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A message from Founder and Owner, Coach Tristan Mitchell: When you come to LD you’ll notice that shoes are very much optional and if people are in shoes there is a good chance that it is a pair of Vivobarefoot shoes or some other minimalist brand. The reason for that is simple – at LD we want people to have strong and mobile feet. Our feet are the foundation of our stability when we are standing or walking, and when we are out for a run there is only ever one of them on the ground at time. That’s a small amount of physical real estate that acts as the foundation for the rest of our body. That’s why it’s a no brainer to make sure that that small amount of physical real estate is as strong, functional, and as capable as it can be. We are often sold on the idea that the job of our shoes is to supply support, implying that the type of shoe we are wearing is even more important than what’s going on within that shoe. We have a remarkable capacity to impact our foot health. Our foot environment will impact our foot’s strength, mobility, shape and structure. There is truth to the narrative that our foot stability is dependent on our shoe selection but the vast majority of shoes don’t make our feet strong and more capable, rather the opposite. The more a shoe claims to provide for your foot (excess cushion, support, etc.) the more your foot relies on that crutch and over time the weaker and less capable our feet become. That’s why we want to get out of traditional shoes as much as possible. Weak, stiff and immobile feet can be the root cause of not only foot pain but can also contribute to knee, hip, and back pain. Think of traditional shoes as anything that is highly cushioned, lacks flexibility, has a narrow toe box, and/or any shoe (dress shoe, boot, etc.) that elevates the heel and is pointy at the toes. We recommend the place to start and focus most on is your daily shoe. Prioritize changing the shoe that you’re accumulating the most time in – get into something that looks foot shaped (not narrow at your toes), is flexible, has little to no cushion, and is flat (meaning the heal is not lifted higher than your forefoot). Once we have that shoe, the goal is to build up the strength to spend all day in them. This can take time so start slow and work on building up your total daily time in minimalist shoes, some people can adapt very quickly, others less so. For myself, it took 6-8 weeks to feel like I could spend all day in my minimalist shoes without having sore feet in the evening but that effort to transition into minimalist footwear was absolutely worth it. I can undoubtedly say that my feet are stronger and more mobile than ever and that I’m more aware of my contact with the ground, even when I’m out for a run and wearing something less minimal (but still foot shaped, flat, and flexible!). Switching your daily footwear to minimalist shoes is all day exercise for your feet, building a stronger and more mobile foot. This is low hanging fruit that all of us can benefit from, if you’ve experienced foot pain then address the root cause, strengthen your feet and live free of the crutches that claim to “support” your feet. If you have questions about how to make the switch to minimalist footwear or need ideas on where to start contact us today! Also if you want to give a pair of Vivobarefoot shoes a try follow this link and use the code “LIONSDEN” for a 10% discount!
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