Shoes

I have been very lucky in the shoe department; both pairs that I currently wear to the gym were purchased from discount stores.  Well, pretty much most of my stuff comes from discount shops like TJ MAXX or Marshalls; I cannot stand paying full price when I can get it for 1/2 the price.  Athletic shoes have changed a great deal; from the big bottom, flared and elevated ones to coming back down to a less is more built shoe.  For a long time we thought that the more you had around your foot, the better.  Then after all the huge foot gear, came Vibrams.    I have yet to try a pair for myself but my son who lifts, runs and does cross fit swears by them; as does my daughter who is an avid runner and general athlete.  So why the change?  Since the introduction of these five toe flat shoes, the idea of what is good for our feet changed and it makes sense.

First, imagine your arm is in a cast.  You can move your arm at the shoulder; but not the area that is in the cast.  After several weeks the cast is removed; what you have underneath is now atrophied.  The idea of less shoe is like removing a cast; allowing our foot to move as it was intended to.  How many of you women have foot issues?  Probably a great number of you.  Heck, high heels are about as bad as it gets for our feet.  Now I love them as much as the next gal but they can do a number on your feet.   I use to have horrible foot problems; bad enough that I went to a foot Dr.  She told me because of my achilles issues that I should elevate my foot; wearing at least an 1 1/2 wedge always.  I did what she said and not only did my feet NOT get better, they got worse.  I was in fact ruining my feet. So I did some research and listened to my son's many lectures on feet.

I now wear flat shoes all the time; and my exercise shoes have very little lift on them as well.  What they do have is light and stretchy material and a light and very bendable sole.  They are extremely light with a nice cushion under my foot.  Foot expansion is important; you should be able to move your feet around and wiggle your toes freely so that they can help you to move.  Let your feet work as they were intended and they will get stronger.  Think about that arm in a cast when you encase your feet in thick shoes that doesn't bend.  Of course they are going to atrophy.

I am notorious for going barefoot which is not always the smartest; although it is smart if you are at the beach.  There is nothing like a glorious walk on the beach in bare feet to workout those little pinkies.  Think about each part of your foot and how it is suppose to move when choosing your shoes.  I have an extremely high arch so I need arch support; I also like a nice sponge under my foot.  But the rest of the shoe has got to have give and bend-ability.  There are so many shoes out there now that it can be a bit mind boggling.  Comfort is number one, what is comfortable for you may not be for me or the next guy.

Shoes are a very personal thing, just like your feet.