. What's more? Shoot that down and they'll likely change their tune and suddenly have a different reason why bare feet are not okay -- a reason they never mentioned before. If it's not against health code then it must be illegal? No? Then it's...

Third, it's not uncommon for a manager to bring backup. I've experienced it. I know others have, too. For some reason, having a foreboding security guard or burly male employee by their side is used as a tactic to incite intimidation in barefooters or protect the manager from the barefooter. That's right, intimidate patrons who are only different because they lack shoes. That, or have backup available in case this barefoot person flies off the handle and goes berserk on you. It's good to have protection because, you know, anybody that shops without footwear must not be straight in the head, right?

Fourth, as is the case in so many confrontations like this, management resorted to the bottom-line reason of "because we said so" for discriminating against the barefoot customer. This manager even went so far as to not even explain him/herself. The, "because we said so," was implied.

Whether you're a barefooter or not, what do you think of this situation? Do you feel like this gave you a better picture of the discrimination that barefooters often face? Is it more important to back down to the shoe police than get your "adrenaline levels" up when confronted? Please leave your comments in the section below.

Reader Homework: Please Ask Around About Broken Glass

2011-03-09T17:46:00.000-06:00

I need your help. I want to debunk the myth of broken glass and bare feet once and for all. We barefooters know that reports of broken glass in society are greatly exaggerated, yet we don't have any proof. I'm in the process of changing that by putting together an extensive blog post to tackle this issue.

Dear reader, please start asking around to restaurant, retailer and grocery store management when you go out. Casually ask them something like, "Hey, I'm just curious: How often do you all have to clean up broken glass around here -- like, on an average day?" If you're especially curious, ask how they clean it up and if they usually "get everything picked up." Note the business locations (Applebee's, Walmart, Winn Dixie, etc.), their numbers and any other responses you get.

Runners, I want to hear from you, too. Please keep a mental note to scan the sidewalks and roads on which you run. Count the number of areas of glass (one broken bottle might be a single area) that you come across. Log the numbers if you DO OR DON'T see glass while running, how far you ran AND what kind of area it was (trail, neighborhood, downtown, business district, etc.).

Leave all your awesome data in the comments below or send it to my email at michael A T barefootandgrounded D O T com by Friday, March 18. I'll put your responses together with mine and we'll see just how much glass is -- or isn't -- really out there.

Thanks for your help!

Photo: Painting by Todd Ford. Posted to Art & Critique

Who Holds the Burden of Proof About Bare Feet?

2011-03-03T17:42:00.001-06:00

Barefooters are constantly explaining to others why it's okay for us to be unshod -- as if wearing shoes is the natural condition and bare feet are an oddity. Let's be clear: Going barefoot is our natural condition.

Just as having bare hands is the baseline for how we function as human beings, so it should be for feet. We should only wear shoes when truly necessary and when identifiable, legitimate reasons exist. It shouldn't be the obligation of barefooters to prove why we don't need shoes.

Imagine if someone were to say that we should wear gloves on our hands all day long every day. You'd get countless people asking why, claiming it's not necessary and going on without gloves anyway. There are simply not enough legitimate reasons to do such a thing.

It's really the responsibility of those who require shoes to tell us why we and they need them -- and to come up with legitimate reasons. This typically comes in the form of vague excuses of concern over spreading diseases -- which hands do a lot more of, potentially stepping on a sharp object -- which are very few and far between, social appropriateness -- which apparently simply requires any thickness of any material between the soles and the ground, questions of legality -- which, going barefoot isn't illegal, or other not-well-thought-out reasoning.

It's time to start turning the tables on those who discriminate against us. It's time that the burden of proof fall on them to legitimately justify why shoes are so necessary. We need to make them show us the broken glass and not accept their excuses until they do. We need them to take samples of the ground for viral testing to prove that it's unsafe for the public's collective health. We need to make them explain how going barefoot is not acceptable but vulgar t-shirts, patrons with foul odor and people who talk too loudly on their cell phones are. If they claim that going barefoot violates health codes or other laws, they need to show us the proof. If they cannot -- or will not -- do these things, they have no leg to stand on and we must refuse to put on footwear.

Are you a barefooter who finds yourself explaining why your natural state is okay? Do social norms requiring footwear supersede the burden of proof? Are you willing to stand up and turn the tables on discrimination? What do you think would happen if you did? Please leave your comments below.

Photo: Western Rite Critic

Keep it Clean: Dealing with Dirty Bare Feet

2011-02-16T14:46:00.002-06:00

I was recently asked on Twitter, "How do you deal with your feet being dirty after going barefoot during the day? Just clean them before entering (the) house?" I thought that this would be a good topic to cover in a post.

It's true. When you go barefoot darned near everywhere, your soles get dirty. Depending on where you walk, the amount of "dirt" varies. If you mostly walk on concrete sidewalks, hardly any dirt will actually get on your feet. If you walk in grassy areas, your feet will actually stay very clean. It's blacktop that gets your feet really dirty. Especially blacktop where vehicles frequently drive, like parking lots and city streets.

What is the "dirt" that gets on your feet in these cases? It's actually mostly tire particles -- you know, the tiny flakes of rubber that come off of tires when vehicles drive around. They land on the blacktop and then get picked up by the oils on the skin of your soles. Not a big deal for the skin's natural barriers, but it can look bad.

Photo by "Futurowoman" on Flickr

I have found that my dirty feet need very little cleaning when I go in and out of buildings. When I enter them, I almost always wipe off my feet on the mats that are available at nearly every store, restaurant, office and home. That takes care of anything that could transfer onto the floors. I tested this theory by rubbing my feet on bed sheets at home -- the ones on our bed, actually -- and absolutely NOTHING rubbed off. It's pretty wild! Make sure to wipe off your bare feet before going inside...just as you would if you were wearing shoes.

That said, I don't like having my feet get overly dirty or black, so I often will wipe off my particularly dirty soles with baby wipes after I get inside. I've blogged about baby wipes before, but will restate how awesome they are for cleaning off dirty feet. I tell people, "if they're good enough for cleaning a baby's bottom, they're good enough for cleaning my feet" -- and it's TRUE! I've even found that baby wipes can be more effective at cleaning my soles than sticking my feet in the bath tub and using soap and water. I don't get it, but it's pretty cool. Keep some baby wipes on hand for those times when your feet are particularly dirty.

There is also one totally natural option to cleaning off one's feet before heading inside, too: Grass. You'd be amazed at how clean your soles can get by just walking through the grass to your front door instead of walking up the concrete path. By the time you get to the front door, almost all of the dirt on your feet is GONE. If you live in a home that has grass near your front door, use it as an option to clean your feet.

So there you have it: grass, floor mats and baby wipes. Use a combination of these three options and your dirty bare feet should cause you no problems indoors.

What say you, barefooters? Do you find that these options work for you, too? What do you do to keep your feet clean? For non-barefooters, do you AVOID going barefoot because you don't want dirty feet? Would you now be more inclined to try barefooting with these options available? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

A "Foot" of Snow

2011-02-02T12:27:00.000-06:00

Here in Independence, Missouri, the recent "Blizzard of Oz" 2011 brought us about a "foot" of snow. :-)

Report: 2011 Groundhog Run (5K)

2011-01-30T19:10:00.002-06:00

To say I was excited to run this year's Groundhog Run for Children's TLC is a bit of an understatement. I intended to run it last year, but a stress fracture in the heel bone of my left foot in January 2010 kept me out of the race. I did volunteer at that event, but was sorely disappointed that I couldn't participate. What's more, my running goals in 2010 had to be scaled back significantly because of the setback of the fracture. Running this year's event, to me, symbolized a bit of a "rebirth" of running for me -- a chance to reset what went wrong last year and go at it with renewed gusto.

I should explain the Groundhog Run a bit further before we go on. The whole dang thing is underground in industrial caves. The event is a charity run for Children's Therapeutic Learning Center in Kansas City, a school that helps kids with disabilities. It's a great way for runners to comfortably wear lightweight running gear for a race in January (when the temperature outside this morning was around 22 degrees F) and also support a worthy cause.

I decided to run this race in Vibram Fivefingers Sprints. I didn't want to run it barefoot, as I remembered from volunteering last year that the pavement underground can tend to be pretty rough. I hadn't had a chance to keep my bare feet conditioned and thought it'd be best on the soles to wear some kind of covering.

I was signed up to run this year's 5K race as part of a four-person team for my employer, a children's hospital in Kansas City. The team leader knew fully that I am a slowpoke compared to them, but he was happy to have me on -- I think he knew that my time would be thrown out anyway, as only the top three runners on a team had their times counted.

My wife and I showed up about an hour ahead of time and claimed a spot inside the VIP team area to drop off our stuff and for me to warm up. That was really nice. Instead of the requisite porta potties that most big races have for runners, the "VIPs" could use the official restrooms in the reception area where we were allowed. No lines, no plastic lavatories. While warming up, I noticed that I had a really sore spot in the muscle of my inner right thigh, just above the knee. I worked on it to try to loosen it up.

When it was time to race, I lined up about halfway between the 8-minute-per-mile and 12-minute-per-mile signs, as I expected to run around 10 minutes per mile. The starting area was PACKED. It's one thing when that's outdoors, but when there's stone pillars all around and a solid rock ceiling overhead, you begin to feel a bit like sardines. The right thigh was still feeling a bit sore.

The race began and I started off at what I thought was a pretty decent pace. I tried not to waste too much energy by running too fast, but I also didn't want to make it harder on myself by running too slow. The tight muscle in my leg really started to loosen up and I felt really good upon hitting the first mile marker at 9:47. Not bad.

In the second mile, I started to tire a little bit. My abdomen was cramping just a little bit and I was ready for a drink of water. I would have just taken a swig from my running bottle, but I had decided to leave it behind for this race. That was probably a poor choice, because I think it would have helped me when I needed water instead of having to trudge to the water station. I normally run with the bottle and should not have broken the "don't change anything on race day" rule that all runners are recommended to adhere to.

I'll be honest: I had to take a couple of walking breaks just to catch my breath and recover momentarily. None were more than about 30 seconds long, but it bugged me that I had to stop running AT ALL -- even if I know that walking breaks can lead to a faster overall time. It was disappointing to me, though, because for my first 5K last year after my injury I was able to run the whole race...with a big hill in the middle of it.

I was getting near the end when I noticed a blistery spot developing on the inside ball of my left foot, just behind the big toe. My Fivefingers shoe was rubbing me the wrong way, literally. I kept on going, thinking that I didn't have too much farther until the finish. Then I looked down and realize that what we'd been running on really wasn't that rough. In fact, it was certainly adequate for running without shoes!

Instead of contributing to the developing blister by keeping my shoes on, I decided to stop with about half a mile to go, remove my shoes and finish barefoot. It was GREAT! My feet felt awesome, the ground felt wonderful and I was so happy to be running on my own two feet. The blister didn't end up being bad at all when all was said and done. I'd call it a "pre-blister." I put a little bit of tape over it to protect it from the Fivefingers for when I walked around afterward and left to head home.

I finished the race in 31:05 for an overall pace of 10:01 per mile -- a new personal record! That time beats my previous 5K PR of 32:50 and was the 6th best pace of any run I've had since I returned to running in late 2009. It was definitely the best pace of any organized race I've ever run.

I'm pleased with my performance in the race. I had wanted to finish in less than 30 minutes, but this was a respectable time considering that I did take walking breaks and stopped to take my shoes off. Heck, it still even beat my last PR in a race that I ran the whole thing!

Here's hoping that the gains I've made going into this race continue as I gear up for a half marathon in June -- the same race in which I PRed last year, just 10 miles longer.

If the Tables Were Turned: Hypothetical Reactions to the New 'Fad' of Shoes

2011-01-20T17:13:00.000-06:00

I got to thinking: What if bare feet were the norm and a "fad" got started up in which a small, vocal group of people started wearing shoes all the time. What would experts and the public say about that? Here's what I think:

A business owner: "We don't allow shod customers in our store. There's too much potential for people to get injured, and we would be liable if that happens. What if a woman in those "high-heeled" things rolls her ankle while shopping here? What if someone wearing shoes with a slick sole slips on a wet spot on the floor? I also have to think that those shoes would hurt the exposed toes of someone whose feet got stepped on. Have you seen how big and heavy some of those things are?! I've got to look out for my customers' safety. (Question) What's that? Broken glass? You know, I've worked in this business 12 years and I can't say that a barefoot customer has ever seriously cut themselves. Usually we clean up anything that's dangerous so it's not a big deal. I think we've had one or two customers that got a little piece stuck in their sole like a big splinter, but they just took it right out and went on their way. No bleeding or anything. If they did we'd give them a band-aid. Anyway, the other problem we have with shoes is that nobody ever cleans the outside of them! At least barefoot customers wash their feet every day. Who knows if or when a shod customer has ever cleaned the soles of them? Who knows what they stepped in that's collected on their shoes ever since they bought them? Gross, and my employees have better things to do than constantly clean the floors of all the dirty stuff that shoes drag in."

A running expert: "Adding a shoe to the foot and landing on the heel totally changes the dynamics of running. There's no evidence to suggest that a heel strike is more preferable to a forefoot or midfoot strike when running. It could even be a problem for the joints of the ankles, knees, hips and back, as all of those forces would travel up the skeletal system. I also see a problem with cutting off the sensations from the soles impacting the ground. There are thousands of nerve endings in the feet and these shoe people want to just cut those off? Sounds ridiculous to me. What next? Should we just run with horse blinders on? And paying more than $100 every few months to replace shoes when they wear down seems sketchy. I know a lot of runners that aren't going to make that kind of investment. It just sounds like a scheme from the shoe companies trying to make lots of money."

A podiatrist: "While I think there might be benefits for short periods of time in wearing shoes -- for protection from certain dangers, for example -- there's no research that shows they are better for your feet than simply going barefoot. There's a lot of evidence to the contrary, actually. Some of the shoes that people are wearing pinch the toes together or cram them into the front of the shoe. We're seeing an uptick in our practice of bunions, hammer toes, corns and other afflictions...and they're all from people wearing shoes. We're also seeing a lot of ankle and knee problems because shoes artificially raise the heel of the foot in completely unnatural ways. Lots of our patients -- most of them actually -- also complain of foot soreness, pain and even weakness because the shoes they're wearing are completely inflexible and essentially cast their feet while they have the shoes on. Wearing shoes also provides the perfect environment for growing fungus and other bacteria that need a warm, moist environment to thrive. Finally, wearing shoes on an uneven surface could lead to the shoe catching on the ground and the ankle to roll, causing soft tissue damage or a fracture. I definitely don't recommend that my patients wear shoes unless they have a medical need to or if they need them for protection from some activity they'll be participating in or bad weather. Even then, though, I don't see why a simple, thin sole wouldn't be enough for most things."

Your everyday citizen: "Shoes are so disgusting! Look, people were born barefoot for a reason. We've got all of those joints and bones in our feet and shoddies want to just stick those in a box? Plus, their feet in shoes are always sweaty and it usually causes their feet to stink. Cramming all of my toes together to the point of pain because it "looks good?" Whatever. And who needs protection all the time? It's not like there's broken glass just laying around everywhere. Paranoid weirdos. Just look where you're walking and you'll be fine. And if you step on something that cuts your foot, it's not like our feet are all that fragile or that they can't heal. Oh, here's my biggest thing: Who wants to spend hundreds of dollars constantly buying new shoes?! My feet don't cost anything and they never wear out. I'll spend my money on something else, thanks."

So what do you think? Is this how many people would react if the tables were turned and bare feet were the norm? Do you think I'm way off base with something I wrote? Please let me know your comments in the section below.

Should Podiatrists Give Away High-Heeled Shoes?

2011-01-13T11:44:00.003-06:00

I was more than a bit disturbed to discover that a California podiatrist is holding a contest to give away "designer" shoes. On her blog The Shoe Expert's Blog, Michele Colon, DPM, has posted the guidelines for someone to win a pair of shoes from Jimmy Choo or Christian Louboutin by the end of this year, "making one shoe lover’s New Year’s celebration one to remember!"

What's most upsetting is that the shoes she displays on her site are not flats or even low heels. They are VERY high heels that may be stylish, but certainly can't be good for the feet or ankles. Here's a screen capture of the images:

Image from The Shoe Expert's Blog, captured Jan. 13, 2011

I'm not here to pick a fight or disparage Dr. Colon, and I also don't know if the shoes displayed on her blog are the ones she intends to give away. Given the evidence showing how bad high heels are to the feet, however, it seems highly inappropriate for a podiatrist to hold a contest if such shoes will be the prize. To me, it seems like someone who makes a career from healing those with foot and ankle problems should not give away devices that CAUSE foot and ankle problems.

On another front, a podiatrist giving away such dangerous footwear seems like a potential conflict of interests. What if a woman were to wear these, fall, sprain her ankle and then go to Dr. Colon as a patient? That doesn't look good, to say the least.

I recommend that Dr. Colon rethink this contest and her promotion of these kinds of shoes to her patients.

UPDATE (12:24 p.m. CST, Jan. 13, 2011): After becoming aware of this blog entry, Dr. Colon replied back to me on Twitter with the following: "The designer shoes don't have to be high heels. They can be the Jimmy Choo UGGs or other ones. Those were just examples."

Maybe so, but I replied back that just giving the option of high heels seems inappropriate. I also asked that, given that she's in Southern California, how likely is it that the winner would choose flats over high heels? I stand by my previous statements.

The Top 10 Impacts on Bare Feet in 2010

2010-12-30T19:30:00.002-06:00

Since you can't turn on the TV, visit a Web site or read a magazine at this time of year without seeing some recap of the year that was, I thought I'd follow suit, look back and share the top 10 ways that bare feet or going barefooted made an impact in 2010. In this second year of creating this list, some are news items while others are trends or products. You may not have heard of some of the things on my list. Quite honestly, you may not agree with what I've selected or the order in which I've put them. What's important here is that the list is comprised of 10 ways that bare feet became more pervasive and made a name for themselves this year, not necessarily how the public saw them as a whole -- and not necessarily good. The list, in ascending order:

Honorable Mention: The Primalfoot Alliance Begins
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that The Primalfoot Alliance began this year. My brainchild -- but the work of a number of people -- began the process of "Taking Our Feet Back" and advocating for those who choose to go barefoot...even in public. There's a lot more on the horizon for this group. Keep an eye out in 2011.

10. Tiger Woods Likes Them Naked -- His Feet When Practicing, That Is
On the heels of Tiger's respectable #2 finish in my rankings last year for his widely-publicized post-vehicular-crash shoeless nap, he made it known this year that he often practices his golf swings sans footwear. Of his coach Sean Foley, Tiger wrote in a PGA blog, "Sometimes he has me hit shots barefoot, just to work my balance." Cool! So cool, in fact, that there was much speculation ahead of this year's Ryder Cup in early autumn that Tiger would even compete barefoot. Alas, that wasn't meant to be, but kudos to him and his coach for seeing the light shining down on the benefits of barefoot activity.

9. Serena Williams Misses U.S. Open After Cutting Feet in Restaurant

Some barefooters took notice when news broke in July that tennis star Serena Williams cut her foot on a piece of broken glass in a restaurant. As you're likely aware, the threat of broken glass is a common reason for restauranteurs to deny barefoot patrons. This could have ended up as fodder for barefoot-unfriendly folks to continue such discrimination. So was Serena going barefoot at a restaurant? What happened?

Ms. Williams told USA Today that details of the entire event are a bit of a mystery, but that she does know that both of her feet got cut by broken glass while she was wearing sandals and exiting the establishment. She's all better now and back to playing, but the scare left her with a lacerated tendon and a number of stitches.

Wow. It goes to show you that sandals won't even protect against some things, even while they are considered adequate "protection" compared to bare feet by so many naysayers. I think it also is a testament to how footwear "dumbs down" the feet and cuts off some of our senses. I wonder if this would have happened if she were barefoot. Would she have been more aware of her surroundings and, therefore, avoided the glass?

8. Groups Set New Records Sans Shoes
If there's something worth doing, somebody will think it's worth doing more than anyone has ever done it. That applied to bare feet this year as records were made and broken for both walking and running without shoes. Unfortunately, no one in the Western world managed to pull it off...for long.

The Guinness World Record for
Largest Barefoot Walk was
set in China in 2010.

In June, The Barefoot Runners Society made a "run" at the Guinness World Record for Largest Barefoot Race. They set it in early May when 140 of their closest friends ran around an indoor facility in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Their accomplishment was eclipsed in December, however, when 306 runners in Mumbai, India, took part in a barefoot half marathon organized by the Barefoot Runners of India Foundation.

Those who preferred a slower form of shoeless locomotion set their own records this year, too. First, it was 1,141 barefoot people in Chengdu, China, who walked one kilometer to set the Guinness record for Largest Barefoot Walk in September. The event was organized by Infinitus (China) Company Ltd. as part of their World Walking Day. Not long after their stroll, however, another group of more than 1,900 attempted to break that record in Andhra Pradesh, India, in November. It, however, has not been certified by the folks at Guinness as of this writing.

7. Sesame Street Tells Kids: "Set Your Piggies Free"
Kids love to take off their shoes...and so does Ziggy Marley! The good folks at the Sesame Workshop released a music video on their flagship PBS program "Sesame Street" this year. In short, it reminds kids that shoes don't need to be worn all the time. Aside from a nitpick I have about their implying that bare feet and pavement aren't friendly with each other, it's a cute song. Here's hoping that it helps bolster an army of children who don't fear bare feet on themselves or others as they grow older (and become managers at stores and restaurants). Hey, a barefooter can hope, can't he? Take a look:

6. "The Barefoot Book" Released by a "Barefoot Professor"

If ever barefooters around the world wanted an instruction manual on the benefits of going barefoot to share with friends, anatomy professor and barefooter Daniel Howell, PhD, released it this year.The Barefoot Book came out in the summer and started making waves in national media by the fall. Within months, Howell began giving interviews with the likes of The Washington Post, MSNBC, NBC, WGN Radio and numerous other outlets. While many of the interviews largely ignored the substantial contents of the book, Howell put a legitimate face on barefoot living and backed it up in writing. I'm excited to see how things progress as Howell continues the interviews in 2011 and The Barefoot Book becomes more widely known.

5. Taylor Swift Performs Barefoot at the VMAs (and Other Celebs Kick Off Their Shoes)

One of the hottest names in music this year was Taylor Swift, and she made waves online when she performed barefoot at the MTV Video Music Awards in September. Her song, seemingly sung to Kanye West, lended itself well to a shoeless performance since going barefoot is often considered a symbol of humility. Afterward, Twitter lit up with all kinds of comments about her lack of shoes. While some were supportive and thought it was cool, many panned her for being so gross, blah, blah, blah. You can read more and see the performance at my blog post about the whole thing.

When Miss Swift wasn't baring her soles, other celebrities made headlines here and there in 2010 for going barefoot, too. They included Michael Franti, Pamela Anderson, Thomas Jane, Diana Vickers and Isabel Lucas, to name a few.

4. Rex Ryan's Foot Fetish Fallout
I was done putting this list together when this bombshell fell out of the sky and I had to bump all the earlier stuff down a notch. Apparently the New York Jets' head coach and his wife like to play "footsie" with each other...and record it...and post it to the Internet. Once the media got wind of it, the Internets lit up with the term "foot fetish," and Ryan had some a'splainin' to do -- or not. "I know you need to ask and all that stuff, but it's a personal matter and I'm really not going to discuss it, OK?" he said in his response to reporters' questions. So sports media folks didn't get any answers and pretty much dropped it. Over and done with, right? Not quite. The media loves a good story and NFL head coaches' foot fetishes make for titillating material, so what's the best way to keep this thing alive as long as possible? Ask sex therapists what they think! Talk about it on The View! And that's just what they did:

Now I'm very clear that I don't consider myself a foot fetishist, but this falls into the "to each his own" category for me. I know that there are many in the barefooting community that DO have foot fetishes, but there are also those who are staunchly opposed to them. I like what the therapist in the aforementioned link said, "It's only defined as a problem when the person or couple define it as a problem." Fair enough. Let's move on.

3. "One Day" Throws the Barefoot Baby Out with the Bath Water
Who doesn't love a great cause to get behind? Nobody! Okay, so there are people throughout the world who don't have any shoes and need access to them sometimes -- emphasis on "sometimes." I can admit that. It's good to have a pair available.

Along comes TOMS Shoes to organize "One Day Without Shoes," encouraging people to nobly go barefoot for a day in April to understand what it's like to live sans footwear. And while you're at it, you can buy a pair of their for-profit footwear and they'll donate a pair to needy children. Huh. Well, fair enough. TOMS claims they knew of more than 250,000 folks who bared their soles for the day for the cause. The theme for this year's "One Day" of bare feet? "It's Hard Without Shoes." Wait, what?

It turns out that to effectively promote your cause of selling shoes to the charitable masses, you have to demonize bare feet -- even though it's the best way to live and most people really can get away with it most of the time. And demonize they did. Folks tweeted and blogged all over the 'Net about how much their feet hurt (which makes sense because their feet aren't used to it) and how they were getting kicked out of some places because of it. Welcome to the barefooters' world, friends. Well, I guess with respect to the last point, it IS hard without shoes...to shop or dine in this country, but I digress. I'll avoid getting into the nitty gritty details of how many things are misguided about TOMS campaign, but will say that it doesn't help the cause of promoting barefoot activity when a company that makes its money from selling shoes can rally so much support for a campaign that primarily is meant to sell their shoes.

On the plus side, at least one young lady decided it wasn't so hard without shoes that day. She's kept a barefoot lifestyle going since that day. At least there's some hope.

2. Lieberman Study Data Takes "Barefoot" Running to the Next Level
What could get supporters of barefoot running even more hyped about the sport following the success of Christopher McDougall's book Born to Run? (#1 on my list last year) Proof! And that's just what they got in the results of the Harvard study, "Biomechanics of Foot Strikes & Applications to Running Barefoot or in Minimal Footwear" published in Nature in January. In a nutshell -- help, I'm in a nutshell! -- Daniel Lieberman, PhD, et al showed evidence that running with a forefoot strike ala barefoot running creates less force on the body.

Yours truly running barefoot in
the Hospital Hill 5K in Kansas City,
June 2010.

What happened next eclipsed anything we'd seen from Born to Run. Media outlets everywhere picked up on the results and fitness folks all over were talking about it. Podiatrists came out of the woodwork stressing caution. The term "barefoot shoes" started to permeate everyday culture. Enough Vibram Fivefingers got out there that most people had at least seen or heard of them -- possibly through a friend who had a pair.

One event that made waves among the barefoot community was the first ever New York City Barefoot Run, a pilgrimage of sorts. About 265 barefoot runners from all around the U.S. and world, including many of the most well-known, converged on The Big Apple for the event. Though I didn't go, I heard that a great time was had by all. We can expect to see it a second year, and many more similar events spring up all over the place in the years to come.

The barefoot running movement and research on the sport will continue for a long time after 2010. In early December, not one year after the study started making waves, another leading researcher announced that she was leaving her school to conduct research alongside Lieberman. Irene Davis, PhD, a barefoot runner herself, left the University of Delaware to help launch a running center at Harvard Medical School. I think it's safe to say that we've only scratched the surface on what we know about running without shoes. What's more, we should see more studies coming out in the next few years to empirically back up what many of us already know about the benefits of running barefoot.

1. The "Barefoot Bandit" Gets Nabbed

He fought the law, and
the law finally won.

(Cue the "Real Men of Genius" music) Here's to you, Mr. "Barefoot Bandit" Colton Harris-Moore. You jumped all the way from #5 on last year's Top 10 list to the prime spot in 2010. And boy, did you do it in style -- and completely barefoot. (He ain't got no shoes on!) You nabbed our hearts while the police nabbed you in The Bahamas. Nobody else could have evaded authorities for more than a year while robbing places and snatching airplanes on the joy ride of a lifetime. (The BALLOON BOY has nothing on YOU!) While we barefooters just try to avoid getting a talking to from security at the local mall, you tried to see what kind of Cessna was available to steal undetected from the closest airport. (I'll TAKE the one in RED!) Now, we don't condone the illegal things you did... (You can STILL fly as a JAILBIRD!) .. but we have to admit that we admire that you often did it without shoes. That's...pretty...cool. (Mr. "Barefoot Bandit" Colton Harris-Moore!)

All right. Enough antics. Man, can you believe that kid? He started his spree in 2008 and wasn't caught until July of 2010. What's more, he got all the way across the country in that time!

He made such an impact in the news this year that Time Magazine even named him #4 of their "Top 10 Fleeting Celebrities" of the year. That's why he definitely deserves the top spot here. It remains to be seen what impact his barefoot adventures had on society's perceptions of bare feet, but one writer tried to quickly cut off negative views at the knees by writing a post called, "Not all 'barefooters' are bandits." It actually is worth a read, highlighting a few barefooters of notoriety.

We'll see what happens to Harris-Moore. Maybe he can share with his fellow inmates all the benefits of going barefoot...in the shower...with soap on a rope. :-\

So what do you think of this list? Was there something that you think was a huge omission? What struck you as the top impacts on bare feet -- good or bad -- this year? Please leave your comments in the section below.

Bare Feet v. 'Barefoot' Shoes: The BIG Difference

2010-11-08T17:21:00.002-06:00

I've got a bone to pick with some people. When barefoot running, Vibram Fivefingers (VFF) and other minimalist shoes became so popular, the lexicon used to describe how we cover -- or don't cover -- our feet became muddled. Search Twitter or read news articles about the phenomenon, and you hear people talking about "barefoot shoes" or how they are loving running "barefoot" with their VFFs.

As confusing as it is to call something barefoot when it's obviously not, the issue gets even worse when people tell their friends, "Wearing (fill in the blank minimalist footwear) is just like being barefoot." Those of us who subscribe to fully bare feet are often asked, "Why not just wear flip flops? Isn't it the same?" My answer to both of those questions: "No, it's not the same." And let me give an example why.

All of us have cut a finger or had a hang nail in such a way that we've needed to cover a finger tip with a Band Aid-like bandage. It protects the injury and promotes healing, but it also does something else: It screws up our hands! Ever tried typing with a bandage on the tip of your index finger? It's weird. You don't like it. Beyond typing, you automatically adjust how you use your fingers and hands based on that one little bandage. Your index finger may still work perfectly fine. Your fingers may still be able to flex, bend and move just as before. But with a bandage on it's still...different...and wrong.

What's changed so drastically just by adding that small bandage? Sensation. You can no longer feel things with your fingertip. The digit may bend and move like normal, but the cut-off sensation between you and what your touching is difficult to handle.

The muted sensation when wearing a bandage for a cut finger is the same muted sensation when wearing minimalist footwear or flip flops. Sure, your feet may be flexible in VFFs and have no cushioning. Yes, feet are generally exposed to all elements in flip flops. But the key difference between that footwear -- any footwear -- and going barefoot is the lack of sensation between our soles and the ground.

Don't believe me? Try this: Grab a box of cheap bandages and wrap them around the tips of all 10 of your fingers. Next, just do what you normally do. Type on the computer. Use the restroom. Eat a meal. I have a feeling that it won't be long before you're itching to take the things off because you can't "feel" anything. Remember: There's nothing wrong with your fingers. Your hands can flex just as well as normal. They can breathe just as well as normal. It's just that there's no sensation where it matters most. You've put "flip flops" on your fingers.

I'd estimate that ground sensation is at least half of the benefit of going barefoot for me. I do enjoy my feet not being cramped inside stiff shoes and I like the fact that I don't have to rely on cushioning, but no matter what footwear I put on I'm always missing 50% of the experience of bare feet. I like a Tweet that Daniel Howell, PhD, author of The Barefoot Book, posted a little while back. Paraphrased, it went something like this:

"To those who say running in minimalist footwear is like running barefoot, I welcome you to actually run barefoot and then say that it's the same."

The media and others -- including minimalist footwear manufacturers -- need to stop calling those products "barefoot." They're not and never will be. I don't have anything against this footwear as tools for protecting the feet or keeping them warm as necessary, but "barefoot" they are not.

What do you think of calling minimalist footwear "barefoot" shoes? Do you ever go fully barefoot outside your home or do you wear minimalist footwear? Is my comparison between finger bandages and flip flops on or off the mark? Please leave your comments in the section below. Thanks for reading!

Vote! (with your feet)

2010-11-02T07:34:00.003-05:00

Today is a huge day in the United States as voters go to the polls for "mid-term" elections. Voters will decide on all members of the U.S. House of Representatives and 1/3 of the Senate as well as countless state and local candidates and ballot issues. That got me thinking. What if there were a campaign for your feet...

"Senator Shoe sure talks a good talk, but does he walk a good walk? NO! He promises greater comfort and health year after year, but painfully lets us down by promoting Big Fashion and siding with President Ignorance on bunions, corns, fungus, ingrown nails, hammertoes and fallen arches! He says he's making our lives better, but they just get worse and we stay isolated from positive relations with the ground below. Isn't it time for REAL change in Walkington?

"Bare Feet is for less footwear and more freedom. He thinks you should keep more control of your own health and comfort. During his time in the Summer, Bare Feet consistently voted for healthier skin, straighter toes, stronger muscles and giving control back to your own body. He consistently listens to feedback from the ground instead of cutting off communications. If you vote for him this November, Bare Feet will fight for better temperature regulation instead of leaving you out in the cold.

"Bare Feet. Less Restrictive. Healthier. More Comfortable.

"The Take-Back-Control-of-Your-Own-Body Fund is responsible for the content of this advertisement."

Now, I'm no fan of negative ads, but I think this does a good job of illustrating just what feet are up against. Shoes really are NOT in the best interest of our feet. Going barefoot is really the best way to let our feet take care of themselves and ward off all the nasties that are caused -- or at least perpetuated -- by shoes.

Vote for Bare Feet! The more that we go barefoot, the more that society will see it's okay and not harmful to ourselves or others. The more that we advocate for our natural right to keep our shoes off, the more people will see that it's not right to discriminate against feet and force us to wear shoes.

And yes it is getting colder, but if you acclimatize yourself to cooler temperatures then you can go barefoot outdoors in above-freezing temperatures and certainly indoors. For more info. on that, see my previous blog post, "Don't Get Cold Feet About Bare Feet As Cooler Months Approach."

What do you think of this analogy of our feet in an election against shoes? What other campaign promises does "Senator Shoe" make and not keep? Please leave your comments in the section below.

If Moses Lived Today...

2010-10-21T15:08:00.001-05:00

As a Christian, I couldn't help but smirk at this comment left by "Barefoottrailrunner" at an article on the Washington Post Website about my friend and fellow barefooter, Daniel Howell, PhD. So, so true:

God: Moses, take off your shoes. You are on holy ground.*

Moses: But God, do I have to? I mean, what if I step on something icky? Or a fire ant nest? Or a nail, or broken glass? Aren't there health codes? What if I get plantar fasciitis? What if people think my feet look funny?

God (shakes head ruefully): Silly humans. Why, oh why do I bother?

* - Exodus 3:5 and Acts 7:33

Shoot the Glass!: Is 'Die Hard' Partially to Blame?

2010-10-19T14:26:00.003-05:00

I just had a fleeting thought and wanted to write a quick post about it. It boggles my imagination that people think that there's SO MUCH broken glass around that threatens anyone that dare go barefoot. Why is this? Honestly, if people just stop and think for just a moment, they'll realize that this isn't true. But then I got to thinking about one of the most popular action movies of all time.

In 1988's Die Hard, John McClane (played by Bruce Willis) saves the Nakatomi building and all its hostages while totally barefoot. He'd taken his shoes off to release stress by making "fists with his toes," and by the time he realized that major (expletive) was going down, it was too late to go back for footwear.

In the film, he cuts his feet up something fierce. He has to when the bad guys shoot up an office area full of glass partitions in order to intentionally cause harm to him. It's an incredibly memorable part of the movie.

Maybe too memorable.

Has society's fear of stepping on broken glass developed partially from a fictional action story? Do people have an unconscious fear of broken glass in part from this famous flick? What say you, Mr. McClane?

"How is this MY fault?"

Review: Dr. Scholl's For Her Fast Flats

2010-10-08T15:12:00.002-05:00

Opening remarks from Barefoot Michael:

I prefer to stay barefoot as much as possible -- even often in public. I find it to be comfortable and even healthy and safe. While my wife, Glenda, is not a "die hard" barefooter like myself, she is accepting of my barefoot lifestyle and tries to stay barefoot as much as possible, too. She doesn't often go barefoot out in public, but still prefers more minimal footwear if she wears shoes.

A new, easily-found minimal shoe is now on the market and targeted to women for wearing after hours in heels. I thought my sweetheart might like to try them as an everyday minimal shoe and asked her to review a pair. The following are her thoughts. Keep in mind that they're from the context of putting them through the paces as a potential everyday minimalist shoe, something that they are NOT marketed as. I'll pop in (with italics) to make little comments or to add more information as necessary.

Dear readers, the lovely Barefoot Glenda:

From Dr. Scholl's for Her
Facebook Page

A while back, my hubby texted me that while at Walgreens I should pick up a pair of Dr. Scholl's For Her Fast Flats. I had seen them advertised on TV, and since I enjoy going barefoot or wearing minimalist footwear I thought I'd give them a try as an everyday minimalist shoe.

Just a little insight into why I don't wear more traditional shoes: About seven years ago I was diagnosed with tendinitis in my toes from wearing shoes that were either too tight or had a heel. The recommendation from the doc was to wear round or square toed flats. I also found as a special education teacher that I needed to be able to wear shoes that I could easily run in. So that is when I stopped wearing most heels and started wear minimalist footwear.

So here is what happened when I wore them and how the shoes held up:

Style

The shoes are a cute ballet slipper type. They have a bow over the toe box and have a leathery feel. There is an elastic band sewn into the top of the heel which allows you to put on and take off the shoes easily. The band also helps the shoes stay on without slipping. The shoes look a lot like many of the other ballet slipper types out there, and most people wouldn't know that they're Fast Flats unless you tell them or they have some of their own. I did notice that Fast Flats only come in black. At least, this only color available where I bought mine. That's not really a problem unless your wanting brown or gray or any other color. ;-)

Quality

I've worn the shoes nearly every day since I purchased them. The quality isn't what I had hoped for. I'm one of those people who keeps shoes as long as I can, and if I really like them, I wear them, A LOT! After having them for just a few weeks, I am disappointed in the quality of the shoes. They are showing wear around the toe box where the sole and body are sewn together. In most places it's just the covering wearing off, but at the ball of my large toe, the seem is actually splitting (pictured below). :-(

Michael here: Keep in mind, however, that these shoes are NOT meant to be regular footwear. They are intended as a "club to car" shoe with limited long-term use. That said, it's not overly surprising that they're not terribly durable, but it's worth noting IF you're considering these for more everyday use.

Cost

The shoes are relatively cost effective (at a suggested price of $12.99 USD), but like I said earlier, I like my shoes to LAST! I also like a good bargain and rarely pay more than $20 for a pair of shoes. (Since I often go barefoot, that doesn't tend to be a problem.) The Fast Flats were $12.50 where I bought them in a suburb of Kansas City. M: Other retailers have been found that sell them for $9.99. Dr. Scholl's does offer a money back guarantee if you're not satisfied with the Fast Flats.

Fit and Comfort

Seeing that these shoes are similar to slippers, I expected them to fit well right away. That's not exactly what happened. At first glance, the Fast Flats appeared to be non-foot specific. When my hubby put them on me, they felt awkward right away and the toe box pinched. After I switched them, I realized they are foot specific and the awkwardness went away. Unfortunately, they still pinched my toes and felt too small for my feet. I normally wear between a 4 and a 6 so I bought the 5/6. I thought it was pretty strange that the shoes felt too small and almost went back to the store to buy the 7/8. I decided to wait and see if the shoes began to feel better with time, and I just needed to "break them in." Even now, my toes feel slightly pinched. I did trim my toe nails (they were not exceeding long) and that helped them feel less tight on the tips of my toes. My feet are pretty average width, and I'm not sure that Fast Flats would fit well on someone with narrow or wide feet. There are a variety of sizes, but I didn't see any that were mad specifically for someone who does not have average foot width.

Barefoot Sensation and Movement

The soles on the Fast Flats are remarkably flexible and thin and yet don't pierce easily. My first real trial wearing the Fast Flats was at my husband's work picnic where the trails were gravel. The soles were thin enough to make it feel almost as though I wasn't wearing shoes at all, yet thick enough to not be pierced by the rocks. When we arrived home that evening, my feet hurt and I chose to wear a different pair of shoes the next day that had a thicker, cushier sole. The sole does have traction on the bottom, and sliding has not been problem like with other footwear. They are also thin enough to feel the different temperatures and wetness.

I wore Fast Flats on a Saturday to one of my husband's races. The pavement was quite warm (80+ degrees F outside) and the soles of my feet felt rather warm too. Not really uncomfortable, but noticeably warm. When shopping in the grocery store, the freezer section made my feet uncomfortably cold. I also accidentally stepped in a puddle which made my foot damp. It wasn't too bad, but somewhat irritating.

Extras

Dr. Scholl's For Her Fast Flats come with a small gold purse that the slippers are literally rolled into cylinders to fit into. This is how the shoes are packaged and how they are purchased. It would be difficult to try these on before purchasing, but as noted earlier, you can receive a full refund if you're not satisfied. You would not, however, have a place to put your heels when switching to Fast Flats as shown in the commercial. The gold purse is stylish and has a small pocket inside perfect for your license and cash. I can fit my cell phone, clip on sun glasses case, and a package of Tic Tacs in mine. My wallet and keys are too big, but I suppose I could take my car and house keys off the ring and slide them in the small pocket as well. The purse has a small wrist handle to make it easier to hang onto it.

Final Words

Honestly, I've never been in the club scene. I'm sure these shoes would be good for giving your feet a break while dancing and clubbing and general indoor use. Since I am usually barefoot indoors, I only really wore the Fast Flats outdoors which is probably why they started to wear in just a few weeks. For me, Fast Flats are ideal for a "back-up" shoe in places where I can't go barefoot. I can simply roll them up in the purse and keep them in my glove compartment to use when the need arises. Fast Flats are a fair quality, cute shoe. I'm not sure they're the best minimalist shoe because of the toe pinching and lack of quality when wearing them out doors.

Barefoot Michael's Final Thoughts

I can't thank my wife enough for reviewing these shoes. I've known of this kind of shoe for a while, but none has been as widely distributed or easily attained as Dr. Scholl's For Her Fast Flats.

From a barefooter's perspective, they really do seem like a good "backup" shoe for when going barefoot isn't allowed. I don't think they'd be great to run in, but I do think they'd be great for a lady to have in her purse or bag in case she gets stopped by the "shoe police" in a store or restaurant. If a woman prefers to wear something into a venue and then remove her shoes, these would fit the bill perfectly as well.

I don't think they're durable enough to wear all day every day if a woman walks or stands a lot for her job, but a woman who does minimal walking around the workplace might find value in them.

One last note: After writing an introduction about Fast Flats on this blog, I was sent several messages from the folks at Footzyrolls, a company that makes a similar product. They vigorously promoted their own product and accused Dr. Scholl's of stealing their idea. Pointing fingers aside, the reason I wanted to post a review of Fast Flats is because they are inexpensive and so widely available. Granted, Footzyrolls offer many different styles of the rollable flat, but Fast Flats are available pretty much EVERYWHERE and for less money. Whereas you can go down to your local drug store or Walmart and pick up Fast Flats for just about one Alexander Hamilton, Footzyrolls can only be ordered on their site and start at about twice the cost.

Have you tried the Dr. Scholl's Fast Flats? Footzyrolls? Both? Do you think you'd be willing to go barefoot more often if you could carry these around as a "backup" shoe if needed? At about $10-13 a pop, is it worth it to buy these to use until they are worn out and then buy another? Please leave your comments in the section below. Thanks for reading!

Terra Plana Shows Off VivoBarefoot 'Ultra' and 'Achilles' Lines for 2011 Release

2010-10-06T17:48:00.001-05:00

UK-based shoe maker Terra Plana is beginning to show off what it has in store for it's Vivo Barefoot brand of footwear in 2011. Park City Television, an independent broadcaster in Utah, interviewed Terra Plana head designer Asher Clark in August at the Outdoor Retailer summer expo held in Salt Lake City. He showed off two previously-unseen lines of Vivo Barefoot footwear: the Ultra, a vented shoe that looks like the love child of the company's Evo and a Crocs sandal and the Achilles, a sandal that looks like Terra Plana's Dopie sandal with some covering and a reconfigured strap.

The Ultra

Though not intended for release until sometime in 2011, FitnessFootwear.com actually has a listing for this model. Their posted description: "The Vivo Barefoot Ultra is the first fully molded, amphibious, barefoot running shoe.With functional plug-in tongue and laces for maximum fit and performance, the Vivobarefoot Ultra is lightest amphibious barefoot running product on the market. Made with eco friendly EVA, the Ultra is ideal for beach side runs or splashing through trail streams."

As I mentioned earlier, the Ultra looks like an Evo made of the same material as Crocs sandals. Clark said of the shoe, "It's just impossibly lightweight" and "a great and legitimate running shoe in it's own right," but that it's also good for activities around the water because it easily lets water in and out. A laced shoe, the Ultra is also somewhat convertible. The wearer can choose to don it by itself or also with either a removable tongue or mesh "sock" (pictured above) with puncture-resistant sole.

Clark announced no pricing for the Ultra, but Fitness Footwear's listing had it listed for £59.95, roughly $95 USD. There was also no word on color options that will be available. While Clark showed off a white model, it's reasonable to assume that multiple colors will be available at release.

The Achilles

The Vivo Barefoot Achilles will be replacing the Dopie sandal in North and South America in 2011 according to email correspondence I've had with Terra Plana's Sabra Ellingson. She pointed out that because the Dopie isn't on the Vivo Barefoot sole and has some arch support, they wanted to "do better" at making a minimalist sandal. Enter the Achilles.

The Achilles shares the same unique split-toe characteristic of the Dopie, but the similarities pretty much end there. Clark mentioned it's made out of a "fully molded" soft-compound TPA material, but it appears that the sandal also has an inner sole made out of Terra Plana's infamous puncture-resistant material for greater protection. It has a few new design characteristics as well as new compounds. As you can see from the photo, there is material that comes over the top of the foot similar to the way a flip flop's straps would, but it remains to be seen how that translates into the feel or function of the sandal. A unique strap looks like it loops through either side of the Achilles before going over the top of the foot and around the back of the heel.

Clark said the Achilles is inspired by the "Tarahumara running sandal" but brings it into the 21st century. The strap, according to Clark, "locks your foot in place" for more effective running.

There was no mention of a price for the Achilles and I was unable to find any online retailer that had it listed as of this posting.

Now, the video (discussion of the Ultra and Achilles begins at about 1:45):

Conclusion

The Ultra and Achilles look like interesting new products for the Vivo Barefoot line in 2011. While they seem more than adequate for just "kicking around" in them, I'm curious to see how they hold up with running. More importantly, I'd be curious to get other runners' reactions to how the models treat their feet over long distances. It would be nice if the Achilles was a little more "minimal" than they appear to be, but I fully understand that Terra Plana would design the sandals for a wider audience than just the die-hard barefooters like myself.

I *should* be getting a pair of Achilles to review when they're released. If I do, I'll be sure to let you know what I think.

What do you think of these new models from Terra Plana's Vivo Barefoot line? Would you be interested in wearing them? Do you think they are "minimalist" enough to be an adequate shoe for barefooters? Please let me know in the comments below.

An Interview with a Podiatrist and 'Barefoot Advocate,' Dr. Steve Bloor

2010-10-04T16:53:00.005-05:00

While there are many of us lay people out there who embrace unshod living, it's rare to find people in the medical profession who are supportive of such activity. Medical providers like podiatrists and sports orthopedists tend to have a very shoe-centric way of thinking about the role of feet and our locomotion.

A while back I ran across the Twitter account of Steve Bloor, DPodM, SRCh, HPC, a podiatrist in the United Kingdom. Using the Twitter handle @NaturalFeet, Dr. Bloor was posting "tweets" that promote barefoot activity as a way to have healthy feet. How refreshing! After getting to know him a bit, I asked if he'd be amenable to an interview on this blog. He graciously accepted.

The following are his responses to my questions. I think they offer an interesting insight into the field of podiatry and how it approaches feet and barefoot activity. (Note: Responses in large type are emphases added by me.) Enjoy:

Tell us a little about yourself, your education, certifications, etc.

I am 46 years old and been in Podiatry for 25 years. I am married to Liz and we have 4 children. Two boys and two girls. Our oldest is 18 and youngest 10 and they keep us young. I trained to degree level back in the mid-80s and after graduating in Podiatric Medicine specialized in Musculo-skeletal Podiatry dealing with orthopaedic lower-limb and back problems associated with poor biomechanics. About 12 years ago a Podiatry colleague and friend, Andy Horwood, and I were the lead designers of a range of customisable foot orthoses which are widely used in the UK and also other parts of the world. We both regularly lectured and taught workshops, throughout the UK, on the biomechanics of lower-limb function and the prescription and fitting of functional foot orthoses. As founder members of the British Podiatric Biomechanics Group we helped to set-up what is believed to be the first Masters Degree programme in the world in Clinical Podiatric Biomechanics. Andy went on to become one of the main lecturers on this Masters Programme which runs at Staffordshire University, England. I continued to lecture around the UK as guest lecturer for Healthy Step UK and Bailey Instruments who are major suppliers to the British Podiatry Profession. Our customisable foot orthotic devices are now used by over 80% of UK NHS Podiatry Departments as well as many private practices.

What made you want to get into the field of podiatry in the first place?

My initial interest in Podiatry as a profession came through my own personal experiences with running injuries. I realized that my own legs and feet were extremely important to my running career and since I was injured I could empathise with injured athletes. So it became a personal mission to help other athletes to run without injury and help injured athletes overcome their injuries wherever possible. I became fascinated in the single most complex human activity - human gait. Of course I also enjoyed treating non-athletes too. I developed my clinical practice to the point where I could specialise exclusively in Musculo-skeletal Podiatry; one of the first to do so in the UK.

In your schooling and training, what was the general philosophy behind the practice of podiatry? What role did feet play in the body's overall health?
In my schooling as a podiatrist and at post-graduate level there was, and is, a general understanding that our role in foot medicine and surgery is to help the patient ambulate, in footwear, without pain. To assist the body to function in gait as near to the optimum norm as possible. Normal gait is always considered to be with footwear.

Although we knew that our job was to negate the damaging effects of shoes, never once did it occur to me, nor was it ever discussed, that the patient could ever choose between barefoot and shoes.

Our goal was to advise the patient to choose "sensible shoes" so as the foot could work at its optimum. We also believed that at least 70% of the world's population had poor bio-mechanical function of their feet and legs and therefore needed our podiatric foot orthoses. That most people are born with "broken feet". That evolution/creation made a big mistake and we function best in footwear. Never once did we consider that the human foot could cope on its own. We believe that we, as podiatrists, have the answer to most people's foot and lower-limb problems. One eminent paediatric podiatrist even went so far as to openly advise that all children should wear foot orthoses to optimise foot and ankle development. We believed that the foot developed better if supported in a correct alignment by foot orthoses and supportive "sensible" shoes. It is believed that only a few very special people have "perfect biomechanics" of their feet and legs, and these are the only ones who can run without supportive running shoes, the majority of us needing stability shoes and orthoses in order to prevent injuries. We believed the foot cannot and should not support itself or it would suffer long-term damage. Amazingly, we never studied true natural, barefoot, primal gait. We only ever studied shod gait or the barefoot gait of people who have always worn shoes, which I now realise is different from true natural gait.

Our medical philosophy is based around the foot playing a very important role in the health of the rest of the body because of its unique position as the first and only part of the body to hit the ground. It is therefore believed that like a tall building, whatever the foundations do affects the rest of the body. So every part of the body is affected somewhat by the foot due to its mechanical function as the structural foundation. We acknowledge also the fact that other structures distant from the foot can likewise affect the foot. So abnormal muscle function farther up the leg and back can cause compensatory motion in the foot. We assess the mechanical function of the pelvis and lower-limb joints and muscles all the way down to the foot joints looking for abnormalities. We assess stance and gait looking for structural and functional abnormalities and their compensations. Of course, we also assess neurology and circulation to the lower-limb as well as checking the health of skin and nails.

Would you consider yourself a barefoot-friendly podiatrist? Why or why not?

I now consider myself not just a barefoot friendly podiatrist, but a Barefoot Advocate. I now believe very strongly that most feet, given a chance, can support themselves. That feet function best without the hindrance of shoes. I believe that every shoe compromises foot function and that with chronic, long-term wear they damage the muscles, joints, nerve pathways and other structures within the foot. I now believe that supportive shoes, and orthotics when worn, create a dependency which worsens with time. I now advocate, and actively promote, barefoot walking and running as a preventative as well as a rehabilitative tool. I am proud of being a Barefoot Podiatrist, both in action and word. I promote barefoot walking and running to my patients by a "Barefeet Welcome Here" sign in the clinic window, folders of Barefoot news articles and research papers in the waiting room as well as copies of The Barefoot Book by Daniel Howell for patients to read whilst waiting for their consultation. I sell The Barefoot Book and the book Born to Run as part of the treatment advice to patients. I teach rehab exercises to strengthen the feet and ankles and have a barefoot website www.naturalfeet.co.uk to give my patients further advice and encouragement. I also sell 'Minimalist Footwear' for those patients who will not, or cannot go the whole way to becoming completely barefoot. I sell therapy products for bare feet like moisturising creams and rough skin files to smooth any rough dry skin on heels. And finally I walk and run barefoot 24/7 to set the example (apart from at church where I cover my feet out of respect for my church leaders' requests).

Have your approaches to podiatry and the way you treat patients changed over the years? How so and why?

My approach to treatment has changed dramatically over the last few years as I have incorporated more rehabilitation into the treatment programmes and not relied so much on orthoses for continued postural and functional control. However, over the last 6 months that change has become a massive paradigm shift in thinking as I now believe the foot is well designed for supporting itself and the rest of the body if it is given a chance to do so without being hindered by footwear.

I also believe that most people do not have significant bio-mechanical mal-alignments, but rather weakened muscles and poor postural control due to over-reliance on footwear.

Most osseous bio-mechanical problems are irrelevant in barefoot walkers & runners. So I now place most emphasis on rehabilitation rather than orthotic control and also encourage my patients to walk & run barefoot as much as possible. I will often mobilise or manipulate stiff joints to improve foot and leg function then teach patients exercises to maintain and increase that movement, along with barefoot exercise. Sometimes I will tape the feet to encourage better function. As we live on a beautiful peninsula jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean I prescribe barefoot beach walking and running to strengthen weak foot and leg muscles and to mobilise stiff joints. I also refer patients to our clinic physiotherapist and personal fitness trainer where needed to aid rehabilitation. I still prescribe foot orthoses sometimes, though only temporarily when tissue stress relief is required to aid healing the injured structures and to re-educate the muscles by improving postural alignment.

How do your patients react when you recommend barefoot activity? Do they embrace it well or are many hesitant to bare their feet for better health?
Surprisingly, quite a few patients (mainly over 40 years of age) used to walk barefoot as children and are very accepting of the concept. Because we live in a coastal area with lots of seaside resorts and beaches most people here are okay with barefoot walking in these areas and around their houses and gardens. Most do not want to walk barefooted in public areas in town or shopping centres. I have very little problem persuading patients to go for barefoot walks up & down the local sandy beaches as part of their rehabilitation exercises. The majority of my patients are really excited to discover that they won't have to wear orthotics for the rest of their lives if they strengthen their feet. Some prefer to wear minimalist shoes like Vibram FiveFingers and Vivo Barefoot shoes to help with strengthening the foot during walking and running. None have become barefooters to the extent they go out in public except at the beach, though in time that may happen as a few people have been keen enough to buy Daniel Howell's The Barefoot Book and Born to Run. I have only been practicing Barefoot Podiatry for about 4 months. It took me a couple of months to come to terms with barefoot walking being better than shod and rethinking all my old podiatric bio-mechanical theories of gait. During that time I had many sleepless nights whilst I adjusted my thinking. Some days I even began to believe I would have to give up working in my profession because it didn't fit with my new beliefs about barefoot gait. I have now become comfortable with my new Barefoot Podiatry paradigm. And am excited to have a new professional focus. I feel I am on a mission to help other health professionals understand the barefoot gait paradigm. At the end of this month I will be lecturing to podiatrist in our county and in November I am lecturing for 7 hours at the British School of Osteopathy on Barefoot Podiatry.

If someone were interested in more barefoot activity, what recommendations do you have for them to get started?
When a patient is keen to do some barefoot walking or running I tend to start them off with foot strengthening exercises first, because most of my patients are already injured (I reckon 90% of patients attending podiatrists' clinics are injured by the chronic wearing of shoes). I warn them to be cautious about getting carried away with enthusiasm and advise a slow, careful transition into barefoot activities by going for short walks at first and gradually increasing the time spent barefoot walking. I also prescribe barefoot beach walking or running, and encourage them to walk barefoot around their home and garden. If they are amenable to the idea of barefoot hiking I get them to do that too. Some of my patients buy The Barefoot Book &/or Born to Run and I advise them to use my naturalfeet website to learn more about barefoot activity. For those patients who believe in the barefoot concept yet won't or can't go barefoot, I advise and sell them Minimalist Footwear.

What role do you believe footwear should play in our lives, if any?
I believe footwear should play an important, but infrequent role in our lives for protection just like we use gloves for our hands. And just like gloves we should remove the footwear as soon as the purpose for them as been achieved. There are times when we need to protect our feet from extremes of cold and heat just like when our ancestors first started to wear leather shoes thousands of years ago. And of course when carrying out jobs where there is a risk of physical injury to our feet. Some people, though not needing them for physical protection, wrongly will need to wear shoes for their employment due to cultural expectations of their employer or clients. In these cases I would advise they wear minimalist shoes to reduce the negative effects on their feet and of course go barefoot whenever they can. In saying that shoes may be needed for protection, I believe this is actually very rare. Most barefooters become more aware of their physical surroundings by being barefooted and so are naturally more careful. It seems that the sensory perception of the surrounding environment is enhanced by being barefoot so most of the risks of physical harm are never actually realised, just like we don't routinely hurt our hands during the day even though we may place them at risk of harm during the course of our work or recreation. So I actually think most people could go barefoot more than they at first believe. I believe the biggest barrier to barefoot activity is psychological!

Are there any types of people for whom you believe barefoot activity is inadvisable or a lost cause?

The biggest barrier to barefoot activity is psychological! Some people will never enjoy barefoot activity because their minds cannot or will not accept it. On the other-hand there are sadly a few people who would like to enjoy barefoot activity, but cannot or should not try to walk barefoot much or at all, especially outdoors. These few people would find it difficult or impossible because of physical disabilities within the foot and leg. Some of these disabling problems are minor & others more serious. There are some people who have weakened or damaged their feet so much through chronic overuse of shoes that their feet have become dependent on footwear. Some of these problems include atrophy (thinning) of the plantar fat pad , arthritis of the foot joints (particularly mid-foot joints) & damaged muscle tendons through chronic flat-footedness. Other people may have muscle disease which affects their ability to rehabilitate, or a neurological disease which inhibits their tactile sensory perception, like diabetic neuropathy. I would like to make the distinction here between those who have diabetes mellitis with no sensory neuropathy and those with damaged nerves in their feet; the former are perfectly safe to carry out barefoot activities whilst the latter are obviously at risk.

Many podiatrists seem very hesitant to recommend barefoot activity due to concern over liability if patients end up cutting their feet or otherwise getting hurt by it. There are also arguments that recommending barefoot activity goes against "best practices" and that there's no scientific evidence to back up such a recommendation. How would you respond to that?
In the UK patients are not as litigious. They view barefoot activity as a risk they take upon themselves. When I explain how we are evolved/created to walk and run barefoot and I explain some of the anatomical features which make barefoot activity natural, they see the logic in it and they can very easily understand and believe it. Very few see the logical need for shoes, though most are reluctant to walk barefoot in public due to social stigmas and cultural expectations. As far as being in compliance with best clinical practice, in the UK currently the vast majority of podiatrists preach that supportive shoes are required, but there is no 'Best Practice' policy of which I am aware. I would have no qualms about defending myself if anyone did take issue with me preaching the barefoot line.

There is more than enough scientific research to back up our barefoot position and very little if any to back up the shod position as being healthy!

You just have to look at the references in Professor Howell's book to see that. In fact, I believe it is the podiatrists who preach that shoes are required for maintaining healthy feet that are in a difficult scientific position. This is part of the reason I have taken my barefoot stance because I was unable to defend that position any more. Rather like the Tobacco industry should have been more open about the risks of cancer from smoking cigarettes, I feel that as a podiatrist I need to warn my patients about the risks from shoes. I believe in doing what is right and letting the consequences follow!

Finally, as well as believing that natural barefoot gait should be the norm I tried the experiment myself. I was challenged by a physiotherapy friend to do what I believed. So in July I did. I have been barefoot 24/7 ever since (apart from a couple of times at church out of respect for my church ministers wishes -- but he now understands and is more accepting -- and also when I perform nail surgery in order to protect my feet from blood and chemicals). I am now barefoot at work in my clinic, out hiking through the woods and on the cliff paths. I have also started running again after 20 years, this time barefoot. I have run up to 3 miles so far, with none of the problems which stopped me running when I wore running shoes. The personal experiment has worked for me and is working for my patients too. What is so satisfying is having the ability to heal my patients from injuries which have resisted treatment with orthotics and shoes prior to introducing barefoot strengthening exercises, but now they are doing well.

Final thoughts?

The future is exciting for barefooters. It is wonderful to see the growing acceptance of people in our modern shoe-oriented Western Societies beginning to realise the fallacy and misuse of footwear. It is great to see some enlightened shoe manufacturers starting to make shoes which allow more of the natural function of the feet with minimalist footwear. The ball has been cut and is rolling, it is gathering speed and cannot be stopped. It is a blessing to be involved in this great cause! To be able to improve people's health through enlightening them of the dangers of the overuse of shoes. For the first time in my 25 year career I feel I really understand the cause of foot problems and now have a tool to cure people. Primal Gait! Let's sound the warning cry to the world to "Eschew Shoes!"

I thank Dr. Bloor for his enthusiastic willingness to participate in this interview and his very interesting, informative responses. Please understand, however, that his answers should not be used as medical advice and Dr. Bloor and I waive all liability from your use of the information in his responses. I personally recommend that my readers seek out medical advice from their own medical providers to make sure that you are physically fit enough to begin barefoot activity and to rule out any other diagnoses that otherwise could complicate or detract from a barefoot lifestyle -- or even be aggravated by going barefoot.

What do you think of Dr. Bloor's responses? Does this give you a new outlook on barefoot activity? What, if anything, have your medical provider(s) said to you about barefoot activity? Please leave your responses in the comments section below. Thanks for reading.

Don't Get Cold Feet About Bare Feet As Cooler Months Approach

2010-09-20T16:02:00.003-05:00

Many people are open to the idea of going without shoes in the summertime, but get "cold feet" about the idea of baring their feet in the fall and winter months. It's true that we humans would typically prefer to be warm instead of cold. That said, there are still ways that you can get yourself -- and your feet -- more comfortable with the idea of going without shoes as the days get shorter.

Among questions regarding broken glass or fungal infections, another concern that we barefooters regularly hear about is cold feet. "Don't your feet get cold?," one person may ask. Another may state, "I'd like to go barefoot more often, but I can't stand for my feet to get cold," or "My feet get cold really easily."

For someone who truly is open to the idea of going barefoot in the cooler seasons of the year, my top advice would be this: "Get used to it." At a glance, that statement could come across as calloused and uncaring, but it's meant with all respect, sincerity and kindness.

Going barefoot when it's cooler is really an exercise in preparation and acclimation before the thermometer dips. Just as Rome wasn't built in a day, you can't expect to be able to walk barefoot outside on the chilly sidewalk and immediately feel all right about it. Preparing your feet for the winter months and acclimating them is the best way to stay barefoot as much as possible until Spring springs forth again next year.

Now obviously, a lot of this is dependent on where you actually live and what the thermometer is doing. The longer and colder that your winter is, the harder this is going to be. You also must realize that there will be times when going barefoot just isn't smart. Just as there are occasions when you feel it's best to wear gloves outside, there will be occasions when you should wear shoes outside. These factors are so variable depending on your geography and personal tolerance to cold that I will leave much of this to your personal discretion.

Here is some general advice on how to stay barefoot as long as possible during the next several months:

Go Barefoot NOW

To successfully go barefoot in winter, you must work your way into it. Barefoot runners don't start off running marathon distances and you shouldn't start going barefoot in winter. The sooner that you adopt more barefoot activity, the more likely it is that your winter barefooting will be successful.

I truly believe that the more an individual goes barefoot, the more comfortable they become with the sensations from going barefoot. That goes not only for what's underfoot (i.e. concrete, carpet, toys, rocks, etc.), but also the surrounding temperature. The more your feet get used to experiencing all the sensations of going without shoes, the better they will be set up to get through the winter as bare as possible for as long as possible.

Keep Going Barefoot Outdoors

Find opportunities to go barefoot outside while the weather is still generally warm right now. Walk in the grass. Play in the dirt. Stroll along the pavement. As the thermometer begins to fall over the coming weeks, KEEP going barefoot outside. Your feet will adapt to the cooler ground temperatures over time. The trick is to be consistent. You can't expect your feet to react as you'd like when you haven't prepared them for new sensations.

Stay Active

The winter months are often attributed to higher rates of deaths, outbreaks of the flu and even the occurrence of a seasonal depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). These are all caused by -- or at least attributed to -- the fact that people are more sedentary in winter. It makes sense. If it's cold outside, you do more things inside. If you're inside more, you tend to sit around and do less.

Keep your bare feet warm by increasing the blood circulation in them via activity. If you own a treadmill, use it to at least walk barefoot. Run if you can. Exercise regularly to keep your whole body feeling healthy. Give your feet regular massages -- or better yet, have your partner do it for you -- to keep the blood circulating better in your feet and your muscles warm.

Wear Socks If Preferred

My purist barefooter friends may frown on this recommendation, but I give it as an alternative to keeping your shoes on inside the house all the time this winter. Socks will generally allow you to move your feet as freely as going barefoot while still adding a layer of warmth to them. Toe socks are the best for this. Avoid the temptation to put on big, thick, tight and/or fuzzy slippers. They often alter your walking gait and can even be as restrictive as shoes.

Cover Up When Sitting Down

I'm all for a warm, snuggly blanket and see no problem with covering my lap, legs and feet with one while I'm sitting around in the winter. The advantage to barefooters doing this is that it keeps our feet warmer without having to do a whole lot of work. Keep blankets around where you regularly sit in your house and tuck your feet inside to keep your piggies free, but toasty.

Wear Minimal Footwear When Necessary

Again, I'll probably have some disagreement with me on this one, but the last thing you want to do is turn yourself off to going barefoot. When it really is too cold or uncomfortable to bare it all (below the ankles, friends), minimal footwear can often provide just the right amount of warmth or protection to get you through to the next opportunity to go unshod.

For example, I usually wear flip flops out to the car when the temps dip below freezing -- even with light snow on the ground. While my feet might get a bit chilly for that short trek, I always remember that my car heater works well and that the floorboard will get nice and toasty very soon. The flip flops then might get worn into wherever I'm going but quickly come off once I'm back indoors.

If wearing sandals outside in the winter is a bit too adventurous for you, choose minimal footwear instead of big winter boots when there's no heavy snow cover on the ground and you'll be outside for short periods. Keep your feet as flexible and free as you can while keeping them just as warm as you'd like.

Don't Worry About Your Feet

Some might think that going barefoot in cooler temperatures is dangerous. I can assure you that if the thermometer is indicating temperatures above freezing, you WILL be okay to go barefoot. If the air isn't freezing, your feet can't freeze either.

Dry, cracked feet are a concern for some in the wintertime. Just as shoes cause many ailments of the feet due to their warm, moist conditions, they also do so in the winter. Sweaty feet in the colder months can lead to cracked skin once shoes are removed. If your feet are regularly allowed to breath and not sweat inside shoes in the winter, they'll be that much ahead of the game. Now, the drier months of the year do increase the risks for dry feet. To alleviate this problem, regularly use a moisturizing cream on them. Notice I said "cream" and not "lotion." Creams are thicker and contain less alcohol than lotion. The less alcohol, the better.

--

Again, this is all subject to personal comfort and the climate in which you live. Certainly do what YOU feel is best for YOUR feet. I'm not responsible if you do something stupid or get hurt because you pushed your limits too far. That said, I do think that taking this advice will help you stay barefoot as much as possible while we wait for the warmer temperatures to return in Spring.

Do you plan on going barefoot this winter? Have you gone barefoot in wintertime before? If so, what tips would you add to this list? Please leave your comments in the section below.

Photos: Thermometer: http://hillsteadblog.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/thermometer.jpg; Autumn Leaves: Image: Arvind Balaraman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net; Flip flops in the snow: http://nikkigsblog.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/flip-flops-in-snow.jpg

Bare Feet Cause Higher Floor-Cleaning Costs?

2010-09-15T12:31:00.001-05:00

I recently ran across a curious paragraph in an article reporting on the decision of a library board to uphold their policy prohibiting bare feet. While they predictably chose to continue discrimination against bare feet, one of their reasons for doing so left me scratching my head. The paragraph:

"Board member Jameson Campaigne pointed out he researched the subject, finding that bare feet could increase floor cleaning costs."

REALLY? I've heard the excuse that bare feet make a floor dirtier than shoes -- partially because of our own natural oils that are allegedly transferred from our skin -- but I've never seen that excuse extrapolated out to the costs of cleaning the floors. And where did he research this?

I don't deny that bare feet could deposit dirt or even bodily oils onto the floor, but I hardly believe that there's nearly enough prevalence of barefoot patrons to make this a real problem above and beyond what shoes already do to the floors. In fact, I'd imagine that bare feet generally do less damage to floors because feet are cleaned more regularly and are not as harsh on surfaces like shoes are to carpet.

Honestly, haven't we all seen how faded and worn carpet gets in high-traffic areas of businesses? I know I can see the "tracks" where people regularly walk along the carpeted corridors of my workplace.

Are bare feet a real threat to floors? If so, are there enough potential barefoot patrons to be concerned that they would raise cleaning costs? Sound off and let me know what you think about this being a partial reason for the library board denying patrons without shoes. Please leave your comments in the section below.

Image: Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Taylor Swift Performs Barefoot at the VMAs

2010-09-13T18:15:00.004-05:00

A viewer didn't have to look too closely at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards to see that Taylor Swift performed barefoot. Swift wore a white dress and no footwear to seemingly portray "innocent" forgiveness of last year's speech-crashing hip-hopper Kanye West.

While I am always for barefoot activity -- and celebs like Joss Stone who regularly perform sans shoes -- Twitter lit up with negative vibes following Swift's performance. The responses were mostly retweets of user @Lord_Voldemort7 who has north of 220,000 followers. His negative and stereotype-perpetuating tweet?:

"Taylor Swift walked across the VMA stage barefoot. Poor decision making. Bieber fever is the tamest of the diseases she's about to get."

It's too bad that bare feet continue to get such a bad rap and that so many people think going barefoot is so unhygienic. Here's hoping The Primalfoot Alliance can help remind people how great going barefoot can be.

What do you think of Taylor Swift's decision to perform barefoot? Have you ever considered going barefoot when/where you normally wouldn't? Please leave your comments below.

Want to see her performance? Your wish is my command:

2010 MTV Video Music Awards - More VMA Video

158 Hours Barefoot, Part II: Barefoot About The Town

2010-09-10T16:46:00.001-05:00

After having gone barefoot for a full two days last week while my wife, Glenda, was in the hospital for testing (read: Part I: Unshod in the E.R.), I was looking forward to a four-day barefoot weekend of helping her out and celebrating Labor Day festivities. I would end up going totally barefoot everywhere for almost a whole week.

Friday, Day 3

On Friday, I stayed home from work to help her run some errands and lighten the load that two daughters under three years old bring with them. I shared with Glenda that I wanted to keep going barefoot all weekend, so we'd have to be careful about some of the places we went. She was supportive and understanding.

You see, of all the grocery stores in our city of 121,000 residents, I know of only ONE that has no signage prohibiting bare feet or requiring shoes. One. It has also been my own personal policy for a while that I will not go barefoot into a business that has a clearly posted policy against it. So that meant that we needed to shop at that one grocery store if I was going to keep my barefoot streak going. Glenda was graciously open to this idea, even if it wasn't the closest grocer or the one at which she usually shops.

Have I mentioned how awesome my wife is?

First, however, we were hungry. We stopped at a Subway sandwich shop before getting groceries. Again, this choice was made based on their reputation for being generally barefoot friendly. We ate there with no problems and no comments from employees or customers -- though I'm not sure any of them even realized I was barefoot.

Not me, but notice how you must
look closely to realize this person
is barefoot. Photo by Flickr user
colorblindPICASO

It should be noted that on this day I tried to keep my bare feet as incognito as possible. It's widely known throughout barefooting circles that wearing pants or jeans makes it a lot easier to bare your soles in public. People just tend to notice your lack of footwear a lot less this way (see photo at left). Something about shorts accentuates the fact that there's no break in skin between your ankle and the floor, thereby showing off your lack of shoes for all to clearly see.

One of the neat things about going barefoot in a grocery store is the varying floor temperatures. Even if you were blind, going without shoes would signal to you how close you're getting to the refrigerated goods. The floor gets progressively cooler the more proximal you are to these products. In fact, the lower floor temperatures extend out a lot farther from the refrigerated goods section than you might think! I felt the lower temps several aisles away.

Now, I know what you might be thinking: "Oh, I could never do that! I hate it when my feet are cold!" You have to understand that we barefooters welcome all kinds of varying sensations under our soles. It makes us feel alive! And what's more, it keeps the world that much more interesting and multi-dimensional! Before I started going without shoes on a regular basis, I probably would have said my feet were too sensitive to go barefoot. As I then became reacquainted with the sensations from my feet, they evolved from being uncomfortable and unmanageable to something that's actually quite desirable! That's not to say that cold floors don't feel cold anymore. It simply means that the varying temperatures are no big deal. This also applies to various textures and objects on the ground.

Nobody said anything about my bare feet in the grocery store, but I did get some looks. I noticed several customers glance down and see my lack of footwear. At one point -- in the section of frozen food cases -- a couple of employees walked by and I'm sure they saw me barefoot. Even so, they said nothing.

That evening, having now gone a full three days without shoes, we decided to head up to our city's Labor Day weekend festival on the town square. The festival draws hundreds of thousands of people. The square ends up being PACKED to the gills with craft tents, merchants, food vendors, a carnival and multiple performance stages. While we didn't do much more than eat some of the good food, I attended barefoot for my second year in a row. It was fun and I loved letting my feet be free, feeling the warm ground beneath me and not having to deal with sweaty feet from being stuffed in shoes.

Saturday, Day 4

The next morning, I passed my previous 86-hour record for consecutive barefooting. It was a neat accomplishment, but I still had so much more to go! Three days, actually, because I didn't need to put shoes back on until I went to work Tuesday morning. The barefooting adventures continued.

On Saturday we went to my niece's birthday party at my brothers' house and later took another trip up to the festival. Total barefoot time, 4 days (96 hours) and counting.

Sunday, Day 5

On Sunday morning I continued my regular practice of attending church services barefoot. Later that day we went to a picnic at one of our church members' homes. Their property is a beautiful place set on several acres that include a large pond and an orchard of apples and plums.

I was able to take part in one of my favorite barefoot activities: playing in the grass! Someone brought a high-quality Nerf football to the picnic, so several of us participated in throwing it around in an open field next to the orchard. I cannot understate how much I LOVE running around barefoot in grass. Heck, that's partially why this blog is called "Barefoot and Grounded" and my Twitter page's background is of a green lawn. The grass sweeping across my soles, the varying textures of the ground and the minute temperature changes in light and shadow all combine for a viscerally enjoyable experience. Such a great time. 120 hours complete with bare feet.

Monday, Day 6

Monday was the last full day of my barefoot streak. Glenda's sister invited her over to show her some sewing tips, so my wife went there and took the kids with her. I decided to invite my dad up to the festival for a turkey leg. Yes, that meant that I headed up to the square THREE times that weekend, but it was all good. The ground was very warm -- a fun contrast from the cold grocery store floor three days prior -- and the turkey legs were awesome! I actually parked at his place, which isn't far from the festival, and we walked up and back. I spent some time chatting with him in his apartment before leaving for home. I can't help but wonder what his fellow building residents thought as they saw me walk in and out without shoes.

It should be noted that the only time I ever saw or was concerned about broken glass or any other danger that weekend was on the walk up to the square with Dad. Almost simultaneously, he and I saw a broken beer bottle off to the side of the path on which we were walking. He pointed it out, I saw it, and I stepped around it without incident. We walked home a slightly different way just because of where we ended up after eating and walking around.

Tuesday, 6 1/2 Days: Back to Shoes

On Tuesday morning I dreaded putting shoes back on, even though I had to in order to go to work. I had spent more than 158 consecutive hours barefoot. I went almost an entire week without shoes and it was WONDERFUL! I came away with no infections, no cuts and only a small "hot spot" on my sole from walking on the hot pavement on my outing with Dad. No big deal. It was worth it. Going barefoot is totally worth it.

Thanks for reading! Any thoughts on my barefoot weekend? What's the longest you've gone completely without shoes? Where have you gone barefoot where others thought you shouldn't? Where would you like to go barefoot but haven't built up the courage yet? Please leave your comments in the section below.

158 Hours Barefoot, Part I: Unshod in the E.R.

2010-09-08T18:01:00.005-05:00

It started with a trip to the Emergency Room. After more than two hours of having strange and disconcerting symptoms, I took my wife, Glenda, to an area hospital to get her evaluated. When we arrived at the E.R. parking area, I decided not to put on my "emergency" flip flops to go inside to get her a wheelchair. I went barefoot and stayed that way for the next six and a half days.

A little backstory: Though I'm a barefooter, I work at a job that requires me by policy to wear socks and shoes. Because of that, I spend about nine hours a day in minimalist footwear five days of the week. Evenings and weekends are my barefoot time. Sometimes I can go barefoot for a three-day weekend for those few official Monday holidays. Because of all this, the longest that I've consecutively gone barefoot was a meager 86 hours from a Friday evening to Tuesday morning on a holiday weekend. Not bad, but as a barefooter I long to go sans shoes as much as possible.

Tuesday Evening

So I went barefoot into the E.R. with my wife. I figured at the time, "Hey, why not? I've never gone barefoot in a hospital before." Two hospital staff members -- both nurses -- warned me about doing this.* The first nurse raised concerns that "you never know" what's on the floors of a hospital E.R. room. I asked if they clean the floors regularly and she replied that yes, they do, but they still see people with various viruses and bacteria in there including MRSA. Her recommendation: Clean my feet really well when I get the chance. The second nurse shared the same thoughts as the first. I told her that I have no open wounds on my feet and she said that such infections can be spread through the smallest of wounds -- even ones we can't see. Ooookayyy. I wasn't terribly concerned about their comments, but my feet were pretty dirty when I got home, so I cleaned them...and put hand sanitizer on them...just because.

Wednesday & Thursday, Days 1 & 2

Over the next two days of my wife's stay in the hospital for tests -- everything turned out okay -- I visited her only in bare feet. I didn't even take shoes into the facility. If, at the end of the day, I felt like my feet were overly dirty, I'd wipe them off with baby wipes or even wash them in the bathroom tub. No big deal and my feet turned out fine.

I'm amazed that, of all the places that you'd think the floors should be especially clean, people think hospital floors are some of the dirtiest. That certainly doesn't bolster my confidence in our health care system. Nevertheless, I see hospital floors as most any others: Yes, there might be something icky stuff on them, but the risks are very low for dangerous exposure or foot infection.

By the time I took Glenda home on Thursday afternoon, I'd gone nearly 48 hours totally barefoot. Not anywhere close to a record, for sure, as that's standard practice for a weekend. I anticipated returning to work the next day and my barefoot streak ending until...

At dinner that evening, I asked Glenda if she was sure she'd be fine the next day with me going back to work. She surprisingly shared that she wasn't sure -- I say "surprisingly" because she hates to inconvenience others for her own benefit, so I realized she was still struggling. Having spent more than two days in a hospital bed and still feeling some after-effects of the stay, she was hoping I could stay home Friday to make sure everything went smoothly. I agreed that was best and called my manager to let him know I wouldn't be back until after the holiday.

Then I realized the serendipitous stroke of barefoot luck that had been dropped in my lap! I'd already gone without shoes for two days and now I had the opportunity to go four more! Most excellent! Not only could I spend more time with my wife -- which cannot be understated -- but I could keep my feet bare longer than I'd ever been able to since taking on this lifestyle. If I kept my shoes off, that barefoot span would definitely break my previous record AND allow me to go almost a week unshod. I was nearly giddy with anticipation of the long weekend ahead.

Next, Part II: Barefoot About the Town

Let's have some feedback. What do you think about my choice to go barefoot in a hospital? Do you think that hospital floors are disproportionately unhygienic compared to other indoor surfaces? Was I taking an unnecessary risk? Was it inappropriate? Please leave your comments below.

* - This post originally mentioned only one nurse. It seems as though my wife's memory is better than mine and that I was merging the conversations with TWO people into one story. That's since been remedied.

Report: The Inaugural Nightfall 4 Miler

2010-08-23T17:36:00.001-05:00

On the evening of Friday, August 20, I participated in the very first Nightfall 4 Miler road race held in Warrensburg, Missouri. A product of my former college roommate's brother -- a state-champion in high school and now-professional distance runner -- this inaugural race was a fairly small event with (I'm estimating) around 80 participants. I was the only barefoot runner, though one woman ran in a pair of pink Vibram Fivefingers Bikilas.

After an hour-long trip from our home to Warrensburg, my wife, kids and I arrived with about 40 minutes to go until the starting gun. That gave me just enough time to pick up my registration packet, use the restrooms, warm up and get situated.

I was looking forward to this race for a few reasons. First, it was nice to be back in Warrensburg, the town where I attended the University of Central Missouri prior to graduating in 2002. Second, I got to see a couple of my best friends again. My former roommate Daniel, his wife Noelle and I were all close friends in our campus ministry. (Aside: I actually helped them get together. When Daniel and I were living in a house off campus, I'd invite Noelle to come over and hang out. Eventually, they became close, fell in love and the rest is history.). Third and finally, I was looking forward to seeing what a run longer than 5K was like. Since restarting running last fall, I had NEVER run more than 3.1 miles at a time prior to the 4 Miler.

Looking back and all things considered, the race went better than I felt it did at the time.

I started off with Noelle and her friend. We paced each other for about 1 1/4 miles of the course, and then I started wearing out and cramping a little bit. Knowing that taking walking breaks can improve one's overall time, I walked and they ran ahead. After several intervals of running and walking while Noelle continued running, she slipped away so far into the distance that I really never saw her again. I'll admit: That was disappointing. I felt bad that my body wouldn't permit me to run as long as I'd have liked to. I thought that maybe, maybe I could run the whole thing, but I had to be honest with myself. I hadn't trained as well for this as I had for the Hospital Hill 5K and it showed. Could I have kept pushing myself to the brink of near vomiting and even collapse? Yes. Did I want to do that? No.

At the two-mile mark I was running through the Start/Finish line to begin the second of two laps in the course. There was cheering. I saw my wife and kids, and Daniel even came over and we high-fived. Cool. As I was heading down the road from that point, I heard the announcer behind me:

"And now here comes the first finishers of the four-mile course! Let's give them a hand!"

Half as slow as the first finishers. Great. I flopped an arm down in frustration. The same scenario actually happened in the Hospital Hill 5K, too. As I was running down to the finish of that race, officials were motioning me to quickly get to the side because the first finishers of the 10K were not far behind me. History was repeating itself. I'm essentially half as slow as the fastest runners out there.

I don't know what my split was at the half-way point. I just wasn't paying attention when they said it. I think it might have been 23 minutes and change. I don't know. My Runkeeper report says it was around 22:09. Again, I can't know for sure. I was determined to try to finish strong and make up time on the downhills. That said, I continued to struggle somewhat.

I met up with another female runner at about the three-mile mark. She had run the first half of the race with her child in a stroller and was now pretty worn out. We stuck together for almost the entire last mile.

Then, the rain came. With about a half mile left to go, the sky opened up and it rained pretty nicely. I told myself, "The sooner you finish, the sooner you can get out of the rain." I was also concerned about my iPhone. So I ran most of the rest of that distance back to the Finish line. I got wet, but my iPhone was fine.

I finished with a time of 44:04, according to Runkeeper. For a four-mile course that was a 11:01/mile pace.

Comparing those times to Hospital Hill, I did pretty well. Every runner knows that you're slower the farther you run. This race was 9/10 of a mile longer than the 5K. This overall pace was 11:01 compared to Hospital Hill's 10:45 pace. Not bad, given the difference in length. What's more, I walked quite a bit during this race. Taking that into account, you could argue that when I ran during the 4 Miler, I ran faster than Hospital Hill, because the pace wasn't much different for the two events. So even though I a had bitter taste in my mouth that evening about how I ran, I did pretty well.

Looking back on the race, the roads on which we ran didn't help. Many of the neighborhood roads that were used had old, cracking asphalt. Honestly, they weren't overly barefoot friendly. Hospital Hill had much smoother roads overall, a plus when you're running barefoot. It was also a little disconcerting that most neighborhood traffic still flowed as we ran. Officials and law enforcement would stop traffic on crossroads, but we would often have vehicles drive past us in either direction during the race.

The race was a little tough on my feet and legs overall. Some muscle or tendon in the left arch of my foot started burning after a while, probably because I'd never run for that long before. My calves and shins also felt the effects of the longer distance, too. While my soles and calves never hurt as badly afterward, my lower legs have been feeling a bit shin splinty since then. They got a bit of overuse, I'd say.

Hopefully next year I'll be in a lot better position to do well in this event. Hopefully the race organizers will have electronic timing -- early finishers had to wait for more than an hour afterward for the results and their awards. Hopefully the City of Warrensburg will repave some of their streets in the mean time. :-)

I want to thank my wife, Glenda, for her support of my running and for taking the pictures you see here. I love you, Honey!

So what do you think? Have you tried barefoot running? Have any questions about the run? Please leave your comments below.

Dr. Scholl's Introduces Fast Flats

2010-08-20T14:46:00.002-05:00

NOTE: My wife has posted her full review of these shoes.

Dr. Scholls, a company known for their wide range of foot products, has introduced a line of light, thin, rollable footwear for women called Fast Flats. In an video advertisement on their Facebook page, they promote the slippers as "flats in a flash" -- an option for women who are tired of wearing their heels. They reportedly go for $12.99 USD and are available at Walgreen's stores (and likely others, too, but Walgreen's tends to be barefoot friendly).

I've heard of footwear like this before, but they were distributed by vending machines in Europe. I've been hoping that a company here in the U.S. would release something like it, and it looks that time has come.

While I'm still a staunch proponent of people going barefoot first, there are times when minimal footwear is a better idea. This especially applies in situations like the workplace where shoes are often required. Fast Flats seem like they might fit the bill.

I'm going to buy a pair of these for my wife, Glenda. She likes to go barefoot, but is prone to wear some kind of footwear in public. I'd like to get her opinions on how well they fit, their durability and overall effectiveness as a minimal shoe option.

NOTE: My wife has posted her full review of these shoes.

It's disappointing that there's nothing like this for men. Here's hoping Dr. Scholl's or someone else comes up with something. For now, at least the better half of the population can get some relief from regular footwear.

What do you think of this product? Ladies, would you buy these? Please let me know in the comments section.

Dirty Soles: Badge of Barefoot Honor or Totally Irrelevant?

2010-08-16T10:33:00.003-05:00

WARNING: Some of the content of this post may be objectionable for some readers. It contains photos of (gasp!) dirty feet. Just sayin'. You've been warned.

There's one aspect of the barefoot lifestyle that's continued to be equally intriguing and confusing to me. If you spend any time perusing the online posts of "hardcore" barefooters, you can't help but find comments about it. It's DIRTY SOLES.

For many barefooters, dirty soles are a badge of honor. People will either gloat about how "black" their soles are or ask others about it as if they are wanting to know how committed they were to the unshod lifestyle. After someone comments about going barefoot somewhere, it's very possible to receive a question like, "How black did your soles get?" or comment like, "I bet your feet got REALLY dirty doing that! Pictures?"

Oh yeah, pictures. There's a LOT of barefooters out there that LOVE to see and post pictures of dirty feet. Again, I think a lot of it is kind of a "badge of honor" thing, but I honestly think a lot of foot fetishists use them for their, um, personal enjoyment. Some of the photos are just dirty feet, like this one:

Now, while some might say, "Oooh, look how dirty his feet are! That is SO AWESOME!" I say, "Wow, he has high arches." But I digress.

Other photos have not just dirty feet in them, but the actual person attached to the dirty feet. This person is often intentionally showing their sole to the camera. An example:

As evidenced by the above picture, sometimes the person's foot isn't even that dirty! For some reason, however, there are lots of people who are into this.

Hey, man, whatever.

But guess what? I've even played along with this, too. I don't know why, but after a New Year's Day run this year, I posed for a couple of photos with Barefoot Rick, a local barefoot runner who's pretty well known throughout the community. The evidence:

SERIOUSLY! WTF IS THAT ABOUT?! WHY DID I DO THAT?!

I really don't get it. To me, going barefoot is really not a competition to see whose feet can get the blackest. I just like to go barefoot because I think it's better for my feet.

In fact, measuring someone's devotion to a barefoot lifestyle by how dirty their soles are is hardly an accurate indicator. This morning, for example, I went for a barefoot run in the neighborhood. I was out for approximately 25 minutes. I got blacker soles from that short time than going barefoot the entire day Saturday -- including shopping at local stores for a few hours.

For those who get some kind of sexual pleasure out of dirty bare feet: Ooookay. Not my thing. For those who see black soles as a badge of honor for going barefoot: Rethink that. It doesn't equate. For those who thing going barefoot is gross because you get dirty soles: I can understand why you think that way, but it's really quite harmless. I regularly tell people that simple baby wipes are very good at wiping off the objectionable dirtiness.

What do you think of black soles and barefooting? Is that what keeps you from trying an unshod lifestyle? Do you see dirty feet as a barefoot badge of honor? Please leave your feedback in the comments below.

Set Your Piggies Free!

2010-08-09T09:08:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my fellow barefooter Barefoot Moe for finding this cool video for kids of all ages!

Active.com Readers' Sometimes-Ironic Comments on Barefoot Running

2010-08-02T10:08:00.001-05:00

Active.com asked on their Facebook page, "How many of you have tried barefoot running?" As you may know, barefoot runners just like me believe it can lead to fewer injuries and greater enjoyment due to the mechanics of landing with a mid/fore-foot strike and the increased sensory awareness from having bare sole to the ground. But there's others that strongly feel the opposite: That barefoot activity can be nothing but harmful.

I couldn't help but notice some amazingly ironic (and sometimes humorous) comments left by Active.com's fans, however:

"I have enough injuries thank you."
"no no no i like my feet thank you"
"not barefoot but without socks !!! OUCH !!! and i got the pictures to prove it,couldnt run for about 2 weeks,i tried after 1 wk blisters would just open up!!! so i'll pass on the barefoot. lol"
"Tried it - loved it - been doing it since - oct 2009 - in Vibram Five Fingers"
"Can you say, plantar faciitis?"
"the last marathon I ran I saw a women running barefoot and she wasn't looking so good."
"I really wanted to be a "barefoot" runner in my Vibrams, but I keep getting blisters on my heels every time."
"Running in shoes tears up my pedicures enough! No thanks to the bare feet!"
"I know so many runners who get injuries from either running barefoot or in those horrid slippers with the toes. Modern man is not designed for this. Stick to what keeps you injury free and trotting down the road. Like good supportive shoes!!! Gimmicky fad shoes are not the answer to running issues."
"I did 6 miles years ago barefoot...Never again. No blisters but feet were red and hurt for a day or two."
"You bare foot runners are going to have some really bad backs in years to come ...."
"No it makes feet DISGUSTING"
"I have tried it and my feet were so sore. I figure running shoes were invented for a reason. We no longer get a "bonk" on the head with a frying pan before surgery, so I don't think we should revert back to running barefoot either."
"To you all who think God intended us to run barefoot? He also intended for us to run naked but that wouldn't go over very well either ;)"

And those were just a few from the first 170 or so comments! We in the barefoot community have a LONG way to go to dispel a lot of myths. But then again, there's lots of people out there who are very close-minded and will never hear of barefoot activity as long as they have feet.

What do you think of these comments? Have YOU tried barefoot running? Have you tried any kind of barefoot activity outside your home or the swimming pool? What do you think about the state of barefoot running in our culture? Is it a fad? Just another way for shoe companies to make a buck? Please sound off in the comments section below.

Reflections on a 'Barefoot Book' Tour: An Interview with Author Daniel Howell

2010-07-29T12:22:00.002-05:00

The biggest hubbub in the world of barefoot living lately has been the release of The Barefoot Book by L. Daniel Howell, PhD, Associate Professor of Biology at Liberty University in Virginia. Dr. Howell recently completed a book tour across the Eastern U.S.A. that covered 20 states in 21 days. I was interested in hearing how the book tour went, and he was kind enough to answer a few questions via email:

L. Daniel Howell, PhD

Thanks so much for being willing to answer these questions. First, as you chose locations for your book tour, how did management at those places first react to the idea of your book and barefoot lifestyle?
I did not actually talk to the “management” until I arrived at the venue as the arrangements were actually made by my publicist at Hunter House Publishers. I would have loved to have heard, however, the conversations between my publicist and the shoe stores I visited on the tour (Luke’s Locker in Dallas and Houston). Surprisingly, those shoe stores were the most successful events with respect to turnout and book sales.

You mentioned on your blog that the library in Columbus almost refused you because of your lack of shoes. Could you comment on those circumstances and what eventually happened?
Less than one hour before my presentation, my publicist received word that I was expected to wear shoes at the Upper Arlington Library in Ohio (which has a shoe rule). I had no shoes with me and so wore none to the library, but nothing was said to me when I arrived and I gave my presentation without incident.

Libraries and book stores are very low-risk places for bare feet to be. What reasoning did the various locations give you for requiring shoes of their patrons if they have such a policy?
The only place I visited with any mention of a shoe rule was the library in Ohio, however, they welcomed me barefoot when I arrived. After my presentation, my host mentioned the library’s shoe rule, but gave no reason for it. She confessed that libraries were relatively safe places for bare feet. I’m told that Barnes & Noble has a shoe rule (I don’t know this for sure), but no Barnes & Noble I visited on the tour – either as an author or as a customer – ever gave me any hassles for being barefoot. At each venue (except the library in Ohio), the management fully expected me to be barefoot! Indeed, the head librarian at the Emmet O’Neal Library outside Birmingham attended my event barefoot and commented that she often kicks her shoes off at the library. After my presentation she declared she would even start coming to work barefoot (leaving her shoes at home). I followed up with her on that and she indeed goes to work barefoot now.

If these establishments allowed you to be barefoot against their own rules, did they allow anyone else to come barefoot to your book signing or presentation?
A member of the SBL (Society for Barefoot Living) attended my talk (barefoot) at the Upper Arlington Library in Ohio without any problems. All other venues welcomed me barefoot as well as all customers/attendees.

Were you pleased with the volume of turnout for your book signings and presentations? What feedback did you get from those audiences about your book and barefoot lifestyle?
Overall I was pleased with the interest in my book (and barefooting). Interestingly, the bookstores were the worst venues with respect to turnout and the shoe stores were the best. I had 30-70 people attend the shoe store events and 25-40 attend most library events. At one bookstore no one at all showed up! That is the nature of book tours, however, so that was to be expected. Without doubt, the greatest interest in barefooting and barefoot running were in Texas and Arkansas. Those were the only states where media interest was high as well. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

Any theories as to why those two states were more receptive to barefoot activities? The warmer climate in the south? A more relaxed social culture?
I really don’t know why Texas and Arkansas were so receptive. Of course, Arkansans have a reputation for going barefoot, but I do think the social attitudes are more relaxed in those states. I would’ve liked to visit the west coast for that reason; maybe I’ll do a west coast tour next summer.

What was the single most common thing you heard from people while on the tour?
People were most interested in how to safely start spending more time barefoot, especially running. Interestingly, people were not very concerned about the myths (health codes, etc.). I think most people want to increase barefoot time, but aren’t ready to push the social envelope yet (i.e., they’re not really planning on going out to dinner barefoot). Nonetheless, I’m confident that the more people go barefoot, even just at home or on a trail, the more socially acceptable barefooting will become.

Did you meet a lot of other barefooters? What was their feedback regarding your tour and the book?
I met a number of barefooters, most of them SBL members. In general, SBL members were the only ones to attend my presentations/signings barefoot. The only others to attend barefoot were those who ran barefoot with me following my presentation at Luke’s Locker in Dallas (we ran two miles, about 25 people ran, maybe half of them barefoot and most others in fivefingers) and the store employees at Left Bank Books in St. Louis. At least two employees of that bookstore were barefoot the entire time I was there; one became a self-proclaimed barefooter after reading my book. Also, the head librarian at Emmet O’Neal Library. The feedback I’ve received from barefooters has been very positive. In fact, I’ve not received any negative feedback from a barefooter, which I take as the greatest compliment of my work.

Were any of the locations willing to relax their permanent anti-barefoot policies after your presentation?
Except for the Upper Arlington Library, all the other venues appeared to be barefoot-friendly. I left a book with the librarian at Upper Arlington and asked her to read it and reconsider their shoe rule, but I have no idea what will come of that.

You mentioned on your blog that you had no shoes on the trip. So you stayed barefoot the entire tour? What reactions did you get from places you went outside the realms of the book signing locations (hotels, restaurants, other stores, etc.)?
I took no shoes at all on the tour; I was barefoot the entire time. I had only a few negative reactions to my bare feet while on the book tour. Three barefooters joined me at Jimmy Buffet’s restaurant outside Chicago following my presentation. The management first told us we would need to leave, but after some discussion they decided to let us stay. The only other reaction I got was in a grocery store in St. Louis. The management there was absolutely vitriolic; they would *not* discuss the legality or health benefits of barefooting and called security on me. (The store had a sign stating bare feet were prohibited by state law). I was told never to return to the establishment (Schnucks). During the 21 days I was on the road I visited many restaurants, stores, malls and markets without any problems at all. I had a particularly wonderful experience at one restaurant in Arkansas, as discussed on my blog.

About the Schnucks in St. Louis: Was their sole reason for refusing your bare feet the sign saying it was against state law or did you get any other impressions of their reasoning?
I think the “state law” sign at Schnucks merely reinforced the already-existing negative attitude towards going barefoot. The manager seriously reacted as if I were stark naked in her store. There would be no discussion of the law or anything else: ‘Get out and don’t come back’ was the only message she had for me. (Literally, that’s what she said.)

Tell us a bit about the TV interviews you did. Any interesting stories about those experiences?
I was honored to give three television interviews on the tour (one in Dallas and two in Little Rock); I also spoke with newspaper reporters in Dallas. THV anchor/reporter Stefanie Bryant was fascinated by the topic and so I gave her a book. I had to wake at 4am to be at the studio in time for the live morning show with Alyson Courtney. The TV interviews definitely boosted attendance at the book presentation & signing. Although the presentation was at lunch time on a Friday, the room was overflowing.

Howell on KTHV in Little Rock, Arkansas:

Now that you're back home and have had time to think about the tour, what do you take away from it? How do you feel about the prospects for your book and the barefoot community getting a "toe-hold" on changing people's negative perceptions of feet?
I am extremely optimistic about the future of barefooting in America. The success of (Christopher McDougall's book) Born To Run and the phenomenon of barefoot running have definitely opened the American mind to going shoeless. Everywhere I traveled people had already heard about the benefits of barefoot running. Already introduced to the idea that shoes are harmful when running, it’s not a big leap to conclude shoes are also harmful when walking and standing. Going barefoot is healthier and ‘greener’ than wearing shoes and Americans are all about healthy and green right now. I truly believe we will start to see more people going barefoot in the next few years and this will have a snowball effect (except perhaps in Missouri). ;-)

What's next for The Barefoot Book and for you? Any plans on writing another book about bare feet or foot health?
Although the tour is over, I will continue to do events for at least the coming year. Hunter House is committed to publicizing the book heavily for 12 months, and we will focus on what works and what we learned from the tour (for example, more shoe stores and running events). I am already scheduling speaking engagements at universities and medical schools. I have plans to meet with a large Korean news agency in September; that should be instrumental in promoting the book (and barefooting) to the Asian market. As for another book… we shall see. :-)

Blogger's Note: I am currently in the process of reading The Barefoot Book and can tell already that it will be a fantastic resource for advocating for bare feet. When I'm finished I will publish a full review here.

Did you get to see Dr. Howell on his book tour? Have you read The Barefoot Book? If so, what were your impressions. Overall, what's your perspective on the future of barefoot acceptance? Please leave your comments below.

New Facebook Page

2010-07-22T13:52:00.000-05:00

I've added a new way for my readers to receive content from me. Facebook users may now "Like" my new page at the 500-MILLION-user service. As I post new entries on my site, those posts will automatically be shared on the Facebook page.

More exciting than that will be the other stuff I share on Facebook. When I find interesting articles about barefooting, running, health or other topics, I'll be sharing them at the page as well. I'll try to post various photos of my barefooting adventures (as feasible), and we'll see what else I can come up with.

As this content is all posted to the page, it will also show up in Facebook users' timelines, meaning that they don't have to travel to my blog for new content. My content will conveniently show up where they already are.

To "Like" my new Facebook page and get a preview of it, check out the box below.

Exposing Another Healthy Taboo

2010-06-30T09:20:00.006-05:00

Today I want to talk about a very natural activity that some people do in public but that many others find objectionable. For whatever reason, something so natural has become taboo. What once was practiced regularly without issue now leaves those who do it feeling very self-conscious. Many don't even try -- even though they'd like to -- because they don't want to embarrass themselves or make anyone around them uncomfortable. There's no laws against it, but that doesn't matter. The stigma is there and it has permeated throughout society.

While the above statement describes barefooting to a 'T,' it also applies to something else: Breastfeeding.

Bear with me, here.

Not only am I the father of three wonderful children, but I also work in a children's hospital. Through these experiences I've learned a great deal about what's best for children. Experts throughout the world agree that breastfeeding is best. Studies have shown numerous health benefits for babies who are breastfed versus taking formula. What's more, the longer a baby breastfeeds, the more health benefits they'll see down the road. It's really a no-brainer. If a mother is able to breastfeed, she should for so many reasons. Our kids were all breastfed exclusively for at least the first six months of their lives.

While it's a bit of a stretch to compare the two, you could also make an argument that going barefoot has numerous benefits, too. The more you do it, the stronger and more flexible your feet will be. Avoiding shoes also helps prevent the growth of fungal infections on the foot and keeps away smelly feet due to sweating. Your toes also feel better to live free and without restriction from shoes. Going barefoot really is so good.

Unfortunately, however, breastfeeding and going barefoot in public are both thought of by many people as this weird, inappropriate thing. While a woman may want to breastfeed her baby in public, she may resort to pumping ahead of time and feeding her child with a bottle in order to avoid people's mean or uncomfortable glances. While someone may want to go barefoot while they're shopping, they may just resort to wearing flip flops to avoid confrontation or simply strange looks.

Let's be clear about a few things concerning breastfeeding and going barefoot:

Both are natural.
We were born for these things to take place. As this topic heading states, both breastfeeding and going barefoot are perfectly natural things that our bodies have been designed to do. Denying ourselves the privileges and rights to do both would be a travesty.

Both are perfectly legal in public.
One thing that I find interesting are the laws related to these. In all but three states of the U.S., laws protect a woman's right to breastfeed her baby in public -- even if it makes others uncomfortable. No state in the union addresses going barefoot in public, for or against the issue. It would, then, be reasonable to assume that that right is reserved for the people.

Both have numerous health benefits.
Even though this has been proven for breastfeeding by numerous scientific studies, here's a staggering statistic: Only 43% of babies are still being breastfed at six months of age (Doctors recommend that babies be exclusively breastfed for at least the first six months of life). What's more, studies have also shown that breastfeeding can help protect nursing mothers from developing breast cancer later. Although the complications of returning to work are likely a big part of the decision to stop feeding in that way, I have to wonder if women just give up partially because they're too embarrassed to publicly breastfeed. If that's the case, how sad. Going barefoot, though hardly scientifically researched, improves sensory awareness, flexibility and strength in the feet and usually has a positive overall impact on a person's health and psyche. Getting out of shoes with a raised heel has been shown to improve people's posture. I have already shot down on this blog the concerns about safety risks while barefoot. They just aren't legitimate in most situations -- including shopping and dining in public.

Both are often taboo in society.
No matter how natural, legal or even healthy going barefoot or breastfeeding babies are, this is the sticking point for both of these lifestyle choices. They have become areas of contention. For whatever reason, societal norms on both of these issues have drifted away from centuries of natural precedent to twisted ideals of what's "appropriate." No matter what benefits breastfeeding can have for babies and mothers or what going barefoot can do for our health, we have begun to reject these practices because it shows skin or we have misguided concerns about safety risks. I think it's unbelievably sad that societal pressures have led to this.

Don't think breastfeeding in public is taboo? I was fascinated by a story on ABC's TV news magazine "What Would You Do?" A scenario was acted out where a store manager (an actor) was discriminating against a breastfeeding mother (an actress with doll). How would the store patrons react? From the video below, you can see that many came out in support of the mother. Some, however, sided with the manager. Take a look:

We, as a society, need to stand up for and be okay with what's right. We need to stop allowing discrimination against activities which are perfectly natural and healthy. There's nothing inappropriate about a mother breastfeeding her baby in public, even if some skin or -- God forbid -- a nipple is briefly exposed. Likewise, we were born barefoot and feet are exposed all the time when people wear sandals. Who cares if someone just doesn't want material between their soles and the ground? In both breastfeeding and going barefoot, let people make the decision that is most natural and right for them without the pressure of prudish, paranoid or uncomfortable onlookers.

I started The Primalfoot Alliance as a way to begin the process of reversing the steady flow of discrimination against those who want to free their feet in public. Maybe, at least, we can tackle one of these issues while others address the other. Both need attention.

What are your thoughts on this? Am I off base in comparing breastfeeding and going barefoot? What will it take to change society's perceptions of breastfeeding or going barefoot in public? If you are a mother, have you breastfed in public? How were you perceived and how did you feel? If you're a barefooter who has been discriminated against in public, how did that feel? Please share your comments below. Thanks!

Report: 37th Annual Hospital Hill Run (UMKC School of Medicine 5K)

2010-06-07T04:40:00.004-05:00

On Saturday, June 5, 2010 I completed my first organized race, the 37th Annual Hospital Hill Run (UMKC School of Medicine 5K), after beginning running in the fall of 2009. I'm very pleased to announce that I ran the entire course barefoot! Final official time: 32:50.

The experience Saturday was very cool. From the vast amounts of schwag (free stuff) to the music to the atmosphere, the Hospital Hill Run was a very well-organized event. I definitely recommend it to anyone who's able to make it to KC.

The 5K course lives up to its name. Just south of downtown Kansas City is an area known as "hospital hill," an area of town that sits higher than the surrounding land and is home to two hospitals near the top of it. This course began by working it's way about 45 feet downhill over the first half of the race, and then went up from there. From the lowest to highest THE hill is a 145-foot rise over 9/10 mile. The end of the course slowly makes its way back down to the starting line.

In the above diagram the green represents the rise and fall of the course and the blue represents my "speed."

As for my run, it went almost exactly as I hoped. I started too far back in the pack and had to make my way around dozens of walkers, but that wasn't too big of a deal. I think it was actually kind of a blessing in disguise because it kept me from going out too fast in the beginning -- a common mistake of new runners. I kept a good pace throughout the race and it all evened out in the end. I never felt overly thirsty, but the one time I did was when the lone water station was approaching. In the end, I passed a lot more people than passed me. It felt good. I'm most proud of how I did going up the hill. As you can see from the diagram above, once I got going on it I actually got faster as I reached the top. Gotta love that.

TIP: A couple of times during the race I found myself cramping in my right side. To alleviate that, I remembered some advice I'd stumbled across just the night before: It turns out that cramping while running is often caused by repeatedly landing on the same foot while exhaling. When I changed up my breathing pattern a little bit to begin exhaling on the other foot -- or alternating feet -- the cramping went away.

Running barefoot was a great experience. I managed to find another barefoot runner ahead of time and we chatted for a couple of minutes, then my fellow barefoot runner friend Eric (pictured) found me afterward. My feet held up pretty well throughout the race and I only had a little bit of soreness in my soles later on. The training I did ahead of time paid off. My soles were thickened enough to withstand 3.1 miles of pavement and they never felt tired, sore or like they were going to cramp.

Some of the comments I got during the race were amusing. I heard lots of, "Look, he's barefoot." and "Wow, that's gotta hurt." One woman said to me, "I bet you get a lot of blisters like that." I told her that I had some at first but have conditioned my feet enough that blisters aren't a problem anymore. She replied with some comment about my arches collapsing and I told her that I have strong feet and don't have to worry about it. Her reply: "Good." Another amusing interaction was with a spectator who I thanked for cheering us all on. He said back to me, "Keep running, barefoot man!"

To pause for a bit of commentary, it's really amazing how some people react to seeing a barefoot runner. I'd imagine that most people oddly think that what they're seeing is the first time I've ever run barefoot. Like anything else, however, running barefoot comes with training. I'm not going to run a 5K or any other race without conditioning my feet just like I'd never hop in a race car and try to win the Daytona 500. It all takes time, conditioning, education and practice.

I love race day and I really do love running...especially barefoot. I definitely want to make the Hospital Hill Run an annual race in which I participate and I encourage others to do the same.

Now that I've got my first 5K under my belt, it's time to train for the Kansas City Half Marathon in October! I plan on doing it barefoot, too.

REWIND: Listen to My Thoughts on Barefooting

2010-05-26T14:08:00.002-05:00

Want to hear my thoughts on barefooting beyond what you read here? The good folks over at Living Barefoot have released their ninth episode of The Living Barefoot Show. It's the recording of the live call-in show in which I participated back in October. Hear my thoughts on what makes a "barefooter," why I don't go barefooted everywhere and more. Check it out at the following link or download off of iTunes (search for "The Living Barefoot Show"). My participation begins at about the three-minute mark.

The Living Barefoot Show Episode 9 - LIVE Call-In Show from Oct. 2009
"An Ode to Baby Wipes," the blog post I referenced in the show.

Image from Sagworks

NOTE: Occasionally I "rewind" this blog to repost an earlier entry that many readers may have missed. As I will be very busy for a few weeks getting ready for the "hard launch" of The Primalfoot Alliance, I thought I'd leave this blog with a link to a program on which I shared my thoughts on barefooting. If you listen carefully, you'll even hear some of my first ideas that led to the creation of The Primalfoot Alliance. I hope you enjoy it. This post was originally published on January 25, 2010.

What do you think of the thoughts I shared in the podcast? Please leave your comments below.

Are Your Dress Shoes and Flip Flops Causing Your Running Injuries?

2010-05-13T17:49:00.001-05:00

Pardon me for this post. I had a sort of epiphany a while back and I need to "think out loud." Please read this with the understanding that I don't have many answers, just questions. But sometimes you have to ask the right questions to get the right answers, don't you?

I've talked a lot on Twitter and in this space about barefoot running. I, as a barefooter and barefoot runner, subscribe to the idea that running without footwear -- or at most, minimal footwear -- is the best thing at preventing injuries from running.

But what if all this talk about a forefoot strike vs. heel strike, pronation, arch support, etc. pitting running shoes against feet is missing the mark? What if the core reason for most running injuries has very little to do with what a runner wears on their feet or how they land? After all, there are runners who are happy to step forward and say that they've never been hurt while wearing trainers. There are people who can go for months at a time wearing the same kinds of running shoes before they get hurt. What's with that?

Could it be that running shoes -- or lack thereof -- are NOT a major factor in runners getting hurt?

What if runners get injured because of all their shoes? It's entirely possible that stuffing our feet into stiff, constricting dress shoes with elevated heels at work five days of the week -- six if you dress up for church -- wearing gait-altering flip flops when it's nice out and any other various kinds of footwear put your feet in unnatural situations can have a collective effect on our bodies.

Consider this: A young woman who eats healthy has a full-time job that requires her to dress in business attire. She goes to work five days a week and usually wears a pair of high heels. Her health is important to her, so after work three days of the week she heads out for a run and averages about five to six miles per run. She varies her courses, from trails to the high school track. After work one Friday, she goes straight home to prep for a night out shopping with the girls instead of running. She dresses casually and throws on a pair of flip flops. Saturday morning is her long run while training for a half marathon that's still a few weeks away. She runs a steady seven miles before donning her flip flops again to run errands. Not long after this, she ends up with really painful plantar fasciitis (PF) that nags her for a very long time. She ends up running the half, but she hurts through most of it.

The big question: What caused the PF?*

A podiatrist, sports doctor or magazine might tell you that she increased her mileage too fast, has poor foot structure and/or that she's wearing the wrong running shoes. The recommended course of treatment might be to keep the running shoes but add an orthotic and have her wear a night-time splint while she sleeps.

In this fake scenario and so many other real-life situations, maybe the running shoes aren't the problem at all. It could be that the combination of her toes being smashed together in heels at work all week, her achilles being shortened by the angle of her ankle wearing the heels, and the biomechanics involved in keeping flip flops on her feet while walking all have a cumulative effect in messing her body up so that when she runs in trainers it hurts. Maybe all that stuff is what really caused the PF and then the mechanics of running made it jump to the fore.

A magician (intentionally) does this kind of thing all the time. While you're watching him make a fuzzy ball disappear in his left hand, you're not paying attention to the fact that he's already putting it in his jacket pocket with the right hand. Your attention is in the wrong place. It sure seems like he made the ball disappear when there was actually something else going on out of sight and out of mind the whole time.

Now, I don't want to imply that podiatrists, sports doctors and so many other experts are using medical sleight of hand to make money when they know full well what the "real" problem is. I'm actually wondering if we're all just missing the big picture here. Maybe what we see happening is an unintentional diversion from what's happening just out of our vision.

It could be that fixing a problem with the foot by conventional means doesn't address the real problem: All the various footwear that we put on our feet on an everyday basis could have a cumulative effect in messing us up. If you really think about it, it seems reasonable that you can't consistently shove your foot into a cramped, stiff space or make it do unnatural stuff most every day of your life and expect it to come out perfect when you want to really make it perform.

As you probably know, I recently finished up treatment for a stress fracture in my left heel. I was non-weight-bearing and wore a cast boot for the good part of six weeks to fix it. I did physical therapy to get me back to the point where my body can now run again. I needed that therapy because I was not properly balanced. My left leg atrophied a lot due to my injury.

Scratch that. No, it didn't.

I didn't go through PT because of my stress fracture. I did it because of the effects of the treatment for my stress fracture. Being off my foot and keeping my lower leg so immobilized caused my leg muscles to atrophy and my whole body to be out of whack.

If that happened to my leg because of consistent use of crutches and the boot, doesn't it make some sense that regular use of restrictive, gait-altering footwear could throw our bodies out of whack as well? I realize that we're talking various degrees and types here. Someone who is non-weight-bearing will have different negative effects than a woman who wears heels every day to work. The point is that it's probably incredibly short-sighted to just blame running shoes for running injuries.

I'm sure that there are many podiatrists and other doctors who address these lifestyle issues when someone comes in for treatment. I know that there are podiatrists who realize the negative effects of high heels on women's feet. But I've also read comments from many experts who essentially throw their hands up and say, "Well, women are going to wear heels so we have to find creative ways to address their foot problems."

To me that seems like telling a smoker, "We know you're going to smoke, so here's cigarettes that aren't as bad for you," when we should be shouting from the mountaintops, "STOP SMOKING! It is bad for you! Don't do it!"

Maybe we, as a society, need to stand up and say that heels, stuffy shoes and flip flops aren't worth it. Our feet are too important to keep screwing them up all the time in the name of fashion, protection or any of the other excuses we've come up with for needing stupid shoes all the time.

It's possible that after looking further into this, we might find that people who don't get injured as much while running don't subject themselves to confining shoes on a regular basis. We might find that all the nasty shoes we wear are the actual cause of many bio-mechanical problems with our bodies when running.

I admit that it would be nearly impossible to ever scientifically prove these theories to be true. There's too many variables. You couldn't compare apples to apples since each person works different jobs, walks on different surfaces, wears different shoes, weighs different weights, has different sized feet and the list goes on. Measuring long-term effects under controlled conditions would be infeasible.

That said, there is one constant for each person: Our own two feet. We wake up and go to sleep with the same feet each day. We've had them since we were born and, barring terrible circumstances, we'll have them until we pass away. Doesn't it seem like it's at least worth considering that our own two feet are optimized for each one of us and should generally stay free of shoes? Doesn't it make sense to do as little as necessary to protect or adjust them, but otherwise let them act on their own accord? Many barefooters including myself would answer yes to both of those questions.

Barefooters have discovered that we in civilized society really don't need shoes all the time. The surfaces on which we walk aren't covered in as much broken glass, used needles, viruses, feces or other nasty things as many people would like to believe. The man-made carpet, tile and paved surfaces that so much of our world is covered in is really very safe to walk on without shoes. Our green spaces are usually well kept and free of hidden dangers. If cuts or other injuries occur, our feet are very resilient at healing and moving on.

Have you run successfully for a long time while wearing trainers? If so, what do you wear when you're not running? Is it possible that the shoes most people wear on a regular basis are the cause of running injuries and NOT the sneakers themselves? Are the best "shoes" for us no shoes at all? Is it possible to turn the tide on terrible footwear like high heels and convince people to take better care of their feet through better footwear or no footwear at all? I welcome your comments below.

* - I realize that this scenario is fictitious. I realize that you may not agree with how the scenario played out. My point was to come up with a story that could happen at some point in Anytown, USA to use for illustrative purposes. Don't miss the bigger picture of the post by getting hung up on, "That wouldn't actually happen."

FREE Barefoot Running Workshop & Fun Run in KC Area!

2010-05-05T10:06:00.008-05:00

My friend Barefoot Rick Roeber is putting on a FREE Barefoot Running Workshop soon. If you're able to get to the KC area for it, you're sure to meet some great people, learn valuable information and have a good time! Here's the info in Rick's words:

From time to time, folks have asked me when we were going to have a barefoot running workshop in the Kansas City area similar to what Ken Saxton is doing in Huntington Beach and Ted McDonald in Seattle. While I don't presume to know all there is about barefoot running, I do know a few things that I believe would be helpful to someone just getting into barefoot running or those thinking about it. (And, for the more experienced barefoot runners, your help and expertise would be appreciated!)

We will probably talk for about a half an hour on form and function of barefoot running. If folks are comfortable with form critque, we may ask a couple of runners if we can critique their barefoot running form to help us distinguish good and bad form. After all the talking, we will all go for a barefoot run as a group. Distances will vary. (We will be running the half mile loop at Roe Park so folks can choose their distance.)

If we get a reasonable turnout and if there is continued interest, we will have more workshops in the coming months.

So, here are the factoids:

Who - All and any barefoot runners from the greater KC area (all experience levels needed!)
When - 8 a.m.
Where - Roe Park, 10400 Roe Ave, Overland Park, Kansas (map below)
Cost - FREE!!!

Hope to see you there!

(If you have any questions or would like to RSVP please write me at barefootrick@barefootrunner.org)

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REWIND: My Faith and My Feet

2010-04-18T11:20:00.003-05:00

The holiday season is solidly in effect and people of various faith movements are celebrating. Whether it's Christmas, Chanukah or other holidays, this is a time of reflection and celebration. I thought it would be fitting during this time to share something that I've thusfar kept under wraps: my faith.

Since this blog is about bare feet, I want to share how my faith and belief in God and His son Jesus Christ has affected my decision to be a barefooter. I'm not trying to actively recruit or evangelize for Christianity. I've never been a fan of shoving religion down others' throats, especially when the context in which they come to me isn't related to religion. If you want to engage in a stirring religious debate, that's not what I'm here for today.

I've written in this space previously that on natural ground coverings (grass, flowers, etc.), I prefer to only go barefooted. It's a matter of respect for the earth, but I also see it as a respect for God's creation. Likewise, I have come to believe that I can be more connected to the earth and nature by touching it directly. Because God created all living things, this is also a way to further connect with Him.

In a different light, going barefooted is generally a sign of my respect for the body God gave me. You might have noticed in the heading of this blog that I write "Enjoy the feet that the good Lord gave you!" By distorting and restricting my feet in shoes, I am making the decision to restrict that which God gave me. He designed my feet a certain way, however they aren't allowed to function in that way while wearing most shoes. This, I believe, is an affront to the Lord.

As a parent, I enjoy seeing my children enjoy playing. I love seeing my two-year old daughter stretch, twist and twirl her body when she's dancing. In much the same way, I'd bet that God takes pleasure in seeing His creation live up to its full potential. He probably thinks it's really cool when we allow our feet to sense everything on which they tread, breathe in the open air and flex in all the many ways that the 52 bones in them allow.

But there are those who would disagree with me. I often hear the rebuttal, "Even Jesus wore sandals," when I mention that I go barefooted into church.

While that's supposed to be a lighthearted criticism of barefooting, I don't believe it's well thought out. You have to remember the times in which Jesus lived. There weren't a lot of grassy lawns in the places He traveled. The roads were very rocky and dirty. Modern sewer systems consisted of trenches along the side of the roadways. People didn't bathe or shower daily like we usually do. It was VERY filthy. That's part of the reason that the story of Jesus washing His disciples' feet was so significant. Their feet were filthy. The fact that He was willing to humble himself in order to make their feet clean meant a lot. The times we live in, in comparison, are much cleaner and more sanitary.

I actually don't have a problem going to church barefooted and I think that God would welcome it. After all, it's scriptural! In Exodus 3:5 and Acts 7:33, Moses had just seen the burning bush. It appeared to be on fire with the Holy Spirit yet it was not consumed. God told Moses to take off his footwear because Moses was on holy ground. The Lord wanted Moses to connect with the earth of Mount Sinai, a holy place.

While we don't all have holy mountains nearby nowadays, we do have our churches and synagogues. We think of them as holy places where we can worship God and learn about Him. As a believer and a barefooter, I think going barefooted into church is completely appropriate. That is where God is, and standing or kneeling before Him with bare feet is a sign of respect for my body and His scripture.

All that said, there will always be some who disagree with me and feel it's disrespectful to go barefooted in church. They say it goes against the idea of wearing your "Sunday best" and offends other parishioners. For the reasons mentioned above I don't share those feelings and I honestly am not concerned about offending other parishioners. I'm there to worship the Lord, not please everyone else. Being concerned about such things is tantamount to being concerned what other customers in Walmart feel about me shopping barefooted. That's NOT what we're there for! If my fellow worshipers are distracted by my feet then they have things to work out with the Lord.

How I worship and am blessed by God is about the spirit with which I come to the Lord instead of the clothing on my body. He will accept, bless and forgive me no matter what. God doesn't care what I wear to church, and He especially doesn't care if I wear shoes. That is why I can't be judgmental of someone who comes in tattered clothing and a less than fresh smell. They are there because their heart has brought them there and God will bless them for that.

I don't intend to stop going barefooted at church anytime soon. I have been blessed, so far, that no one has taken enough offense to approach me. I hope that my friends in Christ will always recognize the spirit with which I come before the Lord: Ready to worship Him and receive His spirit.

Happy Holidays! And really: Enjoy the feet that the good Lord gave you!

I welcome your comments below.

Photo of Jesus washing feet from Barry Dean 4 Christ
Photo of homeless man from New-Think

NOTE: All this week I have been "rewinding" this blog to repost some of my earlier entries that many readers may have missed. This is the final look back for a little while. Much of this information holds true even today and I hope you enjoyed it. This post was originally published on December 16, 2009. The content above was NOT edited from its original entry (though that picture of me leaning against the tree kind of bugs me), so please ignore any typos or less than perfect grammar as I got my writing feet underneath me. What do you think of this post? Please leave your comments below.

REWIND: Quick Review: Vibram Fivefingers Sprint

2010-04-17T09:30:00.002-05:00

My third pair of minimalist shoes (after the Vivo Barefoot Dharma and Aqua styles) came on a significant day in my life. On Aug. 5 of this year my wife and I also welcomed a brand new baby girl into our family. I will be reviewing the former here, because the latter is perfect and needs no review. :-)

As a barefooter, I was very interested in trying on a pair of Vibram Fivefingers and putting them through their paces to see just how good of a "barefoot alternative" they are. I have worn them a lot and for many different uses -- and therefore taken longer to post a review -- because I wanted to find out just how versatile a set of toe shoes can be. The answer? Very.

Style

The Vibram Fivefinger Sprints are like no other footwear...except other Fivefingers. Anyone who has worn these in public knows that they get looks and a lot of comments and questions. What's fortunate is that they're almost always positive in nature. People seem really drawn to the idea of toe shoes. For me personally, I've never been self-conscious while wearing these, though I know others are -- or would be, and that's why they don't buy them. (looking in my wife's direction) I think this line of shoes is very stylish and unique.

Quality

The build quality on Fivefinger Sprints is very good. All seams feel very secure, the materials seem to be of good quality, and the shoes even hold up well in the laundry. No complaints here. They may not be as "green" as the Vivo Barefoot shoes, but they're just as well built or better.

Cost

Some see the cost of these shoes as exorbitant. To me, $80 USD seems reasonable considering the research that likely went into designing them, the materials used to build them and their overall quality. For all the things you can do with these Vibram Fivefingers -- and I'm only commenting on the Sprints -- and the length of use that you can likely get from them, I believe these are priced at an okay price point.

Fit/Comfort

The Vibram Fivefinger Sprints are very comfortable footwear...for an item of footwear. As for a hat, they don't work so well. But seriously, I like the fact that these shoes are a lot less on the foot than any other standard shoe-styled footwear. I tell people that they kind of feel like a second skin with a very flexible protective sole. If you get the right size -- which the chart on Vibram's site is very good to help you accomplish -- all is well. I would suggest finding a local store, if available, to try these on and get just the perfect size before you plop down your hard-earned nickels and dimes. I think once you get them on you'll be hooked.

Barefoot Sensation/Movement

Going barefoot so much before wearing minimalist shoes spoiled me. Nothing can replace the feeling of bare sole on the ground below, so I have to take a mental step back and review these on their merits: a flexible shoe with an ultra-thin, durable sole.Vibram Fivefingers certainly get closer to a barefoot feel than either of the Vivo Barefoot shoes that I've tried. With your toes able to flex individually and a very flexible structure all around, natural foot movement is far greater than any other footwear I've worn. The open top of the Sprints also helps your foot feel a greater sense of freedom than other shoes, giving this style of Fivefingers a bit of a sandal-type quality. Because they fit so snugly on the foot, they do feel like a sort of second skin, so you sometimes forget that you're wearing them.

This is where I drop in my word of warning: Vibram Fivefingers are VERY good at giving enough sense of going "barefoot" that anyone who's used to regular shoes and wants to try going barefoot would likely stop here if they tried to use them as a gateway shoe. They are that comfortable. But there really isn't anything like putting a bare sole to the ground. I recommend to any barefooter -- or someone who wants to begin barefooting -- to get comfortable with being totally unshod first. Rediscover and get to know your feet and how awesome they feel without anything on them before you jump into Fivefingers. That way you'll be able to know and remember what you're missing even when wearing such comfortable footwear.

Like other minimalist shoes, you can definitely feel the ground below better than "normal" shoes. When I went camping recently, my feet felt well massaged as I walked across the gravel and acorns covering the ground of our campsites. In Fivefingers it was fine. Barefoot it was uncomfortable.

Fivefingers are great for those places where bare feet are not usually allowed. I wore them recently to my son's pediatrician visit.

The Final Words

My Vibram Fivefinger Sprints have become my "go-to" footwear when I know I can't/shouldn't go barefoot, such as businesses that have a "No Shoes, No Service" policy. I've literally walked, run, mowed the grass, hiked, shopped and more in these shoes and they've always risen to the challenge. I obviously still prefer to go barefoot, but these are a good alternative if footwear is required. While they may lose "style points" in some peoples' minds, they certainly make up for it in function and comfort.

On the Web: VibramFivefingers.com

Twitter: @Vibram5Fingers
Fan Sites: BirthdayShoes.com and VFF-Friday.com

Next Review Coming Soon!: Terra Plana Trip Clips

NOTE: All this week I am "rewinding" this blog to repost some of my earlier entries that many readers may have missed. Much of this information holds true even today and I hope you enjoyed it. This post was originally published on Oct. 30, 2009. The content above was NOT edited from its original entry, so please ignore any typos or less than perfect grammar as I got my writing feet underneath me. What do you think of this post? Please leave your comments below.

REWIND: Your Rights are Going to the Dogs (and Other Service Animals)

2010-04-16T15:30:00.002-05:00

A fellow poster* on the forums at the Living Barefoot site brought up an issue that continues to poke holes in the notion that going barefooted in public places is unsafe and unhealthy. It also casts serious doubt on the logic used to create such policies.

If going barefooted at the local grocery store or Wal-Mart is unsafe and unhealthy for those doing it and the customers around them, we must address the subject of service animals. They almost always go bare pawed/hooved/footed and yet no one complains about the health and safety ramifications of this practice.

Before I go any further, I must adamantly state that I believe it is appropriate and right to allow service animals to accompany the disabled wherever they need to go. This blog entry is solely for the purpose of exposing ignorant managerial policy of many businesses that require human customers to wear footwear.

Ann Edie and her guide miniature horse, Panda, check out at a Staples.
(Photo courtesy: Angelinoview.com)

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) allows for service animals to accompany disabled people nearly wherever they go. On its Web site, the ADA puts it this way:

"Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), privately owned businesses that serve the public, such as restaurants, hotels, retail stores, taxicabs, theaters, concert halls, and sports facilities, are prohibited from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. The ADA requires these businesses to allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals onto business premises in whatever areas customers are generally allowed."

So the ADA allows for the animals without considering any sort of health or safety ramifications? Well, not exactly. Farther down the page there is a caveat:

"(A business) may exclude any animal, including a service animal, from (its) facility when that animal's behavior poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others. For example, any service animal that displays vicious behavior towards other guests or customers may be excluded."

I added the bold for emphasis.

While the ADA's site addresses the issue of "maintenance" or a "cleaning fee" in the event that a service animal makes a mess (in one way or another), no mention is made regarding the business' responsibility to keep the establishment safe or healthy for the service animal. If we are to assume -- because we barefooters are told this -- that a business' floor is unsafe for our feet due to the possibility of stepping on broken glass, sharp objects, germs or any various kinds of spilled items, then we must assume that the same holds true for the exposed paws of service animals.

Interestingly enough, the ADA's FAQ page linked above never addresses a question about whether a business can require service animal to wear booties or footwear. (Doggie shoe photo courtesy: Neopaws.com) So I called by phone the ADA's "Disability Rights Section." After holding for only a brief couple of minutes, a specialist quickly answered, "No," when I asked if businesses may request or require that service animals put on such footwear. A disclaimer: The ADA's phone system recording made it very clear that information given over such a call is not binding legal advice or opinion, however I have to think that these employees know what they're talking about.

So where does that leave us? It leaves me with the realization that I have fewer rights than many dogs. It tells me that the federal government of the United States of America believes that the floors of businesses should be generally safe enough for a service animal's bare paw/hoof/foot insomuch that said businesses may not request footwear to "protect" them.

It makes me think that businesses need to give up several outdated excuses and let me and others go barefooted if we so choose. Service animals already do it, so it seems silly that we humans can't.

Owners and managers certainly have an obligation to protect their own interests. Yes, glass breaks sometimes. But, we should remember that when a jar of spaghetti sauce shatters at the grocery store, somebody quickly cleans it up as well as they can. What's left is typically negligible and is no more a risk to my bare feet than a product display tipping over.

You could argue that service animals shouldn't go barepawed/hooved/footed into a business -- and that's your prerogative and a whole other discussion -- but the law is what it is and most people never second-guess the cleanliness or safety of a business' floor when a service animal comes in. Why, then, should they second-guess my ability to stay safe while barefooted in a restaurant, grocery store, retailer or other establishment? Most only have a fleeting thought about what a service animal may be tracking onto the floor of the business, yet many are quick to assume that my bare feet are slathering the floor with disgusting sweat, bacteria and disease.

Honestly, folks, so long as we keep our "paws" generally clean and off of the merchandise, it's perfectly reasonable for us barefooters to be allowed to go unshod in a business.

* - Thanks to "Rascal" for the idea for this blog entry!

NOTE: All this week I am "rewinding" this blog to repost some of my earlier entries that many readers may have missed. Much of this information holds true even today and I hope you enjoyed it. This post was originally published on Oct. 21, 2009. The content above was NOT edited from its original entry, so please ignore any typos or less than perfect grammar as I got my writing feet underneath me. What do you think of this post? Please leave your comments below.