Category: Natural Movement

When I talk about natural movement and the footwear that does, or doesn’t, support it, I’m often asked “Where’s your proof?”

In fact, if you look at the comments on many of the videos I’ve made that show how padded, stiff, thick, motion-control, elevated heel shoes with pointy toe boxes don’t allow the foot to move naturally, you’ll hear from people who agree that each of those characteristics can be bad.

I’ve even had employees of “Big Shoe” companies concede that their products don’t allow the foot to move the way, well, feet are meant to move.

But then when I show how the design of a truly minimalist shoe, like Xero Shoes, can allow for natural movement which can be beneficial, some of those same people think I’m merely spouting an opinion and not synopsizing a LOT of research.

So, if you’re one of those people who wants “the proof,” I can’t think of a better starting point than this paper, published by the American College of Sports Medicine: Stepping Back to Minimal Footwear_Applications Across the Lifespan (clicking the link opens the paper in a new tab).

Read the paper, of course, but if you want to have fun, look at the notes so you can see the amount of research that backs up the paper.

And if you want to have REAL fun, search for and read the papers listed in the notes.

I often call some of that research “The Dumbest Science Ever Done.” I’m being deliberately tongue-in-cheek when I use that phrase, but I use it to get people to think about why those of us who promote natural movement need to do serious scientific research to demonstrate something as obvious as “use it or lose it.”

We all know that if you DON’T USE your muscles, ligaments, and tendons, you LOSE strength, flexibility, function.

And, equally, we all know that the way you build strength, flexibility, balance, mobility, and agility is by USING your body.

Anyway, enjoy the paper, and leave your thoughts about it in the comments, below…

Xero Shoes recently conducted a survey asking website visitors’ how their participation in outdoor activities have changed during Covid.

While the survey did not take location into account — clearly, results should be different for people who are quarantined or living where outdoor activities are only possible if one can travel — that 56% of the 314 respondents have increased their participation is not insignificant.

Walking and hiking are the activities enjoyed by the majority (the survey allowed people to select multiple activities that they engage in), and “Fun” and “Psychological Well-being” comprise a significant percentage of the reasons why respondents are getting outdoors more.

Once can imagine the reason behind this shift might be is stir-craziness, but the survey results  — especially with the majority getting outside to do some activity 6-7 days per week — suggest otherwise.

Here are the survey results:

How do these results compare with your own experience?

Leave a comment below…

 

The new 30-by-30 documentary, “The Infinite Race” about the Tarahumara premieres on December 15th.

Outside magazine reviewed the movie and here’s a review of the review… which is important to understand to, well, understand the movie.

I’ll be reviewing the movie, too, but this “meta-analysis” might put things into context for you.

I’m not completely debunking the “debunking” that this review says the movie does… and, in fact, even the review doesn’t do so, despite the claim of the headline.

Find out more, I think you’ll think it’s interesting.

One thing I didn’t mention in my review: Why now? Born to Run came out 11+ years ago. The “barefoot boom” has, according to many, faded. So why is this important now?

Not to suggest questions of cultural appropriation or that the unintended consequences of publicity might be worse than the benefits of that publicity. But the review suggest that the movie is attacking some “straw men” rather than addressing some of the bigger, more valuable questions.

I’m looking forward to seeing the film to find out for myself and I hope you do the same.

We were inspired by Born To Run and the Tarahumara and, happily, have donated a % of our revenue to support the Tarahumara through the Tarahumara Childrens Hospital Fund — www.tchforegon.org

What do you think? Leave a comment, below.

The video below shows you how to make your own Tyvek® wallet envelope in just a few minutes. Or download these FREE PLANS for The ULTIMATE DIY Minimalist Tyvek Envelope Wallet

We can’t wait to see your creation. A minimalist wallet to match your minimalist Xero Shoes 😉

Physics. It’s not just a good idea, it’s the law.

Want to improve your running technique?

I have three suggestions:

1. Watch robots run
2. Watch little kids run
3. Learn to run on ice!

Running Robots

The gang at Boston Dynamics are creating robots that do AMAZING things. For one, check out this one:

Oh, sure, it’s not going to win any races, but what do you notice about its running form?

Look at where the foot lands in relation to the body.

Is it reaching out in front of the body (“overstriding”)? Nope.

It’s landing, basically, with the foot under the center of mass.

This is the most important thing to emulate.

You may also notice that this robot contacts the ground with its forefoot first. It doesn’t land heel-first. It doesn’t land flat footed.

Research from Harvard’s Dr. Irene Davis suggests that this is the optimal way for humans to land also. Why? Because you’re putting the foot and ankle in the optimal position to give you strength, structure, and shock absorption.

You know who else runs like this?

KIDS!

Especially kids who haven’t spent much (or any) time in shoes.

Take a look at this video. Especially the youngest, littlest kids at the back.

Not every stride is perfect (nor should it be… they are, after all, on a non-flat surface), but you’ll see that they’re landing much like the way the robot does.

Forefoot first. Foot under their center of mass.

And, perhaps more importantly, it looks like they’re having FUN!

I also love when the littlest one stops for a few moments because he’s “done,” then starts again when he’s ready to go.

Running on Ice!

I’m often asked how to run/walk/hike without slipping.

Actually, what I’m asked is “Can you make a shoe or sandal that’s totally slip resistant?”

In short, No.

Like I said at the start of this post: Physics is the law.

There is no material that can prevent slipping under all conditions.

Even the materials that help have limitations and trade-offs. For example, typically, the grippier the sole, the faster it wears out.

But you can prevent slipping almost regardless of the sole’s composition, or even the surface you’re on.

How?

By doing the same thing that robots and little kids do: Land with your foot UNDER your center of mass (or as close as you can get).

One demonstration of this is running on ice.

Check out these two videos:

In the first video, the runner builds to his full speed on carpet, then holds that speed on ice. In the second, the runner is even able to build speed with proper foot placement.

This works because landing with your foot under your body reduces horizontal forces enough to eliminate slipping.

A word about slipping in sandals

Sometimes people will tell me that their sandal doesn’t slip, but their foot slips across the sandal.

This is caused by the same issue — landing with your foot too far away from your body.

In that case, the sandal hits the ground and stops while your foot is continuing to move.

Landing with your foot under your body, like our kids, robots, and ice-runners, will take care of this, too.

 

Let me know what you discover as you become a child-like robot on ice!

 

 

The secret to finding comfortable shoes…

It’s probably not what you think.

And it’s definitely not what “Big Shoe” companies have been saying for the last 50 years.

It’s not because you need more arch support or better cushioning or to control your pronation or supination.

The secret is actually what humans have been doing for ages.

The secret to TRUE comfort is letting your feet do what’s NATURAL.

Think about this — did you know 1/4 of the bones and joints of your ENTIRE body are in your feet and ankles?

Did you know you have more nerve endings in your soles than anywhere but your fingertips or lips?

CLEARLY, you’re supposed to USE those things at the end of your legs.

Your feet are made to bend and flex and move and FEEL the world (you’ll want to do that safely, and I’ll show you how).

And it gets worse >> When your feet can’t do their job, that function of helping you move and balance tries – UNSUCCESSFULLY — to move “upstream” into your ankle, your knee, your hip, and your back.

You want to let your feet do their job, so the rest of your body can do its job.

But most shoes do the opposite of what’s natural — they squeeze your toes together, they elevate your heel (which messes with your posture), they insulate you from the ground so your brain can’t tell what’s going on with your feet (which means it doesn’t have the info it needs to help you move your body efficiently and enjoyably).

And NO amount of cushioning protects you from the impact of walking or running, or even just standing.

ANOTHER QUESTION — Remember being a kid on a warm summer day and going outside, kicking off your shoes, and feeling the grass between your toes, or the sand under your feet, or the water around your ankles?

Remember how much fun it was to PLAY… until it got so dark your parents had to drag you home, even though you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face or the ball you were trying to kick or hit?

You can have that feeling of fun and freedom NOW… at any age.

It comes from letting your feet do what’s natural.

Now, I’m NOT suggesting you run around barefoot like some aging hippy (I know that’s what I look like, but my wife said she’d leave me if I cut my hair!)

Once my wife and I discovered the fun and the benefits of natural movement, we started Xero Shoes to make footwear that LETS YOUR FEET BE FEET:

All our casual and performance shoes, boots and sandals are super lightweight. They’re made for almost any activity you do — walk, run, hike, workout, do yoga or CrossFit, or even just stand on your feet all day for work.

They’re so comfortable that at the end of the day you may forget to take them off!

We’ve had people email us to say, “I got into bed and then realized I was still wearing my Xero Shoes!”

Plus they’re affordable and so durable that they have a 5,000 mile sole warranty.

Oh, and yes, we WERE on Shark Tank 😉

We’ve helped hundreds of thousands of people discover the fun, comfort, and benefits of natural movement and we hope you decide to do the same.

Go to https://ctdev.guruslabs.com//shop/ to see which styles have your name on them. Check out the reviews (over 17,353 5-star reviews!), and get ready to Live Life Feet First!

(And if you have any questions, our Customer Happiness Team is available to help — 303.447.3100 or support@xeroshoes.com)

Many people see sport as a microcosm of life itself.

How we compete, how we train, how we handle winning and losing — what we do in our sport is a reflection of our how we manage the rest of our life.

And it works the other way, too.

More, sport gives us a chance to develop new skills, both physical and psychological, that can carry over into the rest of our lives.

For most of us right now, dealing with COVID-19 has upended our lives, both physically and psychologically.

And now that dealing with COVID looks more like an ultra marathon than a sprint, the New York Times suggests that we may want to ask, “What can Endurance Athletes Teach Us about Getting Through the Pandemic?”

The lessons are simple.

You don’t need to be an endurance athlete, or an athlete at all, to ponder how the ideas that propel those athletes can help us endure the pandemic.

Read the article (linked above) for more details, but the gist:

1. Patience — Like an ultra race, dealing with the pandemic will take a long time and often be unpleasant. Knowing this in advance (and planning for it), can make it easier to tolerate and get through the tough times.
2. Pacing — In a long race, you don’t want to go out too fast only to falter at the end. In the pandemic, how can you do the same?
3. Process (instead of Outcome) — Break things down into smaller parts that you can focus on and over which you have some control. Pay attention to the little things along the way rather than the overwhelming big picture.
4. Purpose — Know why you are doing what you’re doing. In the case of the pandemic, acting in a way that benefits others may be the best “reason why.”

If you’re an endurance athlete, what other lessons have you learned from racing that can carry over into these challenging times?

 

What’s the best way to get in a run during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Let me start by saying that I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV or the Internet. New information may make require an update to my suggestions. If you know of something that would make this post be more helpful, let me know in the comments, below.

By the way, much of what I’ll say applies to non-running activity as well. You’ll see.

Okay, so, if you’re able to get out of the house to go running during COVID, you need to consider three things:

1. Your comfort
2. Your safety
3. The safety of others

And here’s the most important thing to think about:

• I put those in REVERSE order

The most important thing to consider when you go for a run is not your safety. It’s the safety of others.

Why?

Because if you get that one right, the others mostly fall into place.

How do I run while focusing on other’s safety?

Frankly, it’s simple.

Just assume that you are a COVID-19 carrier and are contagious.

Pause and think about that for a sec.

If you KNEW you were infected and contagious, what would you do when you wanted to run and keep everyone ELSE safe?

Well, you probably wouldn’t go outside. You’d probably run indoors, in your home, on a treadmill.

BTW, our favorite treadmill are the non-motorized, curved, TrueForm treadmills, found here (opens in a new tab). It’s almost impossible to run with anything other than great, natural form on a curved, non-motorized treadmill.

Okay, but now think about what you would do if you went for a run outside?

This is probably what you’ll come up with, after a tiny amount of pondering:

• Stay as far away from others as possible
• Cover your mouth and nose
• Don’t touch things like gates at trail entrances with your hands

Did you notice that those suggestions are pretty much the same thing you would want to do to keep yourself from getting infected?

Here are some tips for doing those things, even if you’re thinking more about your own safety than that of others:

• If you’re running towards someone, make eye contact and communicate (use hand signals at the very least, but try TALKING) to make sure each of you know who is getting out of the way of the other.
• If you want to give runners a good name, then YOU be the one who gets out of the way
• If  that’s hard to do (say, if the path you’re on is narrow with no way to get off the path), STOP RUNNING, until you can each negotiate a way to be socially distant
• If you have to double-back to find a place that let’s you pass each other safely, do that
• If you’re coming up BEHIND someone, loudly indicate that you’re coming with PLENTY of time/space for them to respond… then take the steps I listed previously

How do I stay comfortable while running during COVID?

I know, I know. Running with a mask isn’t always comfortable. They can get hot and moist and you can’t suck as much air.

I’ll confess that when I’m doing my track workouts, I’m not wearing a mask. But I’m also staying VERY far away from the small number of people who are also on the track. And when I’m done sprinting and am breathing heavily to make up for that oxygen debt, I cover my mouth and face away from where people might pass (so I’m facing the outside of the track).

Another option, consider a bandana rather than a mask. They’re less restrictive.

But know that this isn’t as protective, so you’ll still want to stay FAR away from people and face away from where they may pass.

If you cough from exertion, or sneeze for any reason, COVER YOUR FACE with your elbow. Coughing without any covering can send particulate matter about 12′ away, and it can linger for MINUTES.

If you’re wearing a mask when you cough or sneeze, particles can spread out sideways from your mask, even if it has a good seal otherwise.

Check out this video about what happens when you cough, with or without a mask.

This is not the time to feel entitled and aloof and give runners a bad name.

Outside Magazine has some similar thoughts to mine in this article.

What else do you recommend?

Share your ideas about staying safe while being active in the comments, below.