Barefoot with Mom, Part II

Last time I posted, I was going off to see my mother for the first time since I started this barefoot project, and I was wondering how she would react to that. Turns out, she was very interested. She’s always had knee pain as well, and my testimony that I was finally able to jog without any knee pain — along with a demonstration of hopping up and down on some gravel that was soft to me but harsh on her feet — might have convinced her. Actually, I think she might not just support me in doing this, but she might buy herself some Xero shoes, plus some Naboso insoles for my step-dad. (I’m not financially affiliated with any of these companies.)

My point being that sometimes we go overboard in wondering which people will judge us if we do something unusual. I focus too much on being judged in the first place and not what the final judgment will be. In this case, I did indeed get judged, after fielding a few questions about proper running shoes and injuries — including the not-at-all speculative calf strain I had suffered that morning — but I also ended up with a positive, supportive judgment, and the judge herself might try out the same thing. Aren’t mothers awesome?

So I expect that there will be more parts to come in this series.