It has cooled down a bit outside so after a glorious summer I put jeans on again. Along with jeans come shoes.
And I love shoes. Lots and lots of shoes. Wearing three or four different pair over the course of a day is actually good for you.
This summer though, I wore the same pair of sneakers— the Merrell Vapor Glove— which can hardly be called a sneaker as they barely exist, every day.
Love doesn’t cut it when summing up my appreciation of the Vapor Glove.
Other shoes graced my feet, but for the most part it was nothing but the Vapor Glove, which means I was all but barefoot.
This past summer for my family was a mix and mash of locales. There were plenty of long walks on city streets but also a fair share of dirt, grass, rock and sand.
My feet have never felt better.
Strong and supple, they never get tired or feel sore. My back has never felt better though, full disclosure, I am still dealing with a neck thing for what will be two years this winter.
The whole point of this preamble is to say that there is no reason to wear shoes with anything but the most minimal sole.
And the reason to point this out is the difficulty fighting against preconceived notions about what keeps us out of pain.
So many of my clients and students wear orthotics and believe that supportive shoes are good for you. I am always amazed when I hear someone tell me that their doctor told them never to go barefoot again.
To walk barefoot is to use your body as designed. Walking barefoot, and walking correctly (not a given) is healing.
When the feet move with dynamic patterns the effects reverberate up and down the body. When the feet have limited movement in well supported hard soled shoes the body is all too static.
By learning to move correctly and using your feet as much as possible gives you the best chance to age gracefully.
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