Going Barefoot

So, if you will ignore my hairy man legs in these pictures, you will see one of my favorite pieces of exercise 'equipment' ever.











Vibram FiveFingers. These things are amazing. They are the closest thing to being barefoot without actually being barefoot.

I love being barefoot. I hate shoes! lol I find them to be very uncomfortable. For this reason, I try to go barefoot as much as possible. If I have to wear footwear, I always pick either flip flops or Sanuks.

The problem with both of those above? Not good workout shoes..not at all. That is where my FiveFingers come in. As much as I love to be barefoot, I don't want to go running around in areas with possible broken glass or other hazards completely barefoot. And, for some reason, I lack the courage to hike barefoot. Vibrams offer good protection while still allowing my feet to be flexible, free, and build strength in the bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments that inhabbit your feet.

Why go barefoot? Aren't these cushioned shoes with tons of support supposed to be good for us? I'm afraid not. These modern shoes are like putting our feet in a cast. Wearing shoes with cushion and support all the time; to work, exercising, around the house, around the town, etc; contributes to weakend feet, fallen arches, shortened tendons and calf muscles, causes your hamstrings and quadriceps to develop imbalances, effects posture, and can create chronic pain.

After a lifetime of wearing protective shoes, your body will need some time to adjust, to strengthen your feet. So start small, and work your way up. In time, your feet will feel amazing without shoes.