Foot loose and fancy free

…No, I’m not listening to the latest Rod Stewart. I’m the proud owner of a new pair of Vibram Five Fingers, the latest craze for “barefoot” running/walking. Before you roll your eyes & think “here we go again” (*cough* mom & dad *cough*), let me describe my experience with these oh-so-weird-yet-oddly-intriguing shoes. Yes, they are considered shoes.

More & more people are arguing the benefits of barefoot walking/running. Essentially, they say, we have ruined our feet by cramming them in unnatural, stiff shoes. Our feet have 26 bones (the two feet contain a quarter of all the bones in the body), 33 joints, & more than 100 tendons/ muscles/ligaments (http://www.apma.org/). I’ve read varying reports on the number of nerve endings in our feet, but across the board it is determined our feet have a significant number of nerves. Remember the last time someone tried to touch your feet & you almost roundhouse kicked them in the face because it tickled so much? Our feet are our main contact with the ground below us & they must be able to feel everything. Before shoes, we used our bare feet to grip, move, & stabilize. Sorry folks, whether you believe in evolution or creation by God, we didn’t start out in this world with shoes on our feet. Evolution: no way did our ape-like ancestors take the time to fashion shoes. Creation: I don’t think Adam & Eve were hanging out in the garden wearing the latest style of Jimmy Choos, Crocs, or Birkenstocks. Don’t worry, I’m not going to start arguing that we started out sans clothing & should revert back to our full-fledged, glorified nakedness. *Shudder*

I’m not going to get in the middle of the argument nor do I want to force my opinion down your throat, but I’ve been captivated by their arguments (& frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn; this is my blog after all). :) You probably won’t find me walking barefoot because it simply grosses me out. However, the Vibram Five Fingers have offered me the opportunity to be “barefoot” without actually being barefoot. I have twice used my pretty amphibious-like shoes for running & I have to say, they teach you a whole new way to run (properly). Baby steps with these things – otherwise you’re apt to injure yourself. You learn to strike midfoot rather than heel strike, as you’ll completely wreck your heel with the impact. Similarly, you learn to land with your foot under your center of gravity (feet, knees, hips, & shoulders in line), so your body is aligned & the running is more natural. I could feel my core working to stabilize my body & my calves are sore as they learn to help the rest of the large muscles as you move.

BEST OF ALL…(drum roll please)…I am not feeling my latest aches & pains from who-knows-what joint/tendon/ligament inflammation. SERIOUSLY. This is not in my head. My two latest nagging injuries: pain in my left hip & arch of one of my feet. The Good Doctor helped me with an unofficial diagnosis of bursitis in the hip. I didn’t see anyone regarding the arch pain (no lectures, please), but from my relentless digging I believe I was looking at slight plantar fasciitis. Needless to say, after two encounters with the wild shoes, the pain has disappeared. Entirely. Trust me, the hip pain made me take notice. Now I’m prancing around the office like a 5 year old that just started dance class & is embarrassing her mom in the grocery store (*Note: personal experience, just ask my poor mother – I forgot the meaning of “walking” & danced everywhere I went).

I must admit, the shoes are quite fun & liberating to use – it almost feels naughty. :) I’ll keep you updated on my experience. I won’t wear the shoes for every run nor will I wear them for longer runs - my hope is to “relearn” proper running with these shoes. Meanwhile, if you see me out running, feel free to point & laugh, I’ll probably just run faster. The first time I wore them, I was worried my neighbors would have me institutionalized…

As for the long post, let’s just say it’s Friday, I’m stuck at work, & this is more fun than real work…