Tag: barefoot (Page 1 of 2)

Vivo Barefoot Ra black

Vivo Barefoot Ra blackToday I took one step further in my transition to barefoot walking. I went to Fotkultur in Malmö and bought a pair of black Vivo Barefoot Ra.

The Ra is one of the most classic VIVOBAREFOOT styles to date. The sumptuous vegetable tanned leather upper sits on the original VIVOBAREFOOT sole. It’s a truly versatile shoe; smart enough for the office and stylish enough for a night out, offering barefoot health benefits from day-to-night.

Vivo Barefoot Ra blackI wanted real barefoot shoes which means no heal, no built in support and a thin flexible protective sole. The VivoBarefoot concept gives me that.

No heel, no midsole, no arch support, no gimmicks! VIVOBAREFOOT encourages us to move as million years of evolution intended – barefoot.

Ra features (from Terra Plana):
– Flexible.
– Ultra thin 3mm TPU sole.
– Puncture resistant.
– Vegetable tanned minimum chrome leather upper.

The lining is Naturetex 50 which is made from 50% recycled plastic bottles. I like the slogan, At Cosmo we strive to make the world we live in a better place.

Now I have barefoot or almost barefoot shoes for all occasions:
– Vivo Barefoot Ra is a more “dressed” shoe.
Keen Sayulita Lace is a leisure shoe.
Nike Free 3.0 V2 is for walking and running (when/if I want to run).
Keen Sun Valley Slipper is my indoor shoe, I’m usually barefoot at home.

Read more in the Tag Archives: barefoot.

Keen Sayulita Lace

I bought Keen Sun Valley Slipper in September and I really like them. Today I got my Keen Sayulita Lace. These are, just like the slipper, “barefoot” in style with almost no heal and a fairly flexible sole. The shoes are wide and really comfortable.

Perfect for your transition from work to play, week to weekend, Keen’s Sayulita lace-up shoes are made of soft, flexible suede and styled with a laid-back look.

ChiRunning

Chi Running and Chi Walking is an interesting concept.

In Chi Living, Chi Running and Chi Walking basic principles of T’ai Chi are employed to optimize the flow of energy in your body, to reduce the use of force for moving forward, and thereby reduce the risk of injury, while maximizing the benefits of healthy movement and healthy living.

I’m interested in Eastern philosophies and concepts such as Chi. Mixing principles of Tai Chi with running and walking is something I intend to learn more about.

Video: ChiRunning Simplified!

There’s an interesting statement in the video: Running is a controlled fall.

ChiRunning® (“chee-running”) and ChiWalking® apply simple principles of biomechanics, physics and nature to running and walking … which increase momentum and decrease resistance … for dramatic improvements in energy efficiency while reducing discomfort, recovery, aches/pains and injury. (From eChiFitness)

Source YouTube: ChiRunning Simplified!

Nike Free 3.0 V2

I have been posting some about barefoot running and walking.

The big shoe companies are clearly paying attention to the (minimalist approach) trend. Nike was first to market with the Nike Free, a flexible shoe for “barefoot like running” with less padding than the company’s typical offerings.

The Nike Free line of footwear features a segmented sole which provides greater flexibility while still having an amount of cushioning. The Free line is based on a scale from 1-10, where 1 is barefoot and 10 is a typical athletic shoe sole.

That scale makes the 3.0 closest to being barefoot. Today I bought a pair of Nike Free 3.0 V2 which are “semi-barefoot” shoes. The soles are very flexible, walking in these shoes are very different to using an ordinary pair of shoes. Less padding in the Free shoes means you need to walk and run differently. No landing on your heel, it hurts too much.

It’s said that you shall take it slow and get used to minimalist shoes. I’m glad that I walk barefoot at home, it seems to make a big difference since I walked more than usual today yet still have no aching feet or legs.

Either the shoes are small in size or you need larger barefoot-shoes. I normally wear size 9, in these I needed size 10.5.

You Walk Wrong

I came across an interesting article: You Walk Wrong.

It took 4 million years of evolution to perfect the human foot. But we’re wrecking it with every step we take.

Adam Sternbergh tells his story plus adds facts and information. MBT shoes are mentioned (not even close to barefoot) as well as Vivo Barefoot.

MBT-shoes force your feet to move in a certain way. Barefoot-shoes allow your feet to move in a more natural way.

Wiggling Their Toes at the Shoe Giants

In my research around barefoot running and walking I found an interesting article in New York Times, Wiggling Their Toes at the Shoe Giants.

Recent research suggests that for all their high-tech features, modern running shoes may not actually do much to improve a runner’s performance or prevent injuries. Some runners are convinced that they are better off with shoes that are little more than thin gloves for the feet — or with no shoes at all.

Upstart companies like Vibram, Feelmax and Terra Plana are challenging the running-shoe status quo with thin-sole designs meant to combine the benefits of going barefoot with a layer of protection.

Vibram are famous for their finger shoes. Terra Plana makes some really good looking walking shoes, see links in Vivo Barefoot.

In 2004, Terra Plana became pioneers of the barefoot movement by launching VIVOBAREFOOT, the first minimalist shoe with a patented, ultra thin puncture resistant sole that offers maximum sensory feedback and maximum protection.

Update June 3, 2011.
I did not go all the way to thin-sole design this time, I bought the semi-barefoot Nike Free 3.0 V2 and I really like them.

Are we born to run?

I came across an interesting TED video in which Christopher McDougall asks: Are we born to run?

Christopher McDougall mentions Tarahumara, the running people, tells an interesting story from a marathon race and talks about how humans hunted before weapons were available.

Christopher McDougall: Are we born to run?

VIVOBAREFOOT, The original barefoot shoe

VIVOBAREFOOT has a radical concept for their shoes:

No heel, no midsole, no arch support, no gimmicks! VIVOBAREFOOT encourages us to move as million years of evolution intended – barefoot.

In their Barefoot section is information, including an ebook about “Proprioception: Making sense of Barefoot running

Interesting facts about the foot:

With 200,000 nerve endings, 33 major muscles, 28 bones, 19 ligaments; the human foot is a biomechanical masterpiece.

I’m interested in barefoot walking and running (in shoes like these) but I’m not ready for that yet. Decades wearing shoes has to be unlearnt and I believe that’s best done gradually.

Read more about Vivo Barefoot:

Vivo Barefoot: Is This the Best Shoe for Learning to Run and Walk Barefoot?
Vivo Barefoot: Bare your soles with ethical trainers
Putting Vivo Barefoot Shoes Through Their Paces

Tarahumara, the running people

I am interested in the concept of barefoot running and walking. While looking for information about barefoot running I came across this video about the Tarahuama, the running people. It’s amazing which distances they are able to run.

Video: The Tarahumara – A Hidden Tribe of Superathletes Born to Run

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