Barefoot Lifestyle-Real Meaning

Going barefoot attracts most who do it because it feels natural. Our cultural norms have insulated us from the natural world in so many ways that when we first take off our shoes, we can't even decipher for ourselves why it feels right to go barefoot. It just does.

Barefoot Lifestyle-keeping it real. Adopting a barefoot life style means different things to different people. There are some who actually do it all the time and somehow manage to be in the working world without penalty, and who never seem to need to use a public bathroom. But beyond this is the idea that a barefoot lifestyle is somehow defining the person who lives it. It becomes a code that can kill the buzz that feeling freedom gave us when we started to go barefoot.

Going barefoot is natural. Going barefoot is healthy. Keep it that way.

Don't make going barefoot such a hard and fast rule. Going barefoot isn't as cut and dry as other principles we cherish. It's never right to be racist, and it's never right to prey on the innocent, but there are legitimate reasons to wear shoes-maybe working in a kitchen, a factory or elsewhere.

This isn't about being "soft" on the idea that barefoot is better. But if we make it a rule that we must go barefoot all the time, then we're binding ourselves to a rule that we give no thought to. In doing so, we become bound to the rule in the same way our culture has always been bound to the idea that we must wear shoes.

So go barefoot when you can, but keep it real. Always.

Blessings!

Best Barefoot Shoes-it just keeps getting better!

We were going to wait until the spring to review these wonderful sandals, it being the end of sandal season. But then again, you might be in a house or a building with a cold floor....oh, well, let's just be honest here.



Stepping out, Almost Barefoot, on the cold pavement. Summer clogs make great fall and winter shoes for barefooters!



We are barefooters. We wear shoes when we must, and wear none when we can. When it's rather cold to go barefoot and most folks will wear boots etc., then that's when we'll likely wear sandals.

So.....I hereby decree that sandal season has been extended....for the whole winter. 

Renewal is free, just like membership. Sandals season automatically renews in the spring.

And anyway, spring has just begun in the Southern Hemisphere, so we don't want to be biased.

About summer clogs....................

I had just finished teaching a Yoga class when a student asked me about how to keep her balance as good as it is during Yoga class when she's out and about.

We discussed how the foot spreads out to its natural shape when un-shod. She showed me her new running shoes and said they were ok but not that great. I told her I wear clogs or wide sandals all the time-all the time that I'm not going barefoot.

 I showed her my Berlin clogs that I had worn that day and then she mentioned a wonderful shoe she used to wear long ago: Dr. Scholl's sandals.

These shoes are the best! They allow complete, unrestricted movement of the foot and even help you tone your ankles and calves-a must for anyone who wants to live Almost Barefoot. They give you a boost in height, they make noise when you want them to-lots of noise if you're looking for fun, and can give you a bit of authority as you declare your presence.

And they just feel great. It's like being barefoot with your shoes on. Plus, on cool fall days, they go great with jeans

I call them "summer clogs". They were known as "exercise sandals" back in the late 1970s when they were introduced.  They are far more popular in Europe and are worn by men AND women. My beloved USA, my home and my favorite place in the world, does have horribly backward men's fashion, hence the reason you won't find them bigger than a size nine if you are male-the equivalent of a European 42. Guys can wear them with jeans and when I do, I get nothing but compliments.

Luckily for fashion-forward guys who like living Almost Barefoot, our brethren in Germany have us covered, plus, they offer additional options for our sisters worldwide. Thanks again to Berlin Clogs for having these type of sandals in mens' sizes (you can't get Dr. Scholl's bigger than a men's nine).


If you could get these now, would you wait until summer to wear them? They'll get you through to the next barefoot season!



And for all the ladies who would rather be barefoot, you can be Almost Barefoot in these for sure-of course, DR. Scholl's also offers you countless choices!

BLESSINGS!

Totally comfy...and Almost Barefoot! More to come!

We'll be offline 'til Monday

Blessings to all our awesome readers!  You make us what we are!  We'll be offline until Monday.

Have a great weekend!

BLESSINGS!



Good basic barefoot questions

Here are some great questions answered for new barefooters by Chicago-area barefoot runners.

COME AND LEARN TO ENJOY RUNNING WITHOUT SHOES!



Previously considered by many as an "extreme sport", barefoot running (BFR) is now becoming recognized as a more healthful alternative to shod running. Many "joggers" are surprised to learn that BFR is both accessible to the non-elite and enjoyable by the non-masochist!



Commonly asked questions about BFR:



Q: Why would I want to run barefoot?



A: Because you will learn to stop "jogging" (bouncing up & down) and start RUNNING, the smooth gait evolution has designed your body for, mile after injury-free mile.



Q: Will BFR make me a faster runner?



A: You will run slower at first but as proper technique is learned speed will return. BFR's main contribution to speed is keeping you uninjured and running and therefore in high aerobic fitness.



Q: Are "minimalist" shoes such as Vibram Five Fingers an acceptable alternative to BFR?



A: No, not for beginners. The tactile and proprioceptic feedback from your bare soles is critical for the rapid learning of proper movement and muscle memory. VFFs and their ilk are very likely to lead to injury with beginners. After ~six months of true BFR, judicial use of minimalist footwear may be indicated on extreme terrain or in very low temperatures.



Q: What's this Barefoot Running Clinic going to cost me?



A: Nothing.  The cost is zero.  I will never try to sell you anything.



Q: Then why are you doing this?
A: Nothing.  The cost is zero.  I will never try to sell you anything.



Q: Then why are you doing this?



A: My running life has been so transformed by BFR I simply wish to share the joy with as many people as possible. That's it. No other motives.



Q: Are you a running coach?



A: Not by any stretch of the imagination. I have never coached any runners, not even one.



Q: Then what makes you an expert?

A: I have been running almost exclusively BF for more than eleven years, summer and winter. To my knowledge, I have the longest BFR career of anyone in the Chicagoland area.



Q: Great! How do I get started?



A: Sign up for one of my workshops

GO TO THE GROUP MEET-UP FOR MORE INFORMATION



BLESSINGS!

Barefoot in Boston

I can't deny homesickness that sets in this time of year.

What I wouldn't do to be able to kick through piles of fallen leaves....barefoot or not!  But the cool Earth that's still warm enough for bare feet gives us that awakening we need to feel renewed with the change of each season.

Almost Barefoot salutes Boston area barefooters and their growing event that happens each year in the Hub at the Boston Barefoot Running Festival.  Boston is a birthplace for American freedom. Blessings to the soldiers, some of whom were barefoot in the middle of winter in battle, for giving us our freedom.

And to everyone since then who has made our awesome barefoot lifestyle possible.....

Thank you!

It's ever too early to start planning for next year's festival, just as it's not too late to get some great, barefoot fall runs in!   Contact New England Barefoot Runners for more info about next year's festival!



Barefoot KenBob Saxton lectures by the Charles River in Boston.  Photo