Feeling the world with our feet

The Memories and Instinct:

                There is some sort of inherent need to move our bodies. It is most natural in all of us especially when we are children. To run, to play, to dance, to climb, to jump, frolic and leap. As children we can’t sit still, and then slowly our spirits and bodies get tamed.

                We grow up and put on shoes. All sorts of shoes, flip flops, sandals, sneakers, boots, high heels… it is then that we stop exercising our feet the way. They are just there, as an appendage. We use them day to day but do we ever think of them? The toes, the in-between the toes, the ball of the foot, the arch, the heel, the ankle…

                As a child I remember running through the jungles in India, cautious yet very care free. Running fast, wind in my hair, sand flying up behind me… Remember the time you walked barefoot on the beach, and the sand scrubs against the bottom of your feet, gently so. The waves wash over your feet, and you can wiggle your toes into the sand, and it slightly tickles.

                Climbing a tree, we can feel all the different textures of the bark. Using our feet to grasp, hug and cling to the tree limbs, almost monkey like. To dangle our feet from the tree and feel the breeze caress our bare soles. Climbing rocks, feeling the marble of the Taj Mahal under your feet, the hot desert sand, the furry dog. Go ahead take your shoes off, wiggle your toes, and stretch the feet!

                Now by habit we put on shoes before going out, we even wear them indoors. We wear shoes so often that wearing fresh socks is such an exhilarating sensation for our feet! Our shoes do protect us from getting our toes stubbed, protects our feet from all sorts of damages, apart from surviving many other functions. What is missing, however, in this foot-shoe relationship, is the connection between us and the environment. The shoe creates a gap between that. We stop feeling the world with our feet.

The Science:

                I read an article in Cleveland Fitness magazine about barefoot running, and how more people are doing it. It actually helps the feet grow stronger, more muscles are used in the entire body. There is less impact, because instead of striking the ground with the heel each time, you land on the mid to upper parts of the sole (excuse me for I do not know the exact terminology for parts of the foot). Of course barefoot running maybe painful; after so many years of wearing shoes our feet are so tender, soft and sensitive, that most rough and hard surfaces hurt our feet. So I would say start little at a time. However after reading the article I began running, with the thought in my head - heck I did this as a child, I should be able to run miles barefoot. Alas, my thinking was wrong, and to just run 3 miles barefoot on a trail is a bad idea, and can lead to injuries especially when those muscles have not been used in a while. So start by walking short distance, and then increasing slowly. Then jog, and then run, over a longer period of time. There are many videos online, and websites which talk about this, and studies have been done.

                After much research I also found anti-barefoot websites. Seemed like Shoes were the major religion, and barefoot was the anti-religion, it was rather odd to see such hatred against people who just choose not to wear shoes. On a tangent... aren't there tonnes of guys who work outdoors in the summer with no t-shirts on? How is not wearing shoes SUCH A BAD THING? Seems a little extreme. However I think we have done it before, we can try it again.

(for more reading: "Born to Run" - Christopher McDougall;
http://www.chrismcdougall.com/
http://www.barefootrunningbook.com/ ;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barefoot_running#Prominent_barefooters ;
http://therunningbarefoot.com/ ;
http://www.barefootrunner.com/ ;
http://www.barefoot-running.com/ ;
http://www.runbare.com/ ;
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100127134241.htm ;
http://www.sportsci.org/jour/0103/mw.htm ;
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-240-319--6728-0,00.html ;
http://www.runtheplanet.com/trainingracing/training/alternative/barefoot.asp ;
http://zenhabits.net/barefoot-running/ ;
http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/sports/technology/4314401 ;
http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2010/01/28/shoeless_running_may_spare_feet/ ; http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/ ;
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-01/barefoot-running-study-finds-your-sneakers-are-unnatural ; http://ezinearticles.com/?Research-on-Barefoot-Running&id=4343746 ;
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2008/04/running-technique-footstrike.html ;
http://www.popsci.com/entertainment-amp-gaming/article/2009-05/running-barefoot ;

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20100127/barefoot-running-laced-with-health-benefits ;
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/runningworkouts/a/Barefoot-Running.htm ;
http://www.therunningfront.com/natural-running/beware-of-barefoot-running-injuries/ ;
http://www.foot-health-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17587

        

The Non-Shoe Shoe:

               The Vibram FiveFingers, a little over priced, but an awesome shoe with technology that makes being barefoot fun yet reduces the stress and pain of running barefoot for the first time. There are different types, with different amounts of support, and thickness of the sole. I tried them on and loved it, I was looking for new hiking/running shoes and settled for this. Although I should have started slowly, I kinda jumped into it, and now I'm taking it slowly, after reading about it a lot.

Barefoot:

             Finally, let's say you have urge to go hiking after work and you just don't have your shoes for some reason, go barefoot run on the grassy portions. Just go barefoot!