Barefoot bliss

For the last three months I have been debating which barefoot shoes to buy. The last six month, I have spend converting my shoe wardrobe from positive heeled shoes to negative heeled shoes. Earth Kalso are amazingly comfortable and keep me in alignment when out and about. No more backache after a days shopping in town. Their main aim is to keep my weight in the heel of the foot, by increasing the sole at the front of the shoe to be slightly higher than the heel of the shoe, simulating walking in sand. With this set-up it is a lot easier to learn to use your heel to push back when walking instead of falling forwards as most of us tend to do. This blog by Jillian Nicol Why is walking falling? explains the mechanics of walking with comic(al) illustrations.

Now barefoot walking is the next step. Not only does it allow me to walking in my heels it also gives the foot back its ability to move on its own and mould onto the ground beneath. Not very exciting in town but amazing off road. Barefoot walking stops your ankles from tipping left and right to accommodate unevenness on the ground and causing damaging rotational forces in the knee and hips.

I have tried Vibrams five finger shoes but they somehow didn't quite feel right and it may just have been the price (really, do I need to pay almost £100 pounds for shoes to simulate barefoot walking if all I really need is a piece of rubber or leather strapped to my feet to protect me a little from dirt and injury?). I also like the look of Sockwas but am a bit worried that they may be a little hot on the bare foot (is that a problem anyone who has them?). I may still splash out on the Swiss protection socks made out of kevlar. I bought those for my Dad's birthday, as I don't mind spending the money on others. He so far enjoys wearing them but I need to see them in action first before I buy them for myself. The next time I will see my Dad is in May and as I am not very patient and can't wait that long for barefoot bliss, I did what I always do and made my own.

After scouring second hand shops I came up with a leather jacket (£6) for the soles and a skirt with lining (£2) for the upper section. I also got some leather sewing needles and plastic paint to turn the leather soles water-proof and dirt repellent. All in all these shoes have cost me less than a fiver as I intend to make at least 3 more pairs from the same materials :-). For the pattern: I drew around my feet for the sole with a little extra and the uppers are based on a baby shoe pattern, see here.

I love my shoes. They are light and cool and I can feel my feet again. Yesterday was my maiden trip to town (not very exciting as it is all pavement). I could feel my muscle working hard in the front of the foot and realised that when I roll the feet off the floor my heels turn inwards. My walking alignment I have achieved so far went almost completely out the window. Keeping my feet straight and facing ahead is a lot harder without negative heels. But hey, I like to learn and adapt. In the afternoon, I walked across a field and on the seafront/beach. Amazing. Absolutely love the feeling of feet on uneven ground. After a day spent in my new shoes I could feel my feet buzzing when I got to bed. A feeling I last felt after an hours session at the reflexologist - another £30 saved :-).

At a motorcross race with Tommy (it was very loud)

Now I am not sure how long these shoes will last me and I will have to apply at least another three layers of protective paint. The achievement of making them alone has been worth the effort. Once I have the basics of cobbling down a little more I shall investigate different materials and styles to maybe make them even more fashionable.

PS: A few days later. My new shoes have also survived a walk and rock climbing in Dartmoor.

There are a few scrapes in the paint but the leather and paint is surprisingly sturdy and water proof.