On Our Own Two Feet

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This blog excerpt was taken from our store: Healthy & Grounded. To read the entire article please click here.

Less is more, as they say.

In some ways, this seems contradictory to the way the world works, because so much cultural messaging promotes the idea of more, bigger, faster, fancier. And yet, increasing factions of people are discovering that the best way to “optimize” ourselves is to simply work with what we have. Start from scratch. Stand on our own two feet. Literally.

Men’s and women’s zero-drop barefoot shoes standing on grass, grounding earthing footwear lifestyle.

As it turns out, the way in which we stand has been significantly modified by years of ill-fitting or over-complicated footwear.

At some point in time, someone decided that shoes needed to do more than protect our bare feet from the elements. Practical considerations were eclipsed by class distinction as footwear trends became dictated by money and fashion. From medieval pointed poulaines to the stiletto heels of today, history is full of outlandish and uncomfortable shoes that have been detrimental to our foot health, sometimes to the point of skeletal malformation.

Even shoes that are marketed to us as high performance runners or trainers can actually be hindering flexibility and foot motion. Extra cushioning can weaken foot and leg muscles and collapse arches. A narrow toe box will re-shape our feet and alter weight distribution. Thick rubber soles reduce sensory input, which changes how we feel the ground, and therefore how we walk and run.

"No invention has hurt more runners than the modern running shoe." - Christopher McDougall, author of Born To Run.

Barefoot grounding on grass, woman standing barefoot outdoors connecting to earth naturally.

In recent years, there has been a return to footwear that bring us back to the basics. People are rediscovering their connection with nature and the Earth. It turns out that our bodies are best strengthened and supported in shoes that promote barefoot comfort, a naturally wide toe splay and gentler, more intuitive foot strike. This means, a minimalist, zero-drop design. And if we can incorporate an earthing connection? Even better.

What Is a Barefoot Shoe?

Man sitting on grass showing sole of barefoot earthing shoe with conductive outsole for grounding.

A minimalist or "barefoot" shoe is designed with a low stack height, very little cushioning, and without exaggerated stability devices like chunky foam. Minimalist shoes work with your natural gait, flexibility, and shape of your foot. They usually feature a wide toe box, low profile, and zero-drop outsole.