Posted on by — Leave a comment

New Research – Minimalist Shoes Improves Balance and Strength in Kids

I’ve said this before, and I’m going to say it again. It seems silly that in the natural movement and minimalist footwear world we need to prove something as obvious as “use it or lose it.” Using your feet means letting them bend, flex, move and feel. “Losing” them means not letting them do those things.

So when new research comes out (getting to that in a moment) that’s all about use it or lose it, I can’t help but call it, ironically, “stupid research”. Stupid, because, do we really have to prove something as obvious as stupid as use it or lose it?

This new research is from the University of Sydney, led by Dr. Shayan Quinlan. It discusses how shoes that allow for natural movement give children stronger feet with better muscle structure, and improve their balance as they grow. We can imagine this would also apply to adults. I have some more to say about the research in this video, below.

There’s also an excerpt from an article on the study I think you’ll find particularly interesting…

“Based on the study results the researchers recommend parents and carers look for a flexible shoe using the following pointers to identify the difference between available products.

– Weight: the lighter the shoe, the better

– Flexibility: ensure there is movement when you hold the toe and heel and rotate them in opposite directions and also try folding the shoe in on itself from toe to heel

– Structure: the smaller the height difference from the heel to under the ball of the foot the better”

While this research wasn’t done for Xero Shoes, we can expect this would apply to them as well, since Xero Shoes check these boxes.

You can find the study here and the article here, both by the University of Sydney.

What’s your take? Comment below.

Posted on by

Xero Shoes’ Hiking Boots featured in Field & Stream

Xero Shoes’ DayLite Hiker Fusion is listed as one of the Best Hiking Shoes of 2022, according to outdoor magazine Field & Stream.

If you like the comfort and streamlined fit of trail running shoes, our lightweight hiking boots are among the lightest on the market, weighing in less than 1.5 pounds total for the pair.

Xero Shoes is changing the shoe industry by helping its customers “live life feet first.” The DayLite Hiker Fusion surprises many hikers with its lightweight design paired with extreme durability. It provides plenty of grip and traction for hiking on well-maintained trails, and the upper is durable enough to protect and support your feet. The minimal 10mm FeelTrue® sole features a 3.5mm lugged dual Chevron tread as a redesigned feature to provide more grip and traction when hiking.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

The evolution of human feet and how to have strong feet – BBC podcast

The BBC’s Made of Stronger Stuff podcast just dropped an episode called “Feet.”

Overall… GREAT.

It starts with the simplest idea, the arch in your foot is there to support your body. Spot on!

Well, there are actually 3 arches in your foot, but they’re referring to the one we normally think of — the longitudinal arch — when we use the term “arch.”

Next, it talks about the evolution of the foot and the arch… fascinating.

From there it goes into more of what we know about the benefits of natural movement and barefoot running, much from Harvard’s Dr. Daniel Lieberman’s research, and from Christopher McDougall’s book, Born To Run.

And they debunk some myths, like, “pronation is bad.” (It’s a natural part of the spring-like mechanism in your leg.)

They even use a phrase I coined when referring to “normal” shoes: Foot Coffins.

So, I like that. 🙂

Then it gets into barefoot running and, overall, LOVE IT.

But there are a few points I think they got wrong that I want to highlight:

  1. Suggesting that during the “barefoot running boom” which kicked off in 2009, injury rates “went through the roof.” This isn’t accurate. Aside from vague definitions of what constituted an injury (e.g. calf soreness isn’t an injury), no study compared injury rates from new barefooters to new shod runners.They did make the point that you want to transition slowly to build foot muscle strength (and we know from Dr. Sarah Ridge’s study, that merely walking in a minimalist shoe builds foot strength as much as doing a foot exercise program), which is great, but…
  2. They say that it takes “3 months, minimum” to build the requisite strength to run barefoot (or in a truly barefoot or minimalist shoe). This isn’t accurate either. First, transition times vary, person to person. For some, it’s just a week or two. For others, longer. Physical therapist, Jay Dicharry has said that the changes to the soft tissue, if you’re someone who needs it, takes 6-8 weeks. In short, There’s not one fixed amount of time, and 3+ months is, definitely on the long side.Secondly, transition time depends heavily on what you do TO transition. If you follow the instructions here, by starting SMALL, you can reduce that time greatly.
  3. This one’s no big deal, but they imply that the Tarahumara are always barefoot. Actually, they spend more time in their tire-tread sandals, especially when running. On the other hand…
  4. This is the biggie that they got wrong — when asked about picking “the best shoe”, the advice is “Listen to your body. If it’s comfortable, it’s good for you.”This is patently false if you’re talking about a cushioned shoe.

    That shoe can FEEL great, but be BAD for you. Research shows that cushioning, which FEELS great, doesn’t, well, cushion. Runners in highly cushioned shoes often put more force into their bodies and land harder on the ground (in part because their brains are trying to get some feedback from the ground, which the cushioning removes).

    Here’s a brief physics lesson for you: “Pressure” is not the same as “Force.” You can think of pressure as the total amount of “push”, and force as the speed with which that “push” is applied.

    Well, cushioning can spread out the pressure, so your feet don’t feel it as much, but it doesn’t change the force. And since most runners in cushioned shoes land on their heel with a relatively straight leg, the force then bypasses their built in shock absorbers — muscles, ligaments, tendons… and the ARCH — and goes straight up into their joints.

The flip side, of course, is that many people feel the comfort of Xero Shoes immediately, but for different reasons. Namely, the wider, foot-shaped toe box, the flexible sole that lets your feet move naturally, the non-elevated heel which doesn’t alter your natural posture, and the fact that you can get ground feedback through the sole, which your brain needs to help you move most effectively and efficiently.

Overall, though, the podcast is definitely worth a listen. It’s only 35 minutes long… unless you listen to it at 2x speed, which I do 😉

If you check it out here, let me know what you think in the comments, below.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Best Selling Barefoot Shoes Now At XeroShoes.eu

If you are anyone you know is in the EU, they can now buy Xero Shoes from our NEW website, XeroShoes.eu

We’re so excited to have this new site so our European Union customers can save time and shipping costs and VAT.

One thing to note for you barefoot and minimalist shoe lovers: Crazy as it may sound, if you’re in the UK, Norway, Switzerland or other European-but-non-EU coutries, it’ll probably be less expensive to order from our US-based website since the cost to ship into non-EU countries is often more than shipping from the US.

Since Xero Shoes started, a significant number of our customers have come from the EU, but many more didn’t order because of the extra time it takes for orders to get across the Atlantic, as well as delays that occurred once the products got to customs or to the local mail delivery service.

If you have any questions about our new site for barefoot-inspired shoes, boots and sandals, feel free to email our European Customer Happiness Team at support@xeroshoes.eu

Posted on by

Our Life Logs, Xero Shoes and Animoto Announce: Remember My Story – Video Diaries from the COVID-19 Pandemic

(September 22, 2021) – Our Life Logs, an international story project sharing true-life journeys of resilience from around the globe, has partnered with Xero Shoes and Animoto for an inspired story-telling initiative. Together they will launch the Our Life Logs  video library with Remember My Story: Video Diaries from the COVID-19 Pandemic, inviting the public to share their own inspiring stories from this unprecedented time. Our Life Logs believes that humans have the strength and power to overcome adversity in unique and wonderful ways. Xero Shoes’ line of barefoot running-inspired shoes encourages natural movement, helping people to feel more fun and freedom in their lives – something everyone has been longing for during the isolating COVID lockdown. Watch the project video here.

Remember My Story will encompass a wide range of pandemic related stories told in the form of Video Diaries: a first responder or other essential worker at the frontlines, a parent with children learning remotely, someone who has lost a job or loved one, a student handling major changes or anything else – all stories are welcome. These stories will showcase the power of the human spirit to persevere through incredible circumstances, creating empathy and connectivity to support everyone living through these transformational times. These stories will be enshrined in COVID history.  As a way to support the creators, the first 100 video diaries accepted into the archive will each receive a $100 grant, and the first 50 will also receive a $50 Xero Shoes gift certificate. To read all the details, the submission guidelines and rules, visit the microsite here: www.ourlifelogs.com/rms 

Remember My Story is also presented in partnership with Animoto, a video editing platform that makes it easy for anyone to create powerful and professional video, no experience required.  Animoto is offering a free month of Animoto Professional to Remember My Story video creators for a limited time – just email hello@blueloopllc.com with the subject line ANIMOTO to receive the promo code with more details.

Kent Savage, Founder of Our Life Logs shares, “We all feel more connected when we hear stories from others who have overcome challenges similar to our own. That’s the foundation of Our Life Logs – sharing our triumphs with others can uplift us in times of adversity and bring hope at a time when we can all use some positivity and good news. Since he shared his story with us in 2020,  Xero founder Steve Sashen has been a source of inspiration to all of us.  We’re proud to be adding video to our collection, and to partner with Xero Shoes to bring even more impactful stories to the world during a time when so many of us have felt disconnected.”

In 2020, Xero Shoes CEO and co-founder Steven Sashen shared his story with Our Life Logs, called ‘No really, can you run in those?’ (Our Life Log #498), chronicling the twists and turns his life had taken before he found the inspiration to start Xero Shoes. You can read Steven’s story here. 

“Xero Shoes was inspired by the best-selling book, Born to Run, about how the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico run pain- and injury-free without traditional footwear. That sparked a worldwide movement in barefoot running. We know the power of storytelling and we’re thrilled to partner with Our Life Logs to amplify personal stories of resilience and triumph from all walks of life,” says Steven. “Just as the COVID-19 pandemic changed many people’s lives, Xero Shoes is excited to give a voice for people to share their experiences with Our Life Logs’ video diaries.”

Xero Shoes also donates a portion of their proceeds from their DIY Sandal Kit to the Tarahumara Children’s Hospital Fund.  The Indigenous people of the Copper Canyon in Mexico, the Tarahumara have been suffering under drought, food shortages, lack of access to health care, and other challenges. We’ll be sharing a story from the Tarahumara community as part of this project, in the coming weeks.

# # # #

About Our Life Logs

Our Life Logs® started in the summer of 2017 in Mason, Ohio, with the goal of collecting inspiring stories from people of all different backgrounds. Since then, they have shared almost 600 stories from over 50 countries around the world. Struggle is universal, and Our Life Logs believes that when people share their journeys of overcoming the adversity  in their lives, they have the opportunity to inspire and comfort everyone else as we all navigate to our own destinations.

About Xero Shoes

Founded in 2009, Xero Shoes manufactures comfortable, lightweight, performance, and casual footwear built with a “foot-first design”. The company understands your foot is the foundation of human movement and the company’s mission is helping people re-discover the fun and benefits of natural movement so they can “Live Life Feet First™”. Co-founder and CEO, Steven Sashen, created Xero Shoes after discovering that running naturally, without traditional footwear, resolved his constant running injuries and helped him become a Masters All-American sprinter. Xero Shoes has thousands of customers ages 1 to 92 in 97 countries who enjoy their products for almost every imaginable activity. Xero Shoes appeared on ABC’s hit reality-business show, Shark Tank, has made five consecutive appearances on the Inc. 5000, and is the official footwear supplier of USA Artistic Swimming and USA Archery teams