Originally Posted by
rsvman
So, I got intrigued by some YouTube commercials into trying a pair of minimalist shoes. The concept behind them is that humans were meant to walk essentially barefoot, with no "toe drop" and no arch support, and receiving input from the ground through nerves on the bottom of the foot. Modern shoes are overly cushioned, generally have a raised heel, and are not flexible, which interferes with all of the things your foot was meant to do. They say that arch support is only necessary because the shoes are making people's feet week, and taking away the intended function of the foot. The belief is that shoes should only protect the foot from injury, but otherwise let the foot do what feet were designed to do.
So, anyway, I decided to give these a try, and bought a pair of casual shoes from a company called Xeroshoes. They are completely flat, have a 5 mm insert, and a flexible sole (the shoe can be rolled up into a ball). There is no cushioning, and no arch support. They are very light, as you can imagine.
So, I wore them around the house for a few days in an attempt to get the hang of it, and then I wore them to work yesterday and walked on them all day. It was interesting. I found that I had to alter the way I walk. With regular shoes, I take very long strides and land pretty hard on the heel. With these shoes, that's really a no-go. FWIW, the makers of the shoes say that walking in a way that makes these shoes more comfortable is a more natural way to walk and is better for your ankles, knees, and hips. I don't really know, one way or the other, but you do have to walk a bit differently.
After a full day, I had some soreness in the feet and in the calves. They say this is good, because it means you are actually using muscles that you haven't used in a long time.
I dunno. Intellectually, I think what they are saying makes some sense. They have some data that show that people who walk barefoot or wear minimalist shoes have stronger feet and perhaps have fewer foot problems over time. On the other hand it was kind of weird feeling like I had to learn how to walk all over again (although I do accept that some people develop bad habits in movement and have to retrain, like Zion with the Pelicans).
What do you think? Have you seen ads for this type of shoe? Do you think it makes sense? Have you ever tried this type of shoe? If so, did you like it? Anybody converted over completely? Just interested in any thoughts anybody might have...I feel like I'm out here way away from the norm and I want to know that I'm not the only person in the world who is trying out these shoes...