If you are serious about barefoot running, read, “Barefoot Running” by Michael Sandler.  It’s a great read for anyone interested in barefoot running and foot fitness.  Not only does Michael have an amazing personal story about how he got into foot fitness and fixed his own feet, but I have met Michael in person and heard him speak.  I believe he is completely dedicated to making the world a better place…from the ground up with better feet.  The book is well documented and supported by numerous medical professionals as well.  Get it now—walk and run better tomorrow!

The book does an excellent job going over the biomechanics and neurology of feet and especially the conditioning aspects of feet and skin of feet.  The book also touches on some related topics which can get away from feet specifically, so it also covers general fitness conditioning, nutrition, and philosophy.  This is a great book for running better whether shod or bare. Michael’s website is www.runbare.com.  Tell him Coach RJ sent you!

Normal populations without serious clinical issues do not need rigid heel support with shoes or devices.  Our heel support is in the foot itself!  Beyond the stability of the heel, the ankle above is primarily about mobility.  Some heel support can also reduce ankle mobility depending upon design.  If you bind or restrict the ankle from being mobile, you will increase stress and chance for injury above the ankle in lower leg bones, knee, hip, and even the back plus increase stress below the ankle in the foot itself.  From a strength perspective, to obtain “strong” ankles, we need to be able to move and exercise the ankles through FULL ranges of motion—not bind them in restrictive positions because over time—bound ankles mean weakened ankles.  Again, give your foot a chance to do its job first—not the shoes, braces, supports, or other devices!

While the foot is bare in a flip-flop, it will not have normal function during gait cycle.  In order to keep the flip flop from falling off during gait, one must flex or “scrunch” toes to keep the sandal in position.  While flip-flops are fine for most people, chronic use of flip-flops can create problems with toe deformity and create foot pain.  So if you have significant foot pain and constantly wear flip-flops, you might consider not using them for a while just to make sure they are not causing the problem.  This happened to one of my clients once—when she stopped wearing flip-flops exclusively, all the foot pain went away, and she was able to return to her normal exercise routine.

I know this sounds overly simplistic, but working muscles need more blood supply than idle muscles.  When you consider that many people with “cold feet” are sedentary and wearing stiff shoes, it makes sense that their feet are cold!  If your feet are not working, they won’t require much blood.  Feet will not work while sitting.  Feet will not work as hard to stabilize while walking in stiff and overly supportive shoes.  I have learned that by increasing foot fitness, you also improve the blood supply and circulatory system to your feet.  The more blood, the warmer the extremity.  The more work, the more blood is delivered.  So, if you want warmer feet—use them!  It’s that simple.

The ankle is a fascinating joint often misunderstood.  We have historically thought of ankles needing “ankle support,” but in reality, the ankle is more of a mobility joint designed to change positions rapidly and often to help us stay upright and vertical.

1/4 of your body’s bones are in your feet! Sure, these bones are smaller and shorter than other bones above; however, they do an incredible job to control your vertical structure. Equally important are all the joints in your feet at the end of each bone. Joints are meant to MOVE. Having good structure in your feet plus proper joint mobility is critical for good health!