I wonder if there was a lot less plantar fasciitis in the past, before

[raccoon]

there were so many paved roads and sidewalks and concrete floors. Your thoughts? Any medical folks out there studied this or heard their old Professor Van Helsing (or whatever) weigh in on this?

[Schema Thing]

1. Before shoes, actually. And especially before running shoes.

The ground is not the problem.

[NOW tense]

2. People around here swear by these

If you are a bare foot person

[Inspired]

3. I bought my husband a pair of these for his birthday.

He loves wearing them when he goes kayaking. That's really the only time though that they look appropriate. They are funny looking but he says they are the most comfortable shoes he has ever worn.

[NOW tense]

6. I have seen people hiking

with them on. I asked one guy how sharp the rocks feel in them. He told me you have to watch your footing, but they are great.

[raccoon]

4. Hmm, I might try them. nt

[Schema Thing]

8. I just read a great book: Born To Run, and those were mentioned

I want to try them, and I want to try (more)barefoot running.



The benefits of barefoot running seem obvious once you're willing to think about it seriously. Anything that makes you strike the ground different than you would if you were barefoot, is going to cause problems down the road.

And if you're barefoot, you WILL strike the ground optimally, and your muscles WILL be used in the manner they evolved to be used.

[NOW tense]

10. If you try them I would like to hear

what you think. I am also interested in them, although I think their price point is a little off.

[Schema Thing]

11. I agree about the price

although I've heard they really last.


I've done just enough barefoot running to know that I don't really have to have the Fivefingers things... but since I tend to end up running at night, they might be nice since I can't watch out for things that could hurt me as well as I could in daylight.

[LeftishBrit]

5. I have always assumed that it's more to do with wearing shoes, than the surface on which one walks

I don't know if this has been scientifically tested. Anecdotally, the three occasions in my life when I've had this condition were all shortly after I started wearing a new pair of shoes.

If this is the case, then one would expect it to be/have been less common in societies where going barefoot is the norm.

[juno jones]

7. Standing ten hours a day on a concrete floor

kicked my plantar fasciitis in, bigtime.

I adjusted the padding in my workboots to inserts made for construction workers, and that has helped, but it hasn't gone away completely.

We aren't meant to stand constantly on concrete surfaces, not a natural thing to do at all.

[mopinko]

9. i never put shoes on my kids when they were little.

at home, or in their own yard, never. i always figured a couple of stitches was way better than deformed feet.