Barefoot Shoe Shopping Guide

When I first start talking about the benefits of barefoot shoes, I often get a lot of pushback. However, my work involves helping people understand how their bodies function, so when I get asked the question “Ok, so where do I get these barefoot shoes?” I feel satisfied that things are starting to make sense.

Now, this kind of shoe shopping is not quite the same as “normal” shoe shopping, so I thought I would write this post to give a little bit of guidance.

First of all, you’ll likely be shopping online unless you live close to one of the few shops that specialise in barefoot shoes. We are lucky enough to have such a shop right here in Herefordshire that I’ve only just found out about! The Walking Hub at Kington. And If you’re down in Totnes, I recommend checking out Conker.

The companies that make barefoot/minimal shoes all have their own sizing guides, and most offer detailed instructions on how to measure your feet. For example, while you might be a size 5 with one company, you could be a size 6 with another. It’s essential to follow the specific measurement guide given by the company you are purchasing from, and FORGET YOUR NORMAL SIZE.

Not all barefoot/minimal shoes are created equal and just like with ordinary shoes, you pay for quality. Barefoot shoes have become more popular in recent years, which means there are many more options available, I would advise you to do your research—check out my blog post to learn what constitutes a true barefoot shoe here

For detailed information and barefoot shoe reviews, I highly recommend Anya’s Reviews. Her personal story is truly inspiring, and she has a great section on style and fashion. You can also find discount codes for some of the brands she covers.

Here in the UK, we don’t have as many options for barefoot shoes as in Europe and the US. Most companies do however ship worldwide but be sure to carefully check the delivery costs and taxes before you check out!

One last thing before you go shopping - you will need to TRANSITION GRADUALLY and incorporate foot mobility and strengthening exercises into your routine. Check out Katy Bowmans’ book - Whole Body Barefoot. And if you live locally, I can help with a personalised program.

Some Barefoot Shoe Shopping Options :

  • Vivobarefoot - Dominating the market, Vivo have brought barefoot shoes into the mainstream. Their website offers loads of information about the barefoot movement, including research articles.

    The shoe selection is varied with active and lifestyle options for adults and children, currently offering 50% off the Back to School range.

    I have a pair of the Tracker Forrest Walking Boots which are brilliant for hiking in the winter months. I also have a pair of the Ababa Minimalist Slip-Ons which are a great lifestyle shoe.

  • Vibram 5 Fingers - These are the ones that look like gloves for the feet—great for encouraging toe separation after years of squishing toes into tapered boxes. I love mine, although I get some funny looks, but it’s a great conversation starter, and usually, they wish they never asked!

  • Xero Shoes - Mainly active options, but they also have some nice house slippers and sandals

  • Freet Barefoot - Active and everyday options. Also available at The Walking Hub

  • Conker - Beautiful leather shoes handmade in Totnes. They have a barefoot range, and you can choose your sole!

  • Dottyfish - For baby and toddler shoes.

  • Wildsole Sandals

  • Gaucho Ninja - Handcrafted right here in my home county, Herefordshire! These beautiful, arty shoes are very high-end, but they have a more affordable desert boot style option—Barefoot Pals for both adults and children. I have my eye on a pair of these!

  • BGreater - Children’s shoes.

  • Footworks - A selection of barefoot brands. Check out the Lems boulder boots,

  • Happy Little Soles - Here you will find a wider range of different brands including from regions outside of the UK.

  • Wildings - Although not based in the UK, I’ve included Wildings in this list as I successfully purchased an amazing pair of wool boots from them. I had to pay shipping costs, which were reasonable considering they came from Germany. But watch out for customs duties if you spend over £135 (please check this for yourself as it may change).

  • Earth Runners - My all-time favourite sandals! The closest thing to being barefoot. I wear these literally everywhere—in the water, hiking, shopping…. You get to choose your sole and your laces, and they come with a copper grounding plug on the sole! Earth Runners are based in California, so again, check out shipping and taxes before purchasing.

  • Saguaro - An affordable option - great to see if barefoot shoes are right for you before spending a load of money.

  • Softstar Shoes - A great selection of, casual, active, everyday and formal options. I especially like the Camino and the Solstice sandals.

What I usually do is, once I find a shoe I like, I check out the shipping and returns policy on the website. Then, I head over to Anya’s Reviews and type the shoe name into the search bar to see if she has reviewed it. I’ll also use the company’s sizing guide and carefully measure my feet before placing an order.

Happy Shopping!

Resilient Hips

If you’re a woman over 40 like me, you probably got the memo about strength training.

As women we are always up against some kind of ticking clock and with warnings of decreasing bone density and muscle mass on the horizon, we can knee jerk ourselves into action.

OR become so overwhelmed by all the confusing information that we do nothing at all.

According to the Royal Osteoporosis Society and NICE

  • 1 in 2 women over 50 will break a bone due to poor bone health. 

  • Prevalence of osteoporosis increases, from approximately 2% at 50 years of age to almost 50% at 80 years of age.

The statistics are scary, and if you already have a diagnosis the fear of fractures is very real, feeling a sense of fragility you may even lose confidence and avoid doing the things that help.

Research has shown that weight bearing exercise can help maintain bone density as we age. But maybe more important is how we are bearing the load of our own body weight, it’s not so much our lack of exercise at the root of the current osteoporosis epidemic but rather the way we are (or are not) moving through life.

With hip fracture being the most serious consequence of falling in older people with osteoporosis, hip health is at the top of my list when it comes to future proofing the body.

My top tips for resilient hips

  • Spend less time sitting in chairs; sitting takes the load off your hip joints, meaning they are not bearing weight. No pressure means there is no signal to stimulate growth! Get up and down regularly and change position often ~ Fidget!

  • Ditch the heels; even a tiny 1/4-inch heel shifts the pelvis forward, and yes that includes your trainers! - why does this matter? See next…

  • Back up your hips so they are aligned over your ankles (you can’t do this in heels). If you are wearing your pelvis out in front of you, your leg bones are not bearing the weight of your torso. The muscles of the posterior chain and lateral hips (hip joint scaffolding) are deactivated and your knees and low back end up bearing the brunt.

  • Walk - carrying your own body weight whilst moving is a very effective and easy way of preserving bone density with added bonuses for your overall wellbeing. Just mind your pelvis and go heel-less!

  • Ramp up your walk - carry a pack for additional weight, walk more briskly, walk on uneven terrain and add in some jumps!

  • Get down to the floor and back up again - on repeat ~ progress to hands free!

FYI. Where’s the hip bone anyway?

When we hear of a hip fracture what that means is a break in the neck of the femur (thigh) bone, there is no hip bone! There is a hip joint and that is made of the thigh bone and the pelvis.

I think it’s super important that we get to know our own anatomy, and that’s why my assistant, Mr. Skelibones always turns up to class. If you’re interested to work on building resilient hips we can help!  

Things to read and listen to 

Acknowledgements

Thank you for the information and inspiration from Katy Bowman https://www.nutritiousmovement.com/

The information contained in this blog post is based on my own personal experiences and research. It is in no way intended to replace or negate medical advice. I encourage you to undertake your own research and always think critically.

Beyond poses: mobility Flexibility and yoga

“Do not kill the instinct of the body for the glory of the pose”
— Vanda Scaravelli


Yoga is often associated with flexibility, and it's a common response I hear when I mention that I'm a yoga teacher: "I'd love to try yoga, but I'm not flexible enough." Interestingly, many people who are naturally flexible or even hyper-mobile are drawn to the physical aspect of yoga. We tend to gravitate towards activities we believe we can be good at. However, there is no such thing as being "good" at yoga. Yoga is a practice of self-inquiry, awareness, and acceptance that encompasses more than just the physical body.

Side note: If you lack flexibility then yoga may be precisely what you need, and if you have hypermobility in your joints, its advisable to combine some form of strength training with your yoga practice.

The power of language

I have always been fascinated by the power of language and its influence on our perception. Words have the ability to shape our thoughts, evoke images, and even shape our beliefs. When we hear the word "flexibility," we may envision lithe young beings contorted into picture-perfect poses on Instagram. On the other hand, "mobility" might bring to mind images of the elderly, walking sticks, and other "mobility aids”.

In the context of yoga, flexibility refers to the range of motion available in a joint, determining how far the tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissues) can move across a joint. Mobility, on the other hand, refers to the range of motion available in a joint while actively maintaining control.

In yoga, flexibility is often associated with passive stretching that involves static holds relying on external forces to reach the end range of motion. These external forces can be gravity, as in sinking into the splits, or using an arm as a lever, as in a seated spinal twist. Such stretching allows us to "go deeper" into a pose but doesn't necessarily require strength or control. Mobility, however, is associated with active movements that require strength, stability, and motor control, such as lifting your leg out in front of you without support from your hands.

This vs that

The messages we receive from the fitness industry can be confusing. We live in an era of information overload, busyness, and overwhelm, causing us to seek quick fixes and definitive answers. The media responds to this demand, providing reductive "guidelines" for how to live well. Initially, the title for this post was going to be "mobility vs. flexibility," but it didn't feel right. As I started writing, I realised why. It's not a competition or a trade-off; it's just not that simple. Mobility and flexibility are interconnected, it's our attachment to these concepts that concerns me.

When a contortionist attended a yoga class

I missed the weekly class where a young lady who performed in the circus turned up, but I heard all about it! The students were in awe of this incredibly flexible individual who had no trouble "performing" the poses being demonstrated. Her presence highlighted everyone else's perceived lack of "flexibility." Although yoga is not a performance or a competitive activity, it can sometimes become exactly that.

While it may feel satisfying and look impressive to touch our toes, bring our heads to our knees, or place our legs behind our heads, do the "deepest" versions of yoga poses truly serve our bodies? While we may achieve the desired external shape, what is happening internally? Not only in the tissues of the body but also the mind. How did we get there, and why does it matter?

Intention

Why are we pushing and pulling our bodies into a particular shape in the first place? Is it to feel a "stretch," for aesthetic purposes, to promote energy flow, or simply because we've been instructed to do so? Defining our reasons and being honest with ourselves is an essential starting point for building a healthy relationship with our bodies.

Missed opportunities

When we sink in or leverage ourselves into a shape, we may end up bypassing areas of limited mobility. To move our entire body into a pose, we must move each individual part. When we have limited range of motion in one part, we may compensate by using another, more mobile part. While this adaptability can be effective it can also be problematic. Firstly, we fail to recognise areas of restriction and neglect to give attention to those areas. Secondly, the part that steps up to compensate may be working harder than necessary.

The body we bring to the mat is the body we have in real, everyday life. The habits and patterns we have acquired come to the mat too, and if we are not focusing on how we are achieving a pose (which parts are playing a part) we may be inadvertently reinforcing compensatory patterns. If we are merely working towards a pose and take the path of least resistance (moving where we move easily) we fail to notice and subsequently, fail to challenge our limitations.

Awareness and discernment

I think my point is, not to forsake the mobility (range of controllable motion) available in our individual parts for the picture perfect pose. Yoga is not about creating shapes, it is about connection, self awareness and discernment. The physical practice, when performed with focused intention allows us to become aware of our processes. From a place of awareness we are able to accept, make changes and nurture ourselves.


freedom to move : A case for barefoot shoes

“The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art”
— Leonardo Da Vinci

Our amazing feet

Our feet, overworked, under-worked, neglected, and abused often only gain our attention when they cause us suffering. It is then that we try to “fix” our troublesome extremities with remedial therapies, orthotics, and procedures that can be costly and not always effective.

Our feet are our foundations, our base of support, and the interface between us and the earth. Containing 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 muscles tendons, and ligaments, our feet are sophisticated structures with huge movement potential. They come fully equipped with shock absorbers, springs, levers, and hundreds of thousands of nerve endings. For most people, these technologies are suppressed by the habitual wearing of conventional shoes, the features of which alter both the function and morphology of our feet. As we know everything is interconnected, when we change one element of a system (the human body in this case) we create myriad variables throughout the whole. So if we want strong, mobile bodies we need to pay attention to our foundations and ultimately our footwear choices.

What are Barefoot shoes?

The barefoot/minimal shoe movement is gaining traction, driven by a new wave of scientists, podiatrists, movement professionals and shoe manufacturers who are challenging traditional beliefs and practices. While I am a proponent of barefoot shoes and have successfully transitioned to a lesser shod foot myself, I am not about to tell anyone to ditch their shoes. Habitually shod feet are weak, stiff, and lacking mobility, a sudden change in load can lead to injury. Bio-Mechanist and author Katy Bowman has written a whole book along with extensive resources dedicated to transitioning to minimal footwear. She likens the habitual wearing of traditional shoes to that of wearing a cast. When the cast is removed remedial therapy is required to help wake up the nerves and strengthen the muscles and tissues.

Barefoot shoes otherwise known as minimal shoes are forms of footwear that interfere the least amount possible with the natural function of the foot whilst providing protection from the environment. Flip flops are minimal in terms of material but not so in terms of interference because you have to scrunch your toes to keep them on. Barefoot shoes are foot-friendly and allow the foot to move freely, as nature intended.

Features of barefoot shoes:

  • Thin soles

    We have over 200000 nerve endings in each foot. These sensory receptors are constantly reading the terrain and transmitting information to the brain where decisions are made on joint positioning and muscle tension, this sensory feedback loop is essential for whole-body coordination and balance. Thick rigid soles “dumb down” the senses and literally disconnect us from the ground

  •  Wide toe box/ anatomical foot shape

    A natural unaltered foot (think baby feet) is widest across the toes not the ball of the foot and our toes are designed to splay. Conventional shoes have tapered toe boxes that permanently squish the toes together, changing foot shape and affecting vital blood flow, nerve function, and balance. 

  •  Zero drop heal

    Minimal shoes are completely flat allowing for even distribution of body weight. Even a small elevation of the heal alters the biomechanics and alignment of the whole body. Hardly any conventional shoes, including trainers, come without a heel.

  •  Flexible soles

    A flexible sole allows our feet to respond reflexively to the terrain: the foot muscles get to move in their full range of motion, keeping them strong and supple. A rigid sole prevents the foot from moving naturally, over time causing muscle dystrophy, joint stiffness, instability, and compensations up the chain.

  •  No arch support

    The arches of our feet exist to support the weight of our body, they are designed to deform and reform with every step we take, absorb shock, stabilise us and act as a spring when walking and running. The foot arches are the support! Shoes with extra material in this area switch off and weaken this natural support system.

An argument against barefoot shoes

Just as barefoot shoes are growing in popularity and making their way into the mainstream marketplace, there is divided opinion on their merits. One major argument is that we no longer live the way nature intended. We live in man-made environments and walk on flat hard surfaces with very little texture.

The running community has been at the center of much of the controversy surrounding barefoot shoes. Many people, inspired by the book Born to Run, discarded their supportive running shoes in favor of minimalist shoes without properly transitioning. As a result, injuries were sustained, and the barefoot shoe industry faced significant backlash.

There is a large amount of research and evidence supporting both sides of the shoe debate. As with all scientific research, it is worth considering the potential influence of the researchers and any source of bias or conflict of interest.

Natural v Normal

Our modern society has normalised the use of shoes, causing our feet to adapt. It is rare to see a ‘‘natural’’ adult foot. Treatment, therefore, is typically based on the assumption of a ‘‘normal’’ foot. In our culture of quick fixes, we tend to seek solutions that relieve our pain and discomfort, usually by adding something extra. While such solutions may offer temporary relief and comfort, a different approach would be to re-wild the feet, removing restrictions, and rehabilitating them.

Going against the grain

We are conditioned to follow convention and societal norms, barefoot shoes are often viewed as unconventional and strange. However, what is considered fashionable and normal may not necessarily align with what is best for our health and well-being. This is why I choose to deviate from the norm and wear my "funny" shoes.

Useful resources

Whole body barefoot - book by Katy Bowman

Nutritious movement - website

Vivo Barefoot - shoe brand and information about the science of minimal footwear

Anyas Reviews - website and Instagram account dedicated to barefoot shoes

Rina Harris - functional podiatrist

Some Barefoot Brands and retailers: Vivo Barefoot, Xero Shoes, Wilding’s shoes, Earth Runners, Groundies, Vibram, Be Lenka, Peerko, Happy Little Soles

If you would like more information/advice about barefoot shoes or transitioning, please get in touch at sarahmillsmovement@gmail.com

The information contained in this blog post is based on my own personal experiences and research. It is in no way intended to replace or negate medical advice. I encourage you to undertake your own research and always think critically.