Hi. Just got into the minimalist shoe & barefoot lifestyle July 2012 after being in bilateral foot hell from hallux rigidus for over 2 years. I had 3 procedures done with mixed results. Recovery was slow and progress ground to a halt by the end of Spring 2012 in that I could only walk short distances in stiff shoes. I was told that the dull ache would only go away by having the joints fused which I refused.
This July I discovered on my own that going barefoot on select surfaces actually felt good and then I found out about minimalist shoes and an article by Dr. Mark C. from a Google search using the right keywords to again search for wide toe box shoes that had a narrow heel. This Fall I am now able to run,walk or hike (in shoes) up to 2-3 miles several times a day with a goal of a 5k run next year.
My avatar picture was my worst foot in 2010.
This July I discovered on my own that going barefoot on select surfaces actually felt good and then I found out about minimalist shoes and an article by Dr. Mark C. from a Google search using the right keywords to again search for wide toe box shoes that had a narrow heel. This Fall I am now able to run,walk or hike (in shoes) up to 2-3 miles several times a day with a goal of a 5k run next year.
My avatar picture was my worst foot in 2010.