Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Barefoot Shoes

Bare (haha) with me today, as I take a break from posting on edtech subjects to relate my experiences researching footware.

On a typical day in the classroom, I spend 75% of my time on my feet. I do not have normal feet. Ha! Instead I was gifted with wide feet and a Morton's toe.

This summer I started running for fitness and joy. I've been using my six-year-old pair of New Balance running shoes that have definitely seen better days. This week, I've spent a fair amount of time researching shoes to find the shoe for me.

I keep coming back to the concept of barefoot running. When I am home, I'm barefoot. As soon as I come in the door, I lose the shoes. Shoes tend to make my feet feel cramped and often lead to painful blisters. However, barefoot running is not for the feint of heart - it's a commitment that takes time and practice to perfect.

To build up to barefoot running, I've been researching barefoot or minimalistic shoes. Barefoot shoes are a bit of a misnomer. These shoes provide a small amount of protection while allowing the foot to feel the ground surface so the runner can adjust as needed.

These are some of the shoes I've looked at:

Huaraches by Invisible Shoes
Barefoot Run Pace Glove Wide by Merrell
TrekSport by Vibram FiveFingers

To bring this back around to the classroom, I've been thinking today about the best classroom shoe options for me. Extra cushioning and support tend to make my feet feel worse not better. Another session of internet browsing brought me to the Roo by Soft Star.

Unfortunately, the Roo currently is not offered in my size, but I'm also interested in the Dash line. While these shoes might look like slippers, they are durable and made to be used like normal footwear. 
Aesthetically, these shoes may make me look like I belong in a Kindergarten class, but if my toes can breathe and splay, I'm happy.

Everything comes down to price. Most barefoot or minimalistic shoes run in the $80-$130 range, with a few sales here and there (except for Invisible Shoe's huaraches, which are $25-$40ish). So for now, I'm limited to researching and dreaming. Some day!

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