National Bilingualism: Good or Bad? / Bilinguisme National: Bon ou Mauvais?

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?”

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.

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 reported 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.

A House Divided Cannot Stand

Une Maison Divisée Contre Elle-même Ne Peut Subsister

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 outside 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 national bilingualism, not individual bilingualism. Alors, je me parler une deuxième langue, but 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.

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^st.

July 1^st 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^st 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.

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, according to some political leaders.

Half the Space, Twice the Cost

Moitié de l’Espace, Deux Fois le Coût

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.

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.

*For those who might be confused, I use “America” here in the traditional sense to describe the United States of America, not the continents.

PC and Manners Lost

Like most conservatives, I despise political correctness (PC). I proudly teach at a university whose unofficial motto is Politically Incorrect since 1971. 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.

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.

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.

But there’s one ‘yuge’ problem.

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.

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.

Feet FreeX - Join the Tribe!

I am so excited about Feet Freex - 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.

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 need 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.

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 cycle shoe surgery). 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.

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, The Barefoot Book: 50 Great Reasons to Kick Off Your Shoes. 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!

Go to FeetFreeX.com and join the movement!

Elementary, My Dear Watson

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 The Sign of Four I noticed something that went under my radar the first time I read it so many years ago:

     We clambered up through the hole [in the ceiling]. Holmes turned his light once more upon the footsteps in the dust.

     “I wish you particularly to notice these footmarks,” he said. “Do you observe anything noteworthy about them?”

     “They belong, “ I said, “to a child or a small woman.”

     “Apart from their size, though. Is there nothing else?”

     “They appear to be much as other footmarks.”

     “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?”

     “Your toes are all cramped together. The other print has each toe distinctly divided.”

     “Quite so. That is the point. Bear that in mind…”

A few pages later the mystery of the footprints is considered further. Says Holmes:

     “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?”

     “A savage!” I exclaimed. “Perhaps one of those Indians who were the associates of Jonathan Small.” 

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 The Sign of Four 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 report in The American Journal of Orthopedic Surgery  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.

(Sigh).

What's more, after all these years the most common deduction about someone who goes barefoot remains "A savage!"

Barefoot Hiking: Why & How

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?

Yes. Barefoot!

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.

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.

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.

If you’d like to try your hand at barefoot hiking, here are some tips to ensure the experience is enjoyable.

·         If one exists in your area, consider joining a barefoot hiking group. If no group exists near you, you might want to start one!

·         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.

·         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!

·         Trim your toenails. Keeping your toenails short will prevent you from snagging a nail on the trail.

·         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.

·         Wear shorts or capris. Keep your feet and ankles free.

·         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.

·         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.

·         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.

·         Keep hydrated. This has nothing to do with feet per se but is good hiking sense!

I hope you will give barefoot hiking a try. Believe me, it is transformational. J

The Education Crisis

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.

I recently came across an 8^th 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^th 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.

First, higher education.

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]

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:

“This is a college.”

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^th 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^th century and early 20^th 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 calling 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.”

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.

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.

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.

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^th 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.

Which brings me back to the 8^th grade graduation test from 1912. That test 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^th grader in 1912.

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 think as well as 8^th graders in 1912. Indeed, they are not even teaching the facts of our own history and culture so desperately needed by a nation that governs itself.

But every kid knows how to use a condom.

References 

1. http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2014/04/09/duncan-defends-ratings-system-congress#sthash.e8ufYymM.dpbs

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%.

3. http://chronicle.com/blogs/innovations/supersizing-obamas-higher-education-agenda-part-1-of-8/31632

4. http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/12/03/248329823/u-s-high-school-students-slide-in-math-reading-science

The 8^th grade test: http://www.bullittcountyhistory.com/bchistory/schoolexam1912.html

From Opinion To Observation: More Evidence That Going Barefoot Is Best For Your Feet

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.

Back in 2011, Dr. Nirenberg reported on his blog (www.americaspodiatrist.com) 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.

More recently, Dr. Nick Campitelli reported a similar finding on his blog. 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.

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.

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.

In my opinion, and I believe Drs. Nirenberg and Campitelli would agree, shoes are casts 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.

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.

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!

Daniel Howell, Ph.D.

The Barefoot Book: 50 Great Reasons To Kick Off Your Shoes

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. 

The Alliance Gets A Make-over

What was formerly known as The Primalfoot Alliance has now become The Barefoot Alliance. 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.

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:

“I’d go barefoot all the time if it was socially acceptable.”

If so many people are saying this, how can going barefoot in public not 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.

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.

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.

Driving Barefoot

Is it illegal to drive barefoot in your home state?

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.

In case you are wondering: YES, it is legal to drive without shoes in your state because it is legal to drive a car barefoot in all 50 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.  

The Society for Barefoot Living was formed in 1994. Other pro-barefoot organizations, like The Primalfoot Alliance and Living Barefoot Show, joined the scene more recently but have been around a few years now. Born to Run was released in 2009 and my book, The Barefoot Book, 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.

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 idea 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 have 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!

My Take on the FiveFingers Lawsuit

Several people have asked me what I think of the recent Vibram FiveFingers lawsuit, so here is my brief response. First, a disclaimer: I am not privy to the details of the suit. All I know is that someone has initiated a class-action lawsuit against Vibram over “deceptive and misleading health benefit claims” and injuries. So, here is what I think.

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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 “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.” 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.

Beyond what conventional running shoes provide?

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 solid evidence 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: “false and misleading advertising campaign has allowed them to reap millions of dollars of profit at the expense of consumers they misled.” Again, laughable in light of the half-century of reaping by motion-controlled, ultra-padded, microchip-embedded shoe makers.

FiveFingers cause injuries

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:

“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 to help prevent injuries. 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

“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 easy to overdo it.” [emphasis added]. – Michael Sandler, Barefoot Running

“The Vibram FiveFingers is praised by many runners tired of traditional athletic trainers… However, some barefoot running experts warn that minimalist shoes may cause overuse injuries 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

In the above statement I was referring primarily to Barefoot Ken Bob, who says it saliently in his book, Barefoot Running Step-by-Step:

“Vibram FiveFingers… can be dangerous if not used properly. I am not totally against Vibrams… but beginning barefoot runners should simply not use them.” [emphasis in original]. – Barefoot Ken Bob Saxton, Barefoot Running Step-by-Step

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.

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.

Hopefully, the end result of this lawsuit will be a more educated public with respect to their feet.

Top 10 Reasons Why You Must Wear Shoes

1.  Shoes protect your feet from germs.

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 is full of bacteria, but most of those bacteria are perfectly harmless and some are even beneficial. The nasty germs, like Pseudomonas, actually live inside shoes and are otherwise not present on your skin. Same goes for the fungus that causes athlete’s foot (Tinea pedis). 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.

2.  Shoes protect your feet from injury.

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 is 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 Pseudomonas?) 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.

3.  Shoes give you better grip on car pedals.

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.

4.  Shoes improve your gait.

Shoes definitely seem to change 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.

5.  Shoes correct bad posture.

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.

6.  Shoes are required by health codes.

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.

7.  Shoes are required by OSHA.

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.

8.  Shoes are required for reasons of liability.

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.

9.  My boss requires it.

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!

10. Shoes make the outfit.

Well, maybe they do sometimes. But in my opinion, bare feet go with everything!

*There are references for all my claims in The Barefoot Book. I was too lazy to pull them out again for this blog post. :)

Is The Tide Turning For Barefooters? REI Stores Set The Example.

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:

Hello Everyone,

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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".

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 :)

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".

I would guess the ice axe fits this category pretty well :)

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.

[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.]

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...

The lady said, "We want you back as a customer and you are welcome to shop barefoot".

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.”

And THAT, my friends, is how it should be. If there is an REI near you, Go There! And Go Barefoot!

Barefoot Running Movie From RunBare

Almost everyone in the barefoot running community has heard of Michael Sandler. He has shared his inspiring story with us through his book, Barefoot Running (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 movie.

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.

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!

Catch the trailer here, and then be sure to get the full-length film in August. 

Your Day Without Shoes 2012

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!

Your Day Without Shoes is an annual event started by ThePrimalfoot Alliance 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 want going barefoot in public to be socially acceptable!*

Your Day Without Shoes 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 Your Day Without Shoes 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 The Barefoot Book? (shameless plug!) Or just print-off the fact sheet found on my website. 

So, what do you say? Are you ready to spend an entire day without shoes? 

*according to a non-scientific but likely accurate facebook poll conducted by The Primalfoot Alliance (link).

The Society for Barefoot Living & The Primalfoot Alliance: Steps in the Right Direction

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.

This blog exists to promote an idea, or actually a simple set of premises:

1.       Going barefoot is healthier than wearing shoes in almost all circumstances.

2.       Going barefoot should be a non-issue (that is, it should be socially acceptable).

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.

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 not acquiesce to society’s demand that we put on shoes.

I realize that confrontation is uncomfortable and I recognize that most people don’t even want 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 is socially acceptable!

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 why 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.

If you want going barefoot in public to be an option, I would encourage you to just do it (yes, that’s irony).  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. Don’t be a jerk; that just gives us barefooters a bad reputation.

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  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 (http://www.facebook.com/groups/societyforbarefootliving/). If you want to advocate for barefoot freedom, check out The Primalfoot Alliance 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, The Barefoot Book: 50 Great Reasons To Kick Off Your Shoes.