I’ve lived as one of those individuals who accepted that my feet were simply going to hurt as time went on. While I liked going barefoot when able, shedding my shoes at the earliest available moment, I unknowingly thought that barefoot wasn’t quite right. What did I need? Shoes with more cushion, more support, more technology, more etc. Wow, was I wrong.
No matter what I tried before, no matter the shoe I wore, my feet would end up hurting by the end of the day. I tried massagers, stretches, and more to alleviate the pain, but ultimately, I thought there was little to be done.
Encouraged by a podcast ad script on Dark Horse, I decided to experiment. I heard of barefoot shoes before, but they were always the weird looking kind that had the toes on them. Frankly, they looked silly. But on this particular ad, it talked about another brand I hadn’t heard before: Vevo. Given their price point, I wasn’t necessarily willing to pay for them — not for an experiment that I was uncertain the outcome. Instead, I searched for another brand of what I now know to be called barefoot shoes or wide-toe box, zero drop shoes. And I found a brand that were quite inexpensive. Needing new shoes anyway, I initiated the experiment.
That was 7 months ago.
Within those months, what I used to experience in foot pain has almost all disappeared. I can stand or walk or whatever on any and all surfaces all day without anything close to what I used to feel in pain. How? How was this possible?
One of the points in the advert was in how that the new wave of barefoot shoes were designed around how feet evolved. I mean, like all the creatures of modernity, many millions of years of evolution went into our feet — how we move in the world. Shoes become necessary because the surfaces we tread upon are not what we evolved to walk on. Simply put, we need some protection. And barefoot shoes offer exactly that.
What I experienced in my own experiment was a few things: increase of muscle in my calves. Less foot pain. More flexibility in my feet. A widening — yes, a widening of my feet, to the point they no longer fit comfortably in shoes I wore only months ago. My toes are no longer smushed together with or without my shoes on, the gaps of my toes naturally separating. All in all, my feet have become stronger.
I understand that barefoot shoes are not for everyone. It’s tough to learn to run in them, for instance. The lack of cushion is sometimes a bit jarring. Otherwise though, the benefits were incredible. I think it’s worth the try. It surprised me; it might surprise you.
Copyright © 2023 by Jeremy C Kester – all rights reserved
Do not copy or reproduce without written permission.
If you enjoy the content from me and this site, please consider purchasing one of my books, or if you prefer another way to help support my work, consider donating by clicking: PayPal.Me/jeremykwrites
Jeremy C Kester 
Leave a comment