Chestnut Ridge Feet

If you had told me when I first started going barefoot that I would develop a brutal addiction to feeling the earth under my feet, I wouldn’t have believed you. At first, it wasn’t something I thought much about. I started lifting weights barefoot out of convenience, since I didn’t have any shoes that felt quite right. I remember talking to an old high-school running buddy of mine who was trying to get into it saying that you have to switch gradually. I thought maybe going barefoot more would make the bottom of my feet tougher, but I’ve discovered so many more benefits that I never would have expected. 

A few years ago, my dad started experimenting with the paleo diet and saw amazing improvements in his health. That’s when I first started thinking about the human body in the context of our ancestors’ lifestyle, and I soon realized that the implications of this way of thinking extend far beyond diet. In fact, it has changed the way I think about everything from sunlight to sleep. From there, it wasn’t a huge leap to consider how this might impact the shoes we wear and how they affect our movement. Our distant ancestors’ lifestyles were far from homogenous due to differing climates and environments, but one thing’s for sure - they didn’t wear shoes with raised, soft heels and firm sides. 

After a few years of lifting barefoot and simply enjoying the feeling of walking around barefoot in the summers, my dad and I came across Katy Bowman’s book, Move Your DNA. It’s a great read for anyone interested in natural movement and how our bodies are meant to function. Feet are just one of the subjects Bowman covers in her book.

Bowman posits that the raised heel is one of the main problems with modern shoes. Even a small heel causes a shift in your center of gravity that affects your whole body, causing changes to your gait. Your feet have 28 bones, 30 joints and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments. When you wear shoes, you severely limit the movement of your feet. Feet are designed to lead your body through all different types of terrain, and the movement of the feet affects movement throughout your body. Yet most people choose to confine these complex appendages in relatively simple shoes. Thinking about the different movements and activities involved in the typical day of a pre-agricultural human puts the tragedy of modern shoes in perspective. 

Of course, there are still hazards in our modern world, and in nature, that warrant covering our feet. My family and I use a couple different products to protect against harmful terrain, whether urban or natural, while still allowing for more natural movement. 

Skinners brand socks/shoes are good for outdoor use. They have a rubber texture woven into the sock, and the sides come up higher, which is helpful for unpredictable terrain. 

For training in the gym or just going around town, we like Kinis, a local Richmond company. Their socks are more flexible and come closer to a true barefoot experience. Kinis will soon debut an outdoor model, and we look forward to seeing how it compares with the Skinners. 

While these products are a great alternative to traditional shoes, I still prefer to go fully barefoot when I have the option. There’s nothing like the feel of my feet touching the ground, especially outside. The bottoms of the feet have a disproportionate number of nerve endings, and you miss out on a beneficial and enjoyable experience with anything between you and the earth. Missing this feeling puts me in withdrawal during the winter months here at the farm. Only an extremely cold day or heavy snow storm will make me trade in my Skinners or Kinis socks for a pair of boots. 

I hope you’ll give going barefoot a shot. You might end up ditching your old shoes for good. 

For more information on the benefits of going barefoot and other aspects of natural movement, check out Katy Bowman’s blog.