Making The Transition [Part 6 - TCFMF]
This post is the sixth part in a series called The Case For Minimal Footwear (TCFMF). To learn more about the series and it's goals as well as find links to the other parts, please see the Introduction page.
So, maybe you are at the point now where you think that you would like to give this minimalist footwear theory a try. Where to next? Well, the good news is that it's easy to get started, you can do it now, and doesn't have to cost you anything. You really have nothing to lose!
The practice that I learned and recommend (although I acknowledge some will disagree on) is landing on the forefoot when walking. When running and jumping, it is universally agreed upon in barefoot circles that landing on the forefoot is the proper form. When walking, some feel that walking on the heel is ok, while others (such as myself) believe that landing on the heel is less desirable. I won't go into the details as to why here, as I feel that the reasons have been sufficiently covered in the previous posts.
The practice of landing on the forefoot will require a little concentration and practice when walking, but will come quite natural when running. Landing on the forefoot does not mean that the forefoot is the only part of the foot to touch the ground, but that it is the first part of the foot to touch the ground. Also note that when I say forefoot, I don't mean toes, I am referring to the pad of the foot just behind the toes. It is usually the outside edge of the forefoot that will touch the ground first. Another important point to make is that when doing this, the knee should be slightly bent, not straight and locked as when landing on the heel. The easiest way that I know to learn what the correct form feels like is to walk barefoot on a rough surface such as gravel. On this type of surface, the body will do the right thing, causing you to land on the forefoot. Once you get comfortable with the motion, try doing the same on other surfaces.
In the beginning it may feel a little strange, kind of like you are walking on your toes. It will require focus and thinking about how you are walking, probably something that you are not used to doing. After a while, with practice, it will seem normal and your body will adapt into an efficient stride that is comfortable, natural, and very smooth.
Start Barefoot
This is really important. By starting barefoot you will be assured of having the proper form. The easiest place to start is in your house, it is a safe and comfortable environment. For the first little while, as your muscles develop, you will probably feel soreness and stiffness in the feet and calves. This is normal and will subside as the muscles rise to the occasion. The important thing is to take it slow, listening to the body, and not over-doing it.
It probably won't take too long to adapt to being barefoot in your house. After the house, I recommend practicing on soft natural surfaces, such as grass or sand. Once you feel comfortable on grass/sand, try experimenting with other surfaces, making sure to take your time. To get the maximum benefit, it would be a good goal to learn to both walk and run on a wide variety of surfaces: concrete, asphalt, rocks, dirt trails, sand, etc. Also helpful is to practice those surfaces while going flat, uphill and downhill. Each combination of terrain requires a slightly different form that can only be perfected through practice. A worthy long-term goal would be to feel completely comfortable on any terrain.
Once you decide to start being barefoot outside, one recommendation that I can make (although it is certainly not required) is to get a pair of Vibram FiveFingers. They are the next closest thing to being barefoot that I am aware of. FiveFingers will give you pretty much all of the same benefits as being barefoot, along with the added benefit of extra protection for the soles of your feet. The downsides are that there is an initial cost involved, and that your soles will not get toughened up as quickly. (Please note that I have absolutely no financial ties to Vibram in any way, I just really like the product.)
Another benefit of starting barefoot is that you will learn what the ideal feels like. If/when you decide to purchase footwear that allows for barefoot movement, you will be better able to discern what makes a good minimalist shoe.
Start Slow
Walking and running barefoot relies on the usage of muscles for support and shock absorption rather than footwear. These muscles (as any muscle in the body) require slow development in order to reach their full potential. Nobody who is new to weight lifting would (in their right mind) immediately try bench press 200 pounds, they would most certainly get injured. The same can be said for going barefoot, substantial training will be required before the muscles are ready to be used to their full potential. Take your time, start easy, progress slowly, and enjoy the process. Think of this as a life-long endeavor, listen to your body, and have fun!
The soles of the feet will gradually adapt for barefoot usage. Over time they will become tougher, thicker, and less sensitive to every little pebble. As with the muscles, this process of adaptation will take time as well. Too much, too fast can lead to problems of pain, swelling, or injury. Again, Vibram FiveFingers can help in this regard (although they are definitely not required) because they give your soles a jump-start on the adaptation process.
Tips
Don't worry about what other people think.
When first starting out, do it in your house, in the grass, in the sand, or any other comfortable surface.
Start doing it for 15 minutes, then gradually increase it as your body allows.
A good goal is to work up to going barefoot all the time when in the home.
Play. If you are in the park on on the beach, try running, jumping, skipping, walking.
If you are learning to run barefoot, alternate running/walking, starting with a few minutes of each. Gradually increase up the running time as you feet get stronger.
Don't worry about dirty feet. It's ok, really, they can easily be cleaned.
Learn to be comfortable walking barefoot on as many different surfaces as you can.
Try to work up to as much barefoot, or close to barefoot (using minimalist footwear) as your lifestyle allows. The more the better.
I would like to thank the following people for reviewing this post and providing their valuable feedback:
- Renee Tougas (fimby.tougas.net)
- Feelmax (www.feelmax.com)
Glass
I watched a barefooter in a youtube video (an excerpt from a local interview) say that he can even run on glass. Wouldn't this hurt the part of the foot that doesn't touch the ground (the arch)? What limitations, if any, are there for walking barefoot (besides what you posted before), e.g., running on glass, etc.?
Protection
The big hazards are: punctures, cold, disease, and sometimes chemicals. This isn't to say we all need to worry about these all of the time. Each person may or may-not need protection from one or more of these hazards depending on the location and environment. If you live in a city with lots of debris, then punctures may be your primary concern. If you live in a country with poor sanitation, then disease may be your primary concern.
So, all this is to say that it depends. Running on glass may be completely fine, depending on the condition of the feet and the size of the shards. Your choice to go barefoot or wear footwear should be made according to the type and level of protection you require based on your environment, as well as your level of experience and confidence.
barefoot
Thanks for the articles. I'll look at your video later. I have been trying to transition to less cushioned footware based on other articles I've read. You do a good job of pulling it all together with some expansion. I appreciate the research references. You mention all the conditions with which I am having problems. Back of the knee pain, ITB, twisted ankles and age related 'feeling of instability'. I've tried many types of shoes, hiking boots, and insoles. I still have problems. The last pair of shoes I bought were trail runners. Less, but still, padded, very stiff sole. I feel best in my minimal LL Bean mocs with just a thin, flat gum rubber sole. I've been shying away from water shoes thinking the look doofy. Maybe it's time to give them a try. I'll also look for the Asics models cited. I'll also to try running the common field behind our house barefoot and see how it goes.
Heel vs forefoot
You say that "When running and jumping, it is universally agreed upon in barefoot circles that landing on the forefoot is the proper form. When walking, some feel that walking on the heel is ok, while others (such as myself) believe that landing on the heel is less desirable.".
Unfortunately for you, it is a biomechanical function of the homo sapiens musculosceletal system (ie. the body) to have the heel make first contact when walking normally. This may change with the speed, but for the casual walk and trekking, the normal contact points are defined and are easily available from literature and research. Stepping on forefoot first is a dysfunction and introduces non-optimal walk pattern and possible problems with time with the change in biomechanics.
Interesting
Thank you for your comment.
I am not sure that I am prepared to characterize stepping on the forefoot as a dysfunction. If you were to take off your shoes and go for a walk on rough or uneven terrain, you would almost certainly adopt a gait that landed on the forefoot. Landing on the heel is too unstable and tends to be painful in these types of conditions. Our body switches almost instantly, without thinking (instinctively). You can try it yourself by going for a walk on gravel, for example.
I am not sure how you characterize an optimal walk pattern. I would argue that our body has the natural ability to both forefoot strike or heel strike, depending on the conditions of the terrain. Heel striking is probably fine in conditions where the ground is soft, predictable, and able to absorb impact. If you were to try walking barefoot for a mile while heel-striking on concrete or pavement, the absence of shock absorption from the ground would soon make it very uncomfortable. That doesn't seem like it would be optimal, and could potentially lead to injury.
I have commented previously
I have commented previously on your blog and feel like this is an appropriate point to bring up my disagreement with your theory. The person who your responding to has a valid point. Before I get into why I want to assure you that I do walk barefoot frequently and wear negative counter heeled shoes and believe in the intrinsic strength of the foot. And as I mentioned previously I am an orthopedic surgery resident and have studied feet and gait analysis quite extensively.
The gait cycle for walking is traditionally thought of as having very strict stages. One of which is heel strike. The reason for that is like you have said regarding the structure of the foot. In order for the arch to function you must contact the ground with a dorsiflexed foot so that your anterior tibialis (shin) muscle is activated. It is this muscle that in an eccentric contraction lowers your arch onto the ground and allows it to supinate to absorb shock. This leads to the stance phase of gait. In one part of this series you discussed how wearing shoes causes you to dorsiflex your foot and results in heel strike. I think if you examine the videos closely you will see that when you look at the bony landmarks the feet are in very similar positions just before ground contact and that the only reason the foot is more dorsiflexed in the video with shoes is because the runner is intending to land on her heel. When you intentionaly try to land on your forefoot you will have to plantarflex your ankle more to bring the foot in for touchdown. Now, examining what occurs when you walk on your forefoot is an interesting exercise, because like you said it is what you resort to when you are walking on pebbles or hot ground or something uncomfortable. You also see this position in sports like sprinting, hiking, cycling, etc. What occurs here is in effect skipping the heel strike and stance phase of gait. You Go right through to push off position which is activated by the posterior tibialis muscle. What this muscle does is effectively lock the midfoot to the hindfoot producing a rigid lever for maximal efficiency in energy transfer to the ground. Now, that is great if you are sprinting on a bike or trying to move very quickly. What it is not good for is every day locomotion. It is very inefficient and results in abnormal joint movement upwards in the kinetic chain. Your observation of the knees being more bent in this type of gait is absolutely correct because you are taking all the shock absorption out of the arch and utlizing only the ankle dorsiflexion and knee flexion extension to cushion your walk.
So, I challenge the idea that walking on your forefoot is desirable for everyday activities. However, I do agree with you that weak intrinsic foot muscles are responsible for some foot morbidity. Strengthening those is important, and minimalist footwear can aid in that. I should warn people reading your blog and considering attempting this that it is not necessarily a good idea for everyoone to try this. Many people have conditions that do actually require orthotics and structured footwear. If you have any questions regarding this consult an orthopedic surgeon that is fellowship trained in foot and ankle, or a sports medicine physician that has studies gait. I hope this is seen as a helpful contribution and not as an insult to your efforts.
Thank you.
Great comment
Thank you very much for your very thorough reply. I do not see this as an insult at all, I do not claim to be an expert, and only am trying to share my experience and observations. I am all for learning new things, especially when it comes to the body and how it is designed to function. I also hope you don't regard my posts as argumentative or insulting to you, I am just trying to fully understand how this works.
I absolutely agree that there are going to be real cases where orthotics and special footwear are required. I am not sure if you read the entire series or not, but I had undergone a gait analysis, had prescription orthotics made for my condition. While it did help somewhat, the problem never went away. I was only able to solve my problems by going minimalist. I suspect that there may be others with problems that may benefit more from going minimal than with orthotics, unfortunately it is not always recommended by doctors to try that route. It is my desire to let people know that there may be other solutions that they have not yet heard of.
What I think I hear you saying is that landing on the forefoot is normal for some activities, but not recommended for everyday use. My argument is: doesn't it really depend on the surface or terrain?
You stated:
"... you are taking all the shock absorption out of the arch and utilizing only the ankle dorsiflexion and knee flexion extension to cushion your walk."
My observations from studying my own gait are that when heel striking, my arch does not provide much (if any) shock absorption. The reason I say this is because when landing on the heel, 100% of my weight is transferred to the heel before the foot begins to roll through the arch. That means that the vast majority of the shock has been absorbed by my straight leg, which really has very little shock absorption ability at all (except for the pad of my heel). I can feel it. It is a jarring action that goes straight up the leg into my back. This is probably ok when walking on soft ground or sand, but I don't like the way it feels when walking on a hard floor, or concrete, or asphalt. When I feel this shock radiating up the leg, are you suggesting that it is ok and normal? That it won't cause me issues over the long term?
When landing forefoot first (it is actually more like the outside edge of my forefoot, almost midfoot), my observations are that the weight transfer from one leg to the other is gradual. By the time my heel touches the ground, most of the shock has been absorbed because the heel is lowered through a controlled descent. It feels very smooth, light, and comfortable to walk this way - there is no jarring action whatsoever. I would love to see this analyzed more somewhere because if it is in fact bad for me, then I would prefer to stop doing it. My experience however has shown me that my body prefers (or works better) when avoiding a heel strike. Over the winter months, when wearing boots with heels and thicker padded soles, I tend to heel strike more. By then end of the winter my knee and back begins to bother me. When summer rolls around and I am able to use minimal footwear again and practice landing on the forefoot, my problems disappear.
I've had the same experiences
I've had the same experiences when walking forefoot/midfoot vs heel striking. I don't think I'll ever go back!
yeah, now that i've started
yeah, now that i've started walking and running barefoot, my entire posture from head to toe is changing and i'm standing much straighter. i've also noticed that i'm not stepping past my center of gravity (or at least not very far) which is when a heel-strike becomes more likely. this feels radically different than "normal" walking with thickly cushioned heels/soles but now that i'm getting used to it, the advantages are immediately obvious.
and damien has been through orthotics and gait analysis so is aware that the gait cycle is "traditionally thought of as having very strict stages". the whole concept of minimalist footwear is, at root, something of a deliberate departure from traditional thought and therefore, yes a bit risky. but at the same time, the experience of it seems so blatantly beneficial that it's worth it.
"the whole concept of
"the whole concept of minimalist footwear is, at root, something of a deliberate departure from traditional thought and therefore, yes a bit risky. but at the same time, the experience of it seems so blatantly beneficial that it's worth it."
I would like to offer a few comments on this. Firstly, as everyone familiar with the scientific method knows, anecdotes are not evidence and more than a few years follow up studies are needed to know the real long term benefits / drawbacks.
Secondly, walking barefoot is not a new phenomenon. There are still people out there who have walked without shoes their whole life, so the issue of barefoot walking is not new to science. And it makes you wonder, if some other gait pattern was more beneficial or optimal than the one currently thought of as 'normal' - don't you think humans would have evolved to use it or found about it thousands of years ago when there were no shoes or other method of moving around available?
Like I said in my other posts, the inspiration for the MBT shoes was how the Maasai tribe walks (and how they all seemed very healthy and had no or little joint problems). And they are not forefoot strikers.
I'd like to make it clear that I'm *not* against barefoot walking or minimalistic footwear. I do that myself whenever the weather allows and have done dozens of miles long treks with no shoes on me. But I am sceptical of trying to change your natural gait pattern consciously to something different, and one that from biomechanical viewpoint is inefficient and is not found among the traditionally barefoot walking people.
The MBT is designed to
The MBT is designed to simulate soft unstable ground in substitute for our hard paved world. In the case of sand, soft dirt, or even soft grass, the body can more naturally adopt a heelstriking walk pattern. This will strengthen your ankles and lower leg muscles as MBT claims, but does not strengthen your whole foot.
Their intention was to make the modern stable world into something unstable. See the text on this page: http://au.mbt.com/Home/Benefits.aspx
Yes, the Masai are not forefoot strikers, but they also don't walk or run on concrete and pavement.
Luke already gave a pretty
Luke already gave a pretty thorough answer, but I'd like to add a few pointers (and links) to shine some more light into the issue.
Literally all the medical literature describes the normal human gait pattern beginning with heel touch and ending with toe push.
You can get an idea by performing google scholar or pubmed search for 'human gait' or 'human locomotion'. One place to start could be http://www.epodiatry.com/resource/gait.htm though I cannot vouch for their contents.
Of course the first contact point varies with terrain, speed etc. but, I would be very interested if you can find some (scientific) links that describe either some other gait cycle as normal for humans OR some indigenous people who traditionally walk barefoot and who have a different gait pattern. Take a look, for example, at the Masai Barefoot Technology shoes which design was inspired by the way the Maasai tribe in Africa walk barefoot. You can clearly see the shoes are designed to enhance the heel contact AND the rolling movement of the step, not forefoot contact.
I would also use the term "heel touch" because "heel strike" might, for some, imply driving the heel to the ground with force - which it does not mean. It's simply that the heel is the *first* point of the body to make ground contact when taking a new step. Others points may follow close behind.
While running and walking are quite different aspects of human locomotion as implied in http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?tmpl=NoSidebarfile&db=PubMed&cm... even when running long distance the 'heel touch' pattern is most regular one on elite-level marathoners. It might also be of interest that http://www.sportsscientists.com/2008/04/running-technique-footstrike.html describes even many people who think of themselves as "forefoot strikers" actually making heel touch when running barefoot, but it is only noticeable if you look very carefully (or record them running with fast camera and play it back slow).
Like said, changing the gait to forefoot contact activates different muscles and produces different stress patterns in the musculosceletal system (more eversion in the subtalar joint, increased triceps surae and deep plantar flexor activation etc.) - something that should not be advocated carelessly.
Please also be aware that, with the human body's amazing ability to compensate for deficiencies, all the effects of a changed biomechanical function in one part of the body may not be noticeable immediately. It might take years of changed stress and compensation cycle to lead to visible symptoms.
Injury related anecdote
I've been running for 30 years as part of staying fit for skiing and mountaineering. I came to question my foot strike after I injured my calf backcountry skiing this past winter. I whacked my right calf into a tree sliding backwards after a fall. After three weeks the injury began to heal and I could walk and even ski w/out pain. But if I tried to run I could only manage a couple hundred yards using my trainers and my normal heel strike gait before the pain was too much. I did find however that if I adopted fore-foot strike I could actually shuffle along for 20-30 minutes. At the time I assumed that since my normal heel strike gait hurt, I shouldn't run at all. So for about two months I stopped trying to run and waited for the injury to heal. After months of not running I started experimenting again only to find the heel strike still killed, but the mid-foot strike was fine. Over the last few months I've adopted this as my "normal" strike, and even though my injury is now healed to the point that I can stand the heel strike, it now seems jarring and harsh. As the weather has warmed, I've started doing more of my runs barefoot on sidewalks and playing fields, and as my strength has increased and my soles have adapted, this now feels pretty normal. I notice that I feel more stable, and I no longer twist or roll my ankles which used to happen from time to time. With the purchase of some vibram fivefingers I've been doing more trail runs in rocky terain that I can't manage completely barefoot. It may just be the novelty of barefeet and the different gait, but I seem to be enjoying running much more. Instead of running as means to an end -- drudgery required for being fit for other activies -- running has become an activity I really look forward to doing.
Great story
Thanks for sharing that story, I hope that it can be an inspiration for others who might be thinking about giving it a try.
Forefoot strike when walking
I have been able to manage between 8 and 20 miles per week running barefoot or in Vibrams. The rest of my miles I am still running is shoes, specifically on trails. I have notices that after running barefoot I tend to want to forefoot strike when I walk ( does that make sense? ) When walking barefoot or in Vibrams this is manageable and comfortable at a slow pace. In shoes or when I pick up the pace I immediately switch to a midfoot strike and it feels natural. Heel striking just does not feel right or comfortable anymore. Up until this past winter I was still solidly a heel striker - since then my pace has slowed considerably, but my running has become more relaxed and enjoyable. If nothing else I have become very aware of my gait and posture, and have virtually no foot or IT band issues that I have had in the past.
Speed
I have also noticed a slower pace when walking with a forefoot/midfoot strike, it's just not possible walk quickly that way. When I need to pick-up the pace, I would rather run slowly than walk quickly.
Since I bench press over 200
Since I bench press over 200 pounds I overdid my first run on minimal shoes a wee bit. Result: my calves hurt like crazy the day after. During the 5K run it was fine, and I did do some forefoot running on my regular shoe the weeks before, but still.. I was in no way prepared and suffer for this in agony now. (ibuprofen helps a wee bit, but not enough)
I should have read this page earlier ....
VFF's and Skateboarding
I would like to state the importance of starting slow as he mentions. If you're calves are like rock and your tendons ache, you're going too fast. Focus on relaxing while you walk barefoot.
Damien mentions VFF's a few times in his posts. Skateboarding in VFF's is fantastic. There's no other way to describe it. If you're a surfer, you'll love it.
Jeff.
Skateboarding is great!
Yeah, I did a little longboard skatebaording in VFFs, and as you say, it was fantastic. My only problem was footbraking... my foot started getting hot pretty fast, and didn't take long to noticeably wear the soles. Barefoot Ted did a little experimenting with foot patches to help slow the wear, you can read about it here: http://barefootted.com/2008/06/fivefingers-as-skateboard-shoe.html
Why the controversy?
I was reading a bunch of the comments here and I noticed that people here refer to this study or that study, but nothing can really unhinge your simple observation of humans naturally switching to the forefoot/ ball strike. Nature simply didn't design us to walk on concrete with a big wad of cushioning under our heel.
I think the controversy comes from those that have been jogging for years being unwilling to admit that their method is somehow flawed. They are resistant to the change, for whatever reason. Perhaps they just want to justify buying their expensive running shoes, or they judge their jog not based on core strength, but on how many miles they can traverse? Not that this is bad, but it's a certain state of mind that doesn't play well with the thought of walking/ running less (but correctly).
However, I do believe that the heel-strike is far more *efficient*. What makes it efficient is that it uses the pendulum motion to help pull our bodies forward, so that it takes less energy to propel our bodies forward (roboticists have studied this extensively). Because it is so efficient it is easier for us to walk long distances in our comfortable shoes.
Walking about barefoot isn't about efficiency, though. Efficiency would defeat the purpose! It's meant to make it HARDER to walk, so that we can build those muscles we have learned to relax in a padded-heel gait.
My theory is that walking/ running shoes were never meant to become so popular. But with all the jogging craze, people realized they'd rather be more comfortable -- it became more about prolonged comfort during the whole day than as a means to build core strength. Of course, times have now changed, and the focus is on health and pain-relief, rather than how many miles you can run. I'm not sure if I'm being altogether clear on my point, but I believe that pop-culture, as well as marketing, has had a large influence on the role of the spring-heeled shoe in society (think Nike and its ads telling you you can JUMP HIGHER with their shoes).
Anyway, I finally managed to grab a pair of Vibrams yesterday and already I can feel myself walking differently, but it is a very familiar motion to me. I played a lot of tennis and hackysack, which promotes the fore-strike, but the motion of fore-strike came from a strange circumstance. I had an apartment on the second floor -- the people on the third floor above me would heel-strike and I could hear them walking across the floor all day. It was very annoying. I don't like to be annoying myself so I always cushioned my step for the courtesy of those living a floor beneath me. After a while this was just my normal "indoor" step. Even in my house I'm living in now, while everyone is stomping around the house heel-striking and making the objects on my shelf vibrate (I can imagine what it's doing to their spine!), I glide silently across the floor. I never wake anyone up by going from one end of the house to the other.
When I heard of the Fivefingers I snapped my fingers and said, "Of course! I'm not crazy!" I instantly had to have them. I don't even have to make much of a transition in my indoor-stride. It's very natural to walk that way, although it does make my legs tired faster. Now that I can wear them anywhere I go, however, I can start to adapt my body to it for prolonged use.
I hope I've added to the discussion. Very cool article, by the way. :)
J.
Hello Jay, welcome to the
Hello Jay, welcome to the discussion!
Thank you so much for the terrific comment, you have definitely added good value to the conversation. I couldn't agree with you more, you have really nailed it on the head. It seems like a no-brainer to those of us who have spent any appreciable amount of time doing activity in bare feet.
My thinking is that perhaps a light heel strike is ok for a short, slow leisurely walk on flat, consistent terrain. As soon as you want to increase the distance (i.e. lots of repetition), pick-up the pace, perform some sort of action, or navigate uneven/uncomfortable terrain, the forefoot strike is the only way to go. I think that you are right, being in shoes for so long on predominantly predictable terrain (i.e. hard and flat) has made us forget how to move... that and a mostly sedentary lifestyle. It has made it too easy for us to fall into a relaxed, efficient, pendulum gait. It has caused us forget how to be fluid, graceful, and nimble (our birthright!). Instead we bang around on our heels, wrecking our ankles, knees, and backs in the process.
Pingback
[...] Part 6: Making The Transition [...]Confused by this...
I don't seem to be able to NOT land on my heel when walking... and I don't walk with excessively long strides. How is it that you land on anything but your heel without moving quickly or wandering around on your tiptoes? When I'm actively trying to not involve my heel at all when landing, the best it gets is landing on my whole foot... Maybe someone can explain? I can't see it...
Hello Maria, Are you doing
Hello Maria,
Are you doing this barefoot, or with shoes on? If you are wearing footwear, depending on how high the heel is, and how stiff the sole is, you may have a difficult time performing a forefoot landing. The best thing to do is to practice barefoot.
Secondly, the heel should still be involved in the stride, just not the first part that touches the ground. You definitely don't want to be walking around on your tip-toes. The knee should be slightly bent when your foot is coming down. This is much easier to practice when walking uphill. You can also practice this by walking on uncomfortable terrain (i.e. gravel), your body will have a tendency to walk this way in order to prevent pain from the uncomfortable surface.
Let me know if you still have troubles with this, I would be more than happy to help you out!
Barefoot shoes
I've been using TeraPlana barefoot shoes, very comfortable, nice looking and I'm almost barefoot.
I have been able to walk after years of being near-crippled. I could not walk on uneven surfaces without twisting my ankle, and even on flat surfaces my ankles were very weak and would twist.
Now I can walk anywhere, I don't care. I threw out all those boots with extra support - happy days!
I'm slowly learning to walk on the front of the foot, but its taking a few months. My heels were very sore, so I've put in some extra padding temporarily - I guess it'll take a few more months for me to be properly adjusted.
Barefoot shoes have changed my life...!
Great to hear that you have
Great to hear that you have made a good recovery. Yes, adjusting can take a lot of time, taking it slow and letting your body adapt at it's own pace (as it sounds like you are doing) is the best way to go.
Barefoot shoes changed my life too, so I totally know where you are coming from!
Post new comment