I hurt myself in those special running shoes. I took them off for 3 weeks and went barefoot when I could. Today I ran 2 miles in barefoot shoes. It was different. I can tell my feel legs and everything is adjusting. It’s great!
I really should have watched these before jumping into the transition! I did pretty much everything wrong: overstrided, pushed off with my toes, and ran much too far (it was hard to stop because it felt so great!). Of course I got terrible blisters all over the balls of my feet and toes, but I also assumed that my feet would toughen up after a few runs. Before giving up after getting blisters on three straight runs I finally came here to see what I was doing wrong and I has helped %100. Thanks
Great video, thanks! I have seen one of your videos recently and decided to try barefoot walking. my first walk was about 10 min walk on some park path, following day I did 50 min walk and got few blisters underneath my toes. the barefoot walking is so enjoyable I have forgotten that the temperature could be slightly low, it was 4 degrees C, I have only got the blisters on my left foot and I am thinking whether this has something to do with the hip misalignment or the way I walk. I tried to put my feet lightly and definitely did not try to scoop with my toes. the funny thing was, the blisters hurt in a shoe, but they were fine in my diy sandals. they are all gone today. So I will keep walking and watching your videos, very informative indeed.
You can try the following alignment exercises for improving the pelvis/hips position: 1. Lie down on your back with your knees bent toward chest, with low back and sacrum flat on the floor (i.e. don't pull the knees so high that your back curves). Now put your hands on your knees and push with one hand on one knee/thigh while resisting with the leg muscles, at the same time push the other leg out (trying to straighten it) while resisting with your other hand wrapped around the knee. Switch sides a few times. You should feel a slight shifting sensation in the back of hips. 2. In the same position grab both knees and do small circles with the knees clockwise then counterclockwise. Keep muscles relaxed while doing it (10x each way, then repeat). 3. Stand with your back flat against the wall. Move legs away from the wall and bend knees slightly. Now push back against the wall, paying attention to push with both legs equally (keeping the pelvis level). The entire lower back should be touching the wall during this exercise.
Thanks for your tips clray, I have tried those exercises, and will give them a shot, as I think there is definitely right leg problem, I also slightly strained a calf muscle(while trying to run barefoot) and lateral ankle ligament(that came out of nowhere and its gone now), which is quite funny, because I never experienced sprained muscles or ligaments before. Nothing is happening to my other leg so far.but I have one question, in the first exerc. am I pulling one knee towards my chest while pushing the other one away? Thanks a lot
Yes, in the first exercise you are pulling one knee and pushing the other, resisting both of the movements with hands (so the legs don't really move, but the pelvis shifts under you). Yet another good exercise is squats - watching carefully that your feet are placed symmetrically and that you are lowering and raising evenly rather than tipped to one side (i.e. same weight on each foot). After standing up from a squat you can add a pelvic/hip thrust to the front. Squats basically help to tip your pelvis back and forth and to alternately tighten/relax pelvic muscles and hip flexors, so as to get them "unstuck" (if that's the problem). If you have a habit of resting on one leg more than the other while standing, also try to change that and stand on both legs evenly.
Steven! Your voice, speed of diction, NATURAL delivery (cause you KNOW this stuff and don't need to read prompts), you are the only shoe designer (tool designer) that keeps IMPROVING THEIR SHOES seems like every other year? Seems like every year, and the shoes ARE better. It is obvious that the changes are GOOD FOR THE WEARER and not meant to be eye candy or favored by the Kardasians...Form should always follow FUNCTION and not the other way around. Steven's shoes SHOW this and FEEL this. I can't say enough about this company. Unlike The Keto Diet, or Hugelkulture gardening, this is a real and worthwhile, and life-enhancing product being produced for the betterment of PEOPLE not for money. Steven (changing my tense) is doing well because he is doing what a company providing a product SHOULD do to ENHANCE the peon peasant's lives. I think that all government officials should be FORCED to wear XERO SHOES (can you tell I am getting passionate?) maybe we could be the first government that isn't ruled by thugs, idiots, senile old folks, perverts, PEDOPHILES, VAMPIRES (ADRENOCHROME), CARNIVORES of babies and children and and and these shoes just might be able to clean out our stinky, smelly, putrid, government swamp whooo hoooo! GRINS?
have you seen the youtube video: Barefoot running Bushman versus me (shod Finn) by Olli S. its a lovely visual on stride length and efficiency barefeet
All this stuff is obvious IF you just start out on rough surfaces. Let the pain teach you - very simple. "barefoot' shoes allow you to carry on making the same mistakes. I've been running properly barefoot for about 7 years, all terrains, all weathers. The key is lose the shoes and learn on rough gravel. Don't be a wuss, all those nerve endings in your feet are there for a reason :)
I go for bearfoot walks, I'm eecovering from an inquiry, and hope to bearfoot run soon. anyway, if your feet don't need to be tougher, how do I keep small rocks from sticking to the bottom of my feet? I have noticed the pads of my feet getting thicker, but I thought the small rocks were sticking due to soft skin. any insight?
Well, "toughness" and "sticking" have no relationship to each other. Sticking will have to do with moisture and/or the composition of the little rocks.
I am going to try to run on the beach with the sandals tomorrow. I don’t know if my mechanics are correct. I am a soccer guy. I’m going to run with focus on my stride. Thank you
Serious question. I am a horrible barefoot wimp. Cant even walk much less run on my gravel driveway without slippers or something. How would that over sensitivity translate to stepping on a pebble while running if the feet didnt toughen up over time? Thanks
Well, that's why we developed Xero Shoes ;-) What tends to happen, over time, is that you become smarter about how and where you place your feet. If you don't put all your weight on your foot as you step (which happens if you overstride, like most people do) you're able to lift your foot OFF of unpleasant things. I don't know that this is true, but it SEEMS that my reflex arc is more responsive. And my feet definitely feel more flexible. Put all that together and things that used to be unpleasant to step on are not a problem (that doesn't mean you can step on ANYTHING without issue, of course).
I'm a bit confused since I didn't mention dorsiflexion in this video. Using the hip flexors don't cause dorsiflexion of the foot/ankle/toes; the idea that I'm sharing here is that rather than thinking of pushing off the ground by plantar flexing the foot, you want to think about initiating the "toe off" phase by LIFTING your foot... and lifting is something that starts at the hip. I hope that helps.
a) Don't worry about dorsiflexion. Just think about getting your feet under your body rather than way out in front. b) There's no way to change any part of your body "asap." Change happens when it happens -- no sooner or later -- based on many factors. c) Flat feet are not inherently a problem. Lack of strength can be a problem, but not something with as much of a genetic component as arch height.
Hmmm... try two things: 1) Email our Customer Happiness Team at support@xeroshoes.com ... 2) See if there's anyone near you selling Xero -- www.xeroshoes.com/stores/
If your skin thickens a bit, you can handle hotter surfaces better. But it's more likely that you'll never acclimate to the point where you can handle ANY temperature for ANY amount of time and, instead, you'll simply know how much you can/can't handle and plan accordingly (keep a pair of Xero Shoes handy! ;-) )
I took the dogs for a run for my boss one day on short notice. Since I had no running shoes, I went barefoot. It was sore. Had nothing to do with blisters. So this video was confusing.
If your soreness felt like muscular soreness, that just means you were using muscles, ligaments, and tendons that you don't typically use as much when you're in shoes that limit your natural foot movement. I talk about that in other videos in this series. If you mean the skin was sensitive/sore, then this video is totally about your experience, despite the fact that you didn't get blisters. Many people think that soreness goes away when you make your feet tougher. In fact, this type of skin soreness/pain is predominantly from too much horizontal force/friction, like I describe in the video. While you didn't get a blister, if one continues to subject their feet to this kind of force, callouses and blisters are likely to form. The point of this video is to highlight how blisters and callouses are not part and parcel with running or walking barefoot, but are related to form and gait patterns that subject you to excessive, and unnecessary, horizontal force. I hope that's helpful.
I hurt myself in those special running shoes. I took them off for 3 weeks and went barefoot when I could. Today I ran 2 miles in barefoot shoes. It was different. I can tell my feel legs and everything is adjusting. It’s great!
Yes! I wondered why I kept getting the occassional blister on my second toe or between the ball of my foot and toes. Over-striding! Thanks, Steven!
I really should have watched these before jumping into the transition! I did pretty much everything wrong: overstrided, pushed off with my toes, and ran much too far (it was hard to stop because it felt so great!). Of course I got terrible blisters all over the balls of my feet and toes, but I also assumed that my feet would toughen up after a few runs. Before giving up after getting blisters on three straight runs I finally came here to see what I was doing wrong and I has helped %100. Thanks
So glad you got the help you needed. Please feel free to reach out to us directly in case we can help you further - support@xeroshoes.com
@@xeroshoes Will do. I'm a big fan of the DIY sandals so far.
I agree with this completely. Just bought some Xeros as this explained my blisters so simply.
Hello Steven,
Great video series ! Fantastic. Than you. Am watching them all.
Thanks a bunch for making / uploading this video.
I just got my first blisters ever- with a pair of brand new Genesis. This seems to be correct.. I’ll need to tweak my style
Great video, thanks! I have seen one of your videos recently and decided to try barefoot walking. my first walk was about 10 min walk on some park path, following day I did 50 min walk and got few blisters underneath my toes. the barefoot walking is so enjoyable I have forgotten that the temperature could be slightly low, it was 4 degrees C, I have only got the blisters on my left foot and I am thinking whether this has something to do with the hip misalignment or the way I walk. I tried to put my feet lightly and definitely did not try to scoop with my toes. the funny thing was, the blisters hurt in a shoe, but they were fine in my diy sandals. they are all gone today. So I will keep walking and watching your videos, very informative indeed.
You can try the following alignment exercises for improving the pelvis/hips position:
1. Lie down on your back with your knees bent toward chest, with low back and sacrum flat on the floor (i.e. don't pull the knees so high that your back curves). Now put your hands on your knees and push with one hand on one knee/thigh while resisting with the leg muscles, at the same time push the other leg out (trying to straighten it) while resisting with your other hand wrapped around the knee. Switch sides a few times. You should feel a slight shifting sensation in the back of hips.
2. In the same position grab both knees and do small circles with the knees clockwise then counterclockwise. Keep muscles relaxed while doing it (10x each way, then repeat).
3. Stand with your back flat against the wall. Move legs away from the wall and bend knees slightly. Now push back against the wall, paying attention to push with both legs equally (keeping the pelvis level). The entire lower back should be touching the wall during this exercise.
Thanks for your tips clray, I have tried those exercises, and will give them a shot, as I think there is definitely right leg problem, I also slightly strained a calf muscle(while trying to run barefoot) and lateral ankle ligament(that came out of nowhere and its gone now), which is quite funny, because I never experienced sprained muscles or ligaments before. Nothing is happening to my other leg so far.but I have one question, in the first exerc. am I pulling one knee towards my chest while pushing the other one away? Thanks a lot
Yes, in the first exercise you are pulling one knee and pushing the other, resisting both of the movements with hands (so the legs don't really move, but the pelvis shifts under you).
Yet another good exercise is squats - watching carefully that your feet are placed symmetrically and that you are lowering and raising evenly rather than tipped to one side (i.e. same weight on each foot). After standing up from a squat you can add a pelvic/hip thrust to the front. Squats basically help to tip your pelvis back and forth and to alternately tighten/relax pelvic muscles and hip flexors, so as to get them "unstuck" (if that's the problem).
If you have a habit of resting on one leg more than the other while standing, also try to change that and stand on both legs evenly.
Thanks clray, I very much appreciate it. I will try those exercises and see how it goes.
Is it only me or the guy is basically Mel Gibson twin?
I'm watching this because I'm sick of my toes hurting and stinging after being at the pool because the pool floor for some reason rips my toe skin off
Steven! Your voice, speed of diction, NATURAL delivery (cause you KNOW this stuff and don't need to read prompts), you are the only shoe designer (tool designer) that keeps IMPROVING THEIR SHOES seems like every other year? Seems like every year, and the shoes ARE better. It is obvious that the changes are GOOD FOR THE WEARER and not meant to be eye candy or favored by the Kardasians...Form should always follow FUNCTION and not the other way around. Steven's shoes SHOW this and FEEL this. I can't say enough about this company.
Unlike The Keto Diet, or Hugelkulture gardening, this is a real and worthwhile, and life-enhancing product being produced for the betterment of PEOPLE not for money. Steven (changing my tense) is doing well because he is doing what a company providing a product SHOULD do to ENHANCE the peon peasant's lives. I think that all government officials should be FORCED to wear XERO SHOES (can you tell I am getting passionate?) maybe we could be the first government that isn't ruled by thugs, idiots, senile old folks, perverts, PEDOPHILES, VAMPIRES (ADRENOCHROME), CARNIVORES of babies and children and and and these shoes just might be able to clean out our stinky, smelly, putrid, government swamp whooo hoooo! GRINS?
Thanks SO Much for all the kind words, Stormy.
have you seen the youtube video: Barefoot running Bushman versus me (shod Finn) by Olli S.
its a lovely visual on stride length and efficiency barefeet
+Rachel K You'll have to post a link to it. I haven't.
All this stuff is obvious IF you just start out on rough surfaces. Let the pain teach you - very simple. "barefoot' shoes allow you to carry on making the same mistakes. I've been running properly barefoot for about 7 years, all terrains, all weathers. The key is lose the shoes and learn on rough gravel. Don't be a wuss, all those nerve endings in your feet are there for a reason :)
oh shit, this explains so much........
I go for bearfoot walks, I'm eecovering from an inquiry, and hope to bearfoot run soon. anyway, if your feet don't need to be tougher, how do I keep small rocks from sticking to the bottom of my feet? I have noticed the pads of my feet getting thicker, but I thought the small rocks were sticking due to soft skin. any insight?
Well, "toughness" and "sticking" have no relationship to each other. Sticking will have to do with moisture and/or the composition of the little rocks.
If I feel like I've got stuff stuck to my feet I'll very quickly brush my foot across the ground between steps. This can even be done while running.
I am going to try to run on the beach with the sandals tomorrow. I don’t know if my mechanics are correct. I am a soccer guy. I’m going to run with focus on my stride. Thank you
Have fun!
@@xeroshoes I tried it this morning and my mechanics might need some adjusting. Your coaching on stride helped me. Thank you
Serious question. I am a horrible barefoot wimp. Cant even walk much less run on my gravel driveway without slippers or something. How would that over sensitivity translate to stepping on a pebble while running if the feet didnt toughen up over time? Thanks
Well, that's why we developed Xero Shoes ;-)
What tends to happen, over time, is that you become smarter about how and where you place your feet. If you don't put all your weight on your foot as you step (which happens if you overstride, like most people do) you're able to lift your foot OFF of unpleasant things.
I don't know that this is true, but it SEEMS that my reflex arc is more responsive. And my feet definitely feel more flexible.
Put all that together and things that used to be unpleasant to step on are not a problem (that doesn't mean you can step on ANYTHING without issue, of course).
I'm confused how is dorsiflexion utilising the hip flexors?
I'm a bit confused since I didn't mention dorsiflexion in this video. Using the hip flexors don't cause dorsiflexion of the foot/ankle/toes; the idea that I'm sharing here is that rather than thinking of pushing off the ground by plantar flexing the foot, you want to think about initiating the "toe off" phase by LIFTING your foot... and lifting is something that starts at the hip. I hope that helps.
Steven Sashen So I don't have to dorsiflex to begin with? I'm trying to get rid of flat feet asap I have scoliosis
a) Don't worry about dorsiflexion. Just think about getting your feet under your body rather than way out in front.
b) There's no way to change any part of your body "asap." Change happens when it happens -- no sooner or later -- based on many factors.
c) Flat feet are not inherently a problem. Lack of strength can be a problem, but not something with as much of a genetic component as arch height.
Congrats on 11,000 views
Been running without shoes since birth, I've only got little calluses.
Xero shoes how can i buy your product i lived in the philippines and all its says that you have a problem
Hmmm... try two things: 1) Email our Customer Happiness Team at support@xeroshoes.com ... 2) See if there's anyone near you selling Xero -- www.xeroshoes.com/stores/
Hey Steve, are your T-shirts out of stock? Can't find them on your web site! Thanks. - Sebastian
They are :-( ... we're ordering more VERY soon
What about hot surfaces?
If your skin thickens a bit, you can handle hotter surfaces better. But it's more likely that you'll never acclimate to the point where you can handle ANY temperature for ANY amount of time and, instead, you'll simply know how much you can/can't handle and plan accordingly (keep a pair of Xero Shoes handy! ;-) )
Steven Sashen thanks for replying, thanks for advice
I took the dogs for a run for my boss one day on short notice. Since I had no running shoes, I went barefoot. It was sore. Had nothing to do with blisters. So this video was confusing.
If your soreness felt like muscular soreness, that just means you were using muscles, ligaments, and tendons that you don't typically use as much when you're in shoes that limit your natural foot movement. I talk about that in other videos in this series.
If you mean the skin was sensitive/sore, then this video is totally about your experience, despite the fact that you didn't get blisters. Many people think that soreness goes away when you make your feet tougher. In fact, this type of skin soreness/pain is predominantly from too much horizontal force/friction, like I describe in the video. While you didn't get a blister, if one continues to subject their feet to this kind of force, callouses and blisters are likely to form.
The point of this video is to highlight how blisters and callouses are not part and parcel with running or walking barefoot, but are related to form and gait patterns that subject you to excessive, and unnecessary, horizontal force.
I hope that's helpful.