Me

I started my barefoot journey in the summer of 2019. I was in so much pain, I could barely walk and sleep. I started reading about non traditional healing methods and I found these sandals, called Earthrunners. They talk about the healing power of earthing, so I got a pair of their sandals and I gave them a try… I was not ready for them! I wore them on and off, but I preferred my Chacos.

In the fall of 2019, I was in constant pain and there was nothing that would help. I was going to physical therapy, massage therapy, and the chiropractor every single week. The pain would go down, but it was always there. I had stopped exercising (I used to do HIIT for 30-45 minutes 5-6 days a week), I couldn’t push the cart at the supermarket, I couldn’t bend down to pick up things. My life was miserable.

After finding Earthrunners, I kept reading about minimalist shoes. During Black Friday, I bought a pair of Lems Boulder boots, Xero Prios and Viennas. I’m not sure I was ready for the barefoot world yet. They did not feel like they were the right fit (I was used to shoes “hugging” my feet and all these shoes had so much space!!! They were clearly not my size!). I sold my Viennas, gave away my Prios, and did not start wearing my Lems until Christmas of 2019. But I had found a page on Facebook: Minimalist Shoes Buy/Sell/Trade. I believe this page save my back and hip!

It was here that I first read about gait. I started reading Katy Bowman’s books and I saw the video “All About Your Knees”, and everything started to click. I became more conscientious about my walking, I started doing strengthening exercises for my feet, ankles, and hips. I am 90% better. I still need to do work, but I am not in constant pain anymore and I can sleep at night!

UPDATE: I am still a work in progress. I have my ups and my downs. I am working hard on alignment and changing patterns that damaged it. I still go to PT, massage, and the chiropractor, but not as often. I am thankful I am getting better, but there is still a lot of work to do.