In bed the more you feel the better, and on your feet too

A few days ago I received an e-mail from Marco saying that after a year of running with cushioned shoes his right knee hurts so much that he can't even walk.

His Achilles tendons and the outside of his feet also hurt, even though he has tried several brands.

He was about to give up, but a friend told him about minimalist running shoes (now called healthy or respectful) and running as usual.

He read the 'Guide to Learning to Run Naturally' and the book 'Born to Run'. And since then, he has been clear about it.

The book Marcos has read says important things.  

Like that if you run for a year, your chance of injury is between 25 and 80%.

And it says even more, because the more bulky your shoes are, the more likely you are to get injured.

(Bulky: more cushioning, thicker soles, more control of the probation, more supports, more buttresses ....).

This is so common nowadays that it doesn't happen in the rest of the animal world.

Or do you think that a bird is going to injure its wings just because it flies?

Well, it happens in humans.

So what is going on?

Chapter 25 of the book 'Born to Run' names athletic trainers, podiatrists, anthropologists and other foot and shoe professionals.

And they say, quite clearly, that most injuries are caused by modern cushioned shoes.

I ask you two questions:

• Were you born with shoes on your feet?

• And with gloves on your hands?

Well, everything you put on your feet (and hands) will influence you.

And the thicker, sturdier, stiffer and narrower the soles of your shoes, the worse your movements will be.

The weaker your bones will be.  

And the less circulation your feet will have.

That's why footwear that respects your feet is called minimalist. Minimal sole, minimal weight.

There is nothing else.

No sect, doctrine or religion.

Something as simple as 'Less is more'.

What happens is that as the saying goes:

'There is none so blind as those who does not want to see.'

And the big brands, like Nike, Adidas, Asics... don't want to see.

They sell us technology, but they could have learned something from the condom industry and apply that technology to make thinner and more robust soles, so that at the same time that they protect you, you can feel the ground as if you were barefoot.

That's the goal of condom manufacturers. To make them thinner and safer.

Again: Less is more.

Feel and protect.

So that your feet behave as if you were barefoot in nature, but with the protection offered by today's world.

Because even if you don't need to go out and hunt a mammoth for food, your feet still expect it.

Well.

Vivobarefoot is characterised by thin, robust and flexible soles.

Puncture-resistant and highly sensitive.

And with designs that catch the eye and are always popular.

Like the Primus Lite III.

With an All Weather upper.

All weather.

Also for rain. Not waterproof, but almost.

• Women's all weather

• Men's all weather

A clear example of 'Less shoes, more you'.

Health starts with your feet.