I have a damaged right knee from a motorcycle crash. I switched to barefoot shoes, removed the sole liner, wear toe socks. Transitioned for 2 weeks. Have worn them daily since 2018 (with exceptions of my timberland boots camping, Nike frees for when I’m just in the mood, etc). But I wear them 90% of my life. My right knee pain I had is basically gone. Yes I walk correctly in them. Yes I’ve had people make fun of my vivos when I switched. Now people ask me about them. Lead your own path. Make a change. The body is a wonderful, wonderful self-healing machine.
I made the switch about 8 months ago. I unfortunately didn't do any of the transition stuff I just got a variety of minimalist shoes and wore them every day. The first few weeks my feet hurt every day (I walk a lot at my job) but slowly over Time I noticed that all went away as my feet got more conditioned. And what really surprised me is I had chronic pain in my knee and ankle that had been reoccurring the past few years that almost completely disappeared. Now I'm pain free just by sticking to it. Barefoot shoes changed my life
Same here. I originally got barefoot shoes when foot pain in my forties finally woke me up to the fact that traditional footwear wasn't wide enough for my feet. My feet are sufficiently wide that even most barefoot shoes aren't really wide enough for me either, and my first pair (vivobarefoot) definitely weren't, but they were still far better than my old Pumas and Adidas and got rid of all that foot pain within about two weeks. Now some shoes that are really wide enough for me - my Softstar Sawyers - and a few fully barefoot walks have shown me the importance of getting a full splay for the big toe. Being able to do that has taken care of pain in my left knee as well as hip twinges and lower back pain that seemed to be a knock-on effect of that. It's also made walking not only more comfortable, secure and balanced for me, but turned it into something actively mood enhancing. I find myself spontaneously smiling and if I'm walking with friends, I find my spirits are very high. I've always been a little depressive and there were definitely other factors contributing to that that I've had to work through, but it really seems that shoe constriction was playing a major part in it. And why wouldn't it? It was painful, physically damaging and made a quite ordinary task that almost all of us do daily more difficult than it needed to be.
By the way, a bit more on big toe splay space: Davis, the speaker here, favours sandals and one of the benefits of most decent barefoot sandals is that they allow full splay of the big toe. When I first got a pair of sandals, I did this automatically. Barefoot shoemakers, in the main, seem unaware of this and are still making shoes with roughly a straight line up from heel to big toe. Room for improvement here.
Yes, pain in my knee... caused by slightly raised heel. And I just walked in an office. Got Xero sandals, started hiking longer and longer distances... got Lems shoes for the office... Can't go back to anything but flat shoes with plenty of toe room.
I am 73 and a avid hiker I have worn mostly Vibram shoes full-time for daily use and hiking in rocky, dry, desert mountains, the surface is hard. After over 4 years of just daily walking and hiking in the mountains I no longer have foot toe fungus problems, plantar fasciitis, my arches are normal not flat, my hip joints no longer hurt. On the downside I got tendonitis, capsulitis, metatarsal muscles overuse, but after giving myself time to heal today I wear Vibram five finger shoes mostly full-time again.
@Eddie Ferry I got there eventually. I transitioned last year and it went really well until my foot injured as I did too many miles too quick. 2 months later just building up steadily again.
@@tonyrabone4668 Right on, that is good to hear. I can relate to that as I have a similar story. It's always a work in progress and I mostly run in sandals as of late, but shoes until the cold burns off.
One day Nike will be on the cutting edge by developing special foot balms for barefoot runners instead of shoes...then scientists will study it and realize it’s just regular ol natural Shea butter
0:12 Barefoot walking around the house MRI study proves increasing from 2500 to 7000 steps per day over 8 weeks increases strength of muscles of the foot 3:05 Evolutionary Biology appears to indicate that we evolved to run. Change from Australopithecus to Homo Erectus 5:10 26 Bones, 33 Joints. Each joint has 6 degrees of freedom of motion. 4 Layers of arch muscle to control deformation of the arch on every step It is truly an amazing structure well suited for walking and running on a large variety of surfaces 5:51 First appearance of shoe 10,000 years ago. Simple protection for sole of foot. Clothing is meant to protect us, not to replace muscle power 6:50 1890 J.W. Foster & Son's (Reebok) came out with first spiked running show 1917 Advent of vulcanized rubber leads to first "sneaker" the "Keds Champion" rubber sole canvas top 1925 Adi Dasler (Adidas) customised the spikes for different running 1963 ASICS Onitsuku Tiger imported by Phil Knight introduces the cushioned heel (beginning of the end) 1972 Phil Knight leaves ASICS to form Nike who create their own version of the Tiger, the "Nike Cortez" 40 years later we now have The Modern Running shoe Elevated cushioned heel, stiff heel counter, arch support, high medial midsole density We have gone so far as to have a running shoe knows as "The Hormonal Shoe" the Asics GEL-KAYANO 16 designed to adjust its stiffness according to a women's time of the month. 9:10 In 2005 Nike reps who sponsored the team were at the Stanford Track teams training and wanted to know why the team was practicing without shoes? The coach (Vin Lananna) answered that even though he did not have any objective evidence, he had noticed that his team ran faster and were injured less when they trained barefoot. 9:50 Nike reps went back to Nike and tried to solve the problem of creating a shoe that mimicked barefoot running and in 2005 came up with the "Nike Free" 10:10 2009 "Barefoot Ted" (see: Born to Run article) trying to find a shoe that would protect his feet and last when run in. Vibram brought out a shoe for boating that Ted thought would be perfect for him as it was a glove for his feet. 10:45 2010 New companies or small shoe companies like "Vivo Barefoot" arise with minimalist shoe design 11:00 2012 Big Shoe companies start to bring in partial minimalist shoes. 12:05 Partial Minimalist Shoe Definition Minimum motion control Minimum cushioning Minimum drop Minimum arch support Minimum midsole Full Minimalist Shoe No motion control No cushioning Zero drop No arch support No midsole Basically any shoe you can twist or roll up easily 13:40 Ground Reaction Force with: Rear Foot Strike Mid Foot Strike Fore Foot Strike Graph demonstrate how quickly force rises to peak and the Rear Foot Strike is much faster and heavier than a forefoot strike 15:30 Even with a highly cushioned midsole and heel, the striking force is much higher with a highly cushioned sole than with a standard Neutral Shoe With the ability to perceive correct feedback the legs are quite capable of acting like springs to soften landing forces. 16:00 Differences between impact force over the 3 different types of foot wear Barefoot runners will not land on their heels as the padding of the heel is only designed to take the impact of moving at walking pace and there is instant feedback when running barefoot. 17:00 Collected data from 2015 Boston Marathon with 3 runners wearing ankle bracelets measuring shock (acceleration) in G's (gravity) It is agreed though that it is counter-intuitive that the less cushioning you have the softer you land, but the case is the exact opposite. You run much lighter if you have less cushioning. 18:50 Irene Sprague Davis believes "that the closer we can get to the way we were adapted to walk and run, the lower our risk for injury". 19:10 Why can't you learn to run on your forefoot in cushioned shoes. Short answer = It does not work. The cushioning takes away the feedback that allows your legs to function properly and you still end up landing hard and you do not learn to (over a period of time) to automatically land softer. 20:00 Demonstration and explanation of nice barefoot running in slow motion 20:35 Barefoot running style requires strong feet and strong ankles and mobility in the feet and ankles. 20:45 Solutions to make feet strong & healthy Don't wear shoes as a child Stretching with ball, bottle or massage with fingers the sole and arch of foot Stretching the top of your foot Stretching heel chords 22:20 Strengthening (ALL DONE BAREFOOT) Towel Curls pulling towel forward towards heel with toes only and no other foot movement The Short Foot exercise. Lots of videos on TH-cam. Stiffen toes, pull ball of foot back to create a bigger arch. If you cramp, it means your feet are very weak. Doming & hopping with ankles only Toes spread with elastic band Toes squeezing Double Leg progressing to Single Leg Heel raises, then doing it on an edge of a step Doming and hopping forward & back, side to side, double foot then single foot then to raised surfaces 27:15 SKIPPING BAREFOOT (Who would have thought???) as advised by the Director of the Spaulding National Running Centre, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School. What would she know??? 🙄 My notes; There are a lot of TH-cam videos that explain the exercises for strengthening the feet, as well as how you use the feet and legs, and the time frame to move to a minimalist/barefoot running style. I do not care about whether you can run barefoot or not, but all the solutions to barefoot running will, with no doubts whatsoever, deliver exemplary outcomes for tennis footwork improvement! 28:00 Over a 6 month period of Barefoot/Minimalist Shoe running COMBINED with foot strengthening exercises increased muscle mass & strength of feet and legs. 28:30 Can Flat Weak Arches be changed? Short answer is yes if you have a good process for improvement that is followed with commitment and discipline, even when it looks like a lost cause! 28:45 2300 Indian Children from 3 different communities. 1 community open toed shoes, 1 community wore closed towed shoes, 1 community went bare foot Flat foot was most common in children who wore closed-shoes, less common in those who wore sandals or slippers and least in the unshod. Findings suggest that shoe-wearing in early childhood is detrimental to the development of a normal longitudinal arch. 29:20 Take away support to let the foot develop Encourage foot stability by removing support unless very injured and use support only as a temporary fix. 30:10 A quick study in elderly ladies where half got standard walking shoes and the other half got minimalist shoes. The minimalist shoes wears got improved knee mechanics, improved function and reduced use of pain medication. 31:00 The story of another pair of feet 50 year old lady with very bad history with her feet is now only comfortable in minimalist shoes and is able to walk the 26 mile Inca Trail (very rough terrain) in minimalist shoes Take home message. Give feet a chance. 32:00 Time for a paradigm shift Rather than support and cushioning the foot, we need to leverage the strength and cushioning we have in our feet. 26 bones 33 articulations 4 Layers of muscle Create a 6 Pack for your feet "Our world is not shaped by those that think similarly, but by those that dare to think differently" Rashida Rowe 33:00 Question & Answer time Q1. Many Runners tend to supinate, distributing their weight to the edges of their feet. Are there any long-term injury risks to this? 34:10 Q2. Might you have to alter your methods when teaching proper running technique to an older individual? (Watch this answer, lots of good info here) 36:00 Q3. What would you recommend for a person that neither is nor aspires to be a runner, but simply wants to combat the effects of aging? 38:40 Q4. What do you wear when there's three feet of snow on the ground? 39:10 Q5. Do the same principles apply to hiking? 40:20 Q6. Just as our feet didn't evolve to be concealed in comfortable shoes, they also didn't evolve in a landscape dominated by concrete. Can you talk about the effects of walking on hard surfaces? 41:45 Q7. Do you have any recommendations for people who are already avid runners and want to incorporate minimal shoes into their routines? 44:00 Q8. Will the developing technology yield newer models of minimal shoes that allow us to run even more naturally? Thank You
I‘m just turning 40, m, overweight and am plagued was plantar fasciitis for 2 years now. Have had five finger shoes since they came out, but only used them irregularity, because I lacked the knowledge of fore foot running/walking. Now that I’m learning and improving my fore foot gait everything makes a lot of sense. I don’t crash into my heel and am pain free when walking. Same goes for jogging. So while it might be true that the foundation for walking is from heel to fore foot, the other way round helps reduce stress to my heel spur/facia greatly at slow paces.
Twenty years ago I started taking kung fu, and the rule was no shoes in class. That really strengthened my feet, to the point where I had to adjust the way I tied my shoes to accommodate my arches. Then probably 15 years ago I got into barefoot running. I never much liked running, but always liked sprinting. People said you need to ease into running barefoot, so I probably ran a quarter mile, and then in a day or two my calves were killing me. But that wore off in about a week, and then barefoot running was fine, except I didn't do it enough to keep my feet callused, so I got some minimalist shoes. More recently, maybe 5 years ago, I started shuffle dancing. Wow, that really builds up you calves and feet! You have to get that bounce to keep it going. Also, the fitness center where I live has Bosu balls, which are inflated on one side with a flat platform on the other, those are great for developing balance. I think most people use them flat side down, but for balance you put the ball side down.
I have always ditched my shoes at the least opportunity, worn Skoll's and sandles as necessary. I am now 75 play squash, badminton, tennis, Tai Chi, Yoga, swim and walk miles - its just a continuation of how I've always lived. I can tell you, it is not just your feet that are at an advantage through barefoot philosophy your whole body feels the effect with more energy and lightness and flexibility
Really informative & detailed ideas about how mostly all modern shoes ruin / are always ruining our (otherwise) amazing feet! I started refraining from running without shoes since 2013, which 9 years' Barefoot Run experience told/still tells me many benefits told in this video. The term of "Shoes Coffins" is the very precise & vivid descriptions about the many DRAWBACKS of Shod Running, but only in two words! Thanks for your wonderful educational video!
I grew up barefoot I’m home barefoot right now, I’m not new to this. I just didn’t even know of minimalist shoes for adults until now. I just got minimalist shoes for my Disney trip.
I was born (in 1959) to live barefoot. In fact, humans have evolved barefoot and the feet are well-equipped to handle any problems they might encounter on the ground. Aside from accidentally stepping onto something that might be painful (e.g. a Lego) you’ll be fine. In fact, it’s much healthier to go barefoot, than to let your foot sweat inside your shoe, creating a dark, damp and warm environment, perfect for the growth of bacteria and fungi. Aside from that, your average modern shoe is too narrow for the human foot, meaning it will compress and eventually deform your foot causing all kinds of issues !
I've always liked being barefoot. As a kid, I remember myself and other kids running around barefoot even on gravel alleys. I wear shoes as little as possible, both walking and running. And this is often with forefront contact, i.e., on my toes. Of course, my preference is soft grass or dirt. There is something so relaxing about a barefoot jog on lush grass. It's luxurious. In my life, I've done a lot of physical activities with my feet and legs, from soccer to hacky sack. I have strong and flexible feet and ankles. It's interesting that a lot of the exercises in this and other videos are things I've done naturally. I suspect that if you're barefoot most of the time these kinds of movements will be learned automatically, as one unlearns bad habits from wearing shoes.
I was raised upper middle class. My father was a factory manager and then a professor. My mother was a teacher. Money was never a problem. We kids ran around barefoot just because that is what most kids did back then. Sure, we wore shoes if we went somewhere beyond the neighborhood. But just playing around outside did not require shoes. That remains true for adults as well. Assuming you don't live in an inner city with broken glass and rusty metal everywhere, you'd have to be disconnected from reality to believe that shoes are needed every time you step outside, even simply to walk around in the grass of your yard.
@@tommyharris5817 It depends which ones you want. Also depends if you view them as an investment or an expense. I have the highest appreciation for shoes as a shoemaker. So I'm willing to spend whatever asking price if I like a shoe. Proud of my latest purchase of the Nike Alphafly to help motivate me to get back to running 🏃♀️
I remember when the people from Xero Shoes came to ABC's "Shark Tank" only to be laughed out of the room when their pitch had failed to generate interest from all of the investors...
35:08 sounds like some useful criteria and abilities to have before moving to barefoot running, thank you. Really, really interesting presentation - many thanks.
Why do Americans/Canadians/Australians wear shoes indoors? In most cultures that is absolutely disgusting and unbelievably filthy, not to mention those cultures just love carpets everywhere, too.
@@treebeardtheent2200 good, then you won’t go into your home with gum stuck to the bottom of your shoes, grease and oil from the parking lot, or poisons on your feet after walking through Monsanto’s poisonous weed b gone lawns.
I've been wearing barefoot shoes for years, but have only recently realised the importance, for me at least, of splaying the big toes while walking. Very few barefoot shoes allow you to do this, which may be partly why Davis advocates sandals, but the Sofstar Wide models are designed for it. So how might the 'technology' of barefoot shoes improve to facilitate better walking and running? Like this: by better understanding how much toe space it actually takes to bring our abused feet back to their optimal shape. This seems to be a major blindspot in barefoot shoe design at the moment, as if even there everyone's so conditioned to the big toe's support function being diminished that they haven't even realised how wrong it is. Just walking with the big toes fully splayed has removed my knee pain and the knock-on effect of twinges in my hip and soreness in my lower back, and it also seems to strongly elevate my mood. Now I'm finding, by doing the exercises in this video, that my left foot arch is quite weak, and strengthening it feels very related to getting it to splay more and also has a mood elevating effect. Thanks for the exercises!
i spend most of every day in sandles, flip flops, leather high end flip flops no heal just flat. have done this since i got into muay thai about 6 or 7 years ago. my feet are now wider and stronger. i work out in bare feet. tried running in running shoes it sucks. ordered bare foot running shoes 32 days ago and today i see this.
To add to the winter question's answer: Hard snow is a great surface to run on and you can do it with any basic training shoe, just dry them after your run. However if you don't intend in doing an intense activity like running, something like a mukluk would be best. In winter you'd actually want a thick sole to insulate you from the cold and a wide boot to fit big socks and not have your blood circulation restrained by a tight boot.
I ran during snowstorms this last year, in the same minimalist running shoes I use year round. Had to run like a penguin to prevent slipping, but it got the job done.
We're definitely devolving in places where people are relying more on technology and our brains.. we have to keep a balance or we'll start to lose senses/functions we built up over the years to survive
When it comes to competitive runners no matter the level they will always get injured as they will push themselves to the breaking point to improve and that can lead to injury.
I am 80 years old and always go barefoot at home. I have zero joint pain. All my friends wear heavily cushioned or orthopedic shoes and still have foot and knee pain. I tell them about going barefoot and they look at me like I'm crazy.
🔴 Happy Birthday, dear Patricia ! I am a little younger man, at only 65 years old. Otherwise, I go barefoot not only at home or in the garden, but everywhere outside, in the world (always in nature, through the mountains). And I know the people's opinions (that I'm crazy) but I don't care: I like to be a healthy and happy crazy walking barefoot than a sad and sick man walking in shoes !!!
With my greatest pleasure, dear Patricia / @@patriciareilly530 . I am a man who loves NATURE mother and enjoys going BAREFOOT. I don't like to wear shoes (any type of footwear or anything on my feet). For me, in bare feet life is much better (healthier, happier and more comfortable) than in shoes... being allergic at them ! In fact I don't hate shoes (footwear) - I just ignore this invention ! - For me, being barefoot isn't just a fashion statement; It’s a lifestyle, a way to express myself. So, I am a man with personality ! In fact, "Going barefoot is the gentlest way of walking and can symbolise a way of living - being authentic, vulnerable, sensitive to our surroundings. It’s the feeling of enjoying warm sand beneath our toes, or carefully making our way over sharp rocks in the darkness. It’s a way of living that has the lightest impact, removing the barrier between us and nature".- Adele Coombs, “Barefoot Dreaming” ☺ 🏵 I wish you all the best, with much health and happiness, in quiet and peace 🕊❗ Sincerely, Dinu, barefoot hiker from Romania.
Great presentation with loads of good info. Only thing I have a reservation toward is when Dr. Irene Sprague Davis says that flip flops are good for your feet b/c you use your toe muscles to hold them on. I would disagree and say flip flops are a huge proponent of hammer toe and other foot disfunction.. Instead go for a sandal (key difference is having an ankle strap) to allow the big toe to properly fire.
I like Chacos sandals that are designed for hiking. They are the next best thing to being barefoot. In most footwear, I find it hard to walk on my toes. But I find it natural to step on my forefoot when barefoot. It's not quite the same with Chacos, but I'm more likely to walk barefoot. They hold to my feet well and don't slip at the heels. The other thing I like about Chacos is that they are so easy to take off. On work breaks, I can flip them off quickly and go for a barefoot jog.
I am a self-motivated newcomer in this arena. Today I walked briskly for 7 hours with the Indian sun right above my uncapped head. The tar was hot enough and our streets are generally rough with mini-pebbles. I fully comprehend how Phil Collins thought of the impoverised woman who had blisters on the soles of her feet, who couldn't walk but went on trying. I rejoice in this austerity which will reward me bountifully later. A retour to shoefullness would be abominable disgrace and defeat.
Can you please do a study on standing on unnaturally hard surfaces lik concrete for 8 or more hours a day. I feel standing requires different support than walking and it makes your feet even more sore.
I totally agree. I can walk for 2 hours straight with no break, but I cannot stand still (like standing in line) for as long. It gets boring and exhausting
I'm very curious about this. I wonder about the movement of ancient Roman legionaries who carried heavy loads for tens of miles day in day out sometimes...And built their temporary forts at the end of the day too.
I appreciated that point as well. I’m recovering from a back injury and found that I had a huge heel on my walking shoes. I’m slowly transitioning to a zero drop shoe. And my back seems to be responding positively. Hoping to eventually switch to minimalist shoes. I do have a small leg length discrepancy that I address with a heal raise and I wonder what the advice would be from someone like the doc on that.
I am not at all convinced of this. Having transitioned to walking forefoot strike ten+ years ago, not long after starting to run in VFFs, I quickly realised I could not change back. It just felt wrong. Heel strike is useful for a long stride, eg leaping gaps and also to minimise slip on some soft, slippery surfaces but requires a different kind of walking which will still put on higher routine loads and which leads to heal discomfort on grit, stones and other difficult surfaces (ie many/most natural surfaces) and loss of flexibility to adapt each footfall to the underlying terraine. Yes, it may be readily possible on clean, man-made surfaces. However, the point not covered is the different gait, with bare forefoot landing under the centre of gravity. This not only enable all the shock absorption system to operate as it should, but also minimises ground frictional sheer forces that lead to slipping, particularly on wet surfaces and enables more effective balance.
@@JacqueCRISCOsdI’m thinking if you have a leg length discrepancy, rather than a hike of the hip, then a heal raise will only address half of the problem (the heel height) and leave you with a drop (foot isn’t level front to back). What about a full insole of require thickness that’s still flexible? Would that be an answer?
That’s a really lovely idea- Ive never heard of that before. It would be nice to think we could have something like that in the UK, though Im sure some people would enjoy wrecking such a place with malice….such are the times we live in. 😢
Always barefoot when I was little, develop thick callous so could walk on broken glasses. That is little broken ones lay flat on ground, not jam my foot into it.
There is a fine line between new style hiking and ultra-marathon running. Both are a pretty far cry from real (traditional) hiking. Those who focus on trail miles, carry really small packs and such, fall into the runner category. Those who are adventure travelers and explorers fall into the backpacker category. The biggest problems are likely at the various overlaps. A backpacker who attempts too much trail speed and or too many miles is asking for trouble. Those in the runner category who attempt snowy mountain peaks in the wrong footwear are asking for trouble. Not being prepared for severe weather is asking for trouble. Many of the runner types make a beeline metaphorically speaking from one town or resupply point to the next and so on, just like in competitions, and it does work so long as conditions stay ideal and no injuries occur. Backpackers tend to be far better equipped for adverse situations, but their big danger comes from foolishly attempting to keep pace with one or more of the runner types. They both share the trails and at first glance it looks like they all are doing the same thing, but they are not. Future trail runners or backpackers would do well to fully acknowledge which category they are going for and be very wary of overlaps better suited to the other category.
Who knew that my lack of consistency would be beneficial to my health? I've done some pretty intense physical stuff...only way to become a US Marine Infantry Officer. Nevertheless, I didn't go to the extreme in doing one thing, like runnjng, endlessly month in month out, year in year out.
Ah yes. The barefoot and minimalist shoe movement. I remember you. Convinced me to start wearing minimalist shoes. I had no idea I had hollow feet. Switching to these minamalist shoes gave my feet plantar fasciitis, which I never had before. Had to buy orthopedic shoes just to walk again because of how bad it got. I wish I would have seen a doctor before choosing to listen to the hype. I have no doubt it works for some people, but for others, it can really jack your feet up.
Good question. I have a few obscure clues that may interest you if you are really backpacking. If you are marathoning your "hikes" then I think the running principles would apply more. I served as a US Marine from the mid '80s and ended my service in Iraq 2005. My service was broken (time out and reserve time), but that's beside the point. I have very tough to fit feet so I took more than average interest in the topic. During my service time, the US military, including the Marines, went through footwear changes. These WERE NOT SMART changes but sometimes the military follows civilian trends, stupid or not. However, I do remember reading some old school expert somewhere who knew beyond any doubt that HARD SOLES were needed to maintain a warriors feet through years of hard humping with heavy loads. He knew, but he was ignored 😖 One excellent book actually deals with loads specifically (not so much the feet maybe, but time has gone by since I read it) The Soldier's Load And The Mobility of A Nation is a classic book for serious warrior leaders. Fairly short btw. The book is critical of overloading, but it's on a different level from thru-hiking. Up to one third of male body weight is not considered any way heavy. Up to half a man's body weight is about the recommended limit (granted, combat operations not the same as hiking). In practice, three quarters to 100% body weight loads are far too common in the US military from about the '70s onward. Cases where a 200 pound grunt had to carry around 250 pounds of total load have even happened. Not common, but not rare enough either. They typically cannot go more than maybe one mile like that however. 50% body weight loads can make 20+ mile marches. I digress, but I think our military capability is being hampered by new style boots which are too much like cushy running shoes. I didn't start my service with those kind. Now, hard heel strike marching probably is not health in any kind of boot, but that is mostly bootcamp stuff. My old leather boots were tough to break in, but that solid sole was better plus the leather provided lots of upper foot flexibility which I have not seen in newer boots with all the multiple layers stitched together. Btw I'm also looking into the ancient Roman caligulae ("sandal style boots") worn by a legionary. They did massive miles under heavy loads wearing essentially open leather footwear with dozens of iron studs hammered into the bottom.
As for me, my kit weight is typically 65 to 75 pounds (75 is half my LEAN body weight*) * I better not exceed 65 lbs right now 😜 I am not nearly as strong as I once was. I'm twice as old as many young hikers. I even have chronic upper back issues (car accident 20 years ago), but hiking is not hazardous to my feet or back. #1 Miles are Never my priority. I only use them for navigation. Sometimes I exceed 20 miles in a day, but it is rare. To improve my posture, my survival kit is carried at my waist front. It has relatively heavy items in it and weighs maybe 9 to 11 pounds. This offsets my pack weight so I can stand straighter which I think is important. Counterintuitively, my "heavy" kit might be one reason I got zero blisters during six months of PCTs hiking in 2019. Running was almost never an option. I did do it once down a two mile slope and regretted it later (hips and knees). A hiker's load is their choice, but I'm thinking more and more that some "hiking" is really a modified run, and maybe those hikers should be studying running dynamics and be honest with themselves and others. Stay healthy, keep hiking.
My niece did her Masters thesis for her PT degree on the effects of heavy packs used by military. Briefly, in her opinion, you should use/do whatever it takes to walk as erect as possible. A lot of hip and back damage is caused by the forward lean you see on people with heavy loads. Sorry for the lack of specific solutions.
Nike: "What kind of shoes can we sell you?" Runners: "Actually we run better barefoot. Your shoes just get in the way." Nike: "Hmmm.... BAREFOOT SHOES!"
Been watching a ton on barefoot shoes and people keep saying walk around your house barefoot. I'm like people wear shoes inside normally? I've never worn shoes inside a house lol
Yeah. Tried all and still got plantar fasciitis with minimalist shoes. Didn't go away until I moved back to some boots and memory foam slippers around the house.
the reasons we are fat is the foods we eat, nothing else is the cause. we're not supposed to eat vegetable oils, sugars, fiber or the amount of carbs that we eat. exercise is a help but it's not a solution.
@@KallutoZoldyck sticks and stones, what does that mean? I have since taken up converting to minimal flat shoes over the next three months and am getting the five toe shoes next week!
@@mikecharette9258 I've been wearing the kso evo for months now, overall less pains, only walking on concrete, and tbh the most comfort I've had in shoes. I used to have flat feet and other problems that I now don't have.
True but why do shoes need to be so narrow and high heeled ? You can cushion like the Altra's while still retaining majority of barefoot characteristics.
yea the problem with that is all the parasites in the soil......im sure there is benefits from bare foot walking but be sure to wash the feet immediately after
You do get better performance with specialised shoes in competition, that doesn't mean it's healthier. If you are not attempting a world record you don't really need that performance boost.
@@bloodypuppets666 That's an excellent point. It can be applied to a great many activities, footwear, etc. It is worth noting that the first race with the Tarahumara, set up by Caballo Blanco, was won by their champion. 2nd Place was the US ultramarathon champ with his modern go-fasters. The Tarahumara wore only their sandals plus he was a farmer by occupation. He didn't run it barefoot. I don't think barefoot Ted even went barefoot. I think he used Vibram toe shoes.
@@bloodypuppets666 Also, in some activities, like hiking through mountain snow, a deep tread stiff sole boot is actually healthier than a minimalist shoe. I witnessed many many rescue helicopters while hiking the PCTs and none of the trendy hikers are willing to admit that shoe tread is an issue. Forest rangers and rescuers who can't publicly say much have different opinions.
All major athletes have a ton of sponsors who decide what they wear, preferbly something where the name of the brand stands out. Yes the athlete can twitch what they offer him, but has no real choice. Even the African runners, who practice barefoot back at home but put their sponsored shoes on for the race.. But most of all is lack of knowledge, as a kid we are all thought by to put our shoes on even tho we really didn't want to. Wearing shoes is a cultural, education thing in the first place. Most people don't even question if it's healthy or not..
Q & A portion got me thinking. Our human feet are so awesomely designed for any kind of surface if we take it slow and trust the engineering. One man so epitomized and elevated the potential of His human feet that he was able to walk on water. Praise the Lord Jesus 👣
I've been a 5 fingers wearer for over ten years and completed a marathon last Sunday while wearing these minimalist shoes. I hate wearing any shoes with cushioning.
![ทุกครั้งที่หลับตา (Lucid Dream) - AYLA's [ Official MV ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4i1OBAQyv58/mqdefault.jpg)
I have a damaged right knee from a motorcycle crash.
I switched to barefoot shoes, removed the sole liner, wear toe socks. Transitioned for 2 weeks.
Have worn them daily since 2018 (with exceptions of my timberland boots camping, Nike frees for when I’m just in the mood, etc). But I wear them 90% of my life.
My right knee pain I had is basically gone.
Yes I walk correctly in them. Yes I’ve had people make fun of my vivos when I switched. Now people ask me about them.
Lead your own path. Make a change. The body is a wonderful, wonderful self-healing machine.
I made the switch about 8 months ago. I unfortunately didn't do any of the transition stuff I just got a variety of minimalist shoes and wore them every day. The first few weeks my feet hurt every day (I walk a lot at my job) but slowly over Time I noticed that all went away as my feet got more conditioned. And what really surprised me is I had chronic pain in my knee and ankle that had been reoccurring the past few years that almost completely disappeared. Now I'm pain free just by sticking to it. Barefoot shoes changed my life
Same here. I originally got barefoot shoes when foot pain in my forties finally woke me up to the fact that traditional footwear wasn't wide enough for my feet. My feet are sufficiently wide that even most barefoot shoes aren't really wide enough for me either, and my first pair (vivobarefoot) definitely weren't, but they were still far better than my old Pumas and Adidas and got rid of all that foot pain within about two weeks.
Now some shoes that are really wide enough for me - my Softstar Sawyers - and a few fully barefoot walks have shown me the importance of getting a full splay for the big toe. Being able to do that has taken care of pain in my left knee as well as hip twinges and lower back pain that seemed to be a knock-on effect of that.
It's also made walking not only more comfortable, secure and balanced for me, but turned it into something actively mood enhancing. I find myself spontaneously smiling and if I'm walking with friends, I find my spirits are very high. I've always been a little depressive and there were definitely other factors contributing to that that I've had to work through, but it really seems that shoe constriction was playing a major part in it. And why wouldn't it? It was painful, physically damaging and made a quite ordinary task that almost all of us do daily more difficult than it needed to be.
By the way, a bit more on big toe splay space: Davis, the speaker here, favours sandals and one of the benefits of most decent barefoot sandals is that they allow full splay of the big toe. When I first got a pair of sandals, I did this automatically. Barefoot shoemakers, in the main, seem unaware of this and are still making shoes with roughly a straight line up from heel to big toe. Room for improvement here.
Yes, pain in my knee... caused by slightly raised heel. And I just walked in an office. Got Xero sandals, started hiking longer and longer distances... got Lems shoes for the office... Can't go back to anything but flat shoes with plenty of toe room.
@@JohnMoseley noted. I'll focus om this as a shoemaker
@@musaduma Glad to hear it. Perhaps I'll be lucky enough to find my way to a pair of your shoes some day.
Why does this not have hundreds of thousands of views?
I'm trying but I can only watch the video so many times a day
Because she looks unfit
@@tommyharris5817 oh... um I guess you could say that... I think she looks relatively healthy for her age but ok...
@@jimizxztheorginal The hardest thing for a person to do is to change their mind about ideas that they have invested in for their entire lives.
Big shoe companies
I am 73 and a avid hiker I have worn mostly Vibram shoes full-time for daily use and hiking in rocky, dry, desert mountains, the surface is hard. After over 4 years of just daily walking and hiking in the mountains I no longer have foot toe fungus problems, plantar fasciitis, my arches are normal not flat, my hip joints no longer hurt. On the downside I got tendonitis, capsulitis, metatarsal muscles overuse, but after giving myself time to heal today I wear Vibram five finger shoes mostly full-time again.
Curious - how did fivefinger Vibram help with your toe fungus?
Air and circulation. I had it for years and for the past 6 years, gone.@@JuanRamos-wg5ol
Compelling presentation. Just wish I'd learnt this 30 years ago.
It's never too late
@Eddie Ferry I got there eventually. I transitioned last year and it went really well until my foot injured as I did too many miles too quick. 2 months later just building up steadily again.
@@tonyrabone4668 Right on, that is good to hear. I can relate to that as I have a similar story. It's always a work in progress and I mostly run in sandals as of late, but shoes until the cold burns off.
Me too
@@eddieferry what sandals do you use?
One day Nike will be on the cutting edge by developing special foot balms for barefoot runners instead of shoes...then scientists will study it and realize it’s just regular ol natural Shea butter
Lol
Haha
There will be a few dummies getting it.. I would have been one of them!
Lol. Facts!
0:12 Barefoot walking around the house MRI study proves increasing from 2500 to 7000 steps per day over 8 weeks increases strength of muscles of the foot
3:05 Evolutionary Biology appears to indicate that we evolved to run. Change from Australopithecus to Homo Erectus
5:10 26 Bones, 33 Joints. Each joint has 6 degrees of freedom of motion. 4 Layers of arch muscle to control deformation of the arch on every step
It is truly an amazing structure well suited for walking and running on a large variety of surfaces
5:51 First appearance of shoe 10,000 years ago. Simple protection for sole of foot.
Clothing is meant to protect us, not to replace muscle power
6:50
1890 J.W. Foster & Son's (Reebok) came out with first spiked running show
1917 Advent of vulcanized rubber leads to first "sneaker" the "Keds Champion" rubber sole canvas top
1925 Adi Dasler (Adidas) customised the spikes for different running
1963 ASICS Onitsuku Tiger imported by Phil Knight introduces the cushioned heel (beginning of the end)
1972 Phil Knight leaves ASICS to form Nike who create their own version of the Tiger, the "Nike Cortez"
40 years later we now have The Modern Running shoe
Elevated cushioned heel, stiff heel counter, arch support, high medial midsole density
We have gone so far as to have a running shoe knows as "The Hormonal Shoe" the Asics GEL-KAYANO 16 designed to adjust its stiffness according to a women's time of the month.
9:10 In 2005 Nike reps who sponsored the team were at the Stanford Track teams training and wanted to know why the team was practicing without shoes? The coach (Vin Lananna) answered that even though he did not have any objective evidence, he had noticed that his team ran faster and were injured less when they trained barefoot.
9:50 Nike reps went back to Nike and tried to solve the problem of creating a shoe that mimicked barefoot running and in 2005 came up with the "Nike Free"
10:10 2009 "Barefoot Ted" (see: Born to Run article) trying to find a shoe that would protect his feet and last when run in. Vibram brought out a shoe for boating that Ted thought would be perfect for him as it was a glove for his feet.
10:45 2010 New companies or small shoe companies like "Vivo Barefoot" arise with minimalist shoe design
11:00 2012 Big Shoe companies start to bring in partial minimalist shoes.
12:05 Partial Minimalist Shoe Definition
Minimum motion control
Minimum cushioning
Minimum drop
Minimum arch support
Minimum midsole
Full Minimalist Shoe
No motion control
No cushioning
Zero drop
No arch support
No midsole
Basically any shoe you can twist or roll up easily
13:40 Ground Reaction Force with:
Rear Foot Strike
Mid Foot Strike
Fore Foot Strike
Graph demonstrate how quickly force rises to peak and the Rear Foot Strike is much faster and heavier than a forefoot strike
15:30 Even with a highly cushioned midsole and heel, the striking force is much higher with a highly cushioned sole than with a standard Neutral Shoe
With the ability to perceive correct feedback the legs are quite capable of acting like springs to soften landing forces.
16:00 Differences between impact force over the 3 different types of foot wear
Barefoot runners will not land on their heels as the padding of the heel is only designed to take the impact of moving at walking pace and there is instant feedback when running barefoot.
17:00 Collected data from 2015 Boston Marathon with 3 runners wearing ankle bracelets measuring shock (acceleration) in G's (gravity)
It is agreed though that it is counter-intuitive that the less cushioning you have the softer you land, but the case is the exact opposite. You run much lighter if you have less cushioning.
18:50 Irene Sprague Davis believes "that the closer we can get to the way we were adapted to walk and run, the lower our risk for injury".
19:10 Why can't you learn to run on your forefoot in cushioned shoes. Short answer = It does not work. The cushioning takes away the feedback that allows your legs to function properly and you still end up landing hard and you do not learn to (over a period of time) to automatically land softer.
20:00 Demonstration and explanation of nice barefoot running in slow motion
20:35 Barefoot running style requires strong feet and strong ankles and mobility in the feet and ankles.
20:45 Solutions to make feet strong & healthy
Don't wear shoes as a child
Stretching with ball, bottle or massage with fingers the sole and arch of foot
Stretching the top of your foot
Stretching heel chords
22:20 Strengthening (ALL DONE BAREFOOT)
Towel Curls pulling towel forward towards heel with toes only and no other foot movement
The Short Foot exercise. Lots of videos on TH-cam. Stiffen toes, pull ball of foot back to create a bigger arch. If you cramp, it means your feet are very weak.
Doming & hopping with ankles only
Toes spread with elastic band
Toes squeezing
Double Leg progressing to Single Leg Heel raises, then doing it on an edge of a step
Doming and hopping forward & back, side to side, double foot then single foot then to raised surfaces
27:15 SKIPPING BAREFOOT (Who would have thought???) as advised by the Director of the Spaulding National Running Centre, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School. What would she know??? 🙄
My notes; There are a lot of TH-cam videos that explain the exercises for strengthening the feet, as well as how you use the feet and legs, and the time frame to move to a minimalist/barefoot running style.
I do not care about whether you can run barefoot or not, but all the solutions to barefoot running will, with no doubts whatsoever, deliver exemplary outcomes for tennis footwork improvement!
28:00 Over a 6 month period of Barefoot/Minimalist Shoe running COMBINED with foot strengthening exercises increased muscle mass & strength of feet and legs.
28:30 Can Flat Weak Arches be changed? Short answer is yes if you have a good process for improvement that is followed with commitment and discipline, even when it looks like a lost cause!
28:45 2300 Indian Children from 3 different communities.
1 community open toed shoes, 1 community wore closed towed shoes, 1 community went bare foot
Flat foot was most common in children who wore closed-shoes, less common in those who wore sandals or slippers and least in the unshod.
Findings suggest that shoe-wearing in early childhood is detrimental to the development of a normal longitudinal arch.
29:20 Take away support to let the foot develop
Encourage foot stability by removing support unless very injured and use support only as a temporary fix.
30:10 A quick study in elderly ladies where half got standard walking shoes and the other half got minimalist shoes. The minimalist shoes wears got improved knee mechanics, improved function and reduced use of pain medication.
31:00 The story of another pair of feet
50 year old lady with very bad history with her feet is now only comfortable in minimalist shoes and is able to walk the 26 mile Inca Trail (very rough terrain) in minimalist shoes
Take home message. Give feet a chance.
32:00 Time for a paradigm shift
Rather than support and cushioning the foot, we need to leverage the strength and cushioning we have in our feet.
26 bones
33 articulations
4 Layers of muscle
Create a 6 Pack for your feet
"Our world is not shaped by those that think similarly, but by those that dare to think differently" Rashida Rowe
33:00 Question & Answer time
Q1. Many Runners tend to supinate, distributing their weight to the edges of their feet. Are there any long-term injury risks to this?
34:10
Q2. Might you have to alter your methods when teaching proper running technique to an older individual? (Watch this answer, lots of good info here)
36:00
Q3. What would you recommend for a person that neither is nor aspires to be a runner, but simply wants to combat the effects of aging?
38:40
Q4. What do you wear when there's three feet of snow on the ground?
39:10
Q5. Do the same principles apply to hiking?
40:20
Q6. Just as our feet didn't evolve to be concealed in comfortable shoes, they also didn't evolve in a landscape dominated by concrete. Can you talk about the effects of walking on hard surfaces?
41:45
Q7. Do you have any recommendations for people who are already avid runners and want to incorporate minimal shoes into their routines?
44:00
Q8. Will the developing technology yield newer models of minimal shoes that allow us to run even more naturally?
Thank You
Thank you - very much appreciated - for your succinct summary of a very succinct presentation.
Dropped this 👑 king
Thank you for the time stamps, much appreciated!
@@UTubeISphere I did it mostly so I could find the various useful pertinent bits I required when attempting to educate people on this topic.
I‘m just turning 40, m, overweight and am plagued was plantar fasciitis for 2 years now. Have had five finger shoes since they came out, but only used them irregularity, because I lacked the knowledge of fore foot running/walking. Now that I’m learning and improving my fore foot gait everything makes a lot of sense. I don’t crash into my heel and am pain free when walking. Same goes for jogging. So while it might be true that the foundation for walking is from heel to fore foot, the other way round helps reduce stress to my heel spur/facia greatly at slow paces.
Twenty years ago I started taking kung fu, and the rule was no shoes in class. That really strengthened my feet, to the point where I had to adjust the way I tied my shoes to accommodate my arches. Then probably 15 years ago I got into barefoot running. I never much liked running, but always liked sprinting. People said you need to ease into running barefoot, so I probably ran a quarter mile, and then in a day or two my calves were killing me. But that wore off in about a week, and then barefoot running was fine, except I didn't do it enough to keep my feet callused, so I got some minimalist shoes.
More recently, maybe 5 years ago, I started shuffle dancing. Wow, that really builds up you calves and feet! You have to get that bounce to keep it going.
Also, the fitness center where I live has Bosu balls, which are inflated on one side with a flat platform on the other, those are great for developing balance. I think most people use them flat side down, but for balance you put the ball side down.
I have always ditched my shoes at the least opportunity, worn Skoll's and sandles as necessary. I am now 75 play squash, badminton, tennis, Tai Chi, Yoga, swim and walk miles - its just a continuation of how I've always lived. I can tell you, it is not just your feet that are at an advantage through barefoot philosophy your whole body feels the effect with more energy and lightness and flexibility
Really informative & detailed ideas about how mostly all modern shoes ruin / are always ruining our (otherwise) amazing feet!
I started refraining from running without shoes since 2013, which 9 years' Barefoot Run experience told/still tells me many benefits told in this video.
The term of "Shoes Coffins" is the very precise & vivid descriptions about the many DRAWBACKS of Shod Running, but only in two words!
Thanks for your wonderful educational video!
I grew up barefoot I’m home barefoot right now, I’m not new to this. I just didn’t even know of minimalist shoes for adults until now. I just got minimalist shoes for my Disney trip.
I am an early childhood educator, and it frustrates me no end to see infants and toddlers in fashion shoes/sneakers.
I was born (in 1959) to live barefoot.
In fact, humans have evolved barefoot and the feet are well-equipped to handle any problems they might encounter on the ground. Aside from accidentally stepping onto something that might be painful (e.g. a Lego) you’ll be fine. In fact, it’s much healthier to go barefoot, than to let your foot sweat inside your shoe, creating a dark, damp and warm environment, perfect for the growth of bacteria and fungi.
Aside from that, your average modern shoe is too narrow for the human foot, meaning it will compress and eventually deform your foot causing all kinds of issues !
I've always liked being barefoot. As a kid, I remember myself and other kids running around barefoot even on gravel alleys. I wear shoes as little as possible, both walking and running. And this is often with forefront contact, i.e., on my toes. Of course, my preference is soft grass or dirt. There is something so relaxing about a barefoot jog on lush grass. It's luxurious.
In my life, I've done a lot of physical activities with my feet and legs, from soccer to hacky sack. I have strong and flexible feet and ankles. It's interesting that a lot of the exercises in this and other videos are things I've done naturally. I suspect that if you're barefoot most of the time these kinds of movements will be learned automatically, as one unlearns bad habits from wearing shoes.
Shoes aren't as expensive as you might think
I was raised upper middle class. My father was a factory manager and then a professor. My mother was a teacher. Money was never a problem.
We kids ran around barefoot just because that is what most kids did back then. Sure, we wore shoes if we went somewhere beyond the neighborhood. But just playing around outside did not require shoes. That remains true for adults as well.
Assuming you don't live in an inner city with broken glass and rusty metal everywhere, you'd have to be disconnected from reality to believe that shoes are needed every time you step outside, even simply to walk around in the grass of your yard.
@@tommyharris5817 lol get out of here
I need to find photos of myself in athletics meetings running barefoot. I'm now proud of my past. That explains why I never suffered any injuries.
@@tommyharris5817 It depends which ones you want.
Also depends if you view them as an investment or an expense.
I have the highest appreciation for shoes as a shoemaker.
So I'm willing to spend whatever asking price if I like a shoe.
Proud of my latest purchase of the Nike Alphafly to help motivate me to get back to running 🏃♀️
I remember when the people from Xero Shoes came to ABC's "Shark Tank" only to be laughed out of the room when their pitch had failed to generate interest from all of the investors...
A GREAT LISTEN. WONDERFUL STUFF FOR FEET. I WALK BAREFOOT IN THE GRASS EVERY MORNING TO BEGIN MY DAY. THANK YOU.
Very illuminating
35:08 sounds like some useful criteria and abilities to have before moving to barefoot running, thank you.
Really, really interesting presentation - many thanks.
you shouldn't have shoes on in your house anyways - that's filthy.
But I'm a nomad who lives outdoors.
My house is the world and the sky is my roof.
Thats what she said
Why do Americans/Canadians/Australians wear shoes indoors? In most cultures that is absolutely disgusting and unbelievably filthy, not to mention those cultures just love carpets everywhere, too.
@@treebeardtheent2200 good, then you won’t go into your home with gum stuck to the bottom of your shoes, grease and oil from the parking lot, or poisons on your feet after walking through Monsanto’s poisonous weed b gone lawns.
Canadian
I've been wearing barefoot shoes for years, but have only recently realised the importance, for me at least, of splaying the big toes while walking. Very few barefoot shoes allow you to do this, which may be partly why Davis advocates sandals, but the Sofstar Wide models are designed for it.
So how might the 'technology' of barefoot shoes improve to facilitate better walking and running? Like this: by better understanding how much toe space it actually takes to bring our abused feet back to their optimal shape. This seems to be a major blindspot in barefoot shoe design at the moment, as if even there everyone's so conditioned to the big toe's support function being diminished that they haven't even realised how wrong it is.
Just walking with the big toes fully splayed has removed my knee pain and the knock-on effect of twinges in my hip and soreness in my lower back, and it also seems to strongly elevate my mood.
Now I'm finding, by doing the exercises in this video, that my left foot arch is quite weak, and strengthening it feels very related to getting it to splay more and also has a mood elevating effect. Thanks for the exercises!
i have started doing feet exercises and the ball and plastic bottle i never knew. Great presentation. Amazing video.
Great stuff. Stretching and strengthening starts ~ 21:00
Wonderful presentation! Thank you!!!
i spend most of every day in sandles, flip flops, leather high end flip flops no heal just flat. have done this since i got into muay thai about 6 or 7 years ago. my feet are now wider and stronger. i work out in bare feet. tried running in running shoes it sucks. ordered bare foot running shoes 32 days ago and today i see this.
To add to the winter question's answer:
Hard snow is a great surface to run on and you can do it with any basic training shoe, just dry them after your run.
However if you don't intend in doing an intense activity like running, something like a mukluk would be best. In winter you'd actually want a thick sole to insulate you from the cold and a wide boot to fit big socks and not have your blood circulation restrained by a tight boot.
I ran during snowstorms this last year, in the same minimalist running shoes I use year round. Had to run like a penguin to prevent slipping, but it got the job done.
We're definitely devolving in places where people are relying more on technology and our brains.. we have to keep a balance or we'll start to lose senses/functions we built up over the years to survive
When it comes to competitive runners no matter the level they will always get injured as they will push themselves to the breaking point to improve and that can lead to injury.
I am 80 years old and always go barefoot at home. I have zero joint pain. All my friends wear heavily cushioned or orthopedic shoes and still have foot and knee pain. I tell them about going barefoot and they look at me like I'm crazy.
🔴 Happy Birthday, dear Patricia ! I am a little younger man, at only 65 years old. Otherwise, I go barefoot not only at home or in the garden, but everywhere outside, in the world (always in nature, through the mountains). And I know the people's opinions (that I'm crazy) but I don't care: I like to be a healthy and happy crazy walking barefoot than a sad and sick man walking in shoes !!!
@@Dinu-desculţ Thank you for that lovely greeting, Dinu. I'm still shoeless in California and loving it.
With my greatest pleasure, dear Patricia / @@patriciareilly530 .
I am a man who loves NATURE mother and enjoys going BAREFOOT.
I don't like to wear shoes (any type of footwear or anything on my feet). For me, in bare feet life is much better (healthier, happier and more comfortable) than in shoes... being allergic at them !
In fact I don't hate shoes (footwear) - I just ignore this invention !
- For me, being barefoot isn't just a fashion statement; It’s a lifestyle, a way to express myself. So, I am a man with personality !
In fact, "Going barefoot is the gentlest way of walking and can symbolise a way of living - being authentic, vulnerable, sensitive to our surroundings.
It’s the feeling of enjoying warm sand beneath our toes, or carefully making our way over sharp rocks in the darkness.
It’s a way of living that has the lightest impact, removing the barrier between us and nature".- Adele Coombs, “Barefoot Dreaming” ☺
🏵 I wish you all the best, with much health and happiness, in quiet and peace 🕊❗
Sincerely, Dinu, barefoot hiker from Romania.
This showing is very interesting topic ...Appreciate your video😊
Great presentation with loads of good info. Only thing I have a reservation toward is when Dr. Irene Sprague Davis says that flip flops are good for your feet b/c you use your toe muscles to hold them on. I would disagree and say flip flops are a huge proponent of hammer toe and other foot disfunction.. Instead go for a sandal (key difference is having an ankle strap) to allow the big toe to properly fire.
I like Chacos sandals that are designed for hiking. They are the next best thing to being barefoot. In most footwear, I find it hard to walk on my toes. But I find it natural to step on my forefoot when barefoot. It's not quite the same with Chacos, but I'm more likely to walk barefoot. They hold to my feet well and don't slip at the heels. The other thing I like about Chacos is that they are so easy to take off. On work breaks, I can flip them off quickly and go for a barefoot jog.
I have only worn flip flops at home for 40 years of my life. My feet look ok
Add a little dancing in your life, even if it's just going from your bed to get your coffee in the morning.
Amazing talk. Great to learn something new. Didn't know how damaging shoes are. Going to defo save up and buy barefoot shoes 😁
I am a self-motivated newcomer in this arena. Today I walked briskly for 7 hours with the Indian sun right above my uncapped head. The tar was hot enough and our streets are generally rough with mini-pebbles. I fully comprehend how Phil Collins thought of the impoverised woman who had blisters on the soles of her feet, who couldn't walk but went on trying. I rejoice in this austerity which will reward me bountifully later. A retour to shoefullness would be abominable disgrace and defeat.
Bhai 🔥 🔥 🔥
thank you, great presentation and information
Great Video!
Can you please do a study on standing on unnaturally hard surfaces lik concrete for 8 or more hours a day. I feel standing requires different support than walking and it makes your feet even more sore.
I totally agree. I can walk for 2 hours straight with no break, but I cannot stand still (like standing in line) for as long. It gets boring and exhausting
This made me beat up my nike's, they will never cripple me again.
Sandle gang 😂
Good to know walking is heel strike phenomenon. I was walking funny with front foot strike
I'm very curious about this.
I wonder about the movement of ancient Roman legionaries who carried heavy loads for tens of miles day in day out sometimes...And built their temporary forts at the end of the day too.
I appreciated that point as well.
I’m recovering from a back injury and found that I had a huge heel on my walking shoes. I’m slowly transitioning to a zero drop shoe. And my back seems to be responding positively. Hoping to eventually switch to minimalist shoes.
I do have a small leg length discrepancy that I address with a heal raise and I wonder what the advice would be from someone like the doc on that.
I am not at all convinced of this. Having transitioned to walking forefoot strike ten+ years ago, not long after starting to run in VFFs, I quickly realised I could not change back. It just felt wrong. Heel strike is useful for a long stride, eg leaping gaps and also to minimise slip on some soft, slippery surfaces but requires a different kind of walking which will still put on higher routine loads and which leads to heal discomfort on grit, stones and other difficult surfaces (ie many/most natural surfaces) and loss of flexibility to adapt each footfall to the underlying terraine. Yes, it may be readily possible on clean, man-made surfaces. However, the point not covered is the different gait, with bare forefoot landing under the centre of gravity. This not only enable all the shock absorption system to operate as it should, but also minimises ground frictional sheer forces that lead to slipping, particularly on wet surfaces and enables more effective balance.
@@JacqueCRISCOsdI’m thinking if you have a leg length discrepancy, rather than a hike of the hip, then a heal raise will only address half of the problem (the heel height) and leave you with a drop (foot isn’t level front to back). What about a full insole of require thickness that’s still flexible? Would that be an answer?
I think what they should do, is open more "barefoot parks," like the ones they have in Germany, to promote sensory development of the human foot...
That’s a really lovely idea- Ive never heard of that before. It would be nice to think we could have something like that in the UK, though Im sure some people would enjoy wrecking such a place with malice….such are the times we live in. 😢
Always barefoot when I was little, develop thick callous so could walk on broken glasses. That is little broken ones lay flat on ground, not jam my foot into it.
Damn, this was posted 5 years ago and I just stumbled upon it! Just ordered a pair of barefoot shoes, gonna give them a go!
I stumbled on it in January and threw away 20 pairs of foot coffins. Love it.
Mindblowing.
420 got me here today on this fine beautiful night. thank you for this info.
Enjoy! Assuming you also saw our video with Kathring Switzer? th-cam.com/video/7jG7GuIO6a0/w-d-xo.html
I use toe spacers to spread out my bare toes...After a few days of use, my toes can stretch out more...
What do you were in winter ? A pair of Manitobah Mukluks. Like walking barefoot in the snow whithout freezing
Wonderful thanks
I found a difficult time to shop for shoe now.. the stack is getting scarier
Very informative video
There is a fine line between new style hiking and ultra-marathon running. Both are a pretty far cry from real (traditional) hiking. Those who focus on trail miles, carry really small packs and such, fall into the runner category. Those who are adventure travelers and explorers fall into the backpacker category.
The biggest problems are likely at the various overlaps. A backpacker who attempts too much trail speed and or too many miles is asking for trouble. Those in the runner category who attempt snowy mountain peaks in the wrong footwear are asking for trouble. Not being prepared for severe weather is asking for trouble.
Many of the runner types make a beeline metaphorically speaking from one town or resupply point to the next and so on, just like in competitions, and it does work so long as conditions stay ideal and no injuries occur.
Backpackers tend to be far better equipped for adverse situations, but their big danger comes from foolishly attempting to keep pace with one or more of the runner types. They both share the trails and at first glance it looks like they all are doing the same thing, but they are not.
Future trail runners or backpackers would do well to fully acknowledge which category they are going for and be very wary of overlaps better suited to the other category.
How do you strengthen hammertoes??
By On shoes. Cushioned for an urban environment, but it has slits that give, and feels like a glove
Can people with neuropathy wear barefoot shoes?
Who knew that my lack of consistency would be beneficial to my health?
I've done some pretty intense physical stuff...only way to become a US Marine Infantry Officer. Nevertheless, I didn't go to the extreme in doing one thing, like runnjng, endlessly month in month out, year in year out.
Ah yes. The barefoot and minimalist shoe movement. I remember you. Convinced me to start wearing minimalist shoes. I had no idea I had hollow feet. Switching to these minamalist shoes gave my feet plantar fasciitis, which I never had before. Had to buy orthopedic shoes just to walk again because of how bad it got.
I wish I would have seen a doctor before choosing to listen to the hype. I have no doubt it works for some people, but for others, it can really jack your feet up.
Thank you for this talk. Has there been any research on the optimal way to carry a thirty pound backpack for a thru hike ?
Good question.
I have a few obscure clues that may interest you if you are really backpacking.
If you are marathoning your "hikes" then I think the running principles would apply more.
I served as a US Marine from the mid '80s and ended my service in Iraq 2005. My service was broken (time out and reserve time), but that's beside the point.
I have very tough to fit feet so I took more than average interest in the topic.
During my service time, the US military, including the Marines, went through footwear changes. These WERE NOT SMART changes but sometimes the military follows civilian trends, stupid or not.
However, I do remember reading some old school expert somewhere who knew beyond any doubt that HARD SOLES were needed to maintain a warriors feet through years of hard humping with heavy loads. He knew, but he was ignored 😖
One excellent book actually deals with loads specifically (not so much the feet maybe, but time has gone by since I read it) The Soldier's Load And The Mobility of A Nation is a classic book for serious warrior leaders. Fairly short btw.
The book is critical of overloading, but it's on a different level from thru-hiking. Up to one third of male body weight is not considered any way heavy. Up to half a man's body weight is about the recommended limit (granted, combat operations not the same as hiking). In practice, three quarters to 100% body weight loads are far too common in the US military from about the '70s onward. Cases where a 200 pound grunt had to carry around 250 pounds of total load have even happened. Not common, but not rare enough either. They typically cannot go more than maybe one mile like that however. 50% body weight loads can make 20+ mile marches.
I digress, but I think our military capability is being hampered by new style boots which are too much like cushy running shoes.
I didn't start my service with those kind. Now, hard heel strike marching probably is not health in any kind of boot, but that is mostly bootcamp stuff. My old leather boots were tough to break in, but that solid sole was better plus the leather provided lots of upper foot flexibility which I have not seen in newer boots with all the multiple layers stitched together.
Btw I'm also looking into the ancient Roman caligulae ("sandal style boots") worn by a legionary. They did massive miles under heavy loads wearing essentially open leather footwear with dozens of iron studs hammered into the bottom.
As for me, my kit weight is typically 65 to 75 pounds (75 is half my LEAN body weight*)
* I better not exceed 65 lbs right now 😜
I am not nearly as strong as I once was. I'm twice as old as many young hikers. I even have chronic upper back issues (car accident 20 years ago), but hiking is not hazardous to my feet or back. #1 Miles are Never my priority. I only use them for navigation. Sometimes I exceed 20 miles in a day, but it is rare.
To improve my posture, my survival kit is carried at my waist front. It has relatively heavy items in it and weighs maybe 9 to 11 pounds. This offsets my pack weight so I can stand straighter which I think is important.
Counterintuitively, my "heavy" kit might be one reason I got zero blisters during six months of PCTs hiking in 2019. Running was almost never an option. I did do it once down a two mile slope and regretted it later (hips and knees).
A hiker's load is their choice, but I'm thinking more and more that some "hiking" is really a modified run, and maybe those hikers should be studying running dynamics and be honest with themselves and others.
Stay healthy, keep hiking.
My niece did her Masters thesis for her PT degree on the effects of heavy packs used by military. Briefly, in her opinion, you should use/do whatever it takes to walk as erect as possible. A lot of hip and back damage is caused by the forward lean you see on people with heavy loads. Sorry for the lack of specific solutions.
Nike: "What kind of shoes can we sell you?"
Runners: "Actually we run better barefoot. Your shoes just get in the way."
Nike: "Hmmm.... BAREFOOT SHOES!"
I thought was an audio book of born to run...
Overpadded thick-soled footwear were a mistake...
Been watching a ton on barefoot shoes and people keep saying walk around your house barefoot. I'm like people wear shoes inside normally? I've never worn shoes inside a house lol
Yeah. Tried all and still got plantar fasciitis with minimalist shoes. Didn't go away until I moved back to some boots and memory foam slippers around the house.
You should massage your calves. They might be super tight causing you pain in your plantar fascia
Xero and vivo make hiking and even cold weather shoes
the more support = more weakness
There are minimalist boots out there
That was the chunkiest shoe they could find. Five years on and we have rockered 40mm platforms with a carbon fibre plate in them.
Cool, just commenting for the algorithm.
Very interesting. I would not be surprised if Nike and Reebok are trying to silence people like this.
By the looks of it, they're trying to slowly sink into the barefoot market.
This woman is a runner?
the reasons we are fat is the foods we eat, nothing else is the cause. we're not supposed to eat vegetable oils, sugars, fiber or the amount of carbs that we eat. exercise is a help but it's not a solution.
😂 Tell me you know nothing about the subject without telling me:
21:15 - 27:20 stretching /massaging tips
I threw away my cushy shoes and my chronic back pain with them
But we were made to run on grass and dirt, not CONCRETE! Hence padded shoes!
She mentioned adaptability and the fact that we evolved running on harder surfaces too. You're also forgetting sticks and stones.
@@KallutoZoldyck sticks and stones, what does that mean? I have since taken up converting to minimal flat shoes over the next three months and am getting the five toe shoes next week!
@@mikecharette9258 I've been wearing the kso evo for months now, overall less pains, only walking on concrete, and tbh the most comfort I've had in shoes. I used to have flat feet and other problems that I now don't have.
It's much easier to walk barefoot on pavement than on natural ground.
*Me looking at my Asics as I'm working on transitioning to minimalistic shoes* -_- "You know what you did."
I love barefoot too
Birds have wings, fish have fins, humans have butts
Water shoes, baby. I'm not spending $100 on running shoes ever again.
living on perfectly graded asphalt in cityscapes will never serve us and we will never go back to an environment we evolved for🤷♂️
Love my toe shoes
Wow, I never realized americans wear shoes so much. No wonder their feet are so messed up.
I love barefoot
But our world wasn’t made out of concrete and asphalt back then. Woods and fields ground is much softer
True but why do shoes need to be so narrow and high heeled ? You can cushion like the Altra's while still retaining majority of barefoot characteristics.
Yeah man, that's what I'm looking for. I want a boot with cushion like Vans but with wide feet and flat@@Tate525
20:00 GOATA
Just wear converse
They are flat but there like coffin's no rm for your toes
Do people really not perform “barefoot walking” around their house?
Americans like to wear shoes at home.
@@magonus195 what Americans? I’ve lived on the east coast, down south, Midwest, northwest and I’ve never known anyone that wore shoes in their house.
@@Denali_Rebel then it's a West coast thing
@@magonus195 california does not speak for the rest of the country.
Not in USA
"Pigs who walk?". Thot all pigs walked 🤔
Exposition, not predicate
It's flying pigs you'll live your whole life without seeing
She's not a runner 🤨
yea the problem with that is all the parasites in the soil......im sure there is benefits from bare foot walking but be sure to wash the feet immediately after
*Okay what I would like you all to do is take your shoes off..*sniff* okay if you could all kindly put them back on........hurry *
if we should run barefoot why do all athletes use specialized footwear
That’s not an argument. If people know killing is wrong why do they do it :-/
You do get better performance with specialised shoes in competition, that doesn't mean it's healthier. If you are not attempting a world record you don't really need that performance boost.
@@bloodypuppets666 That's an excellent point.
It can be applied to a great many activities, footwear, etc.
It is worth noting that the first race with the Tarahumara, set up by Caballo Blanco, was won by their champion. 2nd Place was the US ultramarathon champ with his modern go-fasters.
The Tarahumara wore only their sandals plus he was a farmer by occupation.
He didn't run it barefoot.
I don't think barefoot Ted even went barefoot. I think he used Vibram toe shoes.
@@bloodypuppets666 Also, in some activities, like hiking through mountain snow, a deep tread stiff sole boot is actually healthier than a minimalist shoe. I witnessed many many rescue helicopters while hiking the PCTs and none of the trendy hikers are willing to admit that shoe tread is an issue. Forest rangers and rescuers who can't publicly say much have different opinions.
All major athletes have a ton of sponsors who decide what they wear, preferbly something where the name of the brand stands out. Yes the athlete can twitch what they offer him, but has no real choice. Even the African runners, who practice barefoot back at home but put their sponsored shoes on for the race.. But most of all is lack of knowledge, as a kid we are all thought by to put our shoes on even tho we really didn't want to. Wearing shoes is a cultural, education thing in the first place. Most people don't even question if it's healthy or not..
Lol no. Just no. Men do not have a time of the month. Scientists inability to separate pc politics and actual science is destroying our nation.
Evolution! What a joke!
Old Earth Mythology.
We are fearfully and wonderfully made (created)
Q & A portion got me thinking. Our human feet are so awesomely designed for any kind of surface if we take it slow and trust the engineering.
One man so epitomized and elevated the potential of His human feet that he was able to walk on water.
Praise the Lord Jesus 👣
We didn't need meat then nor now. Big lie
she tries to get credit for what christopher mc dougall has already exposed in his book "born to run"
Nope, she's trying to spread the word, I think she even mentions his work, so why complain.
That’s like saying math teachers are taking credit for the people who came up with the original principles of arithmetic.
I've been a 5 fingers wearer for over ten years and completed a marathon last Sunday while wearing these minimalist shoes. I hate wearing any shoes with cushioning.
I love barefoot