"Barefoot" Running Shoes - Go Retro Instead and Wear Moccasins

There are a number of shoe brands and some start-up shoe companies that are now offering a "new" nearly barefoot athletic shoe to the public, touting that their minimalist qualities are "natural" for the human body because the athletic or running shoe designs are similar to being barefoot.

Because these companies have a vested interest in their shoe, they'll make great claims and sponsor studies and athletes to support their product marketing. In reality, the trend towards minimalist footwear is a step backwards in shoe design.

Here's why some people like the minimalist shoe:

• Weight: very light and compact
• Perception: shoe buyers perceive the shoe is good for their feet and has high cool factor.
• Direct Foot Power: there is no influence of the shoe in the push off portion of the stride.
  

Here's the problem with minimalist shoes:

• Ancient Ancestry: For the tens of thousands of years humans have been walking, we've been barefoot or wearing minimal footwear. Most of those ancient steps were on natural earth, not concrete, asphalt, tile or other types of uniform hard surfaces. Historically most humans didn't live long enough to reap the results of wear and tear on their bodies. Modern middle-age until just the past hundred years or so was old-age for most of human kind.
  

• Excellent Biomechanics: Only athletes with both excellent gait technique AND bio-mechanics can excel with minimalist running shoes. Young athletes may feel fine with barefoot style shoes not realizing that they are running out of their personal biomechanical "grace period" that everybody has. When that grace period is up, wear and damage to the body sets up conditions that may lead to chronic injury and joint conditions.

If you really want to experiment with minimalist footwear shoe technology, here are my suggestions:

• Gradual Break In: Depending on the mileage you are doing, the break-in time from standard supportive athletic running shoes to barefoot style shoes could be as long as 3 to 6 months.
• Running Surfaces: Avoid ANY hard unyielding surfaces. This includes natural surfaces such as rock paths.
• Age Related Option: If you're middle age and older and want to experiment with barefoot running shoes, only run on soft beach or desert sand.
  

So, if you want to authentically go retro when buying running shoes, buy some good, North American made moccasins. North American Indians are still making moccasins like they have for thousands of years, with a few minor alterations to their technology. Though you can buy very expensive, handmade custom moccasins, my favorite moccasin company is Laurentian Chief. The Laurentian Chief moccasin company, based in Quebec, Canada still employs some workers of indigenous ancestry to make their ancient style of minimalist footwear.

Remember, if you do get biomechanical strain, see me at www.Footform.com. I've experimented with making my own moccasins and used them with and without orthotics.
www.Footform.com
541-389-4547

NOTE:Laurentian Chief does not sell direct to the public. One company I found on the web that is very invested in the Laurentian moccasin line is Get Outside Shoes in Toronto, Canada. They ship to the U.S.

If there are any other moccasin shoe companies that manufacture their moccasins in North America, let us know and we will add you to this blog entry.

Orthotics and Renewable Resources

I've been dedicated to making safe custom foot orthotics or shoe inserts for decades. In the 1990's, I was motivated to make custom orthotics that last a long time. Most off-the-shelf shoe inserts or orthotics only last a few months before the orthotics materials compress out of shape and lose their shock absorption and supportive qualities.

My artisan made custom orthodics have a lifespan of five to ten years if the clients foot hasn't drastically changed. I succeeded with my goal of producing very long lasting custom orthotic arch supports that absorb shock while supporting the foot and increasing foot comfort. Footform shoe inserts are ideal for treating the flat foot, plantar fasciitis and other foot problems. Inserted into a well designed shoe such as a good athletic shoe that is right for my client, a custom orthotic and athletic shoe combination may be as good as or better than available orthopedic shoes.

We sell our brand of visco-elastic polymer mixed with cork, VISCORK™. I developed these arch support orthotics materials that I package and sell through my business, Footform Labs. Visco based materials have tested superior to all other orthotic materials yet they are rare because the first-generation fabrication methods were difficult and unconventional.

There is only one known competitor to our material, which is PQ™. I developed a visco fabrication method with Footform® Mold Shells that is an extremely simple system to make custom shoe inserts. Also, it is the only known method to thermo-form Poron®. Our VISCORK™ material has many advantages: easy grinding, low odor, no hazard rating, lightweight, simple 50-50-100 mix ratio, and less expensive. Our VISCORK is a perfect modern replacement of old-fashioned rigid orthotics technology. And, cork is a renewable resource. It's a win-win for our Footform clients, us and our planet!

Orthotics Manufacturers, Podiatrists, Chiropractors, Physical Therapists and other medical professionals can order our low hazard and safe foot orthotic supplies at 541-389-4547. We formulate, mix, assemble and ship all of our custom orthotics materials from Bend, Oregon. Made in the U.S.A.

www.Footform.com

photo: Cristina Acosta

Flat Feet, High Arches or Pronating, What is Your Foot Type?

Most of my clients are surprised to learn that there are generally 9 factors that determine a person's foot type. I say generally, because there are always exceptions to any organizing system. As a Certified Pedorthist of almost 2 decades and fitting technical athletic footwear since 1970, I've seen many different types of feet. I've developed this list to categorize feet so that I can most quickly identify a orthotic client's concerns and help them. Here are the 9 factors:

Foot Physiology:

• Low Arch foot with Flexible Joints (sometimes referred to as a flat foot)
• High Arch foot with Stiff Joints
• Neutral Arch foot with Moderate Joint Movement

Foot Shape:

• Oblique Toe (Big toe is longer and foot tapers angularly to the small toes).
• Square Toe (Little toes are exceptionally long and big toe is short - The toes are close to the same length).
• Round Toe (Second toe extends longer than the big toe).

Volume: How thick or thin your feet are. Including how much tissue the foot has and how big the bones are of the foot.

• Low volume (Foot could be wide or narrow, but there isn't much bulk to the foot.)
• Mid Volume (Foot is well proportioned.)
• High Volume (Foot is thick, bulky, large boned)

The reason it is important to know that there are nine classifications of feet is to identify the key characteristics of your foot type so that you can focus on comfort footwear or sports performance features that best suit your foot type.

Often a person will choose a shoe based on looks or the advice of a friend, and not really have any idea if the shoe properly fits their foot. As you can see from the list of foot characteristics, there are many variables involved with shoe fitting and depending upon the type of foot you have, you may not easily find the best shoe for your foot without some professional advice.

At Footform Performance Center in Bend, Oregon, we analyze feet, mold and make custom foot orthotics (shoe inserts), then fit the orthotics into the client's footwear. Part of our orthodics service includes shoe consultation and recommendations. Footform custom shoe inserts increase foot comfort and sports performance. I am also available to consult to the shoe industry to create footwear that is designed for the widest variety of foot types.

Call or contact Footform Performance Center, 541-389-4547, 345 SW Century Dr., Bend, OR

Randall@Footform.com

Why are Custom Orthotics Better for You than Off the Shelf Footbeds

Clients will sometimes ask me what the difference is between prefabricated foot orthotics and custom foot orthotics, even sometimes claiming that both orthotics feel the same. Though there is that rare person that has the exact foot match to a generic orthotic contour, usually a person is responding to the cushion of the foot orthotic, a trait that doesn't have a lot to do with performance of the footbed.

Just to look a prefab foot orthotic is impressive. Mass production techniques often result in a snazzy looking foot orthotic  (also called a insole or footbed). Despite the appearance and marketing, a pre-made foot orthotic is generic. The cushiony feel of most pre-fab insoles helps to cover up the lack of a perfect fit.

What really counts when you buy a foot orthotic is the arch contour and how the orthotic fits into the shoe. A foot orthotic you put in your shoe is there to optimally guide your foot so that you can make changes and adjustments in your foot position.

A pre-fab orthotic or insole is low-performance (despite the appearance) because since the contours of the orthotic are generic, you won't notice that your foot is out of position until the movement is obvious. 

A custom made foot orthotic is high-performance because of the exact fit with the contours of your foot. Every move your feet make, you can feel. This is important, because when your foot is moving well, fatigue, over-use and injuries are reduced.

The next step to a successful application of an orthotic is to fit it into a shoe. This requires cutting and grinding skills that fit the foot orthotic into the existing contours of your shoe. It also requires that you are wearing the best shoes for you feet. My next post will be about foot types and shoes.

When you buy a custom foot orthotic you should buy them from a trained technician who can tell you about the optimal use of your foot. They'll educate you about the types of shoes you should wear for your foot type and also fit the orthotic into the shoe. They will give you stance and gait training so that you can get the best out of your foot orthotic.

At Footform Performance Center  we give you that kind of orthotic, shoe and gait training service. Your foot orthotics will both be effective and last for years (rather than most pre-made foot orthotics that compress out of shape within months then live forever in the landfill).

Call or contact Footform Performance in Bend, Oregon for an appointment. 541-389-4547

Feet Can Change - Chinese Foot Binding

Have you ever wondered if abuse to your feet changes their form and function?

Ever been a slave to fashion? The Chinese practice of foot binding distorted the feet for fashion to the point that the woman was permanently disabled. Though these photos show you the terrible physical deformation that is the result Chinese foot binding, don't think that the Chinese are the only culture that has a tradition that damages feet. If your feet ever ached in terrible shoes for the sake of fashion, all you have to do to see the painful result of a cultural aesthetic ideal is to look down.

Foot pain caused by shoes is not harmless! These pictures illustrate how much feet can change if abused. The tradition of foot binding was to shorten the length of the foot thus fitting it into tiny, pointed toe shoes. The feet were distorted with tight wraps and crammed into tight shoes to the point where they were permanently disfigured. In turn, the women were completely hobbled.

As arcane as the practice of foot binding seems it is still practiced in the fashions of today in both Europe, Asia and the Americas. These pictures of the sleek new styles are examples of what is hot in Japanese fashion now. Notice the resemblance of the modern shoe to the cultural aesthetic of the past?

Shoes have a purpose and that is to protect your feet. Shoes are unique in the fact that they are absolutely necessary, yet also quite frivolous. Be careful when you buy shoes. Try to make the shoes a healthy choice that is good for you, not the other way around. Don't damage yourself in the name of fashion.

To find out how "dressy" you can go, get your feet and footwear checked at: www.footform.com

Ask Randall: Generic Insoles

April 16, 2008 11:45 AM

Hi Randall, I was wondering if you can tell what elements are needed for a generic insole that would bring comfort to a shoe wearer. What material would you use? By the way your blog is amazingly full of facts and I am enjoying reading each post. SA

Dear SA,

In the shoe industry, the term generic insoles refers to what's also called a sock liner, contoured insole, or generic orthotic.

• Sock liners are generally a flat cushion layer, sometimes removable, but usually glued into the shoe.
• Contoured insoles are formed from molded foam to fit the shoes interior and cup the the mid-foot and heel around the edges. Generally this insole has little to no anatomy.
• Generic orthotics are formed from molded foam or/and other materials. It is like a contoured insole, but has actual arch contour and more anatomy.
  

Here's what I think are the best choices in each category:

• Sock Liners: Multi-density foam layers. One layer that forms to the foot layered over one resilient layer that springs back to the original shape.
• Contoured Insoles: The same as a multi-density sock liner, but with the upper layer being a molded foam shape.
• Generic orthotics: Typically an after-market product, sometimes they are actually built into a shoe such as a Birkenstock. The most important thing is that the contour doesn't offend the user's foot contour.
  

The object to orthotic contours is to guide the foot to it's optimal use. The closer the contours are to the foots natural contours, the higher the performance of the orthotic. Peoples feet are different, therefore a mass market product will only address one type of foot over another.

The optimal high performance is a custom orthotic. Because this option isn't available to everyone, the next best thing is to try on a multitude of generic orthotics to seek a good match.

Note: I offer consulting to manufacturers and designers seeking information about foot contours, orthotic shapes and materials. In the past I've patented two systems relating to this research.