Shoes

I'm going to talk about footwear.

Less is more.

I have talked to many people who have told me that running will destroy my knees, and yet my knees are fine.  I've also talked to folks who insist on wearing high-heal boots/shoes who have all these knee problems, but who do not run.  Even their doctors have told them that the high heals are bad for them and, yet, they still wear them.  Why?  Victims of fashion.  That's right.  Fashion victims should be pitied, not judged, but ultimately shouldn't we be at least informed?

The fact, based on a lot of research, is that barefoot is best.  From the time my child was born, our doctor told us this.  It is best for balance, feel, and overall posture that the child learns to walk barefoot.  If that is true for a child, doesn't it make sense that it is true for us too?

The other night in worship, my wife despaired that our 4 year old had taken off both his shoes and socks and was running around... again.  I said, "well, it can't hurt him.  It's really what we should all do!"  I truly believe this.  That is why I do not insist that he (our 4 year old) should always have shoes on.  I've even run with him, completely barefoot up and down the street in front of our house.  No one was injured and no one complained.

A few years ago I, like many other people, read the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougal.  This book changed the way I looked at running.  He had found this tribe in Mexico, the Tarahumara, who ran (faster and longer than we do) with either a special kind of sandal or completely barefoot.  This book alone triggered a barefoot/minimalist running movement and for good reason.  There is a lot of research that supports such an idea.

For years and years, we have been advised to choose shoes with good support.   These shoes usually had good, sturdy heals.  We were also told that the very best way to run was from heal to toe.   If there were running injuries or problems, there was a shoe for you.  Under/over pronation, high/low/normal arch, etc.  Doctors were prescribing orthotics for those who were having problems with their feet/ankles/hips, etc.  but nothing was really working.

Then the barefoot boom started.  People with bad knees/hips/feet/etc were suddenly reporting that they were cured.  People like me were flocking to try on these "barefoot running shoes".  Some of us boneheads were falling into the "too much too soon" categories and getting injured.  It all happened too fast.  I was told that minimalist running accounts for 10% of total sales of running shoes.  That makes sense because I have rarely run into someone with my same philosophies regarding running.

I do believe that we were designed by God to have everything necessary to go well beyond what we think we are capable of doing today.  I also believe that running shoes have encouraged and prevented many a potential runner from going long distances or from being a runner for life.  I also believe that running shoes companies truly believed in what they were developing and selling, but I am ultimately a minimalist.

If God created and designed us to run, then he gave us everything necessary to do this.  If we evolved then it was the runners that stayed alive to perpetuated the species.  Therefore, we were born and designed to work and to run.  So, if that is all true then no wonder barefoot running, when done properly, has cured many of us who have had knee, ankle, hip, and foot problems.  No matter what your arch is like... no matter what your pronating persuasion is.

My advice today?  Get to know your feet.  At least 2-3 times a week, take off your shoes and socks and run in your yard (or someone elses ;-))  for 15-20 minutes.  Over time, you'll notice your stride is completely different and that any problems you might have physically might just work themselves out.  At the very least you'll know, unless you want to go minimalist, I am the worst person to ask for shoe advice.