If You're Curious About Barefoot
I happened upon it all by accident people. Well, sort of. Traditional physical therapy schools do not teach a great deal on the foot, at least in the same way they teach about the hand. That is why many people seek out occupational therapists or hand specialists for hand problems and podiatrists for foot/ankle problems. But when I had problems that I couldn't fully explain, when I felt I was doing everything right I could possibly do and yet my pain remained, I decided to do what I'd be advised against doing for most of my life. I took off my shoes.
Since February 2010 (has worsened each year), I've had progressive problems with my right hip. I've looked back through my old running logs and found that I'd had some arch pain in my right foot previously, but it never caused me to stop training, or really slow down even, so my memory never really gave it a nod until I went back to my log. Injuries have included: right hip - osteitis pubis, piriformis syndrome, pulled hamstring, pulled groin/hip flexor, and generalized pain in the hip. Occasional pain in the right arch.
There was a period in 2013 when I started wearing a more minimal shoe than the stability shoes I was used to...and I had to learn to land mid-foot/fore-foot because heel striking was painful. I recall my right hip feeling better during that phase of running, but I made a shoe change to Altra in order to go completely zero drop and I developed plantar fasciitis. THIS IS THE MISTAKE I MADE - I incorrectly assumed my plantar pain was due to the short bouts of barefoot jogging I was doing at the time, but what I have discovered now is that it was more likely the STIFFNESS in the Altra shoe that was over-stressing my foot.
For most of 2014 I suffered through the heel pain and did what the podiatrists told me to do. I refused to get an injection of any kind or try extra-corporal shockwave therapy to remedy the situation. I felt there was a missing piece to my problem and I wasn't interesting in covering it up by treating the symptoms. Still, I was very, very, very frustrated.
Then, in early December 2014, I went rogue and took off my shoes. After wearing 4 different custom sets of orthotics (and 2-3 different over-the-counter sets), and straining my right groin badly in August from compensating, I realized that nothing on the market existed that would fix the problem. Why it didn't hit me before, I cannot say. I'd alway felt my right hip and foot problems were related and could best be described as a "disconnect" in my body. Finally I decided enough was enough...
By mid-January 2015 I was walking barefoot very comfortably and started taking frequent barefoot walks outside on terrain that would toughen by pads. While my right hip seemed to feel much better when I went barefoot, the groin still acted up and got tight on occasion so I was leery about trying running.
By early-February I started doing a little bit of jogging to test things out. I gained immediate feedback with each step I took (mostly barefoot but occasionally in my ZEM XT 360 or Vibram 5-fingers. What I noticed is that my entire body changed the way it moved (and it felt much better and more natural). I also noticed that going barefoot was still very different than running in minimalist or barefoot shoes. So I prefer barefoot as much as possible but carry my shoes with my in my hands always in case I need them. My groin started to feel better...running barefoot actually made my groin feel better than 5.5 months of rest from running.
I have also done a test 2-mile run in neutral cushioned shoes and my old orthotics. I had hip pain and heel pain the entire time.
So far I've gone as far as 3.5 miles (combination of barefoot and Zem shoes) and it's felt day and night compared to running in traditional modern shoes. The tests will continue, but understand that I have no ego in this. I've struggled with injury for years. So this is my way of finding the truth. My hypothesis is that as my feet become stronger and my body more coordinated, my movement smoother, I will be able to return to everything I once loved and still love; long-distance trail running, all normal lower body movements (squatting, lunging, etc), and normal day to day activities without pain. I'm on my way, this month has been greater progress than I've seen in well over a year and I see no end to the possibilities.
-I don't believe that our feet are "born broken." If we had crappy feet, we would not have survived as a species. Enough said on that, we're all here.
-Shoe perpetuate shoes. If you've worn a cast most of your life, you will feel the need to always have that support. All shoes change how we walk which I would argue (and science supports), changes how you move from your feet all the way up through the knees, hips, and spine. If shoes cause you or allow you to get away with bad movement habits, you will feel the need to rely on shoes until you reverse the trend and develop more normal foot/ankle function and re-learn to move properly. This can only be done by going barefoot...studies show even a minimalist shoe changes how you move.
- Sensory feedback from the foot sole is used by the brain to modify our steps as we walk (as demonstrated by Canadian researcher Benno Nig). "Tactile feedback of the terrain is crucial to protecting the joints of the body from undue impact while walking and running. Sensory receptors in the skin of the foot can trigger reflexes that modify muscle activity in the legs in fewer than 100 milliseconds...sensory feedback is compromised-maybe even eliminated-by wearing shoes."
-"Shoe design is not driven by the structure and function of the foot but by fashion and centuries-old traditions. What's more, it is entirely possible that no shoe could ever be designed that doesn't impact foot function and health in some way..." For example, studies show that ankle sprains are much more likely when wearing a shoe with an elevated heel. While some shoes are more dangerous than others, no shoes are best for protection against ankle sprains.
Shoes can do the following:
An excellent NPR pod-cast, "Feet Hurt, Stop Wearing Shoes."
They say all you need to run is a good pair of shoes.Well that's debatable.Please allow me to get this part out of the way; if my foot is crushed by heavy object and I have some broken bones, I'm not going straight to a physical therapist for care. I need to see another professional, preferably the most specialized in the field, a foot surgeon who does almost nothing but that type of surgery, so he or she can piece my foot back together. That said, most of us who experience foot and ankle pain (or knee, hip, spine pain), don't really need surgery. It's not a traumatic injury that has grossly modified our anatomy, but rather, it's our body sending us a signal about the way we're moving (or not moving). The problem is very different and the solution is too.
A Timeline of Injury
Since February 2010 (has worsened each year), I've had progressive problems with my right hip. I've looked back through my old running logs and found that I'd had some arch pain in my right foot previously, but it never caused me to stop training, or really slow down even, so my memory never really gave it a nod until I went back to my log. Injuries have included: right hip - osteitis pubis, piriformis syndrome, pulled hamstring, pulled groin/hip flexor, and generalized pain in the hip. Occasional pain in the right arch.
There was a period in 2013 when I started wearing a more minimal shoe than the stability shoes I was used to...and I had to learn to land mid-foot/fore-foot because heel striking was painful. I recall my right hip feeling better during that phase of running, but I made a shoe change to Altra in order to go completely zero drop and I developed plantar fasciitis. THIS IS THE MISTAKE I MADE - I incorrectly assumed my plantar pain was due to the short bouts of barefoot jogging I was doing at the time, but what I have discovered now is that it was more likely the STIFFNESS in the Altra shoe that was over-stressing my foot.
For most of 2014 I suffered through the heel pain and did what the podiatrists told me to do. I refused to get an injection of any kind or try extra-corporal shockwave therapy to remedy the situation. I felt there was a missing piece to my problem and I wasn't interesting in covering it up by treating the symptoms. Still, I was very, very, very frustrated.
Then, in early December 2014, I went rogue and took off my shoes. After wearing 4 different custom sets of orthotics (and 2-3 different over-the-counter sets), and straining my right groin badly in August from compensating, I realized that nothing on the market existed that would fix the problem. Why it didn't hit me before, I cannot say. I'd alway felt my right hip and foot problems were related and could best be described as a "disconnect" in my body. Finally I decided enough was enough...
By mid-January 2015 I was walking barefoot very comfortably and started taking frequent barefoot walks outside on terrain that would toughen by pads. While my right hip seemed to feel much better when I went barefoot, the groin still acted up and got tight on occasion so I was leery about trying running.
By early-February I started doing a little bit of jogging to test things out. I gained immediate feedback with each step I took (mostly barefoot but occasionally in my ZEM XT 360 or Vibram 5-fingers. What I noticed is that my entire body changed the way it moved (and it felt much better and more natural). I also noticed that going barefoot was still very different than running in minimalist or barefoot shoes. So I prefer barefoot as much as possible but carry my shoes with my in my hands always in case I need them. My groin started to feel better...running barefoot actually made my groin feel better than 5.5 months of rest from running.
I have also done a test 2-mile run in neutral cushioned shoes and my old orthotics. I had hip pain and heel pain the entire time.
So far I've gone as far as 3.5 miles (combination of barefoot and Zem shoes) and it's felt day and night compared to running in traditional modern shoes. The tests will continue, but understand that I have no ego in this. I've struggled with injury for years. So this is my way of finding the truth. My hypothesis is that as my feet become stronger and my body more coordinated, my movement smoother, I will be able to return to everything I once loved and still love; long-distance trail running, all normal lower body movements (squatting, lunging, etc), and normal day to day activities without pain. I'm on my way, this month has been greater progress than I've seen in well over a year and I see no end to the possibilities.
A summary of why I now go barefoot as often as possible for my health.
-I don't believe that our feet are "born broken." If we had crappy feet, we would not have survived as a species. Enough said on that, we're all here.
-Shoe perpetuate shoes. If you've worn a cast most of your life, you will feel the need to always have that support. All shoes change how we walk which I would argue (and science supports), changes how you move from your feet all the way up through the knees, hips, and spine. If shoes cause you or allow you to get away with bad movement habits, you will feel the need to rely on shoes until you reverse the trend and develop more normal foot/ankle function and re-learn to move properly. This can only be done by going barefoot...studies show even a minimalist shoe changes how you move.
- Sensory feedback from the foot sole is used by the brain to modify our steps as we walk (as demonstrated by Canadian researcher Benno Nig). "Tactile feedback of the terrain is crucial to protecting the joints of the body from undue impact while walking and running. Sensory receptors in the skin of the foot can trigger reflexes that modify muscle activity in the legs in fewer than 100 milliseconds...sensory feedback is compromised-maybe even eliminated-by wearing shoes."
-"Shoe design is not driven by the structure and function of the foot but by fashion and centuries-old traditions. What's more, it is entirely possible that no shoe could ever be designed that doesn't impact foot function and health in some way..." For example, studies show that ankle sprains are much more likely when wearing a shoe with an elevated heel. While some shoes are more dangerous than others, no shoes are best for protection against ankle sprains.
Shoes can do the following:
To read more in depth, read "Why Shoes Make Normal Gait Impossible."
- Diminish the flexibility of the foot and toes (due to rigid footbeds)
- Reduce the length, strength, and lower of the Achille's tendon and calf muscle (due to elevated heel or cushion)
- Reduce the gripping and push-off function of the toes (due to "toe spring")
- Virtually eliminate sensory feedback between the sensitive sole and the brain
- Redistribute the body weight and load-bearing placements in the foot
- Alter the positions of the joints in the foot, ankle, knee, hip, and spine
- Dramatically reduce the spring action of the arch
- Reduce considerably the shock-absorbing function of the arch
An excellent NPR pod-cast, "Feet Hurt, Stop Wearing Shoes."
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