Table of Contents
Foreword ix
Acknowledgments xi
A Note From the Author xii
Introduction 1
1 Normal, but Not Natural 5
Normalizing the Unnatural 8
Disfiguring Our Feet 11
The Shoe Incubator 13
Shoe = Cast 16
2 Living Barefoot 17
Jaenelle 18
Vivian 19
Susie 20
Judy 21
Cheri 22
Glenn 23
John 24
Steve 24
Dr. Robyn Hughes 25
You 26
3 How Your Foot Works 27
Step-by-Step 27
The Foot Bone's Connected to the 28
Your Arches 32
The Soft Structures of Your Feet 35
The Skin of Your Feet 37
The First Line of Defense 40
Irritability 41
The Role of Touch in Your Feet 42
4 What Your Shoes Are Doing to You 44
Basic Shoe Construction 45
Shoes Change the Way We Stand, Walk, Run, and Feel the Ground 49
A Few of My Not Favorite Things 62
5 Don't Walk a Mile in These Shoes 68
High-Heeled Sex Appeal 69
The Effects of High Heels on the Foot 71
The Effects of High Heels on the Knee 72
The Effects of High Heels on the Spine 73
High Heels Affect the Way You Walk 74
Men's Work and Dress Shoes 75
6 Growing Up in Shoes 77
Growing Deformed 78
Miniature Adult Shoes 9
Overloaded 1
"Shoddy" Education 82
The Bottom Line 85
7 Walking, Hiking, and Running Barefoot 87
Walking Barefoot 87
Running Barefoot 89
Getting Started Running Barefoot 97
Hiking Barefoot 98
Tips for Healthy Hiking Feet 101
8 What to Wear When You Can't Go Bare 105
Minimalist Shoes 105
The Fuss about Flip-Flops 112
9 Getting Out There: Putting Your Best (Bare) Foot Forward 114
Hurdles 117
A Note to Business Owners and Managers 119
What to Do about Work 121
10 Mythbusters 123
Myth #1 "No Bare Feet by Order of the Health Department" 123
Myth #2 Bare Feet Are Prohibited by OSHA 124
Myth #3 Bare Feet Present a Liability to Businesses 125
Myth #4 It's Illegal to Be Barefoot in Public 128
Myth #5 It's Illegal to Drive Barefoot 129
Myth #6 Going Barefoot Is Dangerous-Cuts and Punctures 130
Myth #7 Going, Barefoot Is Dangerous-Germs and Parasites 131
11 Final Thoughts 134
Appendix: Lawsuits Resulting from Shoes or Bare Feet 136
Endnotes 141
Resources 150
Index 151
