ladies, it'a about your shoes...

ManofThunder

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Oh MoT, that's a nice looking boot, very retro actually.

I am curious though, why would you choose to exercise in them? When I exercise I wear shoes specifically designed for the activity.
I like them, they are smart-casual. Oh no! Sorry, perhaps I didn't explain myself fully. I have three different shoe-types. Those are my 'going shopping' shoes. My exercise shoes are more like this. Basically, plain old shoes with good grip. They are comfortable and strong; suitable for everything from running to climbing trees.
 

thehighheelsgirl

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Guess I'll be the first here to say yes. I was in a BDSM relationship for 4 years, and part of my being a sub was I was always locked in fetish stilettos (and corseted to). Due to my training, I can't put my feet flat now, so about the lowest heels I can tolerate are 4", and even those kind of pull on my calves after a while, so pretty much I rock 5" heels everyday.

I was a ballerina and always had high arched feet (which my former Dom told me was one of the favorite things he liked about my body), which makes wearing fetish heels easy. I don't have bunions or anything, but my toes are definitely shaped from wearing pointy heels, and my arches are even higher now then they were before all this.

It doesn't bother me now, but I do somewhat wonder what it's going to be like if I ever have kids or just get older.
 

Barely Big

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my pet hate. my feet get claustrophobic and need room to move naturally. i've always detested the feel of trainers. we evolved to move barefoot so, unless there's some weakness there, my gut instinct is that my feet are better off being naked. i have never worn shoes indoors.

That's the intuitive reasoning behind going barefoot or using "minimalist" shoes. It's enough of a trend now that there are a decent number of options available from Vibram, Nike, New Balance, Merrell, etc. Unfortunately for me they don't make many in extra-wide sizes for men, but I do own a pair of Vibrams that I like for general exercise or walks. I detest running.

One side to the issue beyond that are those who say (with good reason) that moving from a highly structured shoe to minimalist/barefoot one will increase injury rate. This is statistically true if you're dumb about it and do not ease into activity. Additionally there are lots of "flat footed" people in the world who "need" an artificial arch/support. On the intuitive line of reasoning, people didn't evolve to run/walk on pavement, which has little to no give.

The other side says that highly padded shoes act like trying to go through life wearing gloves; you lose all sense of the ground and miss valuable tactile input, while allowing the foot to be weak. For those who ease into barefoot/minimalist running there seems to be no increase in injury as long as they allow their body to re-learn to move/run with new form. There is an argument (and a rather old one at that) which says that many/most "flat footed" people simply have inflexible and weak foot musculature unless there is an actual structural abnormality in the foot. Anecdotally, this seems in some cases to be true. As far as running on pavement or other artificial surfaces, that's the compelling case for a minimalist shoe rather than straight barefoot. When used properly the barefoot style of running seems to reduce or equal ground forces when compared to shod running.

you actually run in those? theyre so thin, seems like it would be painful after a few miles. i kinda wanted them when i first saw them, but im not the kind of guy that just doesnt wear socks. i saw those man toe socks... yeah, that just isnt an option.

i guess ill just stick to Asics :(

The idea is your running form changes so it would not be painful. You would have to ease into them though because your feet would give out before the rest of your body. There are seriously whole books on this sort of thing.

Check out some of the other brands mentioned above if the Vibrams weird you out and you're interested in this sort of thing. I've heard the New Balance ones are awesome.
 

dolfette

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true.

if you've ever run barefoot you'll notice that you run on the balls of your feet...same as most mammals. running on heels is pretty unique to shoe wearing humans.

running on your toes reduces the pavement slamming feeling to practically nothing.
 

VernalTiger

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I'm in a warm climate, so most of the time I'm in leather sandals with a wide strap over the arch. This stabilises the shoe on the foot, and lessens gripping with the toes, which can result in hammer toes.

As far as sizing goes - I generally don't deviate by more than a half or full size, but interestingly, a shoe in European sizes is nearly always accurate. Is there greater quality control amongst European manufacturers?
 

ManlyBanisters

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Interesting read.

If the outside temp is above 5C / 40 F I tend to live in flip-flops (or thongs, if you insist, but they're flip-flops to me). I have flat flip-flops but I much the favour wedge heel ones - my current favourite pairs have about an inch of sole on the toe and 3.5" on the heel.

Indoors I am barefoot, in the winter there may be socks, but even with the tiled floored in my house the socks don't stay long.

In winter I have a pair of lace up chunky heels I love - they aren't a patch on my Doc Martin heels I used to live in but they'll do. Dog walking I wear cheap running shoes.

I have a few pairs of 'classic' heels, but I don't wear them often and when I do I have noticed I tend to try to avoid the heel strike and intentionally walk on the balls of my feet. I don't have any heels so high that I'm on my toes rather than the balls of my feet.

Since my mid teens I've favoured heels, but rarely buy pointy shoes of any kind. If shoes make my feet ache I don't wear them for any occasion where I'll have to walk much at all. When I was doing lots of dancing type going out I wore flat Docs.

I guess I try to walk the line between the shape / posture I like from heels (and height, I'm a short-ass) and not fucking my feet up.

I don't doubt for a moment that my liking of the form heels give me is cultural conditioning. I'm just glad my mother kept me in flats til my bones were developed. I see so many shoes for girls as young as 4 that have kitten heels. Little girls should NOT be wearing any kind of heel. At all. Mothers, don't buy that shit for your kids - you will fuck up their feet. No, no, no.
 

B_subgirrl

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I see so many shoes for girls as young as 4 that have kitten heels. Little girls should NOT be wearing any kind of heel. At all. Mothers, don't buy that shit for your kids - you will fuck up their feet. No, no, no.

I often buy kids shoes rather than adult shoes (in part because usually it's easier to find styles without heels) and lately I've been absolutely horrified at how common pointy toes and heels have become for girls' shoes. I swear it never used to be this bad. Not only can it screw up their feet, it's also inappropriate sexualisation.
 

Kotchanski

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I started wearing heels when I got to my third year in secondary school, so around 13yo and by 15 had a selection ranging between 1" and 3". Even for walking long distances I'd wear a heeled boot. I just preferred the feel of them, and as I was already a fair bit taller than most girls in my school, setting myself that little bit further apart was a good thing.

I stopped living in heels when I got pregnant, figured it was probably safer, but by that time, I'd not worn flats for years and just couldn't get my feet to move properly. I was forever tripping over myself (Seriously, I looked drunk!)

I walk 40miles a week right now, half of it up hill, and in heels that absolutely cripples me, so unless I'm going off to an appointment at the other end, I always wear flats. I can't give up my heels though, and I sorely miss my 8" boots...

My daughter however has just started to make demands for heels, all the girls in her class are wearing them (as well as tight fitted shirts, tiny skirts and more make up than I've ever owned!) She isn't getting them though, no matter how many times she asks... they're only 8 ffs!
 
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helgaleena

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I don't have very long toes but I NEED them to walk in sandals. Hate a sandal without a toe grip. Agree with dolfette about the ball of your foot being the right thing to run with.

Except for the kid with partial clubbing in one foot, all my children do best in thin, nearly moccasin style tennis shoes. The shoes have to have a good curve under the ball of the foot for good moving.

That's also the difference between good and bad clogs. I have never found a clog made in USA with enough curve underneath to make walking easy. My only ones are thirty years old, from Norway.
 

molotovmuffin

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I'm a shoe freak...I don't own near as many as I used to but...


I only wear flip flops or tennis shoes very rarely do I wear something else even though I own them.
 

rawbone8

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One of my sexy athletic friends runs in the Vibram FiveFingers and swears by them. It took a short while to adapt to them, and now she regularly runs 5k and more in them and loves them. She found that her foot muscles reformed to a rounder tighter shape, arches became higher and eventually her shoe size reduced by 1 to 2 sizes.


I am a comfort first type of shoe shopper. There are times when I break this rule, but that only occurs for footwear to fit a select-occasion, which shouldn't beat me down over time.

-For running I have a really funky pair of Vibram FiveFingers runners (which are *awesome*)
-My hiking boots are made by AKU and are literally the most comfortable things my feet have ever been in. I almost get sad when I have to put my feet in anything else.
-Daily wear depends on the dress occasion, but I try to stick with flip-flops or a dressy/casual pair of sneakers with really good arch support.
-Everything else I own has heels in some form, but it's rare that I would wear them more than a couple times a week, or do any endurance walking in them.
 

dolfette

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i just ordered a pair.
i tend to turn my ankles if i wear shoes over rough ground. shoes don't adapt and grip like my bare feet do. hopefully this will be more like barefoot running.
 

Kaurik

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I'm intrigued by the Vibram thingamajigs. Once you've adapted to running in them, is it ok to use them only for running, but wear standard shoes the rest of the time? Also how long can you typically use one before having to replace it?
 

D_Hey Sailor

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Re; the Vibram FiveFingers comments/questions

At first they might give you a tough time if you're used to a conventional runner or cross trainer. Before my Vibrams I used to wear New Balance exclusively, and the transition was made awkward because I wasn't accustomed to being barefoot (or so close to it). The Vibram shoes also slowed my times a bit, but after adjustment I find myself running faster than I ever did.

It will take a while to get used to the difference in impact and how your feet will flex about since you're losing a thicker sole and padding, but gain a thinner, softer shell. Having individual toes rather than five sitting in a common space feels different too.

As for wearing them mixed in with conventional shoes? I don't see why not.

The FiveFingers strongest point in my eyes is that you do the work, and shoes steal nothing from you. They're light, they have little padding to sop up the energy you put into your stride, and they are very light. I guess you might say they make you stronger in a sincere/natural way. As rawbone pointed out, you will notice a difference in tone from using them.

Durability... that will depend on the wearer. I use mine exclusively for running and don't tend to scuff, drag, or land my steps on angle, so mine are pretty much like new (year old or so).
 
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earllogjam

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is your footwear seriously damaging your health?
are you causing damage to your spine? hips? knees? ankles? toes?
are you just a bunion waiting to happen?

we have the vote, we've shrugged off corsets, we have careers and rights and lives.

...so why is our idea of female beauty still to hobble ourselves?

Women in Birkenstocks and hairy legs UNITE!