Flat Shoes

One of the things I learned from studying running over the years is the importance of footwear.  Most of the running magazines and gurus suggest shoes with all the latest gadgets: motion-control, shock absorbers, etc.  What I learned is that mostly all of these things are counterproductive, and that the simplest shoes are the best for any activity.

The need for shoes is mostly a modern invention - ancient hunter-gatherers went barefoot.  In fact, there is ample evidence to suggest that wearing shoes weakens feet and causes other problems.  In sports, the top coaches have finally caught on, and now have their runners train barefoot.  Nike, one of the biggest suppliers of shoe monstrosities, has also figured it out and started offering "Nike Free", a shoe meant to mimic barefoot running. 

I have tried the Nike Free, but there is still too much shoe there for my tastes.  Personally, I wear the Puma H Street, a ridiculously light shoe.  The shoe is practically a slipper, and wearing anything else now feels like I'm wearing a boot. 

I wear the H Street to the gym and everywhere else, and my feet are better off for it.  My feet have definitely become stronger and more adroit.  I even bought a pair of flat dress shoes, so I can wear flat shoes all the time.  I also do my sprint workouts in bare feet, weather permitting. 

It is wise to buy the simplest, lightest shoes for modern living.  Heavy, bulky shoes are not what nature intended.  Go barefoot when you can and let your feet do what they are designed to do.