🚀 go-pugleaf

As promised, here's something I wrote for our local club last June about
barefooting. 
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It's the shoes, got to be the shoes.

Ain't it funny how all these foot problems became so prevalent after the
development of our "high-tech" foot wear? Actually, no, it ain't. But you
have to stop and think about maybe the cause and effect thing, don`t you?

I've read many articles by many very knowledgeable people on the subject
of how, maybe, our current designs of running shoes could be the culprit.
Some of the stories are tempered by the fact that the writers and editors
derive major chunks of their incomes from the shoe companies. Some of the
others seem to have an ax to grind vis-a-vis the greedy shoe companies,
perhaps being the ones who derive insufficient chunks of their income
from shoe sponsorships. Others point their fingers but can't seem to
arrive at solid conclusions. Is it is, or is it ain't da shoooos???

Feet hurt? Shoes are too soft, too rigid, too unstable, too supportive,
or something. Which is it? I don't know. They don't know. The shoe
companies ain't telling and they ain't funding any research which could
tell you either. So what to do then?

Strengthen the feet. The one thing most "experts" would agree on is that
our foot muscles are not nearly as strong after running in supportive and
cushioning shoes as when we once walked and ran au-natural. Running bare-
foot that is, from time to time would be helpful but I think we all might
realize it's not very practical, especially in winter.

So here's a set of exercises I got from Dr Russ Ebbetts, Schenectady
area Chiropractor and former head coach of Union Col. Track and Field. He
published it in the Hudson-Mohawk RRC newsmagazine a few months back and
he also lectured and demonstrated them at the recent TAC coaching school
here. Do them now and then. Oh, how about twice, perhaps three times a
week, and over many weeks and months they will go a long way to injury
prevention.

1) walk 20-30 yards on the outsides of the feet
2) walk 20-30 yards on the insides of the feet
3) walk 20-30 yards with feet toed inward
4) walk 20-30 yards with feet toed outwards
5) walk 20-30 yards on tippy-toes
6) walk 20-30 yards on you heels

It doesn't take much time. Don't do it fast, walk slowly. It isn't hard
to do. It's a simple procedure to remember. You can do it anywhere, any-
time. You'll look stupid doing it. But hey, it strengthens the feet and
stronger foot muscles will provide better stability than gel or air.  Trust
the body you were born with. It's built the way it is because millions of
years of evolution determined this to be the best configuration. So build
up your natural systems first and worry about high-tech second.  Strengthen
the feet.
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Jack Berkery, Computer Scientist, GE Research, Schenectady NY
  berkery@crd.ge.com  "The Common Sense Coach"