Lady Henevere
Lovin' The Homestead
I'm with the naturopath -- in general, feet are made to support us without the benefit of lots of padding, arch support, etc. We tend to mess them up by wearing shoes all the time. Here's an excellent article that explains a lot of it very well (somewhat long, but worth reading): http://nymag.com/health/features/46213/
I never wear shoes in the house. I work in an office job so I have to look presentable, and I have found that lots of cute little flats are pretty close to being barefoot. I also just got a pair of Vibram five fingers last weekend. DD got a pair too -- she's thinking of training in them for her fall cross-country season, so I also got a book about "barefoot" running. The shoes are truly weird looking; I wish they looked more normal. (DD, on the other hand, loves the look and has worn them to school.) But I really like the fit and the feel of walking around in them.
Here are some other "barefoot" shoe options: http://www.terraplana.com/vivobarefoot.php http://www.softstarshoes.com/index.cfm Alternately, you could get a good pair of moccasins.
The thing about transitioning to a no-support shoe is that most people are so used to being in shoes that the transition should be very gradual to avoid pain. When we wear supported shoes we aren't using the muscles in our feet to do the supporting for us, so the muscles are weak; sudden reliance on those muscles can cause arch pain. I'm pretty used to shoes with little or no support, and walking around the neighborhood in the Vibrams can still make my feet tired. And you have to re-learn to walk properly (without landing hard on your heels, which people tend to do in cushioned shoes). Wearing the minimal-sole canvas sneakers or other low-padding shoes make that pretty easy to learn. (If you wear them for a few hours or a day and your heels hurt when you walk, you are probably heel-striking too hard.) If you build up to it gradually, your feet -- and likely your legs and back -- will feel better over time.
Sorry for the long post -- it's a subject I've been "into" lately.
Hope your feet feel better soon!
I never wear shoes in the house. I work in an office job so I have to look presentable, and I have found that lots of cute little flats are pretty close to being barefoot. I also just got a pair of Vibram five fingers last weekend. DD got a pair too -- she's thinking of training in them for her fall cross-country season, so I also got a book about "barefoot" running. The shoes are truly weird looking; I wish they looked more normal. (DD, on the other hand, loves the look and has worn them to school.) But I really like the fit and the feel of walking around in them.
Here are some other "barefoot" shoe options: http://www.terraplana.com/vivobarefoot.php http://www.softstarshoes.com/index.cfm Alternately, you could get a good pair of moccasins.
The thing about transitioning to a no-support shoe is that most people are so used to being in shoes that the transition should be very gradual to avoid pain. When we wear supported shoes we aren't using the muscles in our feet to do the supporting for us, so the muscles are weak; sudden reliance on those muscles can cause arch pain. I'm pretty used to shoes with little or no support, and walking around the neighborhood in the Vibrams can still make my feet tired. And you have to re-learn to walk properly (without landing hard on your heels, which people tend to do in cushioned shoes). Wearing the minimal-sole canvas sneakers or other low-padding shoes make that pretty easy to learn. (If you wear them for a few hours or a day and your heels hurt when you walk, you are probably heel-striking too hard.) If you build up to it gradually, your feet -- and likely your legs and back -- will feel better over time.
Sorry for the long post -- it's a subject I've been "into" lately.
Hope your feet feel better soon!
