Bring any shoes that you are currently wearing to your first session.
I progress with clients who then set themselves up for success, in my opinion this means VIVOBAREFOOT shoes are required for a multitute of reasons.
On the left side of MOVEment Science at Harvard:
Professor Daniel Lieberman Interview from VIVOBAREFOOT on Vimeo.
The anatomy of the foot is very complex. Each foot has 26 bones and 33 joints with many muscles, ligaments and tendons. When everything works together, the foot functions correctly. Any restriction of a foots natural range of motion will prevent optimum function of the body both at it’s foundation and higher up the chain. Physical intelligence in human movement is much more about ‘feeling’ than 3rd party cushioning and stability. In my personal experience and in working with clients I have found the following approach will deliver results.
1. Barefoot is best. Whenever possible be barefoot (without socks). Every moment you spend interacting with your environment barefoot will help enhance senses, strengthen and improve the function of your foundation, which in turn will align your entire system. Start on hard surfaces like a smooth pavement or wooden floor. Contrary to what you may think, starting on soft surfaces like grass actually prevents muscle relaxation, your body stiffens on soft surfaces and so requires a lot of skill. Much better to self regulate yourself on a smooth pavement. Healthy discomfort is essential to build capability but challenging yourself but to barefoot on painful surfaces will have a counter-productive result since you will subconsciously fear bare-footing and so negative emotions will hijack your physical abilities. Retain good postural alignment at ALL times, not letting peoples stares affect your posture of head over shoulders over hip over point of support with your big toes and sternum leading the way. Do not land on your forefoot, this is contrary to many other barefoot ‘theories’. It should be a flat foot landing, the heel must touch at landing for the mechanics of the foot to work correctly but weight is focused on the ball of foot. This will not come by thinking about it, it can only come from natural posture, rhythm and relaxation. Before running, walk. Use Lee Saxbys ebook to guide you in walking with weight moving from heel to big toe.
2. Real world city environments mean that bare-footing is not always possible. For these situations I recommend the Terra Plana Vivo Barefoot ‘Aqua’ model shoe with leather upper. These shoes were designed to be worn without the insole that they actually come with (insole is a transition aid) and without socks. I recommend these ahead of any other barefoot/minimalist shoes because they are designed for Ball Of Foot weighting, have a natural toe box space, allow for your toes to naturally straighten and spread (instead of being artificially held in position), have good heel movement, are flexible in exactly the right places, are puncture resistant. From the outside they look a little clumpy and thick soled compared to other ‘barefoot’ shoes but once inside, without the insole, they actually have a surprisingly thin sole that gives a great feel for the ground underneath. To allow for good ankle movement and to prevent the tongue rubbing I suggest cutting the sides of the inner sock. If they feel slippy and make more sound when landing than you are used to then great – this is all feedback to help you develop your technique in a way that few other shoes can. The better your technique the better they will feel and sound, these really are a superb shoe for developing proprioception and maintaining balance/technique even for the most accomplished of runners. Use discount code ‘AKRAM20’ to save 20% in-store or online via http://www.terraplana.com. Call the London Neal St. store to place a discounted order via telephone: 020 7379 5959.
