I still remember the first time I sprained my ankle. I was doing the long jump and came down on the outer edge of my shoe. My momentum carried me through and my ankle said “pop.” Ever since then, my left ankle hasn’t been the same.
I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with running shoes. I like the way that runners feel on my feet. I strongly dislike having to slog the extra weight after a few miles. To that end, I’ve had a mixed relationship with running. I love running around as a kid. Then, facing a mom who (rightly) believed that lots of exercise was good for a growing girl, I was strongly encouraged to do cross-country and track. I was not a fan.
Some of my favorite memories have been times spent in various parks with friends. We’d take off our shoes, stretch out on the grass, and enjoy a beer and some good conversation. Inevitable, someone would bring a ball of some sorts and we’d all be up having a good time. But I think that the removal of shoes was key.
I digress. Recently, I read an article about how shoes aren’t really that good for you. Actually, they are bad. We have thousands of nerve endings and dozens of tiny bones that we have specifically for the purposes of locomotion. And what do we do? We try to out-think our bodies, which is kinda dangerous. More and more research is showing that we’re pretty well designed and we really shouldn’t mess with it too much. Science has provided innumerable ways to improve on our flaws (I think we can all agree that glasses are a good thing), but too often we try to fix what isn’t really broken. Recently, we’ve come to depend on pills for things that we really could correct naturally. I wonder how many pills in the US could be avoided by a lifestyle change. I also wonder how many podiatrists would be looking for work if everyone took off their shoes.
I’ve had problems with my ankles and also my knees and hips (though to a lesser degree) for quite a while. In Korea, I wore high heels more in three years than I had before in my life. Now, I’m putting aside my shoes for the next few weeks to see what happens. I also started running this past week and this morning I took my first jog barefoot.
It’s cheesy, but while I was running, I kept thinking of all of my barefoot memories. )When I was eight, I prided myself on being able to sprint on gravel. I can’t do that now, but my feet have retained some of their toughness.) I only ran for about 20 minutes (with some walking-I’m not in shape), but for the first time in ages, I enjoyed myself. I had a lot more to think about. Not only did I focus on my breathing (I read that exhaling on your left foot helps to avoid side stitches), but I also got to enjoy the different textures under my feet. I don’t know how it will be when the novelty wears off, but I supposed I’ll just find different paths to take.
Now back at home, I’m becoming very aware of all the muscles that have become rather lazy in my shoes. A little painful, but in that nice “I’ve just worked out” kinda way. As with anything, it’s best to easy in slowly.
But I’m still looking forward to tomorrow.
