Shoes are evil.

Last year, researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, published a study titled “Shod Versus Unshod: The Emergence of Forefoot Pathology in Modern Humans?” in the podiatry journal The Foot. The study examined 180 modern humans from three different population groups (Sotho, Zulu, and European), comparing their feet to one another’s, as well as to the feet of 2,000-year-old skeletons. The researchers concluded that, prior to the invention of shoes, people had healthier feet.

Among the modern subjects, the Zulu population, which often goes barefoot, had the healthiest feet while the Europeans—i.e., the habitual shoe-wearers—had the unhealthiest. One of the lead researchers, Dr. Bernhard Zipfel, when commenting on his findings, lamented that the American Podiatric Medical Association does not “actively encourage outdoor barefoot walking for healthy individuals. This flies in the face of the increasing scientific evidence, including our study, that most of the commercially available footwear is not good for the feet.”


http://nymag.com/health/features/46213/

Interesting article about the detrimental effects shoe-wearing has on our bodies. Think I might pick up some of those crazy Five Fingers sock-shoes.

 

Seems to be a lot of coverage about this lately; Drs Dugas and Tucker have a related 3-part article that can be found here, at The Science Of Sport. Wordy, but worth it.

I've been eye-balling those Vibram five fingers...

 

They do look funky I must admit

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/barefooting/barefoot_running.cfm


I have never heard of them before though

 

Nice articles guys. I've been hearing a lot about this topic lately. A lot of S & C coaches seem to be commenting on it as well.

 

Yeah, thanks revok. I used to make fun of my g/f's toe socks, now I'm looking at toe shoes. If I buy a pair of those she'll never let me live it down.

 

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/products_sprint.cfm

Ironically, they don't seem to recommend sprinting for the Five Fingers Sprint. :icon_chee

I agree with the author in the link Mike posted when he said...

That's something to really keep in mind. Just don't make drastic changes if you're an avid runner or that could also mess you up.

 

Apparently there are some drawbacks to the Five fingers - the stitching is not tremendously tough and they can be uncomfortable if, like me, your second toe is longer than your big toe. Knowing this I'm not sure I'll be dropping

 

I was thinking that about the 'sprint' shoes lol

I was also thinking I wouldn't wear them to run on tarmac/the road. I'd be too weary of getting a injury (the body wasn't designed to run in shoes, but it also wasn't designed to run on tarmac with no give).

 

I've been wanting to get my hands (er, feet) on some Nike frees since they came out...
same concept of minimal footwear, and allowing the foot to move naturally, but much more visually palatable than these 'fivefingers,' which are about as aesthetically pleasing as crocs.

 

Find some grass and do your sprints barefoot (ie: track infield).

Those shoes are interesting, but they remind me of

 

I do my cleans barefoot, and I must say there is something tremendously comfortable and satisfying about it.

 

I do all my lifts barefoot, but I'd like to try barefoot running...without actually being barefoot and shredding my feet.

 

Nice finds. I love the feeling of walking barefoot. I do all my exercises barefoot (Ross training in the bedroom and basement). I played a game of touch football recently barefoot, and it was exhilarating. I do always fear sprinting and hitting something like an acorn, though. I just keep picturing how much it'll hurt. Makes me wonder about how much the ancestors ran/sprinted.

 

Going barefoot exposes toes to severe damage. Can the toe shoes protect against this? I do not see how it can protect against breaking a toe.

I do MA and weightlifting barefoot and love it.

Not brave enough to run through grass or down a track without spending a bunch of time feeling around for stuff that will break my toes. Even then I would probably be mentally distracted enough that the workout would be pointless.

 

I have achilles problems most times- probably from sprinting/running up hills (mainly on pavement). I can't see how "these" types of shoes or barefoot running would help.

 

very interesting articles, thanks for the info... i been doing II 50 day plan barefoot, but its indoors and in my back yard... i love the concept of the toe shoes, specialy for light trail running and the swimming that accompanies it.

the look... not so much...

 

I hear ya, I feel way more... connected (not like New-Age connected) when I lift bare foot.

When I was doing the Magic 60, the main limiting factor was my feet hurt near the end, cause of shoes. Usually I do that type of shit after the gym is close, and I'm barefoot.

Also, next time you're in Calgary:
MEC
830 - 10th Avenue SW
Calgary, AB, CANADA
T2R 0A9
(403) 269-2420

I'm gonna check these out next week in Van, time permitting

 

I just read Joseph Froncioni's article. Seems when he mentions "racing flats", ie, shoes that provide less cushioning and no arch support, he completely forgot about Chucks. Chuck Taylor's are flat, have very little cushioning, and are very light. One of my heros, Rock Balboa, has been reppin' the chucks for fitness since the 70s.

 

Fuck yeah. I've been saying that shorts + chuck high tops + high socks are the pinnacle of fitness fashion...nobody believes me.

 

Yeah so, I got to the park last night about 9 and decided to go au naturale...

Motherfucker, wet grass is COLD.