[m0llusk]

So called barefoot shoes, which are notable for their thin, flat soles and wide foot boxes, are not based on an appeal to nature at all. Constricting the foot and movement of the toes results in visible changes to feet and complications like ingrown toenails which are otherwise rare. Thick soles cause a transition to a hard heel strike pattern which ultimately increases stress on the heels and knees. The amount of hard data which is currently available is limited, but also rather dramatic.

My work involves walking all around urban environments. I had long had problems with overly narrow shoes, and when I transitioned to barefoot style shoes my gait completely changed. The result has been a massive improvement in quality of life with foot and joint pain that used to be constant now completely gone. One interesting part of this is that it took a full two years to completely make the transition, and now when I want to buy shoes I almost always find a range available in my size because so many attempt to transition to wearing barefoot shoes turn back because it is genuinely painful, difficult, and dangerous, especially at first in the initial two weeks or so.

This article is interesting, but to me seems a bit off. More interesting than the brief spike of strong interest is the fact that interest in barefoot running and barefoot shoes remained elevated afterwards relative to before.