So what are the bottomless sandals used for ?

Well it was going to be used as trickery in some stores. It turns out I came up with other options so I may not need them so much now.

I have a few stores that require me to wear shoes. Mostly grocery stores, but at this point it is only one grocery store giving me a problem. That is 1 grocery store out of the 3 that I use. Why not just not just stop shopping at that one store ? Well it is a natural foods co-op, and they have products I can't get at the other stores.

At this co-op I had very open conversation with them from the very beginning once I started bare footing. In fact at first they said they were not enforcing a shoes required policy. Then they changed their tune once I came into the picture. So speaking openly to them about it came back to haunt me a little. This store puts the blame on their insurance company. In the stores mind bare feet are at higher risk of something happening. If they file a claim because something happens to a customers barefoot. Then the store feels that insurance will harass them for letting folks walk around barefoot. I've tried to explain to them that bare feet are at no greater risk then any other body part. I've asked them why flip flops are OK, but not bare feet. They don't really have a answer for that one, but I already know the answer. Society accepts flip flops much more then bare feet is the answer. Clearly the store is much more concerned about the bare sole of the foot rather then the bare top of the foot.

They even had that common unfriendly sign saying "due to health reasons shoes are required". This was a separate conversation I had with them. The sign was not worded exactly like that, but it was worded as if bare feet were unhealthy. So I took this topic up with them. It turns out based on that conversation we had they changed the wording on the sign. Now it says something like "We ask that customers please wear shoes in the store".

Don't worry I'll get back to the bottomless sandals thing. So during all these conversations I was trying to come up with creative ways to work around this policy. Frankly they were not offering me a valid reason to put shoes on so I did not like the policy. Plus when I walk in stores, etc my feet like to feel what it is walking on. I gave them many very valid reasons on my barefoot position, but they just would not budge. I just wish they could have given me some valid reasons for their shoe policy.

So at first I got some paper feet sandals , and I like those they are about as minimal as you can get. Then just out of curiosity I got some topless sandals. They were cool, but they take too much maintenance to keep the sticky stuff working properly.

After the topless sandal I said OK let's see how far I can push the limits with this store. If I have something clearly visible on the top of my foot. Then that will trick folks brains that if something is on top of my foot then surely something is on the bottom. How many people will look then question if something is on the bottom ? I don't think people will question it at all as it looks like a flip flop, or sandal is on my foot. So that is the reason for the bottomless sandal. It is trickery !

However that order I placed(linked in the previous post) took 30 days or so for me to receive. It was a customized order so the women hand made the products. So during the time of waiting I came up with another alternative. I knew who the manager, and assistant manager were in the store. They seemed to be the only two enforcing the shoes required policy. As it is not the other employees job to enforce. It would not surprise me if most other employees are not even aware of the policy. Anyway I figured what if I shop barefoot when the two people enforcing the policy are not in the store. So at this point I am successfully shopping in this store barefoot without any problems. I've done it numerous weeks now. I usually go in on my weekends during the evenings. The store is open til 9 pm, and few employees work the last 1.5 hours the store is open. So I just go in during the evening when few customers/employees are in the store. So this folks is my way around the policy.

I figure now that I have the bottomless sandals I'll probably start wearing them in the store. Just as some extra security for the trickery factor. Though I really feel like it is not needed. The other two grocery stores I use clearly have no issue with my bare feet. The managers have seen my feet numerous times, and don't seem the least bit concerned about it. Interesting, huh ? Different strokes for different folks. In future posts I'll discuss my bare foot shopping experiences in more depth.

The bottomless sandals surely bring out my hippie side, but we have lots of hippies in the co-op as well as Arcata. So I fit right in! I don't consider myself a hippie these days. I'm much more a of a athletic type. As you can see though I have my forward thinking bare foot advocate side, and I'm willing to test the limits in private stores. How dare others try to suppress my desire to live healthy which starts at my bare feet. I don't demand you take shoes off. Why you demand I put shoes on ? I'm a bare foot individual living in a shoe addicted society.....

Oh yeah my foot is feeling much better. That three day weekend of rest paid off. I'll probably rest my feet through the rest of week, and start to play again this weekend starting off slowly of course.

Swag for my feet

I got a hemp anklet, and a bottomless sandal. Each item was customized, and took 30 days or so for the women to produce them. They were purchased from a web site located here. I don't know what struck me on the anklet. Just thought I'd spruce things up for days I wear shorts. The bottomless sandals I had some special needs for which I will discuss very soon in a upcoming post. Bottomless sandals seemed to be marketed towards women, and these were the best I could come up with for a male. I actually like them. It's gonna bring out my hippie side a bit when I wear them. It may take me some time to get comfortable with them, but like I said I'll discuss this more soon about why I got them to begin with. I've been thinking about getting a toe ring, but figure I should get comfortable with these two items first......

Listing myself with a injury........

So I have been procrastinating on making a decision on if I would do the Trinidad to Clam beach run. Let's review a bit. Not long ago I was complaining of some foot soreness. I allowed myself some time to rest, but I was eager to get back at it to train for Clam beach run. As soon as my soreness felt better I went on a 4 mile beach run. It turns out this was a bad choice on my part. I should have allowed more time to rest. What I thought was just soreness turned into more because I did not rest it long enough.

Many that know me will be surprised as it is rare that I injure myself. I tend to do things in a balanced manor, and I'm pretty good at listening to my body. This one I simply did not read properly. Combine that with the pressure of getting ready for the organized run. My first organized run, and looking back I did not allow myself enough time to prepare. Or I should have not pushed myself to do so many miles in such a short time period. Wanting to participate in the event was probably just a bad idea as a new BF runner. Actually I thought the first month of training went well, but I started to push myself too hard the second month......

Ok so you want to know. What is your injury ? I'm listing myself with a first metatarsal hairline stress fracture. That's the bone behind my big toe on the right side. With that said the injury is fairly minor. I can extend, and hyper extend the toe. Though it is tender when I move it in that manner. I never even really had pain, and who knows if I'm accurate on my assessment. I just know I need more rest, and running today won't help heal it. Clearly whatever I had initially was irritated by my recent 4 mile beach run.

It was not until yesterday that I assessed myself with this status. Prior to yesterday I had done very little to care for it. All week I was walking BF, and using min shoes at work. Though I did make some small effort to keep less body weight off the great toe. Though the injury has not really effected simple walking other then this small change I made to my gait to help allow it to heal. Once Friday came around I stopped going barefoot, and used a sandal I had around with a fairly thick sole. I also have a pair of old school simple shoes which I will probably wear at work in the upcoming week. Doing these things will allow the foot to rest a bit more. The added sole will take some stress off the foot, and allow it to heal faster. The injury actually feels much better today, but I plan to give it numerous more days of rest. In fact I have taken a day off to extend my weekend a extra day. So now that I have identified this I'm giving myself three straight days of added rest, and more focused care. So yeah no Clam beach run for me today. Ironically my neighbor running shod injured himself as well so won't be doing the run either.

For me this is a minor set back. Am I disappointed in myself ? Of course I am. I did not read the soreness symptoms properly, and paid for it a bit more. Though still fairly minor. Not doing the organized run event today is the least of my concerns. Not reading properly my feet talking to me bothers me more. Though I have been very grateful for this BF running experience. I have learned things about myself, and I have even fine tuned my likes/dislikes for running. Or as a BF advocate in general. Also living "in the moment" is much more important to me. So I accept the terms I have been given, and the lessons will be noted. Considering how darn active I am I really have no room to complain about this.....

So what's ahead for me ? Well the priority coming up in a few months is the annual Kinetic sculpture race. Usually this is a very time consuming project, but this year we are using the same theme as last year. So I won't need to spend as much prep time this season. The race is last weekend of May.
I am also thinking about the Avenue of the giants run. This is in early May, and I may consider the 10K running under the redwoods. Now I know how much time I need to prepare. Though I also have to train on the kinetic vehicle as well. So I'm not sure if I will do the run, or not this year. I don't plan to do kinetic race in 2012 so I hope to do the ave instead. If anyone wants to run under the redwood tress you may want to consider the ave.
As I have already stated beach BF running will certainly be in my future. I have a strong desire to trail BF run as well. Though this is something I need to feel out still in Arcata's Redwood park. They have lots of fun single track trails that are dirt based, but interconnected with gravel roads. So I just need to take a closer look at the gravel roads to see how my soles like it, or if I can run along side, etc.
I'm also interested in BF backpacking this summer, and day hiking. Continue my unconventional weight training at the independent warehouse gym in town. So as you can see I have many things ahead to look forward to. Many of the things barefoot related, and a little mixture of things that are not. As I stated in yesterdays post it's always hard to balance everything. Some days I even mountain bike. So I just have to look ahead a little, and set some goals. Basically I really like variety. Advocating bare feet will be a big part of what I do in the months ahead, and I'll have many things to discuss in this blog about bare footing. Most exciting my daily activities will be BF outside of work. So while the minor injury is a bummer. I have lots of fun stuff to look forward to after the short recovery period !

Life goes on.......

My bare feet have acquired personal prefrences........

I've mentioned in the past that I don't consider myself a barefoot runner, but rather a BF advocate.

I have also found it is rather hard to open dialogue during a run. Running 4 mph or so makes it difficult to speak with people. I want to run, and not have to stop to talk to folks. As clearly I think some would certainly like to ask me questions. Instead since I whip by they may just say something quick, and I respond quickly as I run away past them.
On the other hand I have found simply walking BF to be much better for advocating BF. I love to walk barefoot in town, stores, etc. It is much easier to stop, and talk to folks this way. So for me this will be the best method to promote bare feet. Running will simply be a fun excersice to run BF......

With that said I don't really like running on the town streets that much. I am new to running so I have to acquire my personal preferences for my feet, and my overall likes/dislikes. I enjoy running BF on the streets. I enjoy the Hammond trail however that paved trail is just too short for the section I like to run. In town I don't really like running with the emissions of traffic. Let's be real Arcata, CA is a fairly small town. It is by no means a big city. I just don't like running in this type of environment. What I do like in fact I love is running BF on the beach. Running on the beach is just wonderful ! In fact I think it may become kind of addicting.
I love the environment of the sand, and ocean. To feel the different temperatures of sand. To feel the dry sand, and wet sand. Listening, and feeling the enrgy of the ocean waves come in. The wind blowing on your body. The birds playing among the sands, and just above the water. Many birds in fact small, and large. I feel at home running on the beach !

At the end of the day. I don't want to just run. Though I would like to include running more as a activity. Running on the beach is certainly a really good workout which is another reason I like it. In fact the BF running style does make it easier as you glide over the sand. I like to run in front of the dry sand where the sand is wet. Typically during low tide hours. Anyway I like other outdoor activities, and I like weight training using unconventional methods. It's always a struggle balancing all the different activities. I usually just do whatever my body/mind is in the mood for on a given day. I hope to make beach running a more regular activity......

Jan 29 is the afternoon of the Trinidad to Clam beach run I was planning to do. I have a announcement to make. This announcement will follow in the next 24 hours.

Well I woke up today wanting to run on the beach. My feet were feeling much better today. Lately we have been having beautiful weather here on the Humboldt coast. The sun has been shining, and it is supposed to keep up through the week.

I ran 4 BF miles on the beach today. The beach is by far my most favorite place to run. It is just so much fun ! While being a really good workout. You most certainly have to work harder with the unstable sand surface, but I love it. I can already feel some soreness in my lower leg muscles. It has been a few months since I ran on the beach.


Following up on my last post. My ego has given me permission to do the 5 3/4 distance in the Trinidad to Clam beach run next weekend. I really want to enjoy my BF running journey. I see no need to push myself for one event for possible too much too soon(TMTS) issues. After the event I will have plenty of time to train more for longer distances. So I'm going to embrace the 5 3/4 run next weekend. Enjoy running with other shod runners, and talk up my bare feet. In fact this distance run actually starts right in town as the longer run starts outside of town. So my chosen distance will probably be better place to discuss bare feet, etc with folks. Since the start line is right in town. A very small town. So I'm excited......

Preparing for Jan 29. My first organized run.....What mileage option are my feet prepared to do ?

So officially I just started to train for BF running around the end of November. Prior to this time I was walking BF for numerous months. I've also been doing my gym workouts BF for over two years now. So I have a fair amount of BF experience. With BF running being very new to my feet.

It turns out my right forefoot stayed sore for additional time from that last run as I reported before I was a little sore. So I've been contemplating my overall training plan for the Trinidad run. Initially I thought I would be ready, and able to do the 8 3/4 mile run. It appears to me at this time I'm pushing my feet too hard to reach this goal. Other then this run on Jan 29 their is no other reason for me to rush. So in order to train safely, and not hurt my feet from too much too soon. I think I have decided to do the 5 3/4 run instead. That is only about 3 3/4 street miles, and 2 beach miles. As compared to the other choice of 6 3/4 street miles, and 2 beach miles. So I'm having to decide if my feet are really ready for those extra 3 street miles. I have noticed as my BF mileage increases I have been needing to allow myself extra rest. I assume this is normal based on natural transition of using your BF. With that said I'm still very happy with how my feet are progressing.

I think I'm really close to doing the longer run, but not there yet. I'm certainly ready for the shorter run. I have not made a final decision yet. I'll decide in a few more days on which distance run I do. It appears I cut myself slightly short on the amount of training time to do 8 3/4. If I only had a additional 2/3 weeks I would definitely be ready for the 8 3/4 mile run. I figured since the last 2 miles were beach miles I would be OK, but let's reconsider that.....

As of right now my right forefoot is slightly sore, or funky feeling. This was from my last run which was Wens. I'm sure my form fell apart a bit as I got towards end of 6 mile run. Things were getting tired, and skin on bottom of feet were getting tender. I need to condition more at that mileage. So I think I'll give myself one more rest day. Then go on a shorter run then my last run which was 6 miles. I'm feeling like maybe bumping mileage up after every single run may not be the best at this point. So far I have not injured myself from too much too soon, and I'd like to keep it that way. I may need to condition the feet with more 5 - 6 mile ish runs. Before I add more miles. It really does appear I will stick with the 5 3/4 in Trinidad, but my ego won't allow me to make final decision.....yet.

What are my goals on Jan 29 ?
1. To promote bare feet as safe, and healthy.
2. Convey to people we can run in BF, and do many things in BF without shoes.
3. Discuss why/how shoes can effect our health.
4. Possibly talk with media.
5. Have fun, and run BF !

So the way I see it running 5 3/4, or 8 3/4 I will accomplish my goals with either distance......

Yesterday I did a BF run of 6 miles. I stayed here in Arcata this time to run. It was a combination of city streets, sidewalks, multi user paths. It was a good run all, and all. My feet were tender after wards, but it was not too bad. This morning I woke up with a sore right forefoot, but it is not bad though something I need to monitor. Adding the miles to each run seems to be going well. I do notice some soreness in feet again now as distance increases. My upper legs got a little sore from the run yesterday, but not bad at all. I find the hardest thing is just toughening the bottom of the feet. I think ultimately this will take the longest.

As I have said in the I was never a runner prior to BF running. I was active with other outdoor activities, and worked out in the gym. At this time I don't even really consider myself a runner. I am a barefoot advocate. For me BF running is a marketing tool. I BF run to expose bare feet to more people. Seems running is a popular sport so why not take advantage of that. I want people to see me running with bare feet, and think about it after wards. I want them to talk to others about it at work, dinner table, etc. If we can circulate barefoot exposure people will naturally feel more comfortable with it. This is how I want to help the movement is by exposing it. Their is no doubt in my mind for this area I live in it is a forward thinking idea. It's a very rural area here, and we tend to be behind the times. Though I think anywhere in the USA using bare feet is a new idea.

For the Trinidad to Clam beach run I'm doing on Jan 29. I will run 6 3/4 street miles. Then we must cross a creek, and finish the run which is about 2 more beach miles of running. So my goal before the actual run is to work up to that 6 3/4 BF miles, and possibly do a run on the beach one day. One, or two more training runs, and I will have exceeded the training goals. I certainly won't be the fastest runner, but I anticipate I won't be the slowest either.

My goals at the Trinidad run is just to open up this barefoot conversation. I have never done a organized run before so I really don't know what to expect. I hear spectators will be watching, and I'm sure some media will be around. So prior to the run, or after the run I would like to promote bare feet to whomever is open to listening. I would like people to know that BF are safe, healthy, and any other positive word that describes are feet. It is time for us all to take better care of our feet. Open up the discussion on why conventional shoes are bad for our feet. What we can do to take better care of our feet. Just show folks that we can even run in our bare feet. I don't want the run to be about me running. I want it to be a time to share info with my community. I don't want to tell everyone what to do with their feet. Though I do want to share that other alternatives exist. Explore the idea of taking your shoes off your feet more often. Explore the ideas of what we can do to take better care of our foundation(feet). We need a strong foundation to better the health of the rest of our body. If our feet are not healthy the rest of our bodies will suffer.

So yeah for me BF running is simply a marketing tool. In the process I learn a whole lot of stuff about myself. Why not share it with others, and strive to build a more healthy community.

shoe free zones and more........

I'd like folks to think about "shoe free zones". I feel a great starting point is in our homes. Let's allow our feet to be free at home if your new to barefooting. If your more experienced take if further. Taking our shoes off can bring back child like energy. Allow feet to feel at home your carpet, tile floors, temperature changes, etc. If your feet are really cold put a nice comfy sock on. If you have not yet allow your feet to wonder in their environment of safety your home.

Ready to take it a bit further ? Ya work in a office environment ? How about at your desk taking the time to slip off the shoes while your sitting. Maybe bring a slip on shoe product. Have you ever discussed barefeet with your boss ? What's their opinion on BF if any ? Does the boss enforce any shoe policy ? Well what is it specifically ? Open up the conversation. That is what our feet need. They need more exposure to the fresh air, but also exposure to discussion. They need exposure to more people seeing BF. Allow people to see feet, and they will become more comfortable with it.

Do you have your own office, and not at a cubicle ? How about making your personal office a shoe free zone. Maybe not for others as at work it is not a likely situation to get each person to remove shoes. Allow your personal space to be your shoe free zone. Hopefully having your bosses permission, and positive energy. If not use the slip on product as well in your personal office.

I have always found it interesting how women, and men can be treated differently when it comes to our feet. Often it may be accepted for women to wear a flip flop. Though the same situation the men would be looked down at. Take for example a wedding. A women could wear a nice dress with open flip flops on her feet. Perfectly acceptable, right ? Often the men it is just not yet accepted to be looking handsome in a suit, and having sandals on. This can often be the case in office environments as well for work places. Generally we are speaking within the majority of USA. Though I could come up with some circumstances where this would be acceptable. For example many California settings this would be fine though certainly not all. This would be more difficult to fly with many of our right coast friends, but not all of course. The social element is very interesting, and I plan to discuss this much, much more in future posts.

For about the last week I have had a bit of a head cold. Where I live on the Humboldt coast tends to have a lot of moisture. So colds can tend to linger more in time. Luckily I don't get sick very often. Nothing too bad currently, but I do like to rest from physical activities while sick with head colds. Of course with the BF running I've been not following rest rules. Today I plan to take a extra day to rest from taking the next run. I'm walking a fine line. I want to run to increase my mileage before the upcoming organized run I will be doing. I also want to allow me feet rest however my feet feel great. All this BF running, and I'm really happy how they feel. I can see the desired goal just a arm length away. What are my short term goals with the upcoming event ? I'll discuss those ideas very soon with you......

Soon I also hope to share what Humboldt county, California, USA is like to live within. Just to throw in some added extras.....It's a awfully special place, and I hope you would enjoy to read about it.

So as you can see I have many things I would like to discuss, and beyond. This is not just a BF running log. I find in the barefoot community many extend the ideas on BF running. I identify myself first as a BF advocate. I use BF running as a marketing tool to promote BF. So I'm not running to run. I'm running cause I know I can do it. I want to show others bare feet are safe, and healthy. Fitness can be a self absorbed activity. I want to take the many, many hours of barefoot research I have done, and share it with others. Particularly in my own community as it is not being exposed much by others here. This perspective allows me to enjoy another fitness activity, but it becomes much more about sharing with others. Rather then being self absorbed in a personal fitness ritual. I have done my time as a independent gym rat. I will still enjoy that much more in the future, but right now is my time to give back.....

I have a barefoot lifestyle as it is my personal desire. I choose a barefoot lifestyle for a more healthy lifestyle, and I hope you will consider to expose your feet as well. If you have not already. Surely for our health is a marvelous reason to practice it.

So I have many exciting things to discuss with you in the future....

When I first started BF running I began on a treadmill.  Shortly having started that I decided to run on the beach instead.  Super soft surface that my foot would sink in some.  So I could still heel strike, but the muscles would strengthen well with the unstable surface.  At some point I went back to the treadmill.  Then I moved onto the local outdoor university track.  The track is softer then the city streets for sure.  However as a new BF runner it is certainly rough on your skin.  It will sandpaper your skin in those early stages.  Eventually I worked up the courage to hit the real streets. Looking back I feel I really wasted my time on the treadmill. The surface is not fun, machine is kind of bouncy, computer is not accurate, etc. In fact last time I ran it on a rainy day after I started BF running. My feet actually hurt running on it. Never have hurt like feeling on other surfaces BF. So I figure I won't be using the hamster machines anymore.  

Lately I've been mostly training the BF running on surfaces #3, 5, 6 as shown above.  The Trinidad run I'm doing soon has some fairly rough road surface on the northern portion about 3 miles worth to start the run.  Then I get a brake with some newly paved smooth road surface for a mile, or two.  The rest after that is not too bad with a few very short sections of very difficult surfaces.  The roads in the area are really old except for the one new paved area.  So I'm really trying to train more on some of the more difficult surface conditions.  In dry conditions I do well with most surfaces.  I still have a tough time with gravel type roads.  though I can run, or walk on them fast.  It is just not that much fun....yet.  In wet conditions it is much more of a challenge on most surfaces.  Though I never get blisters which tells me my form is good.  I just got that one blood blister which was a good learning lesson.

I've also found on non running days I wear something on my feet so the skin can recover, and it makes it easier to walk around.  Not all the time it really just depends on what surafce I decided to run on, and for what distance. At home I may wear a sock.  Today I wore a vibram five finger sprint shoe to do errands.  Sometimes it is just more comfortable.  I probably did too much running on my Friday run.  Though I want to go back one more time to run that section of road again(the northern section of the Trinidad run).  On my Sunday run my feet were still a bit tender from the Friday run.  Combine that with the wet surfaces on the Sunday run, and it was a challenge.  Though I also ran the first half of Sunday run faster then normal so I guess my feet were not that bad.

How do I care for my skin ?
 I have skin moisturizer, and a pumice stone.  I lotion up usually at night, and use the stone as needed.  I find the stone helps to smooth out skin that is rough, etc.  The skin on the bottom of my feet are actually very smooth, and healthy looking most of the time.  After a run the skin can look a little beat up, but that passes quickly.  I feel maintaining skin health on bottom of feet with this activity is important.  As funny as it is the bottom of my pumice stone looks like a foot print.......

pumice stone shaped like bottom of foot

This video is what gave me the confidence to start actually running BF.......

My BF run today was 5.5 miles. It was a little harder today. The path I was running was really wet. I gave me feet some time off recently. When I was running for one-two weeks before the break the weather was dry. So today was the first time in a few weeks that I ran on a wet surface. The skin gets to become sensitive on the bottom of your feet with all the moisture. This sensitivity makes it a bit more challenging.

Also I was never a runner prior to the BF experience. So each extended distance is a new personal record for distance. I'm not very focused on time for now. I have found at these distances I'm starting to reach. My quads are starting to get just a little sore. I consider myself to be in pretty good shape. I knew at some point some soreness should start to set in, and I'm approaching that time. When I first started BF running I found my lower leg muscles were getting sore in the very early stages. Often getting very sore with doing the activity for the very first time. This probably lasted for a few weeks. It's probably been a good two months since the lower body soreness. So now it is my quads turn. I've been doing some hills, but nothing serious yet.

The Trinidad to Clam beach run is in 13 days from now. So far I'm just tickled with my performance on this journey. I would have never expected things would come along so nicely. Some things make me nervous then I do it, and overcome the nerves. My biggest fear at this time is it will rain, or just be really wet for the Trinidad run. My intentions are to do the longest run the 8 3/4 miles. The northern portion of the course is awfully rough on the running surface. My feet will no doubt get really tender in just the first 3 miles of that run if it is wet. If it is wet, or raining I'm looking at two possible options. 1 - wear my paper feet for a few miles. Then go back to BF. The paper feet are very, very thin sandals made out of billboard material. 2- consider doing just the 6 3/4 mile run all BF miles. This will eliminate the 3 miles of really rough road. I don't know only time will tell. The weather, and my confidence level will dictate what I do. Obviously what I want is for it to be dry out, and do the longest run. Whatever distance I do the final two miles by estimate is going to be beach running.

My feet appear to be doing very well. The strength seems to be there in the foot. The main thing I'm trying to improve are two things right now. Work my way up in distance, and toughen the skin on bottom of feet. On the run today the last half mile ish I did a combination of walk/run. My soles were feeling tender from the wet run, and my legs were feeling a bit tired. No need to over do it at this point. I pushed it a bit towards the very end quarter mile or so. I hope to do 6 miles on my next run.......We will see.

Today I ran BF 5 miles. I headed up to do the very northern portion of the Trinidad to Clam beach run. So I was running north of Trinidad today. Ran north 2.5 miles then turn around back to starting point. No doubt it was a rough surface. Nothing smooth about it. In the real race I'll be running about 3 miles on that portion of road. Today I did 5 on it so I should be fine. The pic is a self portrait while I was running. Not the best quality, but I do want to thank Apple for adding a camera to the current generation of ipod touches. Makes it slightly easier......A slow run, but a really good run ! I read on the internet something that really made sense to me. When starting to BF run focus on things in this very order - strength, distance, speed. Now I'm working on distance....

Ok. So I finished off my home made sandals. Now I have them set up the way I like them. It took a few generations to get it right. On the top view with no feet you see small pieces of gorilla tape. This was just holes I covered from previous gen lace tie. Now got them accounted for on my blog. These will mostly be used at stores that require shoes. I have my tricks to go in without footwear, but sometimes depending on time of day I want to shop. Mostly grocery store related with just one store. I may use my sandals. However I've got another trick on the way which may discontinue sandal usage. Time will tell, but these sandals are certainly very comfortable........

The soles are super thin. The material is gorilla tape which is similar to duct tape. Though the gorilla tape is black, and stronger then duct tape. I used three layers of tape. The lace on top is made of polypropylene/nylon. I purchased the fun color from invisible shoe.

If you like this tie method follow the below video instructions. I did it slightly different with less lace on forefoot. Once I did the cross at forefoot then ran lace through sole. I decided on just bringing the lace right back again the same way over the forefoot, and I did the final tie on each side at front of heel.





Alternative sandals on market.....

If you are looking for a alternative sandal on the market that is minimal. Give these

a try. My pic below I cut off the toe cover as I did not like it. I also shortened the front sole to eliminate the drag factor.

I've had a bit of a sore throat this week. So just taking a few days off. Also resting my feet. Plan to go on a 5 mile BF run on Friday.

Walking into stores has been a very entertaining experience. At first a was very apprehensive in doing it. This was back in late summer. I found many stores don't notice for a while. Then the stores that actually have those unfriendly shoes required signs. They will eventually notice your barefeet, and say something to you. Each store has a different excuse on why they have this silly policy. Every excuse is nothing more then pure ignorance.

Some stores actually believe health codes exist which they do not. Others blame insurance companies. Some are just scared to be sued even though we would have a difficult time winning a case. Not to mention being BF is so important to us filing a suit just simply would not happen. We would never put our BF lifestyle at risk of some silly law suit. Be sides we scan the floor as we walk. The common argument is we will step on broken glass. Can't remember the last time I even saw broken glass in a store. Check out the discrimination link over in the right top corner of my link list.

The good news is in my area I find that many stores have no policy, and I can freely walk in my bare feet. It is a very nice feeling what ya walk on. To have the freedom of not wearing a shoe. After having spent some time testing the grounds of stores. I've got my ritual down on who I support, and who I don't. I also have tricks up my sleeve for some stores that I need to go in, but prefer I have something on my feet.

Lastly for today the best feeling of all is a BF run. Was never a runner prior to BF running. When I see folks running shod. Many look unhappy, and not having fun. I believe their shoes on their feet is one of the reasons why they look this way.

For me running BF is a great feeling. It just feels awesome to feel the ground. I love it when I step on a larger pebble let's say, and my foot just automatically adjusts weight distribution to minimize pressure on the item being stepped on. My foot responds without thinking about it. Each BF run seems to encourage a huge smile on my face. Certainly the BF runs are more of a challenge then being in the gym BF, but only because you experience so many different surface conditions, textures, etc.....

Today I went up to the northern portion of the Hammond trail. I ran, and walked over a short portion of gravel trail. I also ran partly on a county road that was kind of a rough surface. Ran on the more smooth paved Hammond trail. I broke the 4 mile barrier. Did a total of 4.40 miles today. Think I've decided to take Monday off from a run to give my feet a little earned extra rest.

Soon I'll discuss some ideas of my BF lifestyle in public stores........

Some ask....... What shoes do I own ? Too many for a bare footer is my initial thought.

So prior to becoming hardcore BF person I did get some minimalist shoes. I have the following......

1. TP vivo BF aqua (suede on outside) used at work when not raining

2. TP vivo BF dharma (leather) used at work when raining

3. Vibram five finger sprint - I don't use it too much anymore. Sometime use it at work.

4. VFF treksport - I bought this as a trail hiking shoe. Now I want to BF hike. Though state parks puts crushed rock down as a top layer which is hard to walk on. Frankly BF hiking I have not done much yet. I still need to "scout" this out.

Those above companies are fairly well known within the BF style community. Others that are less discussed are below that I own.....

The VFF is actually what caused me to start BF running. I just decided wearing these to run was absolutely silly. So I kicked them off, and started running BF. Already two years into being BF at my gym. Daily BF came shortly after the begin of BF running.

5. paper feet sandals - I can roll them up in my pocket. Then put them on for pesky store owners. Really handy. http://www.paper-feet.com/

6. top less sandals - I just got these recently. Stores main concern seem to be the bottom of feet exposed to floor. I got these in transition for the next item. I want to show the stores how minimal I can get on my foot. Very cheap product, and works for my application. I cut them so they are closer to the size of my foot. http://www.topless-sandal.com/index.html?sandalsSid=32b95d10546fb4b96cd2...

7. I ordered, but have not received yet. Bottom less sandals customized made out of hemp. If I like them I'll wear em. Also ordered a hemp anklet to add to my hippie side of me. My hope is to trick the eye of the store. Have something on the top of my feet, but not on the bottom. I prefer to feel the floor when I'm in the store. So I will surely be testing the limits with the store on these. If I can get away with it I will be very happy. I'm feeling confident about it.

For a BF advocate that likes to wear shoes as little as possible. I sure do own a lot, huh ? Well knowing how often I wear them they should get a good, long life. Maybe by the time one wears out someone will actually come up with a decent design. I'm not that big a fan of my enclosed TP shoes, but the amount of time I actually wear them is limited. So I try not to complain too much. Surely they are better then any conventional shoe.......

It has been brought to my attention the end of the Trinidad to clam beach run. The beach portion is about two miles. With the longest race being 8 3/4 miles. That is about 6 3/4 street miles. Based on these numbers, and how my training is going. It seems very doable for my to take on this longer run instead of the 5 3/4 run. So I'll play it by ear, but it is looking pretty good. Adding the barefoot elements with the culmination of numerous other lifestyle choices. I must say I'm feeling a bit electrified ! A good thing, and a nice way to feel mid winter.

Today I went on a BF run. I headed up to run part of the course of the Trinidad to Clam beach run. I was feeling a bit nervous cause I was not sure how my feet would handle the surface conditions of the road. Certainly parts of the road are far from smooth. Some sections are nice, and smooth. Other sections are pretty rough on the bottom of my virgin bare feet.

It turned out I was pretty tickled. I learned the course is definitely doable. It was a slow run, but I ran the portion of the course that will be the hardest on my feet. At this point is is going to be about simply toughening up the bottom of my feet. I need to start to get away from the Hammond trail, and onto more city type streets with more coarse surface conditions. Certainly I should go run the course some more as well before the event day. I was slow today, but left feeling very happy that I could even handle running on those surfaces already. The progression is going great !

I also ran 3.90 miles on today's run. Based on the more advanced surface type I was not expecting to run that far. So I was happy with that very much. I really think I need to combine in training runs. Smoother surfaces to keep extending my distances, but also keep at more coarse conditions to toughen bottom of feet. I don't think I will be the fastest runner at the event, but I will be successful in completion. I'm still very new to this so distance, and speed is just going to take more time/experience.

Due to the coarse conditions of some of the surfaces. It was certainly a challenge for my skin. Not even really the skin more so the sensory receptors communicating with my brain. It is just something my nervous system needs to get more acquainted with. Later in the run with bottom of feet getting kind of tender my form was falling off a bit. Towards the very end of the run I accidentally dragged my left great toe. The road was pretty rough at that section. So I shaved a bit of skin off to cause bleeding. So today was my second war mark. These things will improve over time. Minor occurrences, and lessons learned......On the other hand today's run seemed to clear out the blood blister. It actually looks a lot better after today's run. Go figure.

Sat should be my next run to add distance, and hopefully include some more coarse surface conditioning.

In upcoming posts I hope to discuss the social experiences of being BF.

Let's just go over a few basics. In my mind we have two types of shoes. A enclosed system which is your common shoe that covers the entire foot. The second is a open system which is like a flip flop/sandal type footwear.

Discussing conventional footwear. In my opinion the enclosed style is certainly the worst to choose from. The biggest problem is simply "hot feet syndrome". Your basically putting your foot inside a oven. Depending on the season your foot can reach temps of over 100 degrees. Heat, and sweat do not mix well. Millions of shoe addicted users get fungus, blisters, etc just from hot feet. The conventional style shoe also has many other design issues. Such as arch support, cushion, cramped toe box, tight upper shoe, heel, laces, achillies notch, etc. It's a pretty long list, and each has various negative health related issues . I don't want to get into too much depth with it. Their are many other places on the web that discuss this. Maybe I will discuss it more in future posts. The bottom line is the majority of shoes on the market today make your feet weaker, and prone to injury. The min shoe industry is slowly trying to change this.

You even have issues with some flip flops, or sandals. For all types of footwear another common issue is toe spring. This is when toe area of shoe points upward. Shoe companies do this to make walking easier. The problem is that hyper extends the toes which ruins your natural arch support. The natural foot does not need toe spring in shoe design.

The best rule of thumb in my opinion is keep a shoe on as little as possible. Though you maybe thinking what about those minimalist shoes ? Well the min shoes are certainly a improvement, but they still really do fall short. With a enclosed shoe you still have the hot foot problem. The min shoes still have some toe spring. Some of them have insole cushion, instep bands, achillies notch, etc. It really depends on the brand. It is just good to be aware of what you are putting on your foot, and try to keep it on a limited amount of time each day. If you want to maximize good foot health.

For me I really like to feel what I am walking on. As we have thousands of sensory receptors on the bottom of our feet. So any time you have a shoe on you loose this. Another problem with min shoes is they market them as walking barefoot, but with a shoe on. It really is non sense you can't completely mimic the barefoot feeling with any kind of shoe on your foot. It will always change your gait, and of course you will always loose the feeling sensation on the bottom of your feet.

I prefer to just let my feet adapt to what I walk on. I've found walking around in 30 degree temps has not been a problem. I have not gone out in anything colder then this so far. Those temps are limited to early morning hours.

During work hours I wear a min shoe. I have various shoes to choose from in another post I'll go over what I own. Basically my wear time is limited so I don't get caught up in it too much. The time I spend barefoot far exceeds my shoe wearing time.

I choose to be barefoot for good health. I believe good health starts with a strong foundation which is your feet. If you take care of your feet the rest of the body will follow.

I don't want to spend too much time on min shoe reviews, and these type of things. I prefer to be barefoot, and numerous other sites are out their for you to get more min shoe info. This blog is to focus on my barefooting experiences with society. Also to track, and log my barefoot running sessions.

Lastly I don't want to tell others what to do with their feet. I just want to share info. Let folks know that shoes do in fact effect your health. Sometimes changing footwear, or reducing footwear usage can relieve, or eliminate numerous health issues. Doctors tend to not look at things this way. Just because you have a knee problem for example does not mean that your knee is the actual problem. It could be your shoes. It could be your hip, etc. I just want folks to be more aware, and know that other solutions exist to help aide in how we feel day to day. In my opinion quality of life is very important, and the small things can really add up.

set your piggies free......

Today I ran BF on the Hammond trail. I started at the school road intersection of the trail. Ran north 1.85 miles, and then turned around to return for a total run of 3.65 miles. I picked up the pace a bit today as I'd like to get a little faster as well as increase distance. It was a good run. I averaged 4.8 mph in speed.

People ask me how my feet feel during a run ? It does not really hurt at all when I run. Sometimes you step on little pebbles that may make you go "ouch". though it only last for a second. Overall running BF is actually pretty comfortable. It is really nice to just be able to feel the ground. This week has been great because it is not raining. So I'm getting to experience now with some dry surfaces which is a nice change from the rain. The paved Hammond trail is getting pretty easy for me to run on now. In fact I'm starting to run out of paved surface to run on. I'm trying to incorporate more city type street to toughen up the bottom of my feet more. As I think this will be crucial for the Trinidad to Clam beach run at end of month. Today I did get some city street surface running in as well.

How do my feet feel after a run ? Well the bottom of my feet have kind of this "buzz" feeling for a little while. Basically the sensory receptors are all fired up from feeling the surfaces. So the feet need some cool down time after wards. This I find will be a good time to blog after a run. Put my feet up, and let them relax for a few minutes. I like to wiggle my toes to stretch things out in the forefoot area. Also it is common to get a sand paper type feeling on the bottom of my feet. So it can be a little bit harder to walk around as the skin is a little sensitive. This feeling is usually short lived, and gone by the next morning. I anticipate after I run more this feeling will pass.

On Thurs I hope to go up, and run on part of the Trinidad run course. This way I can see what kind of condition the road surface is in. I need to let my feet start feeling what those roads feel like I wil be running on.

In the next post I hope to discuss why I choose not to wear shoes as much as possible.........

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Today I ran BF for the first time on city streets. I kept it to 3.2 miles as the surface was a bit more coarse then what I was used to. Kind of gritty as well with pebbles, etc. All in all it was a slow run, but a good run.

Think I'll start to alternate between Hammond trail, and city streets. The city streets will help toughen up my soles even more. I also hope to start running on the scenic drive south of Trinidad to prep my feet for the Trinidad to Clam beach run. I'm striving to do the 6 mile run.

I was never a runner prior to bare footing. So I've never done a organized run before. It's all new, and exciting to me. Each BF run is a challenge, and a lesson......

How did I get into taking my shoes off ?

Well probably about four years ago, or so I was introduced to a independent gym in Sacramento, CA. They promoted removing your shoes to work out. I did not think much of it in the early days of hearing it. At that time I had a conventional cross trainer shoe for the gym. At some point I did purchase a Nike Free 5.0 shoe. At the time I thought this was a big change for me.

About two years ago I started doing workouts in the gym barefoot all the time. Even before that I experimented with it, but was not sure how the gym would respond to it. I got away with it when I did it. Then I went to another gym in Arcata which is a independent warehouse type gym. They were barefoot friendly. Which is why I have been doing BF workouts for the last two years since I started using this gym.

More recently at the end of the summer 2010 I decided to take bare footing into everyday life. I wanted to see what it felt like to do it in public. I wanted to see how people react to it. I wanted to embrace the experience for good health. The only time I really wear shoes is at work.

In a upcoming post I will discuss why I take my shoes off, and the benefits of being barefoot. So stay tuned for more.......

I went on a 3.3 mile BF run yesterday. In future posts I'll be speaking more about this BF running experience. Yesterdays run I acquired my first war mark. A blood blister. Nothing too major. Guess I was a little sloppy on that run. Clean up my awareness on the next run. Still need to gain the leather like skin. The journey is a learning experience........

About a week ago I was in Eureka natural foods. A customer complained I was barefoot. Then of course a employee approached me. They told me shoes must be worn due to sanitary conditions. So shoes get washed everyday, and are sanitary ? I don't think so......My feet are far cleaner then any shoe. It's a ignorant excuse ENF.

Today at borders books they finally said something to me as well. I questioned why having shoes on was a rule. He seemed very frustrated I was trying to have a intelligent conversation with him. He thought maybe it was a rule because of health codes. I explained to him that no health codes exist for city, county, state, or federal government. He seemed bothered by this, and was not being friendly with me at all. I approached him later, and he basically had no idea why it was a rule. He only knew that he wanted to enforce it. I got him to calm down a bit, but then another customer interrupted asking where to find a book. So I left, and I'll be buying books elsewhere for now on.

Every store that requires shoes each have a different reason for this unfriendly store policy. So far all of the reasons are nothing more then misconceptions. The store policies are based on ignorance, and nothing more. The good news is a find a lot of stores in this area do not have this policy. Or they just have not said anything to me yet. Part of what this blog will do is record those findings as they unfold.

In later posts I will discuss these above ideas in more detail. Many more things to come out of this blog. So stay tuned for more........

Out of frustration with some store employees. I decided it was time to start a blog on the subject.

This blog is to share my experience living a barefoot lifestyle.

Talk about how society reacts to what I do.

Why I do it ?

What benefits it would give the greater community to embrace the ideas.

I'll also discuss my experience as a new BF runner.

I hope you enjoy the ideas shared in this blog......