The following, and everything published at 180DegreeHealth is NOT a paid promotion.
By Matt Stone
I admit – I have dabbled in the world of peculiar health-oriented footwear – to some degree. For a couple years I wore a pair of those fugly Vibram 5-Fingers shoes. They were alright. I used them mostly for hiking in mountains and desert – hard on the feet but good on the body, as you had to walk carefully and gingerly to an extent that a lot less shock was being sent up into the knees, hips, and back.
But my feet never really adjusted to the lack of protection because I just couldn’t bring myself to wear them daily. While the internet gives me electric courage (similar to the liquid courage of alcohol), and I speak my mind, cause an occasional ruckus, and intentionally draw attention to myself whenever possible – in real life I am the exact opposite. I don’t like wearing footwear that everyone gawks at, nor do I like fielding the same annoying questions about my footwear every 10 minutes in a public setting. I did enough redundant question-answering?in my days as a forest Ranger.
I had ambitions of doing some barefoot walking for a while too because I am compelled by this idea of being earthed or grounded (discussed in this important post)?as well as the mechanical and postural reasons for walking with a natural stride. Plus, I knew someone who didn’t wear shoes for the first time until age 18 and her feet were incredibly resistant. She ran 120+ miles per week on them with no foot problems. I’m so jelly. My feet?have always felt like they were Made in China.
So in 2011 I?was walking greater and greater distances in Florida with no shoes at all until one day I walked across some pavement that was too hot. Felt fine at the time aside from a light stinging sensation, but after I got home blisters broke out all over my feet that made walking uncomfortable for about a month. Project Barefoot came to an abrupt end.
And speaking of not wanting to draw attention to oneself, I saw a goofy-looking m’fer walking around barefoot just yesterday. In the less than 10-seconds it took for us to walk by each other in passing, a car drove by and someone shouted “Why are you not wearing any shoes?!!”? True story. No thanks. By the way he yelled back “Because it’s comfortable!”? That’ll’teach those punk kids to mind their own beeswax.?But a?better response I guess than shouting “Because contact with the earth resets?your circadian?rhythms and protects you from EMF’s!”
If that happened in a 10-second sampling of his life, I can only imagine how much?harassment he gets over the course of a full day.
Surprise Billy Barefoot! I was grounded too sucka but no teenagers were pestering me (reminds me of when I was 12 at the mall and some kid in combat boots with a mullet was making fun of me for tightrolling my jeans). I was’sporting the result of my latest health fetish footwear – Earth Runners.
Earth Runners?look a lot like a normal pair of Chaco or Teva sandals, but they are a?lot?lighter, are custom made to a trace of your foot and thus fit better, and have conductive copper studs in them to keep?your feet grounded to the earth.
The shoes have a minimal sole so they take some time to get used to. Your feet will probably hurt at first but they toughen up quickly if you wear them daily and slowly expand the distances you walk in them.
Anyway, I am liking them and they actually look pretty cool. At the very least, I’m doing more walking and spending more time outdoors and that simple, underappreciated change has always treated me better than any other health practice I’ve pursued – especially since becoming a computer slave in 2005.
While I haven’t discussed Earthing much on the site except for a brief mention in 10 Health Reasons to Spend Time Outdoors (where one of the authors of Earthing commented), I hope to discuss it soon because it is the perfect example of a “can’t hurt, might help” health intervention. The reasons for earthing oneself are quite compelling and are perfectly in-line with the broader objectives of this site (calm nervous system, lower cortisol, warm extremities, higher metabolism). I will write a post specifically about Earthing very soon.
You can get yourself some of these fancy shoes at www.earthrunners.com. Don’t expect some perfect factory sweatshop creation. They take some getting used to, the straps are like trying to solve a Rubik’s cube at first, and it just generally takes a little while to sort of figure them out.
First! Now I will read it…
Earthing is awesome. IThe grounding has helped TREMENDOUSLY with so many issues. I tore a back muscle, was seeing a PT and was ok with my back but worried about my foot which was “collapsing” I would take a bad step the bones would all splay out the arch would fall and I would have a huge bruise on top of foot. PT sez pick up marbles with your toes 10 minutes a day. Then I read the EARTHING material. I was never a barefoot gal….but realized that walking barefoot would exercise my feet way more than “the marble plan”, long story short-arches heeled-my feet gained ALOT of muscle and it only took two weeks to BEGIN to toughen. Happy to report that after a winter of shoes my feet are not bad. Other benefits- more energy! Also when barefoot walking on uneven surfaces is like getting a whole reflexology session, Free! For those of you into mindfulness or meditation, barefoot brings you into the moment without effort….with every step-Could go on and on…..
My answer to all questions of that nature is: “Because I couldn’t wait for you to ask! By the way, what the fuck is THAT you have on?!”
Cool sandals. Barefoot on pavement is always an issue, maybe I’ll look into ’em.
what kind of material is the sole made out of?
Those shoes on a dude omgsh! They look better on chicks. I just couldn’t date a guy with those sandals.
That’s deep Marron. Really profound addition to the conversation. Thanks for sharing.
To add to the depth of the conversation, I’ll just add that I tend to think guys in sandals are hot.
Yea the freakin Spartans wore sandals!
Vibram. And kinda velvety on top.
Ooooh, I wonder if those would help my back?!! Will have to check them out.
Shoes that force you to walk carefully really help my back. When you clumsily walk around in really padded shoes with thick soles you have a tendency to bang on the heel really hard, which reverberates up into the knees, hips, and spine. Barefoot, or with really thin-soled shoes, you have to walk more on the front of the foot and the shock is absorbed in a totally different way. A lot of barefoot running advocates talk about this. You just have to take it slow at first and slowly build up if you are not used to it.
I completely agree. I used to wear skate shoes every day which are like huge pillows on your feet. When i transitioned to vibrams, mukluks, sanuks and barefeet i noticed a dramatic improvement on back and hip pain.
I will have to try these sandals. Walking barefoot on grass is very pleasurable, but I won’t do it here unless the grass is very short due to the prevalence of the Sydney Funnel Web spider, especially in late summer.
What kind did you get? Quantum or light whatever?
The light one. Quantams look cool too and have a little footbed.
I had very similar experiences with going purely barefoot. On the 100+ degree summer days here in Texas, I could go about a 1/2 mile on white concrete pavement before my feed would start blistering.
Also tried the Vibrams. I like them, but, like you, I hate having to explain myself all the time. People are always friendly when asking, but I’m definitely not a person who likes to draw attention to myself.
As for Earthing, I’ve read to book, and try to go barefoot around the yard when I can. I bought an Earthing bed sheet, but can’t say I’ve seen any of the miraculous benefits described in the book. And yes, I’ve tested using their little tool, and it shows the sheet to be grounded. When I had it “earthed” using the ground contact on an outlet, I remember I got really weird and vivid dreams. Don’t get those so much when it is using the stake that goes into the ground outside our window.
Matt! I was immediately intrigued when I saw the headline for Earthing Shoes.
Here’s the deal about walking barefoot or in shoes that feel like it: the issue has just as much to do with any kind of misalignment you have as the way these misalignments make your body adjust and carry your weight less efficiently. Weight is supposed to go down the bones, and a sign of good alignment is that you feel nothing (really fun to teach that one in our culture.)
Even now that I’ve restored the arches to my feet and fixed a couple toe problems, when I walk, I still have to work my feet. I wear shoes that have some kind of arch, but not to have my foot sit passively on said support, but to have my arch grab it. Like there’s a suction cup on the bottom of my feet. (Oh, I didn’t restore my arches that way, luckily that just took wearing a contraption or two.)
But maybe the most important aspect of feeling light vs heavy when wearing a shoe like that is how you carry your weight. I’m sure you make adjustments without thinking about it, but the real issue with slight misalignments (or big ones) is the fact that gravity is intensifying (exponentially) the way your body bears your weight. The tricky thing is that the more you try to practice being barefoot without dealing with this, the more time gravity has to stick it to ya! (could you hear my mid-west accent in the “ya?”
This inner weight bearing is something I’ve only been able to teach in person.
Now that I’ve been feeling better and able to practice the past few months, the restoration is really blowing my mind. Walking barefoot doesn’t feel so heavy. But more importantly, I can sit down in my skeleton like I’m sitting down on a chair, and not feel any weight at all and not have any tense muscles. IT’S CRAZINESS.
My point? Wear the grounding stuff around the house. Also, there’s a company in Portland called NW Foot and Ankle and they make “CorrecToes” Correct Toes? Something like that. The chiropractor created them for runners for one reason–which is true–it helps stabilize the arch of the foot and it’s of course great for the toes. But wearing them also forces you to keep your weight back towards your heel, the back of your arch more, and that is very very good. I fixed my flat feet with those and “arch sleeves.”
Okay. Good for now.
Cool Karen. Thanks for Sharon. Get it? Interesting thoughts as always.
Oh. And now my feet will stay intact because of the practice I do above them ;)
If I’m in my backyard, then I will wiggle my toes in the grass as I soak up some Vitamin D for the day, but going barefoot everywhere? Can’t do it. My friend never wears shoes and she has the nastiest ass feet I’ve ever seen. She complains about the cracks on her feet getting caught on her sheets. Ummm, no. How flippin’ gross. I want my feet to be soft and pretty.
I’m all for grounding and the science of it makes sense. So I have a grounder that I wear when I’m on the computer or watching TV, and I will go barefoot on the grass several times a week, but let my feet look like some skanky ass mo fo?? Not gonna happen.
Hey Susan, what’s the grounder that you wear for TV/Computer?
Karen- I believe I bought it from here……
http://www.unikeyhealth.com/product/earthing_wrist_ankle_band/Environmental_Products
Although you may find it cheaper by Googling earthing supplies. I chose to go the wrist strap route because this shit is expensive and my husband hasn’t worked in 4 years!! I couldn’t do the sheets or the computer mat. So I just move my cord from room to room. When I’m on the computer, I put it on the ball of my foot and when I watch TV I use it on my wrist. I probably get in 3 or 4 hours of grounding in by doing it this way. I plan on buying one for my daughter before she leaves for college as well.
Thank you Susan! I’m going to try it.
Those look pretty decent. I have been barefoot in the summer time for years. I only wear a pair of sanuks in stores otherwise they go in a backpack. I do believe in the benefits in earthing, i dont think they are as pronounced as some would have you believe.
I’m sorry Matt, but after watching a few videos, reading a few reviews, and finally Googling “Earthing bullshit” just like I did with Paleo, I came across this response to someone who was asking about the validity of Earthing and possible beneficial micro-organisms in the soil. It’s the most educated and logical answer, not to mention the least hippie sounding, so I have to go with it for now.
”
Earthing is not even pseudo-scientific. It’s akin to crystal healing and Mayan doom calendars. Ie, it’s bullshit.
The free radical theory mentioned makes no electrical sense. When you walk around barefoot, you discharge any static built up on your skin. That’s it. You don’t build up a charge inside your body – if that were the case, we’d all shock ourselves to death every time we wandered around a carpet with socks then touched a doorknob. The shock paddles in the ER have high voltages because your body tissues act as a resistor (ie, they prevent the flow of electrons). Since the potential difference between a barefoot human and the ground is zero, and given the resistance of human tissue, there can be no current flow and thus no transfer of electrons.
Basically, earthing is a bunch of nonsense unless you are worried about static shocks, in which case it is highly effective. If you’re worried about cancer or fatigue, you might as well convince yourself that sugar pills are magical and start gobbling them.
Soil microorganisms migrating into your body from your feet would result in some sort of infection and an untimely death. There is no physiological mechanism for transporting beneficial soil organisms from the soles of your feet to the rest of you except via the lymph or blood systems; infecting either would almost certainly be a significant health risk.
Now, parasitic infection might have positive effects in the case of autoimmune disorders. See Helminthic_Therapy for details. I am not convinced myself; it seems to me that the benefit is gained simply by overwhelming your immune system rather than actually healing it. I’d rather not have the autoimmune disorder than have an autoimmune disorder and have my body ignore it for the duration of a parasitic infection. But the science is still being done, so I keep an eye on it.” -http://paleohacks.com/questions/14813/a-question-about-earthing-and-soil-micro-organisms-in-two-parts
I dunno. Some guy told me to rub a clove of garlic on the bottom of my foot and wait a few minutes and then I’d taste it in my mouth. I definitely did. We absorb lots of stuff through our skin, why wouldn’t minerals and stuff from the soil be the same way? And as far as microorganisms resulting in untimely death, that sounds a little bit like nonsense to me. That’s saying all microorganisms are bad and fatal, isn’t it? Little broad.
I don’t know about this earthing stuff, but I definitely feel more “grounded” when I’m running around barefoot outside. it is the design, that we’d do that so it makes you wonder if we’re missing something by never touching the earth.
That’s interesting about the garlic, although my first thought is that you had inhaled some of the scent and therefore “tasted” it.
I see your point, but I have to stick with what we currently know. In current scientific literature there is no evidence for a biological system in humans to taste things through your feet, or that being around electricity is harmful to your health unless you walk barefoot on the ground. To make any such assumptions without real reproducible evidence is not scientific. It’s just like I said to the guy in the comment below: what if the world were made of pudding? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td6IR3VjxT8
That doesn’t appear to even be a response to the ideas or the validity of earthing.
From the videos I saw, Earthing is about getting rid of the electrical charge build up in your body by connecting with the ground or “grounding.” Aside from the part about micro-organisms entering your feet, he seems to respond pretty well to the principles of Earthing.
As I understand things, this isn’t strictly true. Being grounded to earth will equalize the potential between you and the earth. But the earth’s surface is slightly negative. That is, there is an abundance of electrons at the earth’s surface, and so when grounded that charge will be conducted to you.
Is it possible that human beings “use up” free negative charges (such that the electrons end up bound to things that aren’t useful), and thus we require some external source of them? Sure, it’s possible — though I’m not aware of any evidence of it. We know a lot less about how the body works than we think we do.
The whole theory sounds pretty out there, but who knows? I read the book, and there are certainly some eye-rolling moments (e.g. that it takes 20-30 minutes before the electrons “reach” all parts of your body, and that electrons are primarily used to quench free radicals). But I wouldn’t find it at all surprising if humans evolved to function better when we periodically make contact with the earth, for some as-yet-not-understood reason. Also, if we assume the experiments described in the book are valid, then there’s some evidence that grounding normalizes stress hormones in actual people. Which is intriguing.
Incidentally, I also could easily believe that grounding itself is worthless, and getting outside is the real benefit. I find variants of the hygiene hypothesis plausible, and being outside will invariably lead to more expose to germs. Google “M. vaccae dirt” for examples.
I think being dismissive of any plausible theory at this point is questionable, given how ineffective modern science/medicine is right now at telling people how to be healthy and happy.
Alright well I’m not going to say it’s impossible that there are some things about human health that we don’t understand, and that Earthing could be the most important cure. But assuming something is true before it has been proven beyond doubt, well that is just not how real science works. It’s just like the guy says in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td6IR3VjxT8
I am going to wait to try this one. If I start hearing extraordinary stories about how people acquired super human abilities after wearing these, I will reconsider. These look just like sandals, not silly-looking like Vibrams, but still too Karma Yoga for me to wear. Hope to hear more about “earthing”, but for right now am skeptical. It’s got that Deepak Chopra New Age Scam Vibe to it.
Of course, I might be totally wrong.
Yeah, agreed. I’m sure walking barefoot in the grass or beach is good for you, but I’ll stick to that for now. Maybe if they bring the technology to cute heels one day!
I’m someone who wears exclusively what are supposedly the worst shoes possible for your feet. Super high heels most days, flip flops in the summer, ballet flats with zero support for walking around. And my feet are better than almost anyone else I know. I don’t buy most of what people claim about foot health. (I also have always liked going barefoot at home, so who knows, maybe that “saved” me)
I was horrified in the book that they kept repeatedly referencing David Wolfe and Gabriel Cousens. Hey, let’s hear what Dr. Oz has to say about it while we’re at it. But the Thermography charts showing extremities warming up, increased respiratory and pulse rate, improved cortisol rhythms – this gets me excited.
That is super horrific! How are you even still alive when you read the names of thosewhoshallnotbenamed?? I have been wearing some Merrill minimalist sorta low profile whatcamacallit shoes when I run and walk. Gotta say, they make a huge difference over my clunky superfoot insole New Balance geeky shoes.
I want some sexy jesus sandals for the summer. And you should have an affiliate link for your shit. It’s only right and I would totally hit it. :-) LoVE your Haggis
i have a pair of “invisible shoes” (recently rebranded as Xero Shoes) that i’ve been wearing for about a year now, plus a pair of leather moccasins. there is a notable difference in the way i feel the days when i wear the moccasins versus the rubber huraches.
i have slept in doors with the window open, with the electricity main breaker in my apartment turned off. a difference was felt with both just the windows open, and just the breaker turned of. moreso with the windows opened.
for a week i decided to experiment with living in my car simply for the experience. for a variety of reasons that i haven’t pinned down, i noticed a massive difference in the quality of my sleep and my ability to fall asleep when it was dark. the windows in my car were opened more to minimize the potential of the fog build up. i haven’t looked into it, but i’m curious to know if a car is less insulated than an apartment. i assumed because of the tires that answer would be no, but then there is the factor of electricity running through the apartment which is absent in a car, despite me turning the breaker off (other apartments).
anyways, i feel there is something to it. at this time i personally don’t feel it is REQUIRED for healthy living, but it seems to make things way easier.
i will be buying a pair of these soon to test, plus it’s much more stylish than Xero Shoes. outrageously overpriced, though. i mean shit, 49 bucks at the least if you want the inserts? i’m also concerned with long term wear and tear. they don’t look like they’d hold up to more than a year’s worth of use without the bedding. my Xero Shoes I’ve already worn down at the ball of my foot to nearly 2mm after a years time of decently regular use.
Ah, the Vibram Five Finger “shoe.” Love them, but i have now broken my big left toe *twice* in the last three years from hitting rocks trail running with those things on….
That was my biggest problem with 5 Fingers shoes. As graceful as I am on the trail, all it takes is one stub and it hurts like crazy. I never broke a toe, but I felt some intense pain at least once every 30 or so miles.
I LOVE hiking and walking barefoot. I do it in Marin a lot and people always think I am crazy. I then graduated to Vibram’s but people think those are crazy too. I am totally going to check out these sandals – they look great and I love the earthing principle. Thanks for posting this, Matt!!
I just started using an earthing mat at my computer and an earthing sheet and my energy and recovery are getting so much better. My thyroid symptoms are pretty much gone and my hip that always ached at night has not bugged me at all since using the sheet. Oh and a rash I had on my hand also disappeared within a week of earthing! The only thing that was odd was the first night I couldn’t sleep at all and I had weird pains and sensation all over that night.
I think the sandals look good. Earthing? I don’t know anything about it.
I have heard of it but, haven’t read up on it.
I do know I feel better outside than I do inside, shoes or not. But, when the weather
permits to open all the windows in the house, I feel much better then too.
I do need to understand something. If the sandals “ground” you due to the copper in the shoe.
Why aren’t we considered grounded when we are in our house? The house is “grounded”,
so wouldn’t walking barefoot in the house be similar?
Matt, if you are open to Earthing, what do you think about Rife?
Rife isn’t something I’ve explored in that great of depth.
Houses are insulated as are shoes, tires, etc. Some tile floors on ground level might allow adequate “earthing.”
I think earthing is just one of many reasons to spend outdoors. The shoes themselves are fairly inconsequential to earthing as when you are outdoors you don’t NEED to earth yourself as much – you’re not surrounded by electronic gadgets and cords and cables and wifi signals and all the rest. Also, the total time you spend grounded seems to be what matters most, which is why people are probably going to feel a lot more difference sleeping outdoors or using earthing sheets or a mat than they will just on a walk for an hour or two in Earth Runners.
But we gotta have shoes. They aren’t that expensive. So I said “why not?”
I agree, why not. :)
I won’t be getting any this month. I have house and, car insurance to pay
this month. :( Of course, I do have savings. But this isn’t a must…….so I
will delay gratification yet another month. boo.
How long does it take to get your sandals?
The sandals on men remind me of the biblical pics of men I grew up
admiring. :) Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and while Samson didn’t end
well, he certainly could sport a manly figure in his sandals. :)
This in reference to “Marron’s” comment above.
Oh, and let’s not forget Kind David!
It only took a few days to get them after sending out my foot trace.
I’m a huge fan of minimalist footwear. As for me, I’ve gotten used to wearing moccasins instead of sneakers/shoes over the past couple years. The zero drop and thin soles are the only things that’ve helped me with my chronic knee pain, which gets aggravated by wearing shoes/sneakers.
When I don’t have to wear anything on my feet (e.g., when I’m not at work), I almost always go barefoot in the spring and summer. Absolutely love it. My gait changed completely and the whole heel striking/forefoot striking thing just makes complete sense when you try it yourself. I can’t even imagine heel striking anymore since I started going barefoot, even in the rare occasions that I have thick soled shoes or sneakers on.
Maybe it’s just because of the problems with my knees that I’ve had, but I’m absolutely convinced that minimalist footwear is much healthier for its encouraging of proper, natural gait.
Anyway, the sandals look very cool to me. For the time being, especially while I’m not doing any hiking and just walking around town, I’m sticking to barefoot, but I’d consider getting a pair of these. I’m really finnicky and the littlest things tend to bug the hell out of me, so having some footwear that was shaped to my foot and very comfortable would be absolutely worth it to me.
Whatever the story is with earthing, I do know that I like walking barefoot, especially on grass, and I always feel better when I do. It feels very therapeutic to me, and whenever the weather’s fine I have a gut instinct to take my socks off and go for a long walk around town or even just around the yard for a while.
I’m going to get a pair. I have incredibly wide feet, so custom footwear always appeals to me. The grounding nubs are just a bonus, since I can walk barefoot on my lawn at any time…as long as the weather permits.
I do have a grounding mat for when I’m on the computer (which is a lot…) and while it is nice knowing that I’m discharging the EMF fields from my computer and monitors, it’s not a panacea for everything that ails you. It does “take the edge off” from computer usage in a noticeable way (for me).
No, earthing is just an ingredient in an overall sound formula. It’s not like if you are starving yourself that getting an earthing mat is going to clear up insomnia because your nervous system is still going to be firing constantly. But I think it may be an appropriate and convenient add-on with enough dividend to make it worthwhile.
I definitely agree. Like you said, “Can’t hurt, might help”
Is there a difference in the confort of the laces? Which did you chose?
I got swept up in the minimalist shoe craze a few years ago. Vibram Five Fingers, moccasins from Soft Star and then their Runamocs. Since back in NYC, I find myself wearing more ordinary shoes, without much complaint.
One thing a friend who barefoot runs described was becoming a lot less prone to mis-steps over time. Like he’d walk on his kid’s toy accidentally and his leg would quickly remove weight from his step and he’d slink down and lose his balance briefly, but not injure himself. He attributes it to greater proprioception and tactile motor smartness. I noticed the same when I was wearing minimal shoes more often.
Yeah I definitely noticed that. Like when walking on sharp rocks I would hurt the hell out of my foot at first. Then I could step on them and my body was immediately responsive to take the weight off of that foot in a split second. Pretty cool.
Great review Matt! I am glad you like them.
For readers who have questions about the sandals, please reply to my comment and I will respond as quickly as possible.
Not really a question but it would be awesome if you made a version of these like Sanuk sandals or partnered with them. I like a covered sandal much more then a strap.
Hi, Michael, do these come in smaller sizes? I wear a women’s size 4…have to buy my hiking boots in the kid’s department but would love to snag a pair of these. From the website doesn’t look like small sizes are available but would love to hear otherwise!
You actually submit a foot trace to them with your purchase so they definitely will FIT :)
I plan to order a pair, I just need to get around to doing the foot trace/outline using the guidelines they provide on their site: http://www.earthrunners.com/make-your-custom-foot-trace
Hey matt i am about to eat for heat. will all the sugar, salt and fat give me bad body odour and bad breath? I imagine having concentrated blood could result in that. Please be honest i will still go on it i just need to know if i have to stock up on deoderant
The only thing I’ve noticed causing bad body odor and breath personally is eating too much meat and spending too much time sitting around not moving the lymph.
I haven’t noticed body odor associated with that. I have noticed it when eating a lot of onions.
I guess I need to read up on earthing. I assume that touching the earth with your hand would also ground you. I guess I don’t do that often when the ground is frozen, but I touch the ground frequently as soon as the snow is gone. I wouldn’t wear those sandals in snowy weather.
Why don’t you do a video to show us how to put these contraptions on.
they provide instructions on their site:
http://www.earthrunners.com/adjust-your-nylon-laces
What are your thoughts on Earthing Mats? I use one under my barefeet while eating and at the computer…
There are other shoes like the ones you mention Pluggz and Juils…. I have not used either yet…. Jack Kruse is currently posting A LOT about EMFs
Very similar to Barefoot Ted’s Luna Sandals…..of which I own a pair. Have used them for running and casual use over the past 2 years….love em.
https://www.lunasandals.com/
I would so wear these. I just don’t want to pay for them. I hate wearing shoes. I would rather go barefoot any day. But I don’t :( . Only in the summer in my yard. I would probably try them just for the barefoot “feel”.
$70 for a pair of hippy sandals, earthing, eating pea shoots, sounds like you’ve been spending too much time in San Francisco. I prescribe a large steak, beer and sports STAT.
Chris,
That’s the best prescription ever (large steak and beer)! I am fearing the possibility that Matt Stone might be morphing into Matt Monarch (YIKES!!). LOL!
Take that back, that is akin to Jesus Turning into Satan.
those are like fancy huaraches. I like the quick adjust strap though. I’ve been rocking the homemade huaraches on and off for the last year. I like them because they’re cheap and easy to make (lots of tutorials on the web). They are not super easy to slip on and off and I tend to get a lot of rocks in them, which is really uncomfortable and inconvenient. I wonder how much better those copper studs are. In the video, he doesn’t compare the grounding studs to straight leather soles. Also, he is sitting in the green grass, which may not be a coincidence, conductivity is presumably better there than on dry ground. I may have to do some tests of my own here…
I just bought a pair of Soft Star mary janes with leather soles. They are my first pair of barefoot and custom shoes. I really like them so far! They are pretty also, so most people won’t notice that they are barefoot shoes. I have never been able to wear heels, and have decided that there is little motivation for me to force myself to wear them, so why bother? I’ll see if this earthing stuff helps at all :)
My husband would probably love these; he wears sandals almost exclusively anyway.
I’ll tell you what – When I am stuck in San Francisco, surrounded by Wi-Fi everywhere, cell phones, powerlines, and God knows what is being beamed out of Sutro Tower, I never feel very good or clear minded. When I get out of the city and go into nature, just for a few hours, i feel like a new person. If I am able to camp out for a few days, I REALLY feel like a new person. It makes me wonder how much the electromagnetic/microwave soup we are in effects things like cell respiration, etc. We all focus on food, chemicals, etc but it’s a amazing how much more clarity and energy i have in nature – therefore, I can only deduce that being in a wired, urban environment effects energy metabolism poorly – something that would be nice (or hella scary) to see some research on…
This is something that I think only those who have really spent tons of time recreating in the outdoors understand and know to be true regardless of what scientific justifications or lack thereof there are for it.
I totally agree with both of you on this! I live in NYC, and I feel the effects myself. Just walking around on the beach for an hour gives me a totally new feeling. I’m just not convinced that walking around on the NYC sidewalks in those sandals will make a difference.
Earthing sheets maybe, but then I would be plugging them into the grounding prong of my outlets. I live in a prewar building with some new, shoddily-done renovations. I am not super-confident about the wiring in this place, and would be concerned that I’m maybe exposing myself to more EMF! How do you know what you’re getting with a grounded outlet? I would like to see some real research done on these issues.
Awesome vid for the earth runners! Gets me jazzed to get out and do some hiking and to do it in some of those sandals. Are they really comfy? I always have hated sandals that went between my toes but maybe if the strap was very soft it wouldnt bother me.
Earthing is kinda ‘paleo’ isn’t it?
Just like getting some UV is good and a lot is bad, the same would have to go with earthing. Are there times when the natural electrical energy of the earth is ‘dangerous’ and being insulated from it is healthier? I’m sure there are. How do we know?
My point…this is just opening another big can of ‘i don’t know’. Proceed with caution.
Matt,
Kelly Starrett at Mobility WOD advises against flip flops because people tend to curl their feet (toes and front of foot) to keep them on, setting themselves up for foot/leg/other problems. Did you find yourself doing that, or do the ankle ties prevent that?
Ankle ties do really help minimize that. And I have major problems with that wearing sandals and other shoes that don’t have the front of the foot clamped down well enough.
http://www.earthing.com/
Just purchased an earthing mat and bed sheet after reading the book “Earthing” two and a half weeks ago. Most vivid dreams I have ever had and my body temp has increased while blood pressure and stress has dropped! ( I have the mat and the sheet connected to a grounding rod outside which mimics sleeping out side on the ground…conductive silver lining in the mat and sheet). Just have to have some form of bare skin making contact…like sleeping with no socks. A few studies on earthing has demonstrated how it thins the blood(consistency of red wine instead of being thick like ketchup). Good for cardiovascular health!!..lowered blood pressure, and inflammation. I am also convinced it ups thyroid and metabolism as I have become extremely warm when earthing. When I started reading the book, I practiced earthing on the bare ground everyday for a week and felt great. I live in Maine and its like 35-40 degrees outside right now, but somehow my feet felt really warm after being barefoot for 40 minutes outside..I’m not kidding!(weather permitting with no snow of course). I have always had cold feet my whole life. I am convinced that “earthing” or getting people “grounded” for short periods of time will help alleviate health symptoms caused by inflammation. Inflammation is the underlying cause of numerous health conditions today. We just need to reconnect to whats always been under our feet:)
I’ve been using an earthing bed sheet for some months now and I still like it. It’s no miracle cure but I feel like it helps :)
Dave from the bulletproofexecutive got me thinking about this first. Then you, Matt.
Two really smart guys are saying this helps from their personal experience. Can’t hurt to try it.
I’m wondering though, why can’t I just get some kind of copper studs and put them in my Chucks? Chucks are already fairly minimal shoes, except for the stupid tight toe box and the fact that they seem to be made for alien-like skinny feet.
You totally could do that. Hell, these guys started out making these shoes by duct-taping flip flops to thier feet for a hike.
I have my evil plan. I found copper mesh and copper tacks. put the mesh down inside the shoe and then push copper tacks through from the inside. Then hammer down the points until the copper tack is flat with the bottom of the shoe.
I wonder if this would still work while wearing socks?
I wonder if they come with arch support??? I have a heel spur so absolutely need arch support. They look really flat. Have you tried earthing sleep matt thingys that go on your mattress??