This post started out as a response to some of the grossly mis-informed, and often hostile, anti-foot comments posted as a response to the article: You Walk Wrong (2008 April 21) by Adam Sternbergh, but, as you can see, I just sort of went on, and on, and on… So let’s get - as the Hash House Harriers say - On On!
Wearing flip-flops will not ”protect” feet from fungus. I work at a university, and I’ve seen people, wearing flip-flops into the shower, then, after a very long time, spent in the shower, scrubbing their feet until they were red, and nearly raw, they shoved their poor feet right back inside a pair of dirty, stinking (literally), athletic shoes. I suppose they brought the flip-flops just for the shower.
Fungus spores aren’t just lying about waiting for us to stomp and rub our bare soles in them. Fungi release spores into the air.
http://www.perspective.com/nature/fungi/
Fungal spores are floating in the air. They land on your clothes and in your shoes and on your skin. These spores are, generally, and fortunately, not a problem. They are just looking for a nice, warm, dark, moist place to raise a family.
Your feet produce about a pint of sweat every day. If you never let your feet air out and never let your feet get some sunshine (nature’s disinfectant), then you are providing fungus, and all sorts of other parasites, food, water, and a nice cozy dark place to thrive.
And, especially if you scrub your feet excessivly, you may also be providing microscopic cracks in which those fungus can hide, even when your feet are not inside shoes. As the colony of fungi thrives, those cracks widen into painful fungus infested fissures. Sometimes it really is better to not scrub too hard! And you think I’ve gone to the extreme by allowing me feet their right to breath.
Take off those shoes, let your shoes have a rest. Put your shoes out in the sun, and give your feet some freedom too. If you believe that you really must wear shoes at work, or every day, then own several pairs and rotate them. Let each pair of shoes air out between wearing. If you can’t afford several pairs of shoes for work, then tell your boss you need a raise to keep working there, UNLESS they can provide you with a work environment conducive to going barefoot! If they aren’t paying you enough to wear clean clothes every day and be healthy, then they aren’t paying you enough!
Treating dry cracked skin with lotions, or protecting feet with shoes, is not as condusive to healthy skin as eating nutritious foods, and, of course, letting our skin breath fresh air, and get some sunlight. Skin grows from the inside. You’re just smearing lotions and other potions on top of dead skin cells, keeping the dead skin cells around longer, which provides more food for fungus and other parasites!
We are made up of the food we eat. Our cells grow healthy when we feed them the right foods - when we feed ourselves right - foods from which WE were originally created - foods that existed before food processing existed. Eat whole natural foods. Eat your fruits and vegetables and nuts! Food, in it’s whole natural form, provides good nutrition. You don’t have to go all the way, but, most of us can certainly make some simple changes and vastly improve our diet.
One commenter mentioned many people in Ethiopia sufferring from dry cracked skin, presumably as a result of going barefoot. But, it isn’t much of a stretch to guess that many people in Ethiopia are sufferring from malnutrition. Likewise, even in the United States, except here, people are malnurished by choice.
And, yes, I know, you’ll have to look about a bit to find real food nowadays. But, you don’t have to look that far. You simply need to open your eyes and, more importantly, your mind, and start thinking differently, start thinking for yourself. Stop depending on commercials to tell you what you should be eating.
Start by veering away from the center aisles at your grocer, away from the fancy over-priced packaged foods (and certainly away from any restaurant that won’t allow you the freedom to be barefoot!), and spend more time in the produce area of your grocer.
Nature has already prepared a wealth of foods for us. There is no need to waste a lot of time and energy (or pay someone else for their time and energy) trying to make food taste better. If your meals need a lot of effort to make them tasty enough to eat, then maybe what you started with is NOT food!
Go on, eat a banana, an orange, a strawberry, and/or some nuts. Enjoy them by themselves, without adding sugar, or removing valuable nutrients by refining them. They are just fine as nature made them.
And guess what? While you don’t have to go to any extreme to improve your diet. Likewise, going barefoot is not an all-or-nothing extremist option.
BUT, going barefoot is an OPTION!
Some of us love going barefoot all day long, most every day. Most of us started like you, wearing shoes, because we thought we had to, because everyone we saw was wearing shoes. I completed my first marathon with shoes, only because I had never seen anyone else run on roads barefoot (more about that later). Then we started going barefoot just once-in-a-while. Soon we noticed that we were putting our shoes on less often, and taking them off every chance we had.
And some of us actually do hate wearing shoes. Traditional shoes deform the human foot for the sake of fashion. And, as a Vegan, I want to avoid wearing dead animal skins. But, as a naturalist, and a person with sensitivity to synthetic materials, I also don’t want to imprison my feet inside plastic tombs. Even a cheap pair of flip-flops cause excessive sweating, and sliminess between the sole of my foot, and the flip-flop. But, more importantly, why would any business manager/owner, especially those in the business of providing a comfortable place to relax, eat, and shop, want to force me into such discomfort? Why should I be required to carry shoes with me everywhere I go, just in case I want, or need, to pop into an establishment for some food or drink.
And am I really that much more tolerable, simply because I’ve covered my feet? Or are the establishment managers simply kidding themselves? I am, after all, the same person - though perhaps a bit less comfortable, and a mite cranky due to that rash, and blister being caused by the shoes you force me to wear as a condition for getting something to eat! More importantly, not only are you kidding yourself, you’re also making me lie about who I really am, and what I believe in.
Would any business get away with requiring patrons to wear a nazi swastika as a condition for entry? Why should I be required to wear, what to me, are not just symbols of repression, but actual torture devices?
It’s true, some of us do have “new-agey” kind of jobs. I, for example, work at a university on computers (nothing more new-agey than computers). But, without a few of us, going to the “extreme”, making the news, willing to question the wisdom of following the herd … over a metaphorical cliff, most of you might not consider baring your soles, even occassionally, for the sake of your own health. Is fashion and comformity really that important to you? Well, that’s your option. But, PLEASE, do NOT make fashion and conformity the law, by legislation, nor by social pressure! Or you may soon find yourself being told to wear things you don’t believe in!
And, NO! Business owners do NOT have unlimited rights to deny service.
But even if you disagree with that, I have often been told by misinformed employees that I could not enter an establishment barefoot, only to find out, after writing a letter to the management, that the establishment has no such policy discriminating against barefooters! So why are some employees so adamant about policies that simply do not exist? Well, I suspect a couple of contributing factors. The first is the prevelance of signs telling us “No Bare Feet by Order of the Health Department”, which, apparently is an out-and-out lie! But, due to their prevalence, many people have given up authority to these misinforming signs. I suppose many of these folks generally have trouble distinguishing between fact and advertising, as I hear many such folks citing advertising slogans as support for their various beliefs.
Finally, some people are as offended by the sight of bare feet, as others are by the sight of people with diverse skin colors, religions, etc..
But, back to the “rights” of business owners.
As a business making profit off our communities - the people - the individuals in that community - businesses are OBLIGED, by LAW, to provide service to that community, not just those folks whom they think are good conformists! That is an essential part of the contract in which we, as a community, grant licenses to businesses, allowing them to operate, and seek profit, in our comminuties.
Such laws protect our RIGHTS as free individuals from the tyranny of the masses, and of the powerful. Owning a business does not make one king! At least NOT in the United States of America! Well, in theory anyway. Of course, as long as we continue to worship the wealthy, we give the wealthy all the power they need to make themselves even more wealthy and powerful. Some of us, like the foundation of this great country, do not recognize the “right” of the wealthy to lord power over the rest of us. But, that’s a whole ‘nother story, so let’s get back to our irregularly scheduled program….
Why do you where shoes? NO! Do not just say, “protection”. I want YOU to think about the question first. I know that your parents probably yelled at you to “Put your shoes on!” But, did your parents always know best? Didn’t they start out as children like the rest of us, maybe even running around barefoot, until their parents yelled at them? Do not quote some commercial you heard, or some sign posted in McDonalds. Anyway, what do bare feet have to do with the sanitation of the food? When was the last time you washed your shoes? And is the food in a restaurant touching the floor before we eat it? Or are you afraid that I’m going to dance barefoot on your table and dishes?
If a restaurant is low enough to lie about the health laws, or doesn’t even know the health regulations, why would anyone want to eat there, barefoot or shod? What other lies are they trying to sell us?
YOU think about why YOU wear shoes. REALLY think about it. Question it … for yourself … just this once! It’s amazing how powerful an open mind can be!
Which reminds me, we KNOW that exercise makes, and keeps every other part of our body strong and healthy. Why should our feet and brains be the only parts that need to be protected from exercise to keem them safe and strong? They aren’t. “Use it or lose it” - applies to the feet and brain too.
If you haven’t thought about the needs of your feet, what else haven’t you thought about? Can you reduce the amout of time you waste in your automobile? Can you reduce the amout of waste you produce? Are we really just “consumers”? Or are we human? … so many questions we should be asking ourselves, at least, once in a while…
But, back, for a moment about nutrition. Our modern fast-food diet has been shoved in our face by mulit-million dollar advertising. There are also millions of dollars spent every year by shoe companies telling us how much we need their product. And guess what? WE have BOUGHT IT, hook, line, and sinker!
For most of us in the United States, that is the only excuse we have for being malnurished, and for chronic shoe-wearing. And it is’nt even a very good excuse! What ever happened to asking the question, “What are you trying to sell us?” And, “How much of my hard-earned money do you want for that garbage?” Follow the money! Then you’ll see why we don’t hear so much about the benefits of going barefoot, or eating foods that simply grow in nature, instead of being put together (or taken apart) in a factory!
Why do feet, that have brought us this far, need shoes? Mostly because we are wearing them, in some cases, from the cradle to the grave. And our feet never get a chance to develop into the strong healthy foundation for our body that they were intended to be.
What about heat and cold. Well, surprisingly, many people living in deserts often go barefoot, at least until they are adults and can afford shoes. I was once asked about running barefoot on hot surfaces, by some students from Kuwait. Then, as I began explaining about how my feet cool off, while flying through the air, between touching the asphalt, their faces light up, and they began recalling playing soccer in the desert, at 120 degrees, on hot sand, while barefoot. Why hadn’t they remembered this experience at first? Because it wasn’t a problem for children who live and play in the desert barefoot on a regular basis.
Cold is another issue. Personally, I don’t think humans are very well designed to live in cold climates. And yet, we do. And in many places, people much tougher than myself, do manage going barefoot just fine.
But, then I’ve never been a very tough guy. That’s why I never ran more than one marathon (26.2 miles) with shoes. It simply hurts too much, and I could see no point in torturing myself like that again. On the other hand, I have completed 65 marathons, as well as hundreds of shorter races, and even a 50K trail run (31 miles), all barefoot, and honestly, quite comfortably.
What about injuries while barefoot? It’s true, but in the words of Frank Sinatra, ”I’ve had a few, but then again, too few to mention”. UNLESS, you want toask me about injuries caused by shoes! THAT, IS a different story! Because of shoes in school, much of my childhood was spent with blistered and often bleeding feet. My most severe sprains happened because my shoes wouldn’t let my ankles bend naturally, or because my soles couldn’t feel the edge of a surface. So many times, while barefoot, and stepping on the edge of a curb, or cracked pavement, my ankles have been saved me, by knowing EXACTLY WHERE the edge of a surface was touching the sole of my foot, allowing me to respond appropriately.
I spent many years, and lots of money in my adulthood, buying and trying various shoes, to try to make my feet happy. But, my feet were only happy, when outside of shoes.
When I completed my first marathon (26.2 miles), my feet were completely blistered and raw … EXCEPT my soles. My soles were fine, because, in addition to walking and running in shoes, I spent a lot of time walking and running barefoot.
So, the obvious question, is it possible to complete a marathon BAREFOOT, without injury? The short answer; my first barefoot marathon, despite one small cut on the side of one foot, was half-an-hour faster than my only shod marathon. And that was not because the course was flatter or faster. Quite the opposite. The shod marathon was on a flat fast course on city streets. My first barefoot marathon was on mountainous trails, jumping over logs, and crossing icey streams. The difference in time was mostly because I didn’t have to walk the last 6 miles of my barefoot marathon with severe foot pain, trying to minimize the rubbing of my shoes against the skin of my feet.
The longer and still continuing answer: I’ve completed 65 marathons barefoot in the last 10 years!
Modern surfaces and bare feet. That one cut I got during my first barefoot marathon, was on natural trails. Most of the marathons I have run barefoot since then, have been on asphalt and concrete. I’ll tell you right now, that asphalt and concrete, for the most part, are much EASIER on the feet than many “natural” trails. Humans did not invent hard surfaces and litter. So let’s stop taking the credit for inventing litter. Believe it or not, our barefoot ancestors probably walked on a much wider, and more hazardous surfaces than just finely groomed golf courses and soft un-littered beach sand! I have also run a 50K (over 31 miles) trail race barefoot, and much of it was on granite mountain trails. Granite, is harder than asphalt, and probably even concrete.
The key to running on any surface, hard or soft, is to stop running as if our shoes, or a cushiony surface is giong to protect us from impact. I’ve seen a lot of you shoddies running with stiff legs! We have knees, and our knees are designed to bend for a reason. Let your knees relax and bend. Now there’s some real springs!
Other trails I’ve run on, have often been littered with broken rocks, and sharp sticks. Beaches? That’s where I see all you city folks cut your feet on clam shells buried in the sand! I’m not trying to scare you away from going barefoot, but the reality is, the city may just be one of the most barefoot friendly environments you can expose your feet to!
And speaking of natural environments - what’s so natural about the environment inside your shoe? Even though your feet are probably conditioned more for shoe-wearing than mine, you’re still bathing your feet in toxic materials all day long.
I can understand that many people don’t understand the advantages of going barefoot, at least not right off the bat. After all, it hurts when you first take those over-protected appendages out of shoes, and try to walk barefoot for the first time. After all, you are exercising parts of your body that haven’t been exercised properly since you first became addicted to shoe-wearing. Start short, slow, and build gradually, like you would with any exercise program. Take time to learn, as well as to condition your feet. Lots of resources on-line, just do a search for walking, hiking, or running barefoot.
What I do have trouble understanding, is why so much hostility towards those of us who love our feet, and choose not to imprison them? Yes, my feet are strong, not because they were born that way. I ain’t no superman! My feet were once soft, squishy, baby feet, much like yours. But, I grew up in rural northern Michigan. And while I didn’t go outside barefoot much in the cold winter, I was nearly always barefoot, or in socks when in the house.
But, when the spring came, we couldn’t wait to cast off our shoes, play barefoot, and wriggle our toes in the mud. Thus our feet developed, and grew healthy arches, strong bones, tendons, ligaments, and all the rest (here on Gilligan’s Island…).
Why don’t I hear complaints at all about those ridiculous shoe advertisements, that imply if we wear the right brand of shoes, we can all be just like some super athlete? Those athletes didn’t get where they are because of the shoes they seem to be endorsing. They got those shoe endorsement deals because of their own amazing abilities!
I wasn’t born with any kind of gift to be a super athlete. When I was young, I was the last guy you wanted on your team because of my lack of athletic ability. As a young man, with shoes, I was just another mediocre runner, getting painful blisters from my shoes, anytiome I tried running more than 10-15 miles.
Running barefoot in hundreds of races, and dozens of full-marathons (26.2 miles), I am featured all around the world, in magazines, newspapers, television, radio, and even on the internet!
So, yes, YOUR feet are weak, soft, and probably deformed! What are you going to do about it? Keep on punishing them with a lifetime prison sentence? Settling for pain, because you want to be a part of the crowd? Or let your feet get out, even if just occassionally, for a walk or even a run?
And why are some of you so hostile towards those of us who have discovered that our feet really are better off without shoes? Why do you want to hurt us so much? Both with trying to force our feet into prisons, and with name-calling? And what’s so bad about being a “hippie” anyway? We brought social conciousness to the world (with a little help from the television). Anyway, we aren’t all drug and sex addicts. Some non-hippies are. And isn’t chronic shoe-wearing, weakening and deforming your feet, and making your feet smell really, really bad, a nasty habit?
Why don’t you want us to share our experiences with others? Is it because, unlike the shoe companies, we don’t have the millions of dollars to spend on advertising? Why don’t you want us to let people know that they have a choice, a chance to try going barefoot, and possibly, to grow a pair … of healthy feet.
Have fun,
-barefoot ken bob
http://RunningBarefoot.org
