Are Shoes Destroying Your Feet?

Research suggests that our feet were better off before we invented shoes

You probably don't think there's much you need to know about walking that you don't already know. Left foot, right foot, repeat.

But just as there are yoga instructors that say that we have a lot to learn about breathing, there is a growing group of foot freedom fighters that say we should be walking and running barefoot.

While going shoeless might seem a little out there, the research suggests shoes cause more trouble than they're worth. We have slippers for home, dress shoes for work, running shoes for the treadmill, and these shoes, so the argument goes, act as de facto casts that paralyze our feet and atrophy important muscles, leading to injuries.

The Tarahumara Indians—a famously durable Mexican tribe that loves drinking, gambling, and running—walk and run hundreds of miles through the mountains without injury, thanks in part to their distaste for shoes.

Our writer spent a year weaning himself off of footwear after visiting the Tarahumara and he lost 20 pounds, and was able to train for and finish one of the world's most insane footraces.

If you're taking up running now for summer, going barefoot may be a big leap, but consider getting a low-profile pair of running shoes and practice landing on your forefoot and not the heel.

You could also just practice running up hills, which the Tarahumara and good running coaches will tell you eliminates most errors in your form.