Barefoot?

In this house, unless you are Chris, the minute you enter, you strip off your shoes and socks and go barefoot - or you put on a flimsy pair of flip flops to provide a bit of protection from the rouge Lego that's out to cause you pain.  I've never liked wearing shoes.  Recently, shoes have been causing me pain.  I went through 4 pairs of shoes during nursing school trying to find a pair I could stand in for 10 hours at clinical.  I didn't have much success.

A friend of mine (Holla, Dee!) has been talking to me recently about the benefits of not wearing shoes.  I finally cornered her this week and had a good conversation where I could pick her brain about how this works and what it means.  She has done plenty of research, and directed me toward some good articles.  Here's one, if you're interested: You Walk Wrong.  This author makes some great, logical points about the use of shoes.  

As I started thinking about it, I realized a few things.  First, I have acknowledged the existence of this "barefoot" movement - I've seen people walking around in those weird finger shoes, and yes, I've thought they were a little off.  My brother had a pair on one time, I don't even think I brought up how odd they looked.  Second, a lot of this makes sense.  Many people on the earth don't wear shoes, and for lots of different reasons.  I don't really like shoes - they are linked to PAIN for me, no matter what kind.  And I'm not a buyer of ridiculous amounts of shoes, so I'm not having to battle ending an affair by discontinuing shoes.  Third, ballet dancers don't wear shoes.  Not point dancers, those shoes are crazy.  Regular ballet dancers wear a tiny slip of leather under their feet.  It provides absolutely no support.  Yet these dancers are some of the strongest humans - it's certainly not attributable to their shoes!  They clearly have strong feet, ankles, knees, hips...etc.  Oddly enough, that thought process is what convinced me more than anything to give this crazy thing a try.

The main problem is that the outside is gross.  Not as gross as 3 kid socks stuck in your washer for who knows how long, but close.  There are various kinds of "shoes" available to deal with this.  Shoes that don't function like normal shoes with giant piles of padding and heel cushion and air bubble technology.  Shoes that simply protect your feet, and allow you as best as possible, when it's not possible, to be barefoot.  

Frankly, I think these shoes are hideous.  I look like a hobbit.  Hobbits are cool, don't get me wrong, but those feet are not.  

My first test run was to jump on the treadmill and try these out.  I didn't walk long, but while I was walking, nothing weird happened - no searing pain in the balls of my feet.  What did happen is that I had a lot better balance, and I felt like my toes were actually useful for the first time ever in a pair of "shoes."  And I didn't have to worry about damaging myself if I scuffed or had some other weird treadmill accident.  

I'm going to work on getting used to these, so expect to see my crazy blue toe feet soon.  I have big hopes for these, especially to help with exercising and getting the rest of that weight off!