Does Arch Support Help or Hurt?

I know that when I say something like “There is no support for arch support,” and make a post to explain why I say that, some people respond, “Yeah, but your minimalist shoes have no support in them, so of course you would say that.” To those respondents I say, “You have the order backwards. […]

Why We Wear Xero Shoes

We asked our team why they wear Xero Shoes and their transition from traditional shoes over to minimalist. Here’s what they had to say– “Until working at Xero Shoes, I didn’t know minimalist shoes even existed. I’ve always had trouble finding a comfortable and casual shoe. I was tired of feeling that way and didn’t […]

How to Perfect Your Balance

Have you always thought that you just aren’t someone with good balance and that’s that? Think again. It is totally possible to improve your balance! So how do you do it?  Just like a weightlifter needs to lift progressively heavier weights to get stronger, if you want to improve your balance, you need to challenge your […]

5 Unique Ways You Can Move with Xero Shoes

Everyone knows you can run efficiently with Xero Shoes since they don’t change the shape of your foot, and therefore allow your foot to use its natural function. And of course, many people are doing yoga in them. I mean, they’re the next best thing to being barefoot, why wouldn’t you? That’s not what I’m […]

Foot Care for Endurance Athletes

“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet.” Khalil Gibran Of the 206 bones in your body, 52 are in your feet. Each and every one contributes to getting you to where you are going and is a potential major hindrance if not cared for. As a long distance, long term […]

Why it Makes Sense to Switch Your Shoes During Pregnancy

From a big picture standpoint, pregnancy is a time of growth and change.  The anatomy of a mother’s body is rapidly adapting to the projected growth of the fetus (things like a widening pelvis and ribcage, changes in spinal curvatures, stretching of abdominal tissues, and shifts in the center of gravity).   A lot of the […]

More Buzz about Vibrating (and Parkinsons)

It’s happening again, I think. In the Thomas Industry, David Mantey reports on a new device designed to help Parkinson’s patients “walk with greater ease.” What does it do? It applies vibration your feet. A few years ago, I reported on a similar device. So… Q: What is vibration doing? A: Stimulating your nervous system, […]

Comfy, Cushioned Shoes Can CAUSE Injuries

This just in from the “Tell me something I didn’t know” department. 😉 The UK’s Daily Mail reports, “Comfy trainers RAISE the risk of injury.” You would think that a major publication telling readers why “maximalist shoes” are bad for you would make me happy, but read on and you’ll see why my glee is […]

Maximal Shoes Not a Solution?

From the “We told you so” file comes this new bit of running shoe research: The study concluded that runners experienced a higher impact peak and increased loading rate with the “maximal” shoes. Increases in both factors are associated with a greater likelihood of injury, such as plantar fasciitis and tibial stress fractures. Actually, this […]

Xero Shoes compared to “Big Shoe”

On Friday, at their national conference, the American College of Sports Medicine hosted a panel discussion about the Science and Biomechanics of Footwear featuring representatives from Adidas, Brooks, Topo Athletic and then, me, Steven, from Xero Shoes. The room was PACKED — the highest turnout of any event at the conference. I don’t want to […]