tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50181950994052708252024-03-18T06:07:32.039-04:00The Barefoot ProfessorIntelligent talk about barefoot running, walking and living.Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-29874549941302839982016-02-06T14:18:00.000-05:002016-02-08T08:54:54.734-05:00National Bilingualism: Good or Bad? / Bilinguisme National: Bon ou Mauvais?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBK_5yOnKHvtFZlkdiuvzZQ2ioaure3Iw9NGH_3wVegRo6hHvGXuX2RqD08QqRSQ_hTp7zhi1q4zY9edzTRjeLvsBgr9kBNA5nAOSkH1-9qf4trmUCEwpZY6f_kHpxGLEOdzW0zsPH7xGg/s1600/No+Exit-Pas+de+Sortie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBK_5yOnKHvtFZlkdiuvzZQ2ioaure3Iw9NGH_3wVegRo6hHvGXuX2RqD08QqRSQ_hTp7zhi1q4zY9edzTRjeLvsBgr9kBNA5nAOSkH1-9qf4trmUCEwpZY6f_kHpxGLEOdzW0zsPH7xGg/s320/No+Exit-Pas+de+Sortie.jpg" width="320" /></a>When I was growing up in rural Virginia in the 1980’s, I
almost never encountered any language other than English, except in French
class. Today, any company worth an automated menu system begins it with “Press
1 for English, Press 2 for Spanish.” I know I am not alone in wondering when I
hear these ubiquitous answering systems, “Am I still in Virginia?”</div>
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The number of Spanish-speaking people in America* has skyrocketed
in the past few decades. According to the US Census Bureau, Spanish is now the
primary language spoken at home for more than 38 million American residents. (I
say ‘residents’ because roughly 1/3 of these people are in America illegally or as guests and are not citizens). In case you struggle with math, 38 million is more than
10% our nation’s population of 330 million. It is the equivalent of five States
where every man, woman, and child speaks Spanish as their primary (or sole)
language. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Now, let me be clear. I have nothing against the Spanish
language or the people who speak it. However, I’ve wondered why Congress has
failed over the decades to address the growing bilingualism in the United
States. By 2012, the number of Spanish-speaking Americans had more than
doubled since 1990, and I suspect 1990 was not the beginning of the growth
curve. It was <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/29/us-second-biggest-spanish-speaking-country" target="_blank">reported </a>in 2015 that America now has more Spanish-speaking residents than Spain. As a
nation, it is utterly foolish not to ask ourselves if this is desirable. Is
this really the road we want to travel? Fortunately, we don’t have to ask that
question in a vacuum. Other nations have large chunks of their population
speaking different languages, including our neighbor to the north, Canada. As
it happens, I lived in Quebec, Canada for two years, so I have some personal
experience on this issue.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>A House Divided Cannot
Stand<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Une Maison Divisée
Contre Elle-même Ne Peut Subsister<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Presidential hopeful Marco Rubio, of Cuban descent and fluent in Spanish, has frequently employed Spanish to woo Hispanic voters in their native tongue. While this might be a smart
move politically, I believe it sends the wrong signal that the USA should officially embrace national bilingualism. For this, some might think I'm xenophobic, but nothing could be further from the truth. My position is grounded in common sense and personal experience. Although I was raised on a rural farm
in Virginia surrounded only by English, I fell in love with the French language
in high school. So much so that I made the highly unusual decision (in my
field) to pursue a postdoctoral position <i>outside</i>
the United States in French-speaking Quebec. For two years I worked at McGill
University in Montreal and I lived in one of the most diehard Francophone suburbs
of the city (Verdun). Many people in my suburb did not speak English at all. So
let me emphasize that I am referring to <i>national</i>
bilingualism, not individual bilingualism. <span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><i>Alors, je me parler une deuxième langue, </i>b</span>ut a nation that speaks two languages is a
nation divided. Language does more than string together words, it embodies
culture. Nowhere is this lingual and cultural divide seen more clearly than in
Canada. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The cultural and lingual division of Canada into English and
French provinces has led to serious political problems. Anyone who follows
Canadian politics is aware that Quebec goes through regular cycles of
threatening cessation from Canada. (In typical French fashion, however, their
actions never quite equal their rhetoric). In Quebec, anti-Canadian sentiment
can run high, especially on July, 1<sup>st</sup>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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July 1<sup>st</sup> is Canada Day. It is somewhat analogous to
Independence Day in America. As a patriotic American, I thought I would share
in Canadian patriotism my first July 1<sup>st</sup> in Montreal. That’s when I
quickly discovered that Quebec is not Canada. While I was still hanging my
Canadian flag on my front porch, one lady barked rather rudely (in French,
which still sounds beautiful even when barked) while others looked rather
snidely in my direction. Stubbornly, I left the Maple Leaf hanging on my porch
but was later told that it might have been literally dangerous doing so. <o:p></o:p></div>
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If you think that kind of animosity can’t happen here, then
just wait until Florida is completely Spanish in language and in culture. It
can happen here. And I predict it eventually will. It's worth noting that Marco Rubio has been accused of speaking one political message in Spanish and quite another in English. A political maneuver that not only fosters division but should disqualify him from the race, <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/08/18/phyllis-schlafly-disqualify-marco-rubio-for-lying-about-amnesty-in-spanish/" target="_blank">according to some political leaders.</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Half the Space, Twice
the Cost<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Moitié de l’Espace,
Deux Fois le Coût<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Not only does national bilingualism divide a nation
culturally and poltically, it creates a waste of resources. Do you have any
idea how many pages are printed by the federal government every year? (Hint: it’s
a LOT). Now double it. Every communication from the Canadian government must be
done twice, once in English, once in French. Every product sold in Canada has
labels in English and labels in French. This much is already becoming common
here. I bought a product the other day from a big box store and was struck by the fact that half the box
described the product in English while the other half described it in Spanish. In effect, this company
lost half the space they could have used to persuade me to buy their product to merely repeat what was already said once in another language. The instructions inside?
Twice the paper, twice the ink, twice the length, twice the
cost. And when you call the big box store just to find out what time they close, you first have to press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I don’t know a single person who regards bilingualism in an
individual as a bad thing. On the contrary, virtually everyone (myself
included) thinks quite the opposite; that mastering more than one language
expands your thinking in ways that few other cerebral accomplishments can. But
national bilingualism is a disaster. And if it’s still possible to exit this
road, we should.<o:p></o:p></div>
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*For those who might be confused, I use “America” here in
the traditional sense to describe the United States of America, not the
continents.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com421tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-23726289172735988302016-02-01T14:50:00.002-05:002016-02-08T08:59:29.269-05:00PC and Manners Lost<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-1r3nYS5M65RH_r4criG_IbR9SaOBsssd_tYFIUwjRLmv41fDSCbCkhqFH-y8aZUvXANKKi8a00CiOCOYShj91lzWrqK9dU2W_KTPHKvdvXGR2f7opaFN6S6DIUKhyphenhyphenQv1a_yLU07Nb-5t/s1600/politically+incorrect.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-1r3nYS5M65RH_r4criG_IbR9SaOBsssd_tYFIUwjRLmv41fDSCbCkhqFH-y8aZUvXANKKi8a00CiOCOYShj91lzWrqK9dU2W_KTPHKvdvXGR2f7opaFN6S6DIUKhyphenhyphenQv1a_yLU07Nb-5t/s400/politically+incorrect.jpg" /></a>Like most conservatives, I despise political correctness
(PC). I proudly teach at a university whose unofficial motto is <i>Politically Incorrect since 1971</i>. I say “like most conservatives”
because PC has frequently been used to shame and silence conservative voices.
However, PC has grown so out-of-control that liberals now destroy other
liberals who inadvertently say the wrong thing. While that is entertaining to
watch, PC is still disastrous wherever it strikes. It’s not just conservatives who
despise PC anymore, it’s the in-the-middle folks and conservative liberals that now
despise it, too.<o:p></o:p></div>
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PC emerged in the 80’s and reached full maturity in the
90’s, so we’ve had it for over 30 years now. It’s gotten so bad on university
campuses that comedian Jerry Seinfeld stop doing the college circuit. So what
is PC exactly? Essentially, it is societal censorship. As I said, PC has been used
to bash conservatives into silence, but that only accounts for the most
egregious elements of PC. Most PC is really not all that bad. In fact, most PC
is just plain ole’ manners. In a polite society, you wouldn’t call a female
television anchor a bimbo because doing so would be rude. The difference between
PC and good manners is that good manners require self-censorship whereas PC is
societal censorship. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In this presidential election cycle, Donald Trump has
blown the lid off of PC. Many of us think that is a great thing. He speaks his
mind without any filter and doesn’t care who gets offended. After a generation
of PC suffocation, Trump is a breath of fresh air and the masses of
conservatives, in-the-middle folks, and conservative liberals are inhaling
deeply: “Politically incorrect” has recently become a popular
self-description on Twitter profiles.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But there’s one ‘yuge’ problem.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Many of those now feeling liberated from PC have
apparently forgotten, or never learned, good manners. Nowhere is this more
obvious than with Trump supporters online. They are obnoxious, rude,
intolerant, and just plain mean. Trump has suddenly given everyone permission
to flush political correctness, but he hasn’t led the way with good manners. In
fact, he’s done the opposite.<o:p></o:p></div>
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No one is more pleased to see PC die than I am. However, if
we want to live in a polite post-PC world, we need to remember our manners. That
includes me, too, BTW. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com119tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-53221859597631379132015-09-28T23:33:00.000-04:002015-10-01T13:32:53.626-04:00Feet FreeX - Join the Tribe!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-RXrDUor8JoT_JIBxyVf2f8zD8lhTqXUlFhJnIw9pOSEPFpf0UeLPa4-PbR4V3PfWcdDBOGR-HXoARLr2AeNIIhw_tBA6diphrUf8MPNc9cAqUhrq0eXnK_xpngLPmzlKYVnAZ1amYMVR/s1600/feetfreex-jump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-RXrDUor8JoT_JIBxyVf2f8zD8lhTqXUlFhJnIw9pOSEPFpf0UeLPa4-PbR4V3PfWcdDBOGR-HXoARLr2AeNIIhw_tBA6diphrUf8MPNc9cAqUhrq0eXnK_xpngLPmzlKYVnAZ1amYMVR/s640/feetfreex-jump.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I am so excited about <a href="http://www.feetfreex.com/" target="_blank">Feet Freex</a> - the
grassroots movement started by Jessi Stensland to liberate our feet and persuade
the footwear industry to provide smarter shoes for our feet. People everywhere like
Jessi are waking up to the reality that shoes, especially as they are designed
today, are actually harming our feet and bodies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Did you know that roughly 1/3 of America’s foot
doctors are educated by the Dr. Scholl’s School of Podiatry? Dr. Scholl’s is a
medical institution with a clear financial interest in orthotics and maladapted
footwear. To be clear, I am not implying that shoemakers are intentionally
producing harmful shoes or that there’s a conspiracy between doctors and
cobblers. I am saying that podiatrists and shoemakers share a worldview that is
flawed. In their worldview, the bare foot by itself is insufficient to perform
its intended functions – standing, walking, running, and jumping. In their
view, our feet <i>need</i> the aid of
man-made, artificial devices, i.e., shoes and orthotics. I believe they are wrong. Unfortunately,
the public relies on them – the foot experts – to tell us how to care for our
feet, yet 70% of runners are injured every year and millions of people seek
relief from shoe-induced ailments never realizing the shoe is the problem and
simply taking it off is the answer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdtuJl5r8g-9HDX0gZpscqYh3Ox3OvMMpYIvIsu09cWjBzYcUYRzLfurZEHYFTNR-Ys0rJ01y8nq0ngGealrSL9R6gRxk-kIKhGSd6YT56ec5pmmmgkWqAedXpAKTWWHdDM0Jazu0WDiX/s1600/cycle-shoe-surgery-feet-freex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdtuJl5r8g-9HDX0gZpscqYh3Ox3OvMMpYIvIsu09cWjBzYcUYRzLfurZEHYFTNR-Ys0rJ01y8nq0ngGealrSL9R6gRxk-kIKhGSd6YT56ec5pmmmgkWqAedXpAKTWWHdDM0Jazu0WDiX/s320/cycle-shoe-surgery-feet-freex.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Despite a growing barefoot community, most
podiatrists still insist that shoes are modern necessities and do not advocate
walking or running barefoot. With the exception of Vibram® and a few smaller
companies, shoe manufacturers still refuse to make shoes that conform to the
anatomy of the human foot or truly augment the biomechanics of ambulation (see Jessi's video on her <a href="https://vimeo.com/140560477" target="_blank">cycle shoe surgery</a>). Rather
than embracing truth and knowledge to forge a new path to smart shoes and
healthy feet, large shoe manufactures have “dug in their heels” and refuse to
change their habits. They do so at their own peril.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Going barefoot is natural and healthy. Our feet
are designed for it. We wear shoes primarily for cultural reasons and the shoes
we wear are built for fashion not function. If you’ve been wearing shoes for
years, you may need to rehabilitate your feet but liberating them from shoes
will make you stronger and healthier. To learn more about your feet and shoes,
please join the Tribe. Also, get a copy of my book, </span><i style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Book-Great-Reasons-Shoes/dp/0897935543/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443495248&sr=8-1&keywords=the+barefoot+book" target="_blank">The Barefoot Book: 50 Great Reasons to Kick Off Your Shoes</a></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">. Share
what you learn with your friends and family. Together, we can tear down the
cultural barriers that keep us in shoes that tear up our feet!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Go to <a href="http://feetfreex.com/">FeetFreeX.com</a> and join the movement!</span></div>
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Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com53tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-28554627975658225372014-06-22T18:07:00.002-04:002016-02-08T09:01:22.076-05:00Elementary, My Dear Watson<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQi_tHMqQhVrWRqRu1Gi_wfJJDupEi6x1T4YWzIQE48_c579meAQOrG62dsJTg5fjDUnlRdKM8TnzrH1BH2pdkdCXC4l1Ab7SlLX4yLAFbj_KLKU_h8oTzKJ1WBlMr_jl5kAUOaaKLW87/s1600/sherlock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQi_tHMqQhVrWRqRu1Gi_wfJJDupEi6x1T4YWzIQE48_c579meAQOrG62dsJTg5fjDUnlRdKM8TnzrH1BH2pdkdCXC4l1Ab7SlLX4yLAFbj_KLKU_h8oTzKJ1WBlMr_jl5kAUOaaKLW87/s1600/sherlock.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
My son introduced me to the BBC series SHERLOCK
(available on Netflix) and I was immediately hooked. We quickly watched all the
available episodes and anxiously awaited the most recent season with great
anticipation. Upon its arrival we were disappointed only by the small number of
episodes (more! Please!). Anyway, the TV series reignited my love for the works
of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and so I recently purchased the complete set of crime
mysteries in two volumes (containing four novels and fifty-six short stories). I
hadn’t read the original Holmes mysteries since my teen years, and while
enjoying <u>The Sign of Four</u> I noticed something that went under my radar the
first time I read it so many years ago:</div>
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We clambered up through the hole [in the ceiling]. Holmes
turned his light once more upon the footsteps in the dust.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“I wish you particularly to notice these footmarks,” he
said. “Do you observe anything noteworthy about them?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“They belong, “ I said, “to a child or a small woman.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Apart from their size, though. Is there nothing else?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“They appear to be much as other footmarks.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Not at all. Look here! This is the print of a right foot
in the dust. Now I make one with my naked foot beside it. What is the chief
difference?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Your toes are all cramped together. The other print has
each toe distinctly divided.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Quite so. That is the point. Bear that in mind…”<o:p></o:p></div>
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A few pages later the mystery of the footprints is considered further. Says Holmes:</div>
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“Now, do consider the data. Diminutive footmarks, toes
never fettered by boots, naked feet, stone-headed wooden mace, great agility,
small poisoned darts. What do you make of all this?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“A savage!” I exclaimed. “Perhaps one of those Indians
who were the associates of Jonathan Small.”<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbb5SDyybctORXALx-llQuE9qKjnc5wKdTe9jC5auG8Wnt_sJ7rM0upLGn1frc4LWCNKp3bFiKONkDC76XCE7u5knI1_fqcTVzFiWVbNWXKcVnKnaqgXZ9rq6ZTrNnfpIO_gS4xAZgQS0f/s1600/feet.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbb5SDyybctORXALx-llQuE9qKjnc5wKdTe9jC5auG8Wnt_sJ7rM0upLGn1frc4LWCNKp3bFiKONkDC76XCE7u5knI1_fqcTVzFiWVbNWXKcVnKnaqgXZ9rq6ZTrNnfpIO_gS4xAZgQS0f/s1600/feet.png" width="168" /></a>That the super-sleuth Sherlock Holmes deduced the effects
of footwear on foot anatomy is not particularly amazing, but when we recall that our fictional detective springs from the mind of the mere mortal Conan Doyle our wonder is more deserved. Conan Doyle likely penned those words sometime in 1889 as <u>The Sign of Four</u> was published in February 1890. His astute observation was prolly aided by the fact that Doyle himself was a world-travelling medical doctor as well as the author of fictional crime mysteries. Still, the observation is treated as common-sense by both Holmes and Watson. Some 15 years later, in 1905, Dr. Phil Hoffman would publish a <a href="http://www.bsmpg.com/Portals/52884/docs/1905Hoffman.pdf">report</a> in <i>The American Journal of Orthopedic Surgery </i> titled “Conclusions Drawn from a Comparative Study
of the Feet of Barefooted and Shoe-wearing Peoples”. In that study, Hoffman methodically documented the foot deformities (both in anatomy and functionality) caused by footwear. The figure above is taken from this study. To my knowledge, Hoffman’s report is the first rigorous scientific investigation on the impact of shoes on feet, but once again, it appears that Sherlock Holmes was one step ahead of the experts. Sadly, more than 100 years later, most people - including most podiatrists - still don't have a clue that shoes cause so many foot problems and that going barefoot is good and healthy for your feet. Indeed, they firmly believe that shoes are "modern necessities" and feet will suffer irreparable harm without them.<br />
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(Sigh).<br />
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What's more, after all these years the most common deduction about someone who goes barefoot remains "A savage!"<br />
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Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-5579857895127232252014-06-21T09:12:00.003-04:002014-06-21T09:12:43.789-04:00Barefoot Hiking: Why & How<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuquXh7i2p5iCfB-TWdfFIeef2iB7rNuh0IE5t5KvUs-mI88VGievK2IAFwL7ob0l7ZqsDrSDrL1u9TKRqXgb1hCsN9fio5eCnlXv1u86QRYIU5WFu5qlChHMIXDJ644WzqdcODVW1nWvP/s1600/barefoot-hike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuquXh7i2p5iCfB-TWdfFIeef2iB7rNuh0IE5t5KvUs-mI88VGievK2IAFwL7ob0l7ZqsDrSDrL1u9TKRqXgb1hCsN9fio5eCnlXv1u86QRYIU5WFu5qlChHMIXDJ644WzqdcODVW1nWvP/s1600/barefoot-hike.jpg" height="227" width="640" /></a></div>
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It’s summer! Days are hot, but the trail is shady and
cool. Long days meander slowly into evening. It is the season for hiking and
what better way to experience nature than hiking barefoot?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yes. <i>Barefoot!</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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If you’ve only hiked in big, bulky hiking boots, then I’ve
got a treat for you. Lose the shoes and experience the trail with your toes. Doing
so will completely transform your hiking experience. It’s as if you’ve only
seen the forest in black-and-white, but soon it will flood your senses in full
color! And don’t worry, it’s completely safe even for the novice if you take just
a few common-sense precautions.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Barefoot hiking is one of those quintessential simple
pleasures of life. Like all of the other ‘best things in life’ it is free,
requires little preparation, and is like a reset button for your soul. For myself and many others, hiking barefoot is therapy. In an utterly unique way it reconnects
you to Nature and Nature’s God. In addition to the emotional and psychological
benefits of walking shoeless through nature, there are tangible physical benefits, too. Some studies suggest that hiking
barefoot boosts the immune system by exposing you to non-pathological soil
bacteria. Tannins in fallen leaves give your soles that leathery toughness so
essential for comfortably walking barefoot. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Not only is hiking barefoot good for you, it is better
for the environment than hiking shod. I can lead a troop of twenty barefoot
hikers down a trail and do less damage to the path than a single rambler in ‘hiking
boots’. The bare foot leaves almost no
trace after passing through a trail, but hiking boots trample plant life and leave
deep imprints in the dirt. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3g5lrkGI-SyIwhBKqZaAKqF3pR8l3VEgL4hYSYgkLybjpODSjYrTJC6iWblEFR8cW1E0WSCNwQWXv3eeCfA8tOMYZSdSWKv6wlQL6Gj5PeH7mEcsAqQgRjxN263pinH5NWjvwFzHetWJ/s1600/bfhikersva-green-2x2-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3g5lrkGI-SyIwhBKqZaAKqF3pR8l3VEgL4hYSYgkLybjpODSjYrTJC6iWblEFR8cW1E0WSCNwQWXv3eeCfA8tOMYZSdSWKv6wlQL6Gj5PeH7mEcsAqQgRjxN263pinH5NWjvwFzHetWJ/s1600/bfhikersva-green-2x2-5.jpg" height="160" width="200" /></a>If you’d like to try your hand at barefoot hiking, here
are some tips to ensure the experience is enjoyable. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->If one exists in your area, consider joining a
<a href="http://www.barefooters.org/hikers/" target="_blank">barefoot hiking group</a>. If no group exists near you, you might want to start one!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Choose a trail that is smooth and mostly dirt or
pine needles. Rocks and roots are fine for those with experience and tough feet
but are usually uncomfortable for the tender-footed novice.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Avoid (or be very careful) crossing streams and
rivers. The mountain stream may, ironically, be the only place a shod hiker
might remove their shoes, but it happens to be the most dangerous place to do
so. Muddy waters hide real hazards like broken glass, shards of metal, and
other dangerous litter. I have hiked hundreds of miles barefoot and the only
quasi-serious injury I’ve received is from broken glass in a river. My motto: “Don’t
Step Down Where You Can’t See The Ground.” Be careful in rivers!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Trim your toenails. Keeping your toenails short
will prevent you from snagging a nail on the trail.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->If you are allergic to poison ivy, you obviously
want to avoid the plant. I am allergic to this stuff, but in my experience if I
rinse my feet and legs soon after returning home from the trail, then I can
avoid breaking out with hives. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Wear shorts or capris. Keep your feet and ankles
free.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Watch your step and don’t drag your feet.
Shuffling your feet on the ground is a good way to get cut or stub your toes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Take along some bandages and tweezers.
Especially if you are new to barefoot hiking you should expect some cuts and
bruises. Rest assured, most injuries can be avoided by simply paying attention,
and the more experience you have hiking barefoot the less likely you are to get
injured. I must confess, I usually don’t carry these items with me anymore
unless I’m leading new barefoot hikers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Check for ticks upon your return. In my
experience, you are far less likely to pick up ticks when your skin is exposed
(bare feet and shorts) than when your skin is hidden away in shoes and long
pants, but you still should check yourself.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Keep hydrated. This has nothing to do with feet </span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">per se</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> but is good hiking sense!</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I hope you will give barefoot hiking a try. Believe me,
it is transformational. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-61599213100837567272014-05-28T16:11:00.003-04:002016-02-06T14:39:08.004-05:00The Education Crisis<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>Note: This blog is
usually about foot health and barefooting, but since I am the Barefoot
PROFESSOR, I am devoting this post to the crisis of education in America.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQs8B09StwM746uu6ssh2Dm87A0ISd4Dbb4mDTRpl1UWWB5Yum75f-FnhPe_l5gd1DcbRRulNyfWiRm40V9cH-p8Mp4tIqkYiG_hDMJKJJjAPhviBToZ9oKqIV6B58WyMBQcrUdqhvV2Z7/s1600/cap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQs8B09StwM746uu6ssh2Dm87A0ISd4Dbb4mDTRpl1UWWB5Yum75f-FnhPe_l5gd1DcbRRulNyfWiRm40V9cH-p8Mp4tIqkYiG_hDMJKJJjAPhviBToZ9oKqIV6B58WyMBQcrUdqhvV2Z7/s1600/cap.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I recently came across an 8<sup>th</sup> grade
graduation test from 1912. I will discuss the test more in a moment, but
first I want to point out that in 1912 most people were expected to finish the
8<sup>th</sup> grade, but only a few of them would continue their studies
through high school, and fewer still would dream of college. I mention this
because education in America is in a crisis – both higher education and
secondary education, but for different reasons. <o:p></o:p></div>
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First, higher education.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Higher education in America is in a crisis largely because
of cronyism. Cronyism is when government beds with industry in a way that
undermines free-market capitalism. The result of cronyism is always the same:
higher prices and lower product quality. In the case of higher education, our
federal government really busied itself with universities for the first time during
World War II (with the development of the atom bomb) and federal research
funding quickly transformed the meaning and business of colleges. Previously a high-risk venture that often
failed, colleges became much more secure with a constant influx of federal
research dollars. Then, in the 1970’s, the federal government began subsidizing
student loans and since that time college tuition rates have skyrocketed – far outpacing
inflation – and the education has arguably degenerated. The problem created by
government interference is now so bad that government will soon feel compelled
to “step in” and take over higher education completely. This is evident by
several observations, the most recent being a move by president Obama to rate
colleges to “make sure that federal student aid money is well-spent.”[1] <o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the best football coaches in history, Vince
Lombardi, was famous for starting each season by going back to the basics,
holding out a football to his professional players and stating flatly: “This is
a football.” Perhaps it’s time we went back to the basics with respect to
higher education: <o:p></o:p></div>
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“This is a college.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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What is the purpose of college? Today, roughly 30% of the
population in the United States holds a bachelor’s degree.[2] If that number
seems low to you, consider that in 1912 only one in four hundred Americans went
to college and even by 1940 only 5% of the population held a bachelor’s degree.
Prior to the 20<sup>th</sup> century, college was a calling. Of course, you had
to be academically gifted to succeed, but only a fraction of the intellectually
smart-enough actually went to college. Most professions didn’t demand a degree
and the earnings one lost to spend four years on campus was enough to dissuade
most people from going. Those who did go to college were obtaining the highest education
possible and were expected to contribute highly, as well. The 19<sup>th</sup>
century and early 20<sup>th</sup> century was a gilded age for higher education
and the world was being conquered by the Bohrs, Mendeleevs, Paulings and Einsteins
that occupied the ivory towers. Notably, college was not then and never was
only for the rich. Funds were available for those with the intellectual prowess
and the <i>calling</i> to obtain higher
education. It was also during those years – perhaps in part because of the
success of great academicians (Einstein was the world’s first celebrity-scientist)
– that college admission began to boom. No doubt this was also fueled by the
industrial revolution. Regardless, more and more people wanted to be a part of
the higher education scene and universities were being viewed in a different
light by the public at large. Over the next one hundred years, more and more
jobs would require a college degree and, remember, by the 1940’s Uncle Sam was
getting involved. Now, in 2014, going to college is expected of most Americans
and we have a president who wants “college for all.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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But perhaps college was never meant to be for all.
Perhaps college for many is nothing more than a diversion robbing them of their
most creative and energetic years. There doesn’t seem to be a correlation
between the percentage of folks with a college degree and the economic success
of a nation. [3] Bill Gates provides a great example of a young man who started
college simply because it was expected of him, but found his true calling
outside the classroom and never graduated. Mark Zuckerberg is another. Most
people, however, spend five years drudging through classes only to leave with a
$100,000 piece of paper and the expectation of a job. A job which may or may
not actually exist. <o:p></o:p></div>
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College was never meant to prepare one for a job. Trade
schools prepare one for a job. And yet that is now the expected role of college
from our students, our government, and even most of our college administrators.
The university is no longer a place to prepare the few for a life of science,
or literature, or the clergy, or to be the bearers of knowledge and wisdom for
the counsel of kings and governments. It’s to prepare the masses for a job.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Perhaps “college for all” is a very bad idea. Perhaps
even one-third of the population having a college degree is too high, unless
college in 2014 is not what college was in 1914. And there is the crux of the
matter. I submit that it is not. College today is the high school of yesteryear.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Which brings me to the crisis in secondary education.
Virtually no one denies that secondary education in America is in serious
trouble. We spend roughly 3x more money per pupil on secondary education than the
next highest nation, and yet our ranking in the world continues to drop. Our
students currently rank 30<sup>th</sup> in math test scores. [4] There are
TWENTY-NINE other nations that outcompete our students in math! Again, I blame
government intrusion that undermines a free marketplace and, perhaps even more
culpable, the teachers union. Regardless, we are slipping on the world stage,
and we are slipping compared to our own grandparents. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Which brings me back to the 8<sup>th</sup> grade
graduation test from 1912. That <a href="http://www.bullittcountyhistory.com/bchistory/schoolexam1912.html" target="_blank">test </a>is HARD. Very few adults today with a
bachelor’s degree could answer those questions. I certainly stumbled over
several of them, especially the American history questions which surprised me
because I LOVE American history! Even more interesting than the test itself is
how the website prepares the modern reader for his imminent feeling of
stupidity. “Remember to smile a little while reading this exam” we are forewarned.
“Smile. We are all learning from this test.” Indeed, we are learning how much dumber
we are now than an 8<sup>th</sup> grader in 1912. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Looking over the educational landscape of the past 100
years, it appears that in America college is the new high school. And as
secondary education continues to get watered down while college education focuses on job preparation, neither of them
are teaching students to <i>think</i> as
well as 8<sup>th</sup> graders in 1912. Indeed, they are not even teaching the <i>facts</i> of our own history and culture so desperately
needed by a nation that governs itself. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But every kid knows how to use a condom. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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References </div>
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1. <a href="http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2014/04/09/duncan-defends-ratings-system-congress#sthash.e8ufYymM.dpbs">http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2014/04/09/duncan-defends-ratings-system-congress#sthash.e8ufYymM.dpbs</a>
<o:p></o:p></div>
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2. Surprisingly, the exact number seems hard to pin down
as every source I checked gave significantly different numbers, from as low as
17% to as high as 33%. Most gave 25-30%.<o:p></o:p></div>
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3. <a href="http://chronicle.com/blogs/innovations/supersizing-obamas-higher-education-agenda-part-1-of-8/31632">http://chronicle.com/blogs/innovations/supersizing-obamas-higher-education-agenda-part-1-of-8/31632</a>
<o:p></o:p></div>
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4. <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/12/03/248329823/u-s-high-school-students-slide-in-math-reading-science">http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/12/03/248329823/u-s-high-school-students-slide-in-math-reading-science</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The 8<sup>th</sup> grade test: <a href="http://www.bullittcountyhistory.com/bchistory/schoolexam1912.html">http://www.bullittcountyhistory.com/bchistory/schoolexam1912.html</a></span></div>
Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-4804740483627524262014-04-21T18:10:00.004-04:002016-02-06T14:39:40.591-05:00From Opinion To Observation: More Evidence That Going Barefoot Is Best For Your Feet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There is a growing body of anecdotal evidence that
walking and running barefoot can actually reverse some of the damage done to
your feet by footwear. Specifically, several podiatrists and scientists have
reported a rise in arch height due to walking and/or running barefoot (or in
minimalist shoes). In this post I review the observations that
have been made by others and add my own data to the mix.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Back in 2011, Dr. Nirenberg reported on his blog (<a href="http://www.americaspodiatrist.com/">www.americaspodiatrist.com</a>)
that he was seeing foot arches rise in a patient as a result of barefoot
running. The 41-year old male had worn conventional shoes prior to making the
switch to running barefoot. He also ditched his shoes for most daily activities
and adopted a largely barefoot lifestyle. Dr. Nirenberg captured a stunning set
of footprints that document the changes to his feet.<o:p></o:p></div>
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More recently, Dr. Nick Campitelli reported a <a href="http://www.drnicksrunningblog.com/two-year-long-case-study-demonstrating-an-increase-in-arch-height-from-running-in-minimalist-shoes/" target="_blank">similar finding on his blog</a>. His two-year study demonstrates dramatic changes in
the arch height and ankle-foot alignment of a 34-year old woman after she
switched to minimalist shoes for running. Going minimalist not only raised her
arches and aligned her foot and ankle bones, but it alleviated her knee pain.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In my own study, I’ve been observing a 48-year old male
transition from typical shoe use to barefoot living – both for running and
walking during his daily routine. At work, this individual switched to using
minimalist shoes. Although he stated he had flat feet “all his life”, his feet
began to change after adopting a barefoot lifestyle. Below are the footprints I
acquired from this individual over a 4 ½ year period beginning with his
adoption of a barefoot lifestyle in 2009.</div>
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There are several published methods to quantify arch
heights, but several years ago I devised my own method called the transverse
arch index (TAI). A TAI value less than 1 indicates a high arch while a TAI
value greater than 1 indicates a low arch. After switching to a barefoot
lifestyle, this individual’s TAI value decreased a staggering 81% from 5.2 (a
very low arch) at the start of the study to 1.0 (average arch) four years
later. Much of the change occurred in the first 2 ½ years.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In my opinion, and I believe Drs. Nirenberg and
Campitelli would agree, shoes are <i>casts</i>
that immobilize the foot and weaken the musculature and ligaments of the foot.
Because those muscles and ligaments support the arch and properly align the 52 bones in
the feet and ankles, some have speculated that the overuse of shoes – especially during exercise
that involves walking or running – is a major source of many of the
ailments that plague our feet. Indeed, footwear is likely responsible for more
than flat feet and fallen arches, they have been implicated as a major
contributor to bunions, Hallux valgus, plantar fasciitis, neuropathy, athlete’s foot,
toenail fungus, ingrown toenails, and hammer toes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Personally, I believe that simply eschewing the shoe and
walking barefoot is the single best thing you can do for the health of your
feet. Heretofore, that opinion was based mainly on the premise that the human
foot is designed well for its functions and that man-made footwear, while
useful in some situations, is largely disruptive and impedes those functions. Happily,
we are now acquiring a growing body of empirical evidence that validates that
opinion, such as the results presented in these three case studies. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I think it’s important to recognize two realities: 1) we
typically wear shoes for cultural reasons, not physical or biomechanical
reasons, often even when we think otherwise. And 2) shoes often do more harm
than good to our feet. Once you become fully aware of those two points, the solution
to our foot woes becomes obvious: remove the shoes and go barefoot much more
often. Fortunately, more and more people are connecting the dots and kicking off their shoes in response. Going barefoot in public is becoming
more common as people realize the damage that shoes can cause our feet
and the healthy benefits of leaving them at home. Furthermore, going
barefoot is quickly being recognized as just another individual lifestyle
choice in our increasingly diverse society. So, do your feet a favor, take off
your shoes and walk barefoot! Not only does it feel good, it’s good for you. And there’s science to back that up!<o:p></o:p><br />
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Daniel Howell, Ph.D.</div>
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<a href="http://www.thebarefootbook.com/" target="_blank">The Barefoot Book: 50 Great Reasons To Kick Off Your Shoes</a></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">PS. In addition to these studies, I am aware through
personal communication of other studies by top-notch scientists which make the
same general conclusions, but they have not at this time publicly announced
their findings. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com227tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-15249468803581924542013-06-13T11:34:00.000-04:002013-06-13T11:34:09.662-04:00The Alliance Gets A Make-over<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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What was formerly known as The Primalfoot Alliance has
now become <b><a href="http://barefootalliance.org/" target="_blank">The Barefoot Alliance</a></b>.
I and several others have worked closely with the alliance for years, but the
organization is run primarily by its founder, Michael Buttgen. Michael has done a fantastic
job using the alliance to promote barefooting to the general public, which
still remains largely “podophobic” in much of the United States. We have been
discussing the name change for a long time, but the time has now arrived for The Barefoot
Alliance to emerge from its trans-formative cocoon as a “new creature,” as
Michael puts it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Barefoot Alliance exists to encourage the acceptance
and practice of going shoeless more often and in more places. The reasons for
going barefoot include improved health, increased comfort, and expanded personal
freedom. Most people really like the idea! Those of us in the barefooting
community hear it frequently: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>“I’d go barefoot all the time if it was
socially acceptable.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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If so many people are saying this, how can going barefoot
in public <i>not</i> be socially acceptable?
Do people say one thing in private but then behave differently in public? Maybe sometimes, but I think the barefoot-friendly majority is largely forced into shoe-compliance
by a foot-phobic minority. But for a growing number of people the discomfort
and health issues from constantly wearing footwear are pushing them to overcome
the social resistance and simply live barefoot more often. After all, it's not illegal or unethical to simply walk around barefoot! At The Barefoot
Alliance, we would like to see going barefoot as common – and blasé – as
wearing shorts or a short-sleeved shirt on a warm day. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In many parts of the country things are starting to
change. In my own hometown I personally experienced constant discrimination a
few years ago when I first starting traipsing around barefoot in public, but after several years of confronting the discrimination much
progress has been made. Indeed, I do not remember the last time I was escorted to an exit or even told I needed shoes, and I visit just as many big
box stores, restaurants, and businesses as anyone else. If you try going out
barefoot and meet resistance, I and The Barefoot Alliance want to encourage you
to “keep on keeping on.” We want to provide you with resources to help you understand
and communicate the legality and benefits of going barefoot. If you are
persistent, you can change your community to make it more barefoot-friendly. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I believe strongly that the new branding for The Barefoot
Alliance will greatly improve our ability to reach people about the health
benefits and joys of simply living barefoot. Kick off your shoes and join us!
There’s a revolution afoot.</div>
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Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-12899011692066539972012-09-04T19:23:00.002-04:002012-09-04T19:26:24.614-04:00Driving Barefoot<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>Is it illegal to
drive barefoot in your home state? <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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I posed that question to my anatomy students at Liberty
University recently and the answers were shocking but not surprising. Shocking
because the vast majority of my 145 students – coming from all over the US –
firmly believe a myth. Not surprising because…. well, it’s a prevalent myth. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In case you are wondering: YES, it is <b>legal</b> to drive without shoes in <i>your</i> state because it is legal to drive a
car barefoot in <i>all 50</i> states (and
the District of Columbia). I spoke with some of those students after class. Interestingly,
even though 2/3 of the class believed it was illegal to drive barefoot in their
home state, they were often quick to accept that it might be legal in other
states, but they were usually slow to be convinced it was legal in their state.
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The <a href="http://www.barefooters.org/" target="_blank">Society for Barefoot Living</a> was formed in 1994. Other
pro-barefoot organizations, like <a href="http://www.primalfootalliance.org/" target="_blank">The Primalfoot Alliance</a> and <a href="http://livingbarefoot.libsyn.com/" target="_blank">Living Barefoot Show</a>, joined the scene more recently but have been around a few years now. <a href="http://www.chrismcdougall.com/" target="_blank">Born to Run</a> was released in 2009
and my book, <a href="http://www.thebarefootbook.com/" target="_blank">The Barefoot Book</a>, was published in 2010. Several books on
barefoot running also hit the shelves in 2010-11. I would like to think that
the public is becoming more informed on shoe/foot issues, but the results of my
classroom poll clearly indicate that we still have a long way to go. I still
have daily conversations with students who are amazed that I claim going
barefoot is safe and healthier than wearing shoes, and the same old questions
about germs, support, protection, etc., return afresh every semester with the sea of
new faces. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But I’m encouraged. The barefooting movement is still
young and many of my students are thrilled by what I say. They say they love
going barefoot and they seem to love the <i>idea</i>
of going barefoot, but unfortunately, I’ve not seen many “converts” to a
barefoot lifestyle. Perhaps they are taking off their shoes more in private
places, and I <i>have</i> seen more bare
feet in public places, too. And, come to think of it, I can name a few real converts – hardcore ones that
live almost entirely barefoot now. Undoubtedly, I’m just impatient. I
want everyone to have that “A-ha” moment followed by a mass shoe-burning ceremony,
but I’ll have to accept the baby steps. The wheels of change turn slowly. And
for at least one class of 145 students, I can rest assured that they all know the truth that driving
barefoot is perfectly legal!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-72381558623805577382012-07-17T10:02:00.000-04:002012-07-17T10:02:02.594-04:00My Take on the FiveFingers Lawsuit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white;">Several people have asked me what I think of the recent Vibram FiveFingers <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2012/07/vibram-barefoot-sneaker-maker-sued-over-claims/" target="_blank">lawsuit</a>, so here is my brief response. First, a disclaimer:
I am not </span><span style="background-color: white;">privy
to the details of the suit. All I know is that someone has initiated a class-action
lawsuit against Vibram over “</span><span style="background-color: white;">deceptive
and misleading health benefit claims” and injuries. So, here is what I think.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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While I hold no love for FiveFingers or Vibram (as a company they
are arrogant and aloof), I think the lawsuit is absolutely baseless. The
complaint states that Vibram’s claims of “<span style="background: white;">health
benefits are false and deceptive because FiveFingers are not proven to provide
any of the health benefits beyond what conventional running shoes provide” and “FiveFingers
may increase injury risk compared to running in conventional running shoes, and
even when compared to barefoot running.”</span> Thus, the complaint has
two major allegations: 1/ Vibram has not proven that their shoes are healthier
to use than conventional running shoes, and 2/ FiveFingers cause injuries.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>Beyond what conventional running shoes provide?<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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The first allegation is laughable since consumers have spent billions
of dollars on traditional running shoes in the past five decades and received untold
numbers of injuries in exchange. The conventional shoe makers have spent
virtually zero dollars on any research beyond marketing, and the independent
scientists actually investigating the relationship between your body and running
shoes have <a href="http://www.thebarefootbook.com/research.html" target="_blank">solid evidence</a> that those traditional running shoes are the cause of
many running injuries.
Certainly, no major running shoe company has ever demonstrated scientifically
that their shoes are “proven to provide health benefits,” so why is Vibram now
being held to a higher standard? (In fact, there’s not even a single orthotic
that has been proven to live up to its claims; podiatrists be warned). The filing
continues: “<span style="background: white;">false and misleading advertising
campaign has allowed them to reap millions of dollars of profit at the expense
of consumers they misled.”</span> Again, laughable in light of the half-century
of reaping by motion-controlled, ultra-padded, microchip-embedded shoe makers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><b><i>FiveFingers cause injuries</i></b></o:p></div>
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The second allegation has some merit in that FiveFingers can lead
to injury, but Vibram has been careful to warn people of the risks so I doubt
they can be held culpable. Experienced barefoot runners have from the beginning also cautioned people about the potential injures from using Vibram FiveFingers and
other minimalist shoes:<o:p></o:p></div>
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“I recommend all runners learn to run
barefoot prior to adding minimalist shoes to their training routine. Learning
to run barefoot first will allow you to learn good form and strenghthen yoru
feet, legs, and other anatomy <i>to help
prevent injuries</i>. While it is possible to learn to run in minimalist shoes
first, the lack of tactile sensation with the ground will interfere with the
process.”[emphasis added]. – Jason Robillad,
The Barefoot Running Book<o:p></o:p></div>
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“The biggest challenge with
FiveFingers is that you still don’t feel the ground nearly as much as you do
when barefoot, so it’s <i>easy to overdo it</i>.”
[emphasis added]. – Michael Sandler, Barefoot Running<o:p></o:p></div>
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“The Vibram FiveFingers is praised by
many runners tired of traditional athletic trainers… However, some barefoot
running experts warn that minimalist shoes <i>may
cause overuse injuries</i> in new barefoot runners since they encourage a
barefoot-type gait but reduce biofeedback from the foot sole.” [emphasis
added]. – Daniel Howell, The Barefoot Book<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the above statement I was referring primarily to Barefoot Ken
Bob, who says it saliently in his book, Barefoot Running Step-by-Step: <o:p></o:p></div>
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“Vibram FiveFingers… can be dangerous
if not used properly. I am not totally against Vibrams… but <i>beginning barefoot runners should simply not
use them</i>.” [emphasis in original]. – Barefoot Ken Bob Saxton, Barefoot
Running Step-by-Step<o:p></o:p></div>
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Again, Vibram has always concurred with these experts and
cautioned new FiveFingers users accordingly, so I can’t see how Vibram is liable.
So, the way I see it, shoes companies that have for decades promised the moon
to runners with high-tech devices that alter gait and cause injuries are guiltless,
while the company that tries to keep runners moving naturally and clearly
warned customers of the hazards is culpable. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The most common injury I've seen from FiveFingers (and barefoot running), is TOFP ("Top Of Foot Pain"), or metatarsalgia. The pain seems to originate from microfractures in metatarsal bones and, if you keep running, can lead to a full-blown metatarsal break. Ironically, I do not blame Vibram (or barefoot running) on this injury, but the traditional shoe we've been wearing since childhood that has weakened our bones nearly to the point of debilitation. It takes years for those bones to strengthen after adopting barefoot or minimalist running. Not coincidentally, TOFP and metatarsal breaks usually occur after 1-2 years of barefoot running.</div>
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Hopefully, the end result of this lawsuit will be a more educated
public with respect to their feet.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com975tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-29643414716207906022012-07-12T08:43:00.001-04:002012-07-12T10:40:56.344-04:00Top 10 Reasons Why You Must Wear Shoes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjasuttyfA7uqLwEpKEWnF_S5yznB8Ibmo2xjPaESe7AEtLlA2eMIUS5v8ot_N4rO6AoVO4eU4ljIzgzX4_mQLP-bJSsbnFFEPJgtkBI9wH1FmEVsk8b4R5-KwunvuW9aYcPRi315uhyNYk/s1600/shoe-on-off.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjasuttyfA7uqLwEpKEWnF_S5yznB8Ibmo2xjPaESe7AEtLlA2eMIUS5v8ot_N4rO6AoVO4eU4ljIzgzX4_mQLP-bJSsbnFFEPJgtkBI9wH1FmEVsk8b4R5-KwunvuW9aYcPRi315uhyNYk/s320/shoe-on-off.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><b style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;">Shoes
protect your feet from germs.</b></div>
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Actually, although many people
believe that the world is full of germs just waiting to make your bare feet fall
off, this is a myth. Well, the world <i>is </i>full of bacteria, but most of
those bacteria are perfectly harmless and some are even beneficial. The nasty
germs, like <i>Pseudomonas</i>, actually
live inside shoes and are otherwise not present on your skin. Same goes for the
fungus that causes athlete’s foot (<i>Tinea pedis</i>). In truth, the shoe is a warm, moist, hotbed
for microbial growth and is the leading cause of foot infections. Going
barefoot exposes the skin of your feet to refreshing air and sunshine, which inhibit microbial growth and infection. Need
proof that shoes are germ factories? Wear your shoes all day and then smell them and your feet (if you dare),
then go barefoot for a day… no stinky feet. You could try the same experiment
with gloves.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><b>Shoes
protect your feet from injury.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Wrong again (sort of). Shoes
can protect your feet from some acute injuries, but I’ve noticed that people
step on nails with or without shoes. Many people fear broken glass, but broken
glass is rather rare these days (“plastics make it possible”) and is actually
not that dangerous anyway. While stepping blindly and forcefully on a huge
shard of glass can cause a severe cut, that kind of thing is not likely to
happen on the sidewalk. (Ironically, it <i>is </i>likely to happen while wading in a
littered river, which lots of people do, barefoot). On the sidewalk, most
broken glass is small and lies flat. As for nails, it turns out that it’s
better to actually step on a nail barefoot than while wearing shoes. Why?
Because the shoe is a hotbed for bacteria (remember that <i>Pseudomonas?</i>) and the likelihood of a dangerous bacterial infection
skyrockets from your shoe. Lastly, while shoes may offer some protection
against acute injuries, they are responsible for most of our chronic foot
injuries, like bunions, Hallux valgus, hammer toe, over-pronation, fallen
arches, etc. etc.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><b>Shoes
give you better grip on car pedals.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I’m not aware of a study
that demonstrates this declaration. In fact, a strong argument can be made that
shoes reduce your grip on car pedals. The skin on your feet is well-designed
for traction, you even have skin prints on your soles and toes just like you do
on your fingers for improved grip. You can also hold the pedal with your toes.
Shoes, on the other hand, often have slick, slippery soles (especially when
wet). Flip flops are notoriously dangerous for getting caught in pedals and
high heels limit your ankle’s range of motion. Experienced barefoot drivers compare
driving barefoot to driving bare handed, which is also arguably safer than
driving with stiff, bulky gloves. Of course, you should keep your car floors
clean of debris, but you should do that whether you drive barefoot or in shoes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><b>Shoes
improve your gait.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Shoes definitely seem to <i>change</i> your gait, but those changes are
likely not improvements to the barefoot style. The higher the heel, the more
the shoe will modify your gait (alter stride length, weight distribution in
your feet, which muscles are active and when, etc.). Other shoe features will impact your gait, as
well, such as the toe spring, arch supports, motion control, side panels, and
so on. Probably you have heard about the barefoot running debate. There is a
lot of research being done these days that indicate running barefoot is
healthier than running in shoes. Logically, the same goes for walking.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><b>Shoes
correct bad posture.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Again, no. Indeed, shoes create
bad posture and, once again, the higher the heel, the greater the impact of
the shoe. If your body was rigid, only a 1-inch heel would suffice to
tip you over (and virtually every shoe has at least a 1-inch heel). You do not
tip over because you make postural adjustments to remain upright. In 3-inch
heels, your pelvis tilts about 15 degrees and this puts strain your back and
hip joints. In heels, more of your body weight is carried by the front of your
knee and this may be why women suffer from knee osteoarthritis 4x more often
than men. Also in 3-inch heels, about 90% of your body weight is supported by
your forefoot and the weight-distributing arches are rendered useless. Back
pain, hip pain, knee pain, and foot pain can all be traced back to your shoe and
bad posture.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><b>Shoes
are required by health codes.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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This is widely believed, but it’s
another myth. Health departments regulate eateries, not their customers. The health
department is concerned primarily with three things: how the restaurant
stores their food, how the restaurant handles their food, and how the
restaurant cooks their food. Health departments exist to protect the customer
from the restaurant, not to regulate customer behavior. Health departments do
not require customers to wash their hands, take a bath, brush their teeth, or wear clean clothing (or any clothing at
all) in a restaurant. Nor do they require shoes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>7.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><b>Shoes
are required by OSHA.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Yes and no. The Occupational
Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) does require footwear for some
occupations, but shockingly few. Indeed, OSHA is one of the last government
agencies which gives wide discretion to the business owner / manager to decide
what is best for the employee (in this case, whether shoes should be required
or not). And certainly, OSHA regulations pertain only to employees, never to
customers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>8.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><b>Shoes
are required for reasons of liability.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Not usually. Most retail stores
have nothing to fear from bare feet. A shopping mall and its stores, for
example, is probably a very safe place for feet. Lawsuits from a barefoot
patron due to a foot injury are exceedingly rare, and judicial victory even
more rare (I found two in the past 50 years). On the other hand, 20,000 women
per year go to the hospital from high-heel injuries, and lawsuits involving
shoe-related falls and injuries are too numerous to count (well, there’s a
lot). To my knowledge, there are no insurance riders or other requirements for
customers to wear shoes for any business, not even car shops (though customers
are often not allowed in a commercial garage without an escort). Bottom line,
shoes are more of a liability than bare feet.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>9.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><b>My
boss requires it.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Okay, that’s a valid reason if
you want to keep your job, but be aware that this is a cultural reason, not a legal, physical or health reason. Shoes are unhealthy and are not required by law or
health codes. Given the health benefits of going barefoot, our culture should
ease up when it comes to shoe rules. If you are the boss, please let your
employees work barefoot!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>10.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><b>Shoes
make the outfit.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Well, maybe they do sometimes.
But in my opinion, bare feet go with everything!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">*There are references for all my claims in <a href="http://www.thebarefootbook.com/" target="_blank">The Barefoot Book</a>. I was too lazy to pull them out again for this blog post. :)</span></div>
</div>Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com527tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-73860752079193575352012-06-27T19:38:00.000-04:002012-06-27T19:38:05.855-04:00Is The Tide Turning For Barefooters? REI Stores Set The Example.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDFkBwsjlvkDehVc_7-OMSrgl_ALiM-ubFOnNB50xLe202DNC5rqOytPC4Ryvty-JlCXYPBOe4Tp2ELDq4Qafu6VJHk2ViqlBquGkLH0dYTZ0meN7MPXavK9ZxVq44apHr8D2y0KBLmm3/s1600/REI-barefoot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDFkBwsjlvkDehVc_7-OMSrgl_ALiM-ubFOnNB50xLe202DNC5rqOytPC4Ryvty-JlCXYPBOe4Tp2ELDq4Qafu6VJHk2ViqlBquGkLH0dYTZ0meN7MPXavK9ZxVq44apHr8D2y0KBLmm3/s320/REI-barefoot.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">A member of The Society for Barefoot Living,
John, from the Boston area, just had an amazing victory at REI stores (outdoor
recreational supplies). He had been declined service due to being barefoot at
an REI store and then sent a letter to the president of the company. It's kind
of long, but I wanted to copy his entire report, which is well worth reading:</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;"><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background: white;">Hello Everyone,</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">As some of you may
know I sent a letter to the president of REI and within a few weeks got a phone
message from the Mountain\Eastern territory Retail Director.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">I have called the
director back several times over the last couple of weeks (leaving messages)
and also sent her two emails. As of yesterday morning I had heard nothing and
just hoped that she was busy.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Well, at around
lunchtime, she called me back. She apologized, saying that she was on a trip.
I'll need to paraphrase most of this because I can only remember her exact
words in a few places. My head is still spinning.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">First she
apologized for my treatment in the store. I thanked her and assured her that I
was not upset, just disappointed since I really like the store. I also assured
her that the store manager was polite and professional with me at all times.
Then she said, "You really got us all thinking here". and continued
to explain that they are aware of the barefoot running and hiking movements and
they know some people go barefoot for health reasons. OK, so far so good.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">The director said
that she asked store managers how many barefoot customers they see come through
the stores. Sure enough, some managers reported barefoot customers. The store
with the most barefooters seemed to be one in Colorado, right in the same state
as her office.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">She then said that
they looked through the company policies and, although many in upper management
THOUGHT bare feet would be excluded from the stores, they found no such
statement. She called it a "phantom policy which only existed people's
minds".</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">She said the next
worry they addressed was, "You know, we sell food... and you've got the
whole health code thing". I asked her what they found. She said,
"Well, we found that there are no health codes out there that would stop a
customer with bare feet". Wow, this was starting to sound pretty good.
Maybe they found that info on our site :)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">She said that next
they considered liability issues. She said that just like "our phantom
dress policy", which so many people thought existed, "we had people
worrying about phantom injuries, things people thought could happen but really
probably wouldn't".</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">I would guess the
ice axe fits this category pretty well :)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">She said they
sorted out the things that really could happen and little by little realized
that the stores were actually pretty safe. She said they researched old records
looking for customer injuries as related to what might happen to a bare foot.
They found one real injury in the records. Someone stepped on an inventory
control pin and put it into their foot. And, she said, "that guy was
wearing flip flops... and he still got stuck". She said the store
personnel already know to keep them off the floor.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">[Note: Inventory control pins are those plastic
mushroom heads with a sharp nail about an inch long sticking out. They stick
through garments and lock into the electronic alarm tags. I HAVE seen them on
the floor in stores, pin facing up, but it's not too common. They are a bad
design. We know why the guy got stuck. he was wearing sh@@s, was careless, and
couldn't feel the pin until it was too late.]</span></span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;"><span style="color: blue;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">The lady then said
that they reached the conclusion that it is not necessary to prohibit barefoot
shoppers and that they notified the managers of the stores, telling them to
instruct the workers as such. Wow, I still can't believe this...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">The lady said,
"We want you back as a customer and you are welcome to shop barefoot".</span><br />
<br />
</span><span style="background: white;"><span style="color: blue;">She then asked that
I stop by the counter and ask for the manager on my next visit to the store. If
it's not the same guy, she wants me to introduce myself and tell him that I'm a
barefooter. She wants the managers to get to know me. The manager that I
already met should be expecting me and the staff should have already been
instructed. She said, "You won't have any more trouble.”</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">And THAT, my friends, is how it should be. If there is an REI near you, Go There! And Go Barefoot!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-21898411498018699162012-06-27T11:58:00.000-04:002012-06-27T11:58:02.961-04:00Barefoot Running Movie From RunBare<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd9oiOMzxetgPyRyXSfPVQyxc3F3WBYotPmhO9LeFHB1CdV6ZHudBZ8Yz7IRcYfl5KpwF_4aPPSeWL1ASdz_gVGU0sbLS-x93L4c8gOsUt8VMeI3CT3_e4HtpXyrs10ojrMduqgOywO9Ab/s1600/michael-jessica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd9oiOMzxetgPyRyXSfPVQyxc3F3WBYotPmhO9LeFHB1CdV6ZHudBZ8Yz7IRcYfl5KpwF_4aPPSeWL1ASdz_gVGU0sbLS-x93L4c8gOsUt8VMeI3CT3_e4HtpXyrs10ojrMduqgOywO9Ab/s1600/michael-jessica.jpg" /></a></div>
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Almost everyone in the barefoot running community has
heard of Michael Sandler. He has shared his inspiring story with us through his
book, <u>Barefoot Running</u> (published by his company RunBare) and his
whirlwind running clinic tours over the past few years. Today, Michael and
Jessica released a trailer for their upcoming movie on barefoot running. That’s
right. Barefoot Running, the <i>movie</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To be clear, this is not a movie for the cinema. It is
not a documentary of the barefooting movement (we’re still waiting for that).
It is primarily an instructional “how-to” film, though Michael and Jessica do
spend quite some time simply celebrating barefoot freedom. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Several barefoot running enthusiasts have already
produced short video clips, both humorous and instructional, but what RunBare has
coming out this Fall is on a whole new level. Their DVD is a full-length,
professional quality film, as entertaining as it is educational. I have had the
pleasure of previewing several chapters and the quality of the film is
spectacular. It is exactly as they describe: “Seventy minutes, 17 chapters
filled with amazing running, scenery, and entertaining lessons about barefoot
running.” The film is stunning for no other reason than the running footage
through the breathtaking Maui scenery and the National Geographic quality music.
Seriously, the folks at RunBare have outdone themselves with this one!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Catch the trailer <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2Ob9NfOAvo" target="_blank">here</a>, and then be sure to get the
full-length film in August. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-16486828174372773692012-05-24T12:58:00.004-04:002012-05-24T22:46:31.314-04:00Your Day Without Shoes 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Would you like to spend an entire day without shoes? Does
it sound fun? Does it sound scary? Does it sound challenging? Maybe it just
sounds… interesting. If you’d like to give it a try, then this Saturday, May
26, is the day for you!</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgQBveQIql6_4SBcV0lnr2rBJgUR4WejcOszTSGkgfmyB6DGAaaBp2p6e1bI5Uji82_v3vMFNcoHNasWvyd1WnDuc0MKtht8cHlZvP0wBlFz5hgxKGfIPQRRTJHAAKeGB9VGjBxblQCAd/s1600/walking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgQBveQIql6_4SBcV0lnr2rBJgUR4WejcOszTSGkgfmyB6DGAaaBp2p6e1bI5Uji82_v3vMFNcoHNasWvyd1WnDuc0MKtht8cHlZvP0wBlFz5hgxKGfIPQRRTJHAAKeGB9VGjBxblQCAd/s320/walking.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.primalfootalliance.org/YDWS" target="_blank">Your Day Without Shoes</a></span> is an annual event started by <a href="http://www.primalfootalliance.org/" target="_blank">ThePrimalfoot Alliance</a> to promote foot health and barefoot freedom. If you don’t
know it by now, shoes are THE cause of virtually ALL of our foot problems in the
United States, from bunions to blisters, corns to calluses, flat foot and
fallen arches, athlete’s foot and toenail fungus, and of course, that infamous
stink. Going barefoot really is SO MUCH healthier than wearing shoes, but we
unfortunately live in a shoe-obsessed society. For the sake of our health, and
the freedom to enjoy simply going barefoot from time-to-time, we must liberate
our feet. This Saturday, spend the entire day barefoot. And don’t just sit
around the house; purposely go public in your bare feet. If the thought of that
sounds scary, let that be an indication to you of how shoe-obsessed our culture
is. However, there is good news: most people <i>want</i> going barefoot in public to be socially acceptable!*<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your Day Without Shoes</span> was started in part as a response
to a campaign by TOMS shoe company (“One Day Without Shoes”). The TOMS campaign
asks people to go barefoot for a day to raise awareness for poor shoeless
children in Africa. I’m not going to discuss TOMS or the fact that it’s a
for-profit company misrepresenting itself as a charity, but I will say that A
LOT of people participate in their campaign. Many of these people are
undoubtedly good people and think they are doing a charitable service, but I am
also convinced that many of these people also participate because the
campaign gives them an “excuse” to enjoy a day barefoot. When questioned, they say
they are “raising awareness” and point to the large shoe company sponsoring the
event. What jerk of a manager would kick you out because you’re suffering
through the day barefoot to “raise awareness” for poor children? Besides, if
they DO kick you out it only proves TOMS’ point: going without shoes is hard. Actually,
the only point that is proved is that we live in a shoe-obsessed society. Which
is why we need <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your Day Without Shoes</span> to highlight that our obsession with
footwear is actually an unhealthy one and that we need the freedom to go
barefoot for our own good health. If you really want to point them to a higher authority to justify your barefootedness, why not show them a copy of <u>The Barefoot Book</u>? (shameless plug!) Or just print-off the <a href="http://www.thebarefootbook.com/images/BFB-tip-sheet.pdf" target="_blank">fact sheet</a> found on my website. </div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p>So, what do you say? Are you ready to spend an entire day without shoes? </o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">*according to a non-scientific but likely accurate
facebook poll conducted by The Primalfoot Alliance (<a href="http://www.barefootandgrounded.com/2011/04/most-of-us-would-go-barefoot-in-public.html" target="_blank">link</a>).</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-25378673920591150002012-03-16T23:33:00.000-04:002012-03-16T23:33:22.417-04:00The Society for Barefoot Living & The Primalfoot Alliance: Steps in the Right Direction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">If you are reading this blog, you are probably interested in the health benefits of going barefoot more often. Maybe you’ve started barefoot running (or you’re thinking about it). Maybe you have a particular foot ailment and found this blog while searching the internet for answers. Maybe you are die-hard “barefooter” and follow anything and everything barefoot.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">This blog exists to promote an idea, or actually a simple set of premises: </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span><span>1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Going barefoot is healthier than wearing shoes in almost all circumstances.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span><span>2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Going barefoot <i>should</i> be a non-issue (that is, it should be socially acceptable).</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Premise #1 is a fact. It is based firmly on science and a proper understanding of human ambulation. There is simply no dispute that shoes negatively affect our bodies in multiple ways and that going barefoot is both natural and healthy. There are disputes about the safety of going barefoot, but most fears are based on ignorance and misunderstanding, both of which are easily remedied in open-minded people.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Premise #2 is a goal. Most of you reading this blog live in a Western society which generally expects you to wear shoes virtually everywhere, all the time. Fortunately, that expectation is not codified in laws, only in social norms. It is perfectly legal to drive (barefoot) to a shopping mall where you can shop (barefoot) in every store and eat (barefoot) in the food court. For this we can all be truly thankful! However, if you attempt to do this you may run into social resistance, from store managers, security guards, even other customers. I believe the only way we can change this social expectation is to <i>not acquiesce</i> to society’s demand that we put on shoes. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">I realize that confrontation is uncomfortable and I recognize that most people don’t even <i>want</i> to become hardcore barefooters, but I also believe firmly that most people want to go barefoot more. Indeed, a facebook poll revealed that 3 out of 4 people would go barefoot in public if it were socially acceptable. News flash: If 75% of us want to do it, it <i>is</i> socially acceptable!</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">It’s hard to take those first bare steps into the public realm. Nevertheless, it can be done. I routinely drive (barefoot) to my local mall where I shop (barefoot) and eat (barefoot) in the food court. The last time I went to my local mall I was seen by no less than three security guards and none of them said a word to me. Last year, I was escorted to the exit by a guard for being barefoot in that same mall. Times have changed. But <i>why</i> have times changed (and relatively quickly)? It would no doubt be arrogant to think I alone caused this change, but my persistence has surely been a large factor. After my ejection experience last year, I waited a few months and started going back to the mall again (still barefoot). I have done this for every place I’ve ever been ejected. My discovery: they stop hassling me. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">If you want going barefoot in public to be an option, I would encourage you to <i>just do it</i> (yes, that’s irony).<span> </span>Nothing is more powerful at turning the tide than your willingness to just do it. Not only is it liberating to you, it’s liberating to those who see you. When (not if) confrontation arises, be ready to educate, but always educate politely. If the discussion turns nasty, you turn… and walk away. <a href="http://barefootprof.blogspot.com/2011/07/new-barefooters-dont-be-jerk.html">Don’t be a jerk</a>; that just gives us barefooters a bad reputation. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">So, what’s up with the title of this post? I want you to know that if you long to go barefoot and carefree, you are not alone. Many other people share that longing and we’ve formed <span> </span>groups to share stories, encourage each other, and advocate for the cause. If you’ve made it this far in this post, I encourage you to join the Society for Barefoot Living on facebook (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/societyforbarefootliving/">http://www.facebook.com/groups/societyforbarefootliving/</a>). If you want to advocate for barefoot freedom, check out <a href="http://www.primalfootalliance.org/">The Primalfoot Alliance</a> and consider how you can help. Finally, if you want to truly understand your feet, how they are supposed to function and how shoes harm us, then of course you should check out my book, <a href="http://www.thebarefootbook.com/">The Barefoot Book: 50 Great Reasons To Kick Off Your Shoes</a>.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2JUTiZvLYSNVMn6wbwQVA0zLpNQe9MiCl53_zPPOQSI_xF2eWetnlxC-0JvjsUmMLtTWgATecZrPtrwKlNjySrk-0MVdHNMnwmbb-FpMMULH8wj9JZxnRlJXdCo5MC-ryUHyAFtzItITf/s1600/pfa.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="53" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2JUTiZvLYSNVMn6wbwQVA0zLpNQe9MiCl53_zPPOQSI_xF2eWetnlxC-0JvjsUmMLtTWgATecZrPtrwKlNjySrk-0MVdHNMnwmbb-FpMMULH8wj9JZxnRlJXdCo5MC-ryUHyAFtzItITf/s400/pfa.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9upbJSOpLJioeo7cUGJ9RA7_InVbKV0nwoiJ0k-_geFoAzlMZUwOoj0zV-0hm9Lrg4tD02u0DzqhYfkyIYYmfAHpZK-mXdoH8v35GJjpiB5iYpMLFOTHIxe5aptftobCyyRwkc58URqo/s1600/sbl.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="47" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9upbJSOpLJioeo7cUGJ9RA7_InVbKV0nwoiJ0k-_geFoAzlMZUwOoj0zV-0hm9Lrg4tD02u0DzqhYfkyIYYmfAHpZK-mXdoH8v35GJjpiB5iYpMLFOTHIxe5aptftobCyyRwkc58URqo/s320/sbl.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div></div>Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-38542062163653113072012-03-10T19:15:00.005-05:002012-03-10T19:41:22.761-05:00What is Tyranny?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfe6rixgr04jRyrmc9NFo0BYQBxmhIlR_S-L4A7rcJvRKBkyxC31N20JnUsdyoYvy2ecrdZ6opnxHquCmRP3QqJL_ke94AmMOvShhAHVXIatJUP9InyvGkRb0isUSgc3fuNwqkuEAxWGJj/s1600/Barefoot+Beth+Harwell+-+signed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfe6rixgr04jRyrmc9NFo0BYQBxmhIlR_S-L4A7rcJvRKBkyxC31N20JnUsdyoYvy2ecrdZ6opnxHquCmRP3QqJL_ke94AmMOvShhAHVXIatJUP9InyvGkRb0isUSgc3fuNwqkuEAxWGJj/s200/Barefoot+Beth+Harwell+-+signed.jpg" width="154" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><div class="MsoNoSpacing">What if the government criminalized a healthy activity? What if jogging, for instance, was made illegal because it increases your immediate risk of a heart attack. Of course, running <i>reduces</i> your risk of a heart attack in the long-run, but what if the government got their facts wrong or just didn’t care because the <i>act of running</i> was deemed too risky? What if the government mandated that you take a medication you don’t want to take? What would you do if the government forced you to do something you know is bad for you?</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">In Ohio, a committee made up of elected officials decided that citizens <i>must</i> wear footwear or face arrest (for criminal trespass) at the Statehouse, the government complex ironically called “The People’s House.” This decision came after a long and protracted fight by a man named Bob Neinast, an Ohio citizen who frequently makes (made) use of the Statehouse, barefoot. Bob goes barefoot because he enjoys it and because doing so genuinely relieves shoe-induced aches and pains. Although he is an Ohio citizen and the Statehouse is where citizens go to conduct business with their government, Bob is not allowed there unless he conforms to their idea of decorum. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Actually, the reason stated for the shoe rule is safety. Here is where the government has their facts wrong. The irony is that shoes are responsible for the vast majority of the foot problems we have in the United States, from bunions to fallen arches to athlete’s foot. High heels put at least 20,000 women in the hospital each year [1], but officials didn’t ban heels from the Statehouse. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><i>For Your Safety</i> is quickly becoming the most hated phrase in America, and for good reason. Since 2001, <i>For Your Safety</i> has been used to tread on more freedoms than any other excuse in our nation’s history. In Ohio, whose safety is really being preserved by this shoe rule? If it’s not about safety, why are our officials blatantly lying to us? If it’s about decorum, is this the business of our government?</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Just laws are those that protect us from <i>others</i> who wish to physically harm us or our property. A law aimed at protecting me from myself is an unjust law and a tyrannical meddling of the government into my personal affairs. Liberty is the freedom to do as I please as long as I’m not demonstrably harming someone else. Thomas Jefferson said it like this:</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><i>“Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add ‘within the limits of the law’ because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.”</i> </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Several members of the Ohio General Assembly were part of the committee (JCARR) that voted to uphold the new shoe requirement at the Statehouse, a rule that was created in direct response to a citizen (Neinast) going safely shoeless in the Statehouse; a rule that serves no purpose but to obstruct the actions of Neinast and other citizens [2] on public property. The rule demonstrates tyranny. Since the Legislators that support this rule don’t seem to understand the true nature of law and liberty, I urge the citizens of Ohio to dismiss and replace those Legislatures at their first opportunity. They are <b>Sen. Frank LaRose</b> (<a href="mailto:SD27@ohiosenate.gov">SD27@ohiosenate.gov</a>), <b>Sen. Kris Jordan</b> (<a href="mailto:SD19@ohiosenate.gov">SD19@ohiosenate.gov</a>), <b>Sen. Dave Burke</b> (<a href="mailto:SD26@ohiosenate.gov">SD26@ohiosenate.gov</a>), <b>Rep. Bill Hayes</b> (614-644-2500), <b>Rep. Mike Duffey</b> (614-644-6030), <b>Rep. Cheryl L. Grossman</b> (614-466-9690), <b>Rep. John Carney</b> (614-466-2473),and <b>Rep. Tracy Maxwell Heard</b> (614-466-8010). Senators Charleta B. Tavares (<a href="mailto:SD15@ohiosenate.gov">SD15@ohiosenate.gov</a>) and Michael Skindell (<a href="mailto:SD23@ohiosenate.gov">SD23@ohiosenate.gov</a>) voted <i>against</i> the rule and they are to be commended. The minutes for the meeting are not yet posted online, but will be <a href="https://www.jcarr.state.oh.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50&Itemid=56">here</a> when they become available. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">A few miles south of Ohio, Beth Harwell is Speaker of the House in Tennessee. She is known for going barefoot on the House floor as shown in the photo. In Columbus, Madame Speaker could be arrested, hand-cuffed, and taken away from the government property for this dangerous barefoot activity (actually, she would be hauled off to <i>another</i>, even less genial government property). Thank goodness that House Speaker Beth Harwell and the Legislators of Tennessee have more sense than those in Ohio.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><i>Footnotes:</i></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">1. DP Manning and C Jones. High Heels and Polished Floors: The Ultimate Challenge In Research On Slip-Resistance. <i>Safety Science</i> 19 (1):19.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">2. The Statehouse is often used for weddings and special events; bridesmaids, keep your shoes on or face going to jail.</div></div></div>Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-1309653001157618062012-03-04T00:05:00.003-05:002012-03-04T00:21:05.453-05:00Advice for Going Barefoot Successfully<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">The seasons are changing and the weather is warming up in the northern hemisphere. People are ready to kick off their shoes and I’m getting lots of emails about barefooting and, in particular, how to avoid hassles when going shoeless in public. Here are some tips to avoid the “shoe police”:</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b>1. Walk with confidence!</b> This is the number one rule of successful barefooting. When going out in public barefoot for the first time (or first fifty times!), many people feel self-conscious about it. Unfortunately, this puts a massive bulls eye on your back and makes you a target for confrontation. I guess it’s a body language thing. Anyway, the converse is also true: the more confident you are in your bare feet, the less likely you are to get hassled. So when going out and about barefoot, hold up your head and walk with assurance. After all, <i>you</i> are the one making the healthy and natural choice, not all those shoddies just mindlessly following the culture to bunions and stinky feet!</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLvdilx6dDaqEtSy9YCsLGAZzjbLz1NGu2Bd4wNlUewFzSnrkqBT1Yas20lwHe6utShV6cGszbqHOlEUyeSOedKdoli42RC4SXgMQLred0qq3q3R6lkV39U5eCZ557kz4_-RdlUFrOjrJ/s1600/bf-jeans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLvdilx6dDaqEtSy9YCsLGAZzjbLz1NGu2Bd4wNlUewFzSnrkqBT1Yas20lwHe6utShV6cGszbqHOlEUyeSOedKdoli42RC4SXgMQLred0qq3q3R6lkV39U5eCZ557kz4_-RdlUFrOjrJ/s200/bf-jeans.jpg" width="200" /></a> </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b>2. Wear jeans or long pants/dresses.</b> Having said the above, it also might be useful to evade comments or confrontations by being stealthy. Wearing long pants like jeans, especially those that are a bit long and cover most of your feet, will make your barefooting less obvious. Certainly, wearing booty shorts will make your bare feet stand out more!</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELzes23rK1yfll5Eg3IuUc3smrIM8b8yIJD73ND6PIrQ0c8KcHlGh16nSSjufNiRQrUzbgXo2JRI8oqsrs25RGjvBZyLX94VzfegYx2ETyFmOdw0kvqJkkP83ODzCMh1TWvaTaJgZlxF0/s1600/bf-sandals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELzes23rK1yfll5Eg3IuUc3smrIM8b8yIJD73ND6PIrQ0c8KcHlGh16nSSjufNiRQrUzbgXo2JRI8oqsrs25RGjvBZyLX94VzfegYx2ETyFmOdw0kvqJkkP83ODzCMh1TWvaTaJgZlxF0/s200/bf-sandals.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>3. Wear barefoot sandals.</b> Barefoot sandals are exploding in popularity. Many people wear them just because they’re straight up cool, but they can also help you avoid confrontations, especially if worn with jeans or long dresses. If you are not familiar with barefoot sandals, just do a Google search and you can find tons of info and/or pictures of them. I predict they will be sold in mainstream outlets (like JC Penny) before much longer, maybe even this summer. At first glance, barefoot sandals look like traditional footwear, but they have no soles. Millions are available for women, but there’s even two or three masculine versions out there, too. (I have some).</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uFvY25KS9ZSLIOcYPbMyH_RELFkYgD1jLn4mKpAee2wEg7eBP1U1bQ6OXFrptxVNAMD-Ec4Nrl8vuY12KeHLvuO6YGw04OuMpeREAUQ95wYPsHAbVzjmb_38dGACBUVAS2iC66UKF6m_/s1600/bf-shopping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uFvY25KS9ZSLIOcYPbMyH_RELFkYgD1jLn4mKpAee2wEg7eBP1U1bQ6OXFrptxVNAMD-Ec4Nrl8vuY12KeHLvuO6YGw04OuMpeREAUQ95wYPsHAbVzjmb_38dGACBUVAS2iC66UKF6m_/s200/bf-shopping.jpg" width="200" /></a> </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b>4. Be the only one, but not alone.</b> For some odd reason, you're more likely to get called out when you go shopping barefoot alone, so try to go with friends or family whenever you can. And while I certainly encourage people to go out barefoot in groups (that is great fun and often brings its own kind of success), it can also lead to its own kind of trouble. Only twice have I gone to a restaurant, for example, with a group of barefoot friends. Both times we got confronted; once we got kicked out and the other time we managed to convince the management to let us stay. Actually, both experiences were fun! (It's much more fun getting kicked out together!) But if your goal is to shop, eat, etc. and just be left alone, being the only one barefoot in a group helps a lot.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHzRoAJHN-e-a9z0MMKeMHtMdDleRcm3gucgfF5ED_837cRVqX8Isge1mYGMDX_pRfzEOafsc_OJpXwpYniS4V1DinphCZr91XsibqCEElZRe55MATp_3MUTLjYsWakCS1NcfmFNXdWG2/s1600/bf-festival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHzRoAJHN-e-a9z0MMKeMHtMdDleRcm3gucgfF5ED_837cRVqX8Isge1mYGMDX_pRfzEOafsc_OJpXwpYniS4V1DinphCZr91XsibqCEElZRe55MATp_3MUTLjYsWakCS1NcfmFNXdWG2/s200/bf-festival.jpg" width="150" /></a><b> </b><br />
<b>5. Go to barefoot-friendly places first.</b> Until you get some barefooting experience (which increases your confidence), you might want to go to barefoot-friendly places. Local parks, trails and other outdoor venues are usually good to barefooters. Outdoor community events like concerts or festivals are also great for bare feet. When you gain some confidence you can explore grocery shopping, retail stores and other indoor public spaces. Consider yourself a barefooting expert when you conquer the shopping mall sans shoes!</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Those are my best tips. Please leave a comment if you have other tips to share, or just to tell us about your public barefooting experience!</div></div>Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-59223422401865663472011-11-30T15:24:00.000-05:002011-11-30T15:24:26.409-05:00The Barefoot Professor Misrepresented By Shoe Consultant<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJ9bJ5DgxZmkKQsLEZclJbdz9PciWwTDVIYXB6MK0AyrJXq-Am25kbko4ryn2WAtivspNhbhF4Hk73Ntyx15YIaAh9N7dxJ3MI3LJmWEB4li59tluOSSi4rQa6NSq5tF5j33LIwhZcLzF/s1600/buyer-beware-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJ9bJ5DgxZmkKQsLEZclJbdz9PciWwTDVIYXB6MK0AyrJXq-Am25kbko4ryn2WAtivspNhbhF4Hk73Ntyx15YIaAh9N7dxJ3MI3LJmWEB4li59tluOSSi4rQa6NSq5tF5j33LIwhZcLzF/s200/buyer-beware-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span>I had the great pleasure of participating in a roundtable discussion on barefoot running at the recent UKSEM conference in London last week. The conference was a wonderful opportunity to meet hundreds of fascinating coaches, doctors, scientists and athletic trainers from around the globe. The roundtable discussion (titled “Natural Running – Advantages & Disadvantages”) was a memorable opportunity for me as I got to share the stage with experts on barefoot running and shoes. The five experts on the panel were Daniel Lieberman (Harvard), Benno Nigg (University of Calgary), Matthias Marquardt (Natural Running), Simon Bartold (ASICS) and myself. The discussion was moderated by Ross Tucker, a young scientist from the University of Cape Town who is a consultant for Adidas South Africa.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span>Unfortunately, Ross Tucker and I must not have been at the same roundtable discussion at UKSEM. In his summary of the discussion <a href="http://www.sportsscientists.com/2011/11/barefoot-running-round-table-discussion.html?m=0" target="_blank">published on his blog today</a>, Ross managed to completely misrepresent my statements on barefoot running. Let me set the record straight.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span>Ross started the roundtable discussion with the question: “</span><i><span>'Shoes are evil. They do not help, they may even cause injury. Barefoot running is natural, and will help prevent injury, and therefore everyone should be encouraged to run barefoot'. Do you buy or sell this concept?"</span></i><span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span>Ross says that “only Daniel Howell outright bought the concept.” Unfortunately, that is completely untrue. My response to his “buy or sell” question was “<b>Both. Buy and sell. 90% buy</b>.” How does this translate to “outright bought the concept”? </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span>Ross’ mischaracterization of my position doesn’t stop with this opening remark; he continues it all the way through his summary article. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span>Ross said in a blog for The Guardian and reiterated in his summary of the discussion that there are likely some “people who simply cannot adapt to barefoot running.” Although Ross Tucker may be “certain of this case,” it is pure conjecture. Neither of us have any scientific evidence on this point, but I say it’s equivalent to positing that some people (living in a hypothetical glove-wearing society) cannot adapt to using their bare hands upon taking their gloves off. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span>Ross accuses me of not recognizing that “</span><span>being barefoot as a runner exists in a larger context, and that context includes about 100 things that make us different from our ancestors. For example, we sit at desks for 8 hours a day, we sleep on comfortable mattresses, we drive, and we "hunt" our food in supermarkets and not in bushlands, we play in shoes (when we're not playing on computer games), and we grow up in them and then at 30, we are faced with a possible change (as a result of this debate). Not one of those things happened before, but every one of them COULD be a contributing factor to injury risk. In other words, weakness of supporting muscles and tendons as a result of years of disuse and TV-watching might mean that being "natural" is a more risky option that being in shoes. There<b> is a real possibility, as stated earlier, that some people need shoes in order to run.</b>” (emphasis in original). </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span>Of course I DO recognize that barefoot running exists in a larger context and I <b>actually stressed this point</b> during the discussion. I said that it’s unrealistic to spend decades growing up in shoes, wear shoes throughout the week, then take them off for a few minutes to run barefoot and expect your feet to perform well. This is one reason why I think we all should be walking barefoot more. Ross seems to be saying that because we eat McDonald’s junk food and watch TV too much, we should abandon doing anything that’s natural for our bodies. Actually, it might seem that Ross Tucker has a bone to pick with me since he quoted a tweet in which I called his above arguments “bull.” But he obviously misunderstands my point; Yes, there is a technique to running barefoot and (as I said in my book) we must be slowly weaned from shoes (i.e., rehabilitated), but unlike Ross I believe that everyone can do it barring some unusual medical problem. It is the suggestion that some people will always need big, bulky running shoes that I think is bull.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span>Ross also accuses me of making “a very basic mistake” by equating <i>natural</i> with <i>better</i>. He claims that antibiotics are not natural (actually most of them are) yet our lives have been enhanced by them, therefore natural is not always better. Ross clearly thinks he’s making a suitable analogy, but he’s comparing apples to oranges when he compares antibiotics to shoes. For the record, I agree that natural is not always better. There is no doubt that man-made products (or “unnatural” uses of natural products like antibiotics) have benefited mankind, but this doesn’t mean that <i>all</i> man-made inventions benefit mankind. Unlike antibiotics, shoes have a demonstrably negative effect on human anatomy and gait; I’ve written a book detailing these effects.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span>Finally, Ross neglected to mention that I said there will always be a need for shoes – under the harshest terrain or weather conditions, for example. My philosophy is that shoes are tools, use them when necessary but not otherwise. And when shoes must be worn, choose those that have a minimal impact on foot anatomy and gait biomechanics. What I “buy” is that traditional running shoes with bulky cushioning, elevated heels, arch supports and toe springs are man-made concoctions that have an unnatural impact on human stance and ambulation; they likely cause injuries and can be done without. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span>So, Ross Tucker, I have a question for you: Misrepresenting your “opponent” is the best way to advance your argument – <span> </span>buy or sell?</span></div></div>Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-26844400980516473272011-11-22T12:03:00.002-05:002011-11-22T12:15:41.887-05:00Much Ado About Nothing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XZ-dEFpEpfF0YLKucYgjusK1tzBLAVBwT4jv2H-jPIIGmnn_hnqGCOuMgQNOz9tgMCHa00PpmPFY-gE3FvpxO1uAf7G5KYdOCzEmZtxwCAwEg8H7ZPOFFXlSJgxYGLWgB3SjP1pDJVzr/s1600/cracked_egg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XZ-dEFpEpfF0YLKucYgjusK1tzBLAVBwT4jv2H-jPIIGmnn_hnqGCOuMgQNOz9tgMCHa00PpmPFY-gE3FvpxO1uAf7G5KYdOCzEmZtxwCAwEg8H7ZPOFFXlSJgxYGLWgB3SjP1pDJVzr/s200/cracked_egg.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">If you’ve been following my blog you know that I’m a Christian as well as a barefooter. I’m presently engaged in an email conversation with a young Christian man who wants to go barefoot to church but is facing intense social pressure from the congregation and church leaders. This mystifies me on so many levels.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">There is nothing anti-Christian about going barefoot. Indeed, strong biblical arguments can be made that it’s <i>more</i> Christian to go barefoot than wear shoes (Exodus 3:5, Joshua 5:10, Matthew 10:10, for example). There are no dress codes proscribed in the New Testament and, in fact, such rules and regulations are discouraged in the Scriptures and were shunned by the early church. Judging others who come to worship is forbidden in no uncertain terms (James 2). </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Okay, we all know that religious people can be nutty and inexplicable. They often embrace weird beliefs for no good reason. But what about everyone else? Even in the secular world bare feet remain a volatile subject. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Bob Neinast recently wrote a <a href="http://ahcuah.wordpress.com/2011/11/08/librarian-fired-for-not-posting-no-bare-feet-sign/" target="_blank">captivating blog</a> (as usual) about a librarian who was fired for refusing to post a NO BARE FEET sign at her library. This happened in 1972, but sadly, things have not improved since then. Indeed, things have gotten worse; Bob has himself lost several court cases for simply wanting to use his public library <i>sans shoes</i>. Anyway, the fired librarian, Joan Ford, captured the lunacy of this dispute so exquisitely that I have not been able to shake her words from my head since I first read them:</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 81pt 0.0001pt 45pt; text-align: center;"><i>“There’s something explosive about the issue I don’t understand. It arouses intense passions – especially among the no-bare-feet partisans – as inexplicable to me as was to Gulliver the deadly political strife in Lilliput over whether to break the big or small end of a breakfast egg.”</i></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">What is it about bare feet that ignites people so? Mrs. Ford went on to speculate, “<i>Maybe some sexual nuance that escapes me?</i>” I don’t know if that’s the answer (because it escapes me, too), but clearly there’s something. If most of the world has a secret foot fetish it might at least explain the fear religious folks have for baring them. Perhaps passions are aroused because the feet are so sensitive to touch, but then so are the fingers and lips but we have no qualms about exposing those. One might think that bare feet are taboo because they’ve been locked out-of-view in shoes for so long, but sandals and flip flops reveal the feet and are socially acceptable, so that can’t be it either. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The war between Big-Endians and Little-Endians.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">A mountain out of a mole hill.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Much ado about nothing. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Can some foot-hater out there explain to us why bare feet are such a big deal to you?</div></div>Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-55122786792610101232011-09-20T13:37:00.000-04:002011-09-21T21:13:45.740-04:00My Scathing Analysis of Foot Experts Misinforming the Public<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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USA Today published an <a href="http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/story/2011-09-11/The-other-shoe-drops-Most-are-bad-for-feet/50206576/1%20">article </a>recently on the dangers of new "barefoot-like" shoe styles. In the report,
podiatrists Kendrick Whitney and Michele Colon actually state that high heeled platforms
are <i>better</i> for your body than ballet
flats or the Vibram Fivefingers. Why? Because a zero-drop shoe – in their
professional opinion – is bad for your legs and feet. In the article, Colon
decries a particular type of shoe because “there’s no structure, essentially no
sole, they’re too flat.”</div>
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Run (quickly… and barefoot) from any podiatrist who
claims your foot needs “support.” I cringe whenever I hear a foot doctor say the foot
needs support, or that such-and-such shoe is bad because it doesn’t offer enough
support. And here we have two podiatrists claiming that ultra-hard, immobilizing, high heeled shoes are better for you than low, flexible shoes that allow for natural foot mobility. </div>
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It appears to me that
podiatrists like Whitney and Colon do not fully understand or appreciate foot physiology. And I am
astounded – though perhaps not surprised – that it takes a non-podiatrist like
me to set the record straight. They, like so many other members of the medical
community and society at large, are simply brainwashed. They are so
culturally-biased that they cannot see the obvious about human
ambulation or discern "normal" from "natural." </div>
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Can you imagine a dentist who sincerely believes that
candy for breakfast, lunch and dinner is the best thing you can do for your
teeth? If the dentist was deceiving his patients merely to increase his own profits,
I would merely despise him. If he were so ignorant of dental hygiene as to
sincerely believe his prescription is best, then…. well, I would be truly afraid to
be his patient. So is our situation, however, with many of today’s podiatrists.
Crazy.</div>
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<i>You do not need
shoes</i>. In fact, your feet, knees, hips and spine would be stronger and
healthier if you wore shoes less. That is fact based on human anatomy and
physiology. I invite Whitney, Colon and their shoe-touting colleagues to show
me ANY scientific data that supports a daily necessity for shoes – specifically
the shoes they hype with elevated heels, arch supports, cushioning, etc. In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Book-Great-Reasons-Shoes/dp/0897935543/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316536753&sr=8-1">The
Barefoot Book</a>, I provide many, many references to the primary scientific
literature exposing the hazards of shoe use. Whitney and Colon do not tell
readers of USA Today that elevated heels unnaturally shorten the Achilles
tendon, putting strain on the arch and ultimately causing the arch to fall.
They do not mention that narrow toe boxes on shoes cause hallux valgus, bunions
and hammer toe. They neglect to inform that arch supports, elevated heels and
toe springs immobilize the foot and halt the windlass mechanism, which is so crucial to
natural walking. They also forget that athlete’s foot and toenail fungus only
infect us when we encase our feet in warm, moist, closed-toe shoes. And maybe
they don’t know that the leading cause of knee arthritis (probably) is elevated shoe heels
(elderly women get knee arthritis 4x more than elderly men). All of these problems are caused by shoes and rarely seen in barefoot cultures, but suggesting that <i>we </i>go barefoot more seems unimaginable to them.</div>
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Here’s a quote from the article: “Best everyday option for
most women: “Something with a 1- or 2-inch heel” that’s well constructed and
fits well, Colon says. “You’re giving the foot a little bit of an arch. It puts
the body in a normal position for walking.”” </div>
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URGHH. Do you know WHY you’re giving the foot “a little
bit of an arch”? Because you are locking the windlass mechanism in the “engaged”
position. (Please see my <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUIBgUQ2aV0&feature=feedu">video
description</a> of the windlass mechanism). And walking in a 2-inch heel may be
“normal” (meaning it’s accepted by the masses), but it is <i>not</i> natural.</div>
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Going barefoot is natural and healthy; wearing shoes is
unnatural and by-and-large unhealthy. In the ideal world you should employ
shoes the same way you employ gloves… only when necessary. In my own life I
have found that I actually <i>need</i>
footwear less often than I need hand protection, even in winter. So, shoes are
unnecessary in most situations and going barefoot is unquestionably healthier, but if you’ve been wearing
shoes all of your life you do need to transition out of them slowly. <i>Shoes create a dependency on shoes</i>. Our
feet have been debilitated by them and they must therefore be rehabilitated (by walking barefoot). Like any
rehab, the process may be uncomfortable at times, but if you complete the requisite
physical therapy you will be stronger and healthier in the end. </div>
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Rant over. Thank you.</div>
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Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com65tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-44358903346700959252011-09-07T21:48:00.001-04:002011-09-21T21:28:15.280-04:00Mean People Suck: RIGHT BACK AT CHA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnvQSB-8yxzDllDTc-NJ_gQA4cGe0uZUKwQZDti-2TwYvyatcVw6LxtvqOVQn363Y9HUgdzD_7-2S3DFRcDADqt7IW-y72-SRFiadC17hJEKK1vzUDbZu-ltg_G-HrL19_mElNjVshh8k/s1600/3d_face_stick_tongue__a_ha.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnvQSB-8yxzDllDTc-NJ_gQA4cGe0uZUKwQZDti-2TwYvyatcVw6LxtvqOVQn363Y9HUgdzD_7-2S3DFRcDADqt7IW-y72-SRFiadC17hJEKK1vzUDbZu-ltg_G-HrL19_mElNjVshh8k/s200/3d_face_stick_tongue__a_ha.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black;">I’ve been
blogging for about 1.5 years now and one of my most viewed posts is Mean People
Suck (which is also one of my personal favorites). In the <a href="http://barefootprof.blogspot.com/2011/04/mean-people-suck-50-great-reasons-to.html">original post</a>
I kept my responses to a minimum, but in this updated post I reply to every
comment. I hope readers of this blog recognize the lack of critical thinking
exhibited by the commenters and the logical fallacies they employ. The comments are also rather mean-spirited.
Clearly, these are frustrated people who can only talk this way under cover of anonymity.
If you read the original post, enjoy the comments again, and my replies this
time. <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">:-)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">My
comments are </span><span style="color: red;">[in brackets].</span></div>
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1. Another idiot academic heard from. Go walk on broken
glass, MORON. Does this jerk have a Piled higher and Deeper degree? <span style="color: red;">[I do have a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Va. Tech. I then
conducted biomedical research at Duke University Medical Center for 4 years and
McGill University for 2 years prior to joining the faculty at Liberty
University in 2003. I have a box of broken glass in my office; sometimes I
demonstrate barefoot walking on glass for students and visitors.]</span></div>
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2. Maybe he should just return to the planet of the apes,
where shoes are not a necessity. <span style="color: red;">[That is a TV show;
there is no such planet. I prefer to live in reality, not TV world.]</span></div>
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3. The professor should get himself checked for hook
worms. They may be affecting his mind. <span style="color: red;">[Hook worms were
a serious concern throughout the southeastern United States in the 1800’s and
early 1900’s. The parasite has been basically eliminated by the use of indoor
plumbing – and yes, shoes. Shoes are no longer necessary, however, because everyone
uses indoor plumbing and the contamination cycle has been broken. In order to
acquire hookworm, a person must step on fresh feces (less than 5 days old)
dropped in damp soil from an already-infected person. The likelihood of
acquiring hookworm in the United States today is extremely low – like winning a
lottery.]</span></div>
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4. He'd like to put tens of thousands, who make shoes,
out of work. Mainly very poor people in India. Never mind the sock makers. What
a loser<span style="color: red;">! [And just think of all the poor tobacco
farmers and sellers we put “out of work” in the past decade. Perhaps they could
build windmills are something useful instead of body-harming products. It’s
okay… everyone wins in the end.]</span></div>
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5. if he gets his way, it will put all the women who are
making a better living for their families in Africa out of luck. Let's just
tell 'em: "Go back to being barefoot and pregnant!" <span style="color: red;">[See comment #4]</span></div>
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6. This is why the Educational system in America is so
much a failure. Calling wearing shoes an "addiction" is just silly
and unworthy of academic inquiry. It is not even worthy of a 3rd grade
mentality. I suggest that the "professor" stop smoking pot, get a
real job and try to contribute something useful to society--if he actually has
the ability. The so-called 'university" is a sham to even allow this
embarrassing nonsense to go public. CERTAINLY A LEFT WING NUTCASE TOO. <span style="color: red;">[I typically vote Republican, though I’m fed up with both
major parties. I don’t smoke pot, I do have a real job that often requires 60
hours per week or more of my time and I’m trying my best to contribute
something useful to society. Shoes are unhealthy; at least 90% of our foot
problems in this country can be traced back to our shoes, including athlete’s
foot, toenail fungus, hammer toe, bunions, hallux valgus, flat feet, corns and
blisters. Shoes are an addiction in the sense that people feel they cannot live
without them. If *you* think *you* can live without them, try it for seven
consecutive days. The addiction is not just personal, it’s primarily cultural.
If you choose to go seven days barefoot, please tell me about the experience.]</span></div>
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7. This IS a health issue - a mental health issue for
this wingnut. Parents beware of where you send your children.
"University" is the new pseudonym for "indoctrination camp"
that exposes young, dare I say it, inadequately prepared, minds to this sort of
idiotic "new-age" blather. Don't know much about Liberty (People's
Revolutionary Right-Mind Camp), but if they have instructors like this with
tenure, well ... <span style="color: red;">[Liberty University does not offer tenure. I agree that most schools today
are “indoctrination camps,” especially public schools. Children are
indoctrinated, for example, to believe that wearing shoes is a modern necessity;
that going barefoot is harmful and often illegal. My goal is to end the
shoe-indoctrination. BTW, private schools – like Liberty University – are generally
less ‘politically correct’ and have less government intrusion, making them more
open to the free exchange of ideas.]</span></div>
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8. I invite this nut job to retrieve my mail in July and
August from my mailbox next to the asphalt road fronting my house. Next, I
invite him to discuss his penchant for barefootedness with his automobile
insurance company. Next, he's welcome to talk to a podiatrist or two about the
obviously complete fallacy of arch support for some individuals. How about a
Metro ride at rush hour? I could go on, but...why are these people invariably
found in universities? (Other than easy life, little or no pressure, taxpayer
funded/supported jobs, etc.).<span style="color: red;"> [I can easily walk on hot
pavement in summer while barefoot ; I have done so even in Houston in July. No
insurance carriers require drivers to wear shoes while operating a vehicle – do
the research yourself if you wish. I have ridden a metro barefoot. The
biomechanics of the foot arch is explained in my book and many podiatrists
around the world are realizing that immobilizing the arches in shoes is
harmful. Of all the commenters I list here; you mouth off the most about things
you know nothing about.]</span></div>
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9. Have you ever stepped into a fire ant hill in bare
feet, professor? Have you ever walked on pine needles? I could go on and on.
Shoes protect our feet from all kinds of hazards as well as keeping any cuts or
scratches from being exposed to dirt and germs. Just another loony liberal.<span style="color: red;"> [I have not stepped onto a fire ant hill barefoot, or in
shoes. I very much enjoy walking on pine needles and even pine *cones* if that’s
what you meant. Shoes are incubators for growing germs which is why is much
less “germy” to go barefoot. Cuts and scratches do happen rarely, both on my
feet and my hands. I am not a liberal; I’m a conservative.]</span></div>
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10. Maybe the post should have a regular feature where
they profile a "professor" from Liberty "university". It
would be more entertaining then the funny papers. (except when you consider all
the morons who pay money to go there)<span style="color: red;"> [One definition
of moron is ‘stupid people.’ Stupid people speak of things they know not. You
do not know Liberty University.* Therefore, you are a moron. *(You’ve never
been on the campus, talked with students or professors, read the assigned
textbooks, etc. You probably don’t know that LU is a fully-accredited institution
with a law school, engineering school, aviation school, award-winning debate
team, etc., and is the 8<sup>th</sup> largest university in America.) You also
don’t know the difference between “then” and “than.”]</span></div>
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11. Sounds like one of the loonies from woodstock.the
good old days no bathe,no shave,mary jane,drugs and rock n roll.now a
professor,this is an american success story<span style="color: red;"> [I was born
in 1969 so I’m a little too young for Woodstock. I’ve never endorsed the “hippie”
behaviors you describe]</span></div>
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12. I know there's gotta be a connection to the earth
only being 6,000 years old and the "professor's" bare feet.... <span style="color: red;">[I don’t think there is.]</span></div>
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13. Shoes are required in places of business not for
health reasons, but for liability. Should he step on something and injure his
unprotected foot, the business is liable. This guy is an idiot.<span style="color: red;"> [I have not found a single insurance policy that requires
footwear of patrons in a business open to the public. Find one and prove me
wrong.]</span></div>
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14. Professor Howell's undergraduate education in biology
should have included a course in parasitology. Hookworns, roundworms,
whipworms, etc. - all can be acquired by walking barefoot in contgaminated
soil. <span style="color: red;">[Perhaps *your* undergraduate education should
have included such a course. Sheesh.]</span></div>
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15. And this nutty professor has tenure.<span style="color: red;"> [Why do these people think I have tenure? I have never stated that I do because Liberty University does not offer
tenure. Well, you know what they say about “ass-u-me.”]</span></div>
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16. HELLO! Read the last sentence. He's selling a book!
This is not "news," it is self promotion. <span style="color: red;">[Self-promotion
is promoting yourself. I did not write the article you commented on; the
Washington Post did. Sheesh.]</span></div>
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17. As a Liberty University graduate, I can assure you
that there is no requirement to sign or state that one believes in Creationism.
Also, I can tell you that most people at Liberty likely think this guy is as
much of a nut about the barefoot thing as those who do not go there. <span style="color: red;">[Yep, I am hated on both sides of the aisle.]</span></div>
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18. I had a real professor at a real college whom didn't
wear shoes. But comparing RIT to Liberty is like comparing an educated Harvard
law scholar to a dingbat from Alaska.<span style="color: red;"> [Liberty has a
law school (founded in 2004) that is already one of the best in the nation. In
2010 Liberty was the only school to achieve 100 percent bar passage rate in the
state of Virginia: Washington & Lee was at 90 percent; George Mason, 84.8
percent; University of Virginia, 75 percent; and the College of William &
Mary, 73.3 percent. On the whole, LU is not comparable to Harvard, but neither
is RIT. Finally, I’m not sure what you have against Alaska; I’m from
Virginia.]</span></div>
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19. I hope the professor gets plantar fasciitis and then
see how he does with out shoes. <span style="color: red;">[Going barefoot is the
best way to strengthen your feet and *cure* plantar fasciitis. However, PF may
occur during the rehabilitation stage when you first start barefooting.]</span></div>
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20. Nuts! What's this clown going to do during winter
time? What is he accomplishing other than to show what an eccentric he is? He's
a narcassist! What a waste<span style="color: red;">! [Winters in Virginia are
pretty mild, so I can usually stay barefoot. When we have deep snow I wear
shoes, just as I wear gloves, coats, hats, etc., to keep warm. As I say in The
Barefoot Book, a shoe is a tool; use it when you need it. But shoes should not
be worn all day every day.]</span></div>
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21. Acadmia has truly become a safe house for the crazy,
couched in the guise of intellectualism. As bad as it was fifteen years ago,
acadamia seems completely awash in, make that saturated, with those not fit for
the mainstream workforce. Besides math and science, it is now important to
prepare our children for college by instilling in them skeptisism for every
word uttered by the "learned." This is particularly so for humanities
and fine arts professors.<span style="color: red;"> [I am a science professor,
though I do have a love for the humanities and the fine arts. Students (indeed
everyone) should have a healthy dose of “skeptisism" especially toward “acadmia",
but smart people have minds open to new ideas.]</span></div>
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22. As a physician, I think undergraduate university
professors in general are unsightly pieces of waste material whether we are
talking Liberty U or Harvard. <span style="color: red;">[Honestly, I have similar
feelings for MD’s, but not DO’s.]</span></div>
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23. C'mon hippie, put on your shoes already for Christ
sake. You look like a frikin idiot!.<span style="color: red;"> [As a Christian, I
sincerely hope that everything I do is for Christ’s sake, but he told Moses to
take off his shoes (Ex.3:5) and sent out his disciples barefoot (Matt. 10:10),
so I don’t think Christ is opposed to my barefoot-is-best mentality.]</span></div>
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24. This "Barefoot Porfessor" is the perfect
example of the professorial personality: No Commonsense! <span style="color: red;">[If by commonsense you mean “conventional wisdom” then I
confess to be a skeptic. The wisdom of the masses is often nonsense. ]</span></div>
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25. If this is not proof that these professors are just
useless. Hey have this idiot walk on some glass or on a Phoenix sidewalk when
the temps are 115. To think it costs thousands and thousands of dollars to send
a child to college to be taught by fools like this. Not sure it is worth the
money.<span style="color: red;"> [As I’ve stated in previous responses above, I
can walk pretty comfortably on both broken glass and hot pavement. College is
very expensive and (for some majors) may not be worth the investment, but then
colleges do not exist to be job-prep houses, they exist to insure an educated
populace; a crucial component for any democracy.]</span></div>
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26. What a worthwhile endeavor. This will surely enrich
our society. I will now crusade against the evils of sunglasses and all will be
well. <span style="color: red;">[I’m not aware of any “evils” or harm caused by
the use of sunglasses, but shoes are responsible for the majority of our foot
problems in the USA. Good luck on your crusade.]</span></div>
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27. As A Biology professor, does he realize he takes a
very large risk of contracting hepatitis C from going barefoot???<span style="color: red;"> [Blood transfusion and intravenous drug use are the leading
causes of HCV infection. Going barefoot is never listed as even a minor cause
of HCV from every source I’ve checked, so… NO, I don’t realize that I’m taking
a “very large risk” of getting HCV by going barefoot because, well, I’m NOT. I
hope *you* are not a biology professor.]</span></div>
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28. Just what America needs, another leftwing loon.<span style="color: red;"> [You obviously know nothing about Liberty University,
founded in 1971 by the Reverend Jerry Falwell. I am a rightwing loon.]</span></div>
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29. And these crazy nut job "professors" are
teaching our next batch of Democrats. No wonder we are in such bad shape. <span style="color: red;">[As stated above, I teach at Liberty University, a
conservative Christian university. The majority of our students are pro-life,
pro-gun, pro-family rightwing Republicans.]</span></div>
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30. Hey Danny Boy, Amen and Amen, but first we need to
ban the use of neck ties. First things first. What do you do in winter? <span style="color: red;">[I hate neckties almost as much as I hate shoes. On mild
winter days I go barefoot. On very cold days or in deep snow I wear shoes.]</span></div>
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31. If you want to walk around with your feet sticking
out, go to the jungle or the desert where this makes some sense. Otherwise, in
modern paved society, civilized humans who have fully evolved wear shoes and
socks. Forcing other people to see and smell your feet is not civilized
behavior. <span style="color: red;">[Only about 200 milliseconds of thought are
needed to see that the paved streets, sidewalks and polished or carpeted floors
in America are much more conducive to barefooting than a jungle or a desert,
but you may not be capable of that much sustained thinking. Our civilized society has an unhealthy obsession
with shoes and socks and that’s precisely what I’m trying to point out. Feet do
not smell; shoes smell because they are incubators for bacteria and fungi
(okay, *your* feet smell because you stuff them in shoes all day). Are people
who wear flip-flops “forcing other people to see” their feet?]</span></div>
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32. The reaon for shoes is to keep the feet warm and
protect them from injury. For a professor, he appears to be ideological and not
realistic or "smart".<span style="color: red;"> [Yes, the “reaon” for
shoes is to keep the feet warm and protect them from injury. Gloves are used
for the <i>exact same purpose</i> for the
hands. Do you wear gloves all day, every day?]</span></div>
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33. The term 'whack job' comes to mind. <span style="color: red;">[I guess I have no response to this.]</span></div>
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34. The professors opinion on going barefoot will
abruptly change one he gets planters warts on the bottom of his feet.<span style="color: red;"> [The virus that causes plantar warts may be picked up by
walking barefoot, but those who *stay habitually barefoot* are at very low risk
of contracting infection. Those who put on shoes are at an increased risk of
infection because the shoe is a warm, stale, dark, moist environment that
inhibits the anti-microbial nature of the skin (and the desiccating effects of
wind and sunshine).]</span></div>
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35. Quite silly. One hopes that he is not paid on the tax
payer's dime. He should come up here to Canada and walk through the snow
barefoot. That should clear his head. <span style="color: red;">[I work at a
private university and do not receive taxpayer money. I lived in Montreal for 2
years.]</span></div>
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36. I am not surprised! I have a suspicion that being
infected with hook worms affects the brain. I thought it only effected southern
evangelist preachers. Now it seems it has spread to collage professors to. <span style="color: red;">[Hook worm has been essentially eradicated from the USA, and
hookworm infection does not affect the brain.]</span></div>
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37. Even the Dharma Initiative wore shoes. And they were
on an island with a nice beach. They were a lot more sensible than that Daniel
Howell fruitcake. BTW, could he be related to Thurston Howell III? If I recall
correctly, even Thurston wore shoes while on Gilligan's Island.<span style="color: red;"> [The Dharma Initiative? Gilligan’s Island? Dude, you live
TV-land. Turn it off and come back to the real world.]</span></div>
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38. Walk barefoot if you want and leave us alone! Yet
another self-appointed people-annoyer... <span style="color: red;">[Oh, the irony.
I have often been kicked out of malls, restaurants, etc. for being barefoot. I
would LOVE to walk barefoot and BE LEFT ALONE.]</span></div>
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39. Who do you think that this wacked-out person voted
for in the last presidential election? Now you know why this country is
screwed.<span style="color: red;"> [It’s really none of your business who I voted
for, but it was *NOT* Barrack Obama.]</span></div>
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40. I wonder if he's ever flown on a commercial flight
and had to use the restroom? Moonbat. <span style="color: red;">[I have flown on
commercial flights barefoot. I have also been kicked off of commercial flights
barefoot. I guess you missed my discussion of this on the <a href="http://www.thebarefootbook.com/press.html">TODAY Show</a>. I usually
can avoid public restrooms and I won’t use one barefoot if it’s so dirty I
wouldn’t use it shod. Many public restrooms are actually clean; they don’t pose
any hazard.]</span></div>
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41. Seems all the nutjobs aren't in politics after all.<span style="color: red;">[That is correct, there are nutjobs everywhere. I think there
may even be one where you work.]</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
42. Why even give this clown faux legitimacy with an
article about him? It boggles the mind. My cat is more newsworthy for the fact
that it cleans its netherregions each day. Professor Stoogotz, as my grandmother
would have called him, comes from the same class of folks who hailed Obama as
the new Messiah. We see how well that one turned out.<span style="color: red;">
[One more time, I’m a conservative Republican; I did *NOT* vote for Obama. I do
wish that going barefoot was a non-issue and un-newsworthy.]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
43. Yeah, I want to see his filthy feet in a restaurant
or classroom... yet another hippy moron teaching our kids.... Dogs also don't
wear shoes. Maybe this guy was raised in a small village in Kenya...<span style="color: red;"> [A small village in Kenya? I have some excellent students
from Kenya; your remark would probably strike them as racist. I guess you also
hate to see feet in flip-flops in a restaurant or classroom?]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
44. It's the public health, stupid. One small step for
bare footers, and a giant leap for diseases. Shoes are like foot condoms in the
public health field. If you walk among strangers and defecating animals, then
friends don't let friends do it bearback. Not that there is anything wrong with
diseases and worms. <span style="color: red;">[There is a very low incidence of
bacterial and fungal infections in people who habitually go barefoot. By
contrast, athlete’s foot and toenail fungus are rampant in the shoe-wearing
population (just browse the foot care products at your local pharmacy). Bare hands *are* a public health hazard; I
think you should wear gloves all day to protect me from your nasty hands that
you used to pick your nose with.]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
45. What a poser. Until he gets out in the wilderness,
including desert and snow and ice, like that barefoot hippie minimalist
survival guy Cody Lundin, this guy's done nothing. <span style="color: red;">[I’ve
been living barefoot for years and hiked/traveled on many different terrains
barefoot, so I do have something on Cody.]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
46. It is telling of the smug personality type of those
taking up seemingly Innocuous Lifestyle Choices to eventually become hectoring
proselytizers. Same with about 90% of vegetarians. It's not about them
"doing their own thing," but trying to convince the rest of their
moral one-upmanship. Give it a rest. <span style="color: red;">[Again, oh the
irony. I would love it if *you* and everyone else would let me walk barefoot
and *leave me alone.*]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
47. I guess the idiot never heard of hookworm. <span style="color: red;">[I have heard of hookworm, and –unlike you – I actually understand
its epidemiology.]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
48. Howell tells us how to solve the problems of the
world, problems he avoided by becoming a professor. I seriously doubt that he
would go barefoot in a New York taxi cab. <span style="color: red;">[I <i>have</i> been barefoot in a New York taxi
cab, on my way to my interview on the TODAY show].</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
49. A
kooky suggestion today, a serious one tomorrow, a demand the next, and after
that, Obama takes over the shoe industry and shuts it down. That's how the
liberal mind works.I've said it before and now is a good time to repeat it: The
bastards want us all to walk to work everyday on dirt paths in our bare feet. <span style="color: red;">[I don’t know why everyone thinks I’m a liberal, but from the
way these apparent conservatives behave, maybe I’ll become one.]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
50. <span style="color: red;">[And finally…]</span> The article doesn't allude to
the prof's politics, but I suspect that he's just another kooky hippie leftist.
He's not content with just doing something different and going about his
business. He has to preach at people that EVERYBODY should be doing it! They're
not content to simply mind their own business, drive their Priuses, forego
deodorant, avoid eating meat, live in their eco-huts, etc. etc. etc. Seriously,
why do the hippies think they have to compel everyone else to do things their
way<span style="color: red;">? [OH THE
IRONY. All I’ve ever wanted was to go barefoot and be left alone].</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
</div>
Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-49402699692667710062011-08-30T06:29:00.000-04:002011-08-30T06:29:44.021-04:00The Lightsome Life Reviews The Barefoot Book on YouTube<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JsWcYJwnNFSBQ9A_VZsUR8BDDZ9_s2_vzt_jjs0zIbIdc4BABF1XBywt-8pldkyi0Ib3yYXVMWN1aAQ4vyIAkSq3o4Gji3LgYtU-YpB3zMR5YQOG5PE1uddug3ew0nErVN9gnbPVYoOJ/s1600/thelightsomelife2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JsWcYJwnNFSBQ9A_VZsUR8BDDZ9_s2_vzt_jjs0zIbIdc4BABF1XBywt-8pldkyi0Ib3yYXVMWN1aAQ4vyIAkSq3o4Gji3LgYtU-YpB3zMR5YQOG5PE1uddug3ew0nErVN9gnbPVYoOJ/s320/thelightsomelife2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Check out this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kxfxxGBhCY">VIDEO </a>review of The Barefoot Book on YouTube by thelightsomelife. A video review! What a brilliant idea. She gives her favorite 10 reasons to go barefoot... what are <i>your </i>favorite reasons?<br />
<br />
Tamarah Bartmess, a.k.a., thelightsomelife, is a Certified SimplyHealed™ Practitioner who seems to specialize in weight loss strategies and affirmations. According to the dictionary, <i>lightsome </i>means "carefree and happy and lighthearted" and "full of light." Tamarah says that as a SimplyHealed™ Practitioner, "It is my job and honor to help you <strong>ignite the brilliance within you</strong>."<br />
<br />
Check out her <a href="http://thelightsomelife.com/">website</a>, and don't forget to watch her <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kxfxxGBhCY">book review</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a class="yt-uix-redirect-link" dir="ltr" href="http://facebook.com/thelightsomelife" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="http://facebook.com/thelightsomelife"><br />
</a></div>Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-54172696715734871442011-08-25T14:41:00.000-04:002011-08-25T14:41:03.565-04:00Shoes & Psychology<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">This week marked the beginning of a new school year. Over 13,000 students have flooded onto the campus of Liberty University and more than 200 have found their way into my classroom. A few of these students knew a thing-or-two about me before they met me this week (they say I’m famous – or infamous), but most of them did not. And to them I got the joy of introducing myself and my “funny” ways.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">So during these introductions I was reminded how many people (students or not) are skeptical when first presented with my proposition that shoes are harmful, unnatural and largely unnecessary. Many times they genuinely think I’m nuts. When I ask them to defend the use of shoes they usually recite a few myths and what-if’s but otherwise have no serious counter-argument. They say shoes are normal and going barefoot is not normal. The end. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">But it’s not the end. Here’s the rest of the story: shoes are unnatural and going barefoot is natural and healthier, even if it’s not “normal.” </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVat7ppPkU_2JkYEvcNigkR_UPFiOq5F2rm-TnaGgPTFxIZ3pZWEbOyidGk_RlBma72LBZmWfixAeXzcv2DSHNzSclJQ5gxQ_MJQE6URUi3XIF487pnwwPG7k42MsLqtBypFXexaGgbvkw/s1600/wobble+walk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVat7ppPkU_2JkYEvcNigkR_UPFiOq5F2rm-TnaGgPTFxIZ3pZWEbOyidGk_RlBma72LBZmWfixAeXzcv2DSHNzSclJQ5gxQ_MJQE6URUi3XIF487pnwwPG7k42MsLqtBypFXexaGgbvkw/s320/wobble+walk.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those shoes may be "normal", but they are not healthy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNoSpacing">What amazes me is that so many people don’t know this already. They seem absolutely ignorant of the <i>fact</i> that shoes are unnatural, unhealthy and harmful. It’s not like it’s hard to demonstrate. Examples of the unhealthy nature of shoes are everywhere; just find someone and look down at their feet. I found a girl walking this morning and captured her gait on video. Watch the video closely; pause it <i>anywhere</i> and look at the still frame. Walking in those shoes is so obviously unnatural, unhealthy and down-right dangerous, yet no one bats an eye at her as she walks by; they’re too busy looking at me in my bare feet. I’m sorry people… I just don’t get it. I look around and see girls walking in shoes like those everywhere, and yet strangely all eyes are on me and my feet. Why is it not obvious to everyone else that these shoes are unnatural and unhealthy? Why is there so much resistance to the healthier option of ditching them? Why can she teeter onto the bus in those things, but I can’t walk on sure-footedly behind her? Why do security guards allow her to wobble through the mall on those monstrosities, but they escort me to the door? Why are bare feet not allowed on the airplane, but those <i>things</i> are? </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyXPyPyIMd4xQLoYxH_CZQfK8CwqueZIL5t1GgvzYH4JHLaEaQ4W30Nb9IlZdLvLp58R8nmY0FaB5KO3psi6w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe> </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Okay, enough questions; I need answers. But this is a problem of human psychology and, unfortunately, I don’t know much about that. Help!</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="color: #999999;">*Two apologies: First, I apologize for the shaky video, my cell phone doesn’t have digital stabilizer. Second, my apologies to the young woman in the video… I’m not picking on you personally!!</div></div>Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-50853962478224201642011-08-09T17:55:00.000-04:002011-08-09T17:55:59.105-04:00Running Barefoot Just One Slice of the Pie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAcJMwpAwc-eTLNgbcx4ZCOKpuCPCZ6bWNUo2s34UIWx72VRAW5L_S6a5KRNjnOHEQXV1RGDOYPzLdvXSXp1GTt33dyzcKaTn61WUnmCUte5T0m4yZRZlIh6JvRTU1Euc_SquWcInAEBN6/s1600/piechart.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAcJMwpAwc-eTLNgbcx4ZCOKpuCPCZ6bWNUo2s34UIWx72VRAW5L_S6a5KRNjnOHEQXV1RGDOYPzLdvXSXp1GTt33dyzcKaTn61WUnmCUte5T0m4yZRZlIh6JvRTU1Euc_SquWcInAEBN6/s320/piechart.png" width="320" /></a>Unless you’ve had your head in the sand this past year, you’ve no doubt heard about barefoot running. No less than five books were published in the past 12 months on this new running trend.<span> </span>While my book touches on barefoot running, the topic only consumes one of eleven chapters. The amount of space I devoted to barefoot running in The Barefoot Book mirrors the amount of barefoot time I spend running.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Obviously, as an advocate of all things barefoot, I’m thrilled with the explosive interest in barefoot running. As I describe in detail in the book, shoes dramatically alter the way we run and they encourage body-wrecking poor form.<span> </span>It’s simply a fact that running shoes are a major cause of running injuries (references in The Barefoot Book). <span> </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">However, while I’m excited by the growing popularity of barefoot running, I’m equally frustrated that so few barefoot runners seem to be taking the next logical step: barefoot walking. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Here’s the deal: shoes are bad for your form – and hence your body – when you run. But guess what? Shoes are also bad for your form – and hence your body – when you walk. (Indeed, shoes are bad for your posture even just standing). This is the first and foremost message of my book: shoes are bad for you, period. “But,” you might say, “walking is far less impactful than running so wearing shoes while you walk shouldn’t be as bad wearing shoes while you run, right?” Yes and no. Yes, walking is less impactful than running, but the average person takes far more walking steps than running steps throughout their week. All of those steps add up, as does the damage from bad walking form induced by your shoes. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Think about it. There are 168 hours in a week; how many of those hours do you spend running? Personally, I only spend about 6 hours per week running, on a good week (so as you can see, I’m not an avid runner; I’m a <i>recreational</i> runner). This amounts to just 3.5% of my week. If my activities were graphed on a pie chart, then running makes a rather small slice. The rest of my waking moments are spent almost entirely either sitting, standing or walking. Since walking is actually fantastic exercise, many health experts recommend walking 10,000 steps per day. If you’re not taking those steps in a zero-drop shoe or in a shoe without a toe spring, arch support, cushioning and all the other bunkum that goes into modern footwear, then you are walking with bad form and hurting yourself. Just as with running, the best way to correct bad form is to ditch your shoes and walk the way nature intended – barefoot. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The easiest way to walk barefoot more is to adopt an increasingly barefoot lifestyle. You simply can’t spend significant time walking barefoot if you put on shoes every time you go to the grocer, or the mall, or the cinema, or to dinner, or to work, or to church, or to… <span> </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">This gets to the heart of the <i>second </i>message of my book: we as a culture must chill-ax when it comes to going barefoot already! There is nothing wrong with (and so much right with) going barefoot, why is it so taboo? And for those of you who buck the norm to run barefoot, what keeps you from bucking the norm to walk barefoot? Consider your feet not just when you’re running, but all day long. Treat them right… walk barefoot. And the more of us that do it, the less taboo it will be.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
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</div></div>Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5018195099405270825.post-11306265758376061792011-08-08T14:26:00.001-04:002011-08-08T14:33:26.804-04:00Captain America's Fake Feet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtjENgY3IQPqtG1WiuQ3MpgeqxJycaP5aQGO-KL0K8sAfeT6qTjwnIeIRRJSzzgTtx0597s1V7hvOOnzOg5VNroDBxB8WiVX6ZmvP07o-ok_ECVIXixK6gVXYLqsQ8extNPumSu68VOVA/s1600/captain+america1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtjENgY3IQPqtG1WiuQ3MpgeqxJycaP5aQGO-KL0K8sAfeT6qTjwnIeIRRJSzzgTtx0597s1V7hvOOnzOg5VNroDBxB8WiVX6ZmvP07o-ok_ECVIXixK6gVXYLqsQ8extNPumSu68VOVA/s320/captain+america1.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8O7SZaDeJsVxg8QRUSKCPFxxX41yOi_MSeMYP8GaeVfVCOV9GbLlFnHwXl4F_vypthCdeHBfOpP-o_Ihq9r2pz-Bminfe6cW1o90pBNanjqUuFz5m5f0Pj3Vs1YpZqgwaHDIzfdOBPC-O/s1600/captain+america.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8O7SZaDeJsVxg8QRUSKCPFxxX41yOi_MSeMYP8GaeVfVCOV9GbLlFnHwXl4F_vypthCdeHBfOpP-o_Ihq9r2pz-Bminfe6cW1o90pBNanjqUuFz5m5f0Pj3Vs1YpZqgwaHDIzfdOBPC-O/s320/captain+america.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Okay, apparently this is old news (from the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1314689/Chris-Evans-protects-feet-prosthetics-shoots-Captain-America-Manchester.html">Daily Mail Sept. 2010</a>), but I just heard of it and my head has been spinning over it all day. Here’s the scoop: There is a scene in the new Captain America movie in which our hero tackles a gun-toting woman to keep her from killing someone. Our heroic captain, dressed nonchalantly in a white t-shirt, khaki pants and bare feet, tackles the woman with a full-speed running jump just as she pulls the trigger. Perhaps unfortunately, superheros like Captain America don’t exist in real life, and evidently neither do their feet even in the movies. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The stunt actor in this scene was not barefoot. He was wearing prosthetics designed to make him <i>look</i> barefoot. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">There are so many insanities here I don’t where to start unpacking them. First, the guy is a <i>STUNT</i>man who tackles a stuntwoman from a running start. Actor Chris Evans and his stunt double participate in many harrowing scenes throughout the movie, but they apparently cannot run across a street barefoot! </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">As you can see from the picture, the actor tumbles hard on the city street with the murderous woman in tow. His arms are bare and his torso covered only with a flimsy – practically see-through – t-shirt, but God bless his poor feet… they <i>must</i> be protected. They <i>cannot</i> withstand even a few steps on pavement. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">What has happened to us? How can we think our feet are so useless and pathetic and incompetent that even a stunt man can’t use them for something as innocuous as running across pavement? Since I have run thousands of miles barefoot on pavement, clearly I should be getting paid more for my “stunt” that even a professional can’t pull off. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">And yet… yet… we <i>want</i> them bare. Why not just film the scene with shoes? Why bother with the awkward prosthetics to give the impression of bare feet? Is it that most people believe our feet are so inept that having our hero in this scene barefoot adds to his “superhero-ness”?</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">I’m truly disturbed by this. I guess the only good news to take away from here is that the powers-that-be wanted to show bare feet in this scene even if they couldn’t bring themselves to bare any feet. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">If there are any trained psychologists reading this post, then please… contact me. I would love to pick your brain about this bizarre foot-anxiety that plagues the “civilized” world. </div></div>Daniel Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17470610232768187156noreply@blogger.com10