Friday, March 9, 2012

Running Shoes Harmful To Your Health

Since I live in Nike land I was aware of the shoe when it first hit the scene.  My daughter played basketball and HAD TO have a pair or die.  I was in shock when I first saw them.  I told her they could not possibly be comfortable and they even looked dangerous to me.

Of course I come from the world of ballet where our soft shoe is merely a thin piece of leather that wraps the foot with a thin cardboard sole that you cannot even feel on your foot when your dancing.  Pointe shoes are very painful until getting used to but before you wear them you need to learn how to train the muscles throughout your whole body in order to support yourself in those shoes you are taught NOT to rely on the toe shoe to support you.  Unlike the message of the athletic shoes that are touted to support your foot and your whole body with no need to do anything other  than slip on your foot and fly.

Of course I bought many pairs for my daughter because each time the next generation came on the market all the girls HAD TO have the latest and greatest.  Just like when I was in high school and HAD TO have a plaid pleated skirt and white bucks.  My mother told me white shoes were not practical and would always look dirty but I was sold every kind of white powder bags etc. to keep them white when in fact once they were scuffed they never looked the same no matter how I tried to doctor them up.

Each time I went with my daughter to buy the one hundred dollar plus shoes in the 1980's I tried a pair on for myself.  I wondered if they were as nasty as they felt in my hand and as clumsy as I imagined them to be on my foot.  Well guess what?  It took 25 years of people in doctors offices to finally have a book come out called "Born To Run" that calls those athletic shoe manufacturers out.  The shoes as it turn out are as unhealthy as I thought and cause all kind of foot, knee and hip injuries. 

Google photo image
Just as I thought.  We are supposed to go barefoot as often as possible which I do.   And when you wear a shoe to go walking or exercise do not get one that you think is going to support your foot with all kinds of arch support and cushioning.  Get light weight ones with nothing to them and learn how to use your posture from your foot to your head to walk or run.

Does anyone else have personal experience with shoes or non-shoes?

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