Florida Newbie

Wammgoboz

Barefooters
Jun 18, 2018
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Hi! I’m Mike and I’m new to the forum! I’ve been registered for a month or so but lurking, and I’ve been barefoot in the house or wearing the Xero Genesis sandals 100% of the time a for about two months now. And I just went for my first real barefoot run outside tonight. It was great.


Long version lol;


I was in an orthotic shoe since I learned to walk. Back in the early 80’s when I was learning to walk, my parents were told that I would only be able to walk in a shoe with a sturdy, supportive arch.

I have worn super supportive shoes since I was a baby and after my 38th birthday in June i couldn’t anymore. I was having back spasms, my ankles were getting more pronated, my posture was out of whack, and it was causing pain all throughout my body.

After some deep consideration and much research and video watching I decided to try going barefoot. Over the last two months of extremely intentional barefoot walking my arch has risen, most of my pain has completely disappeared, my toes no longer look like they are being squished, and my ankles are straightening out.

I went out for two miles on Bayshore tonight, it was a cool 83 degrees With a moderate drizzle, which to a non Floridian might be a driving sideways rain. I ran on cement sidewalk. I had a 13 minute average pace per mile and I haven’t run in over a year. My best in shoes was a 11 minute average and I am out of shape. But for the first time it didn’t hurt to run. I am so stoked.

I do wish the pavement wasn’t wet when I went, but I got there just as it started and I wasn’t not going to go. I have run about 200 yards in sandals a bunch of times before this, but this was the first fully barefoot run I tried and that was a comfortable distance. I hadn’t planned to run that far, but it worked. I was so shocked. Still shocked.

Also, I am bit salty that I spent all of that time in uncomfortable shoes.

Now back to lurking I will go.

Yeah. Probably.
 
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I'm still amazed by stories like these, not that I doubt what barefoot can do for us, but that people can be so misdirected/misinformed. Glad you found your bare feet...and glad you found us. But don't be a a lurker! :lurking: Welcome! :barefoot:
 
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