My Minimal Shoe Experience
August 29, 2011 at 4:01 pm | Posted in Shoes | 2 CommentsTags: Athletic shoe, Barefoot running, Christopher McDougall, Saucony
By Dr. Paula Bloom
Look at the bottoms of my feet and you’ll know that I like to be barefoot. Unless it’s very cold I don’t wear shoes in the house. Growing up in Florida I was able to be barefoot or be in sandals for most of the year.
I’ve never liked the feeling of my feet being constricted. I don’t like socks. I don’t like shoes that tie. I’ve never worn sneakers for anything other than working out. When Vibram Five Fingers came out (you know, those shoes that look like gecko-esque gloves for your feet) I bought a pair. I really like the way they feel and wore them a lot, but found that for excercise they didn’t provide enough protection. I could feel every pebble on the street.
I was talking about my shoes to my brother, an elite runner who, for example, decided to run 40 miles (in one day) to honor his 40th birthday, and he told me about the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. This book played a big role in the emergence of the barefoot running movement. My understanding is that after many years of wearing very padded shoes, we’ve weakened some of our muscles in our feet and that wearing nothing, or shoes with very minimal support, can help restore the stength.
There has been some controversy about this theory. Less support isn’t right for everyone, and people with diabetes or circulation issues should check with their doctor or podiatrist before trying this out. But for me, who likes to feel free but also likes to excercise, these new “minimal” running shoes are ideal.
I just tried a pair of Saucony Hattori Running Shoes that I bought from FootSmart. When I first got them and took them out of the box I was struck by how light they are. They look and feel a lot like a water shoe. There are two straps that help secure your foot, one across the top and one behind your heel. I find them incredibly comfortable and flexible.
I’ve now worn them a few times to my cross-training workouts which have included jogging, rowing and weight lifting. I usually like to wear my running shoes without socks but found that these slid a bit on my foot (going down in size would have been too small) so wearing thin socks held the shoes in place very well.
Overall I really like these shoes. My only complaint about them is the way they look, more specifically the white color. I do not own any white shoes or sneakers. For some reason I’ve never liked them. Other than that I really like the overall design and get lots of compliments at the gym.
Since I haven’t spent a lot of time in traditional running shoes the transition to minimal has been very easy. I wonder what it’s been like for others? Let me know!
What do you think about the Saucony Hattori?
Related articles
- Barefoot Running (wikipedia.org)
- A Closer Look At Barefoot Training (livestrong.com)
- Should You Be Running Barefoot? (runnersworld.com)
Reflections on the First Day of School
August 25, 2011 at 2:20 pm | Posted in Relationships, Shoes | 2 CommentsTags: Crocs, Family, Kids, Madeira, school
By Dr. Paula Bloom
“Do you need some tissues?” “Are you feeling sad?” “Isn’t it hard to think that your kids are growing up?” I answered with a smile, but in my head I was thinking, “No. No. And no.” These are the questions I was asked as I walked my 6-year-old to his first day at his new school (my husband took our 9-year-old to the bus). There were parents taking pictures, consoling each other and struggling, more than their kids seemed to be, with letting go. The school even offered a coffee talk for parents called “Cheers and Tears.” Even though there was free coffee and food (I’m not one to turn these things down!) I purposely chose not to attend.
As I walked back to my house (yes, my child’s school is next door which means we are finally considered “walkers!”), I asked myself, “Why am I not feeling all these feelings like those other parents?” Luckily, I’ve gotten better at recognizing that whenever I begin comparing myself and my feelings to others, I need to run interference. Very little good comes from comparing ourselves to others. There is no right way to feel (even we shrinks need reminding.)
I’m a real sap, or so I’m told. I cry at weddings, tv commercials, movies, books and even have been known to get tearful when looking at an amazing sunset or a stunning sculpture. Sometimes when I catch the sight of my kids sleeping it brings a tear to my eye. Beauty touches me. But, for some reason, the first day of school doesn’t bring up tears or longing for time to stand still. I think it’s the combination of my kids getting older and me getting wiser, or at least I hope I’m getting wiser. Of course, when my son pushes me away when I hold him too close or for too long telling me, “Mom, I’m not a baby anymore” I can get a bit emotional. Then I realize that my job is to raise adults, not kids. His need for independence trumps my need to keep him close. When he does need me to comfort him I try to be there. And, being really honest, I enjoy the opportunity.
The Shoe Shrink enjoys time with her son. Both are wearing their Crocs -- she loves her Madeiras.
I looked forward to sitting down for dinner and hearing about their first day of school. I was expecting an, “It was fine” or, “we didn’t do anything” (sound familiar?), but I wanted to allow some balance between my need for information and their need to not relive their day.
I got a text from my mom asking how their first day went. So, as I do most mornings, I talked to my mom and let her know. She raised an adult but I’ll always be her kid.
How have you handled the first day of school with your kids? Let me know what worked for you.
Related articles
- 1st Day of School – A Mom’s Reflection (angelamaiers.com)
- How to Handle Back to School Jitters (smartzonepsychology.blogspot.com)
Climbing the Eiffel Tower
August 11, 2011 at 10:05 am | Posted in Shoes, Travel | Comments Off on Climbing the Eiffel TowerTags: Crocs, Dansko, Eiffel Tower, France, Paris, Teva
By Dr. Paula Bloom
I just returned from my first trip to Europe. I’ve dreamed of going to Paris since I was a little girl and my desire intensified after four years of studying French in high school. While books and teachers can tell you about the history, the culture, the art and the food there’s nothing quite like wandering the streets and stumbling on quaint neighborhoods and smelling the fresh crepes, stinky cheeses and (my least favorite smell) cigarette smoke.
(On a side note: I had heard that the French liked to smoke but nothing could have prepared me for the amount of smoking we’d encounter. My children are exposed to so much public health anti-smoking information that it was kind of tough to let them be exposed to the cigarette smoke. It ended up sparking some really good conversations with the kids about why people do things they know are bad for them and the concept of addiction.)
For the first few days we had some lovely weather, but as the trip progressed the weather got colder and very rainy. Luckily, I had heeded the advice my mom has always given me about travel, “Paulita, it’s all about layers.” I had shirts, lightweight sweaters, scarves and a raincoat that got me through beautifully. Unfortunately, I had pretty much only packed warm weather shoes all of which were comfortable, some of which were waterproof (Crocs and Tevas) and none of which kept my feet dry. One of the first things I did upon returning was to buy a pair of rain boots. I just got my Dansko Vail Rain Boots in the adorable black frog design 2 days ago and I LOVE them. Can’t wait for the next rain storm so I can wear them!
View of the Eiffel Tower from a boat ride on the Seine
As we prepared for our trip and asked the kids what they wanted to do in Paris their first request was to climb the Eiffel Tower. When we arrived we were told that you really should buy tickets in advance, since the lines can be about four hours long to ride the elevator up. We hadn’t really planned ahead. On our last day in Paris we decided to try going. It was a very cold, rainy and windy day and the lines were very long. We noticed one entrance that had no line. We investigated — it was the lines for walkers. Wait in the cold for a few hours in order to ride an elevator to the top or wait in no line, climb the 668 steps to the middle (that’s as far as you are allowed to climb) and take an elevator to the top? We took a family vote and off we went.
On the steps of the Eiffel Tower, sort of like mile markers on highways, there are numbers telling you how many steps you have climbed. By the time we reached the middle we were pretty tired. Every few minutes we’d take a rest, check out the view and then keep climbing. Finally, we saw the number we were waiting for: 668. The kids began cheering.
Eiffel Tower Step 668!
It was pretty spectacular to see the view of Paris from the Eiffel Tower, though probably more so with clear skies. The kids were excited to be up there (well, they were for about two minutes, until they started complaining about being cold and wet). We had arrived on Bastille Day and had, on our first day, seen the fireworks celebration at the Eiffel Tower. Our six days in Paris had come full circle.
From Paris we traveled to Copenhagen. Come back soon to read a future post about castles, shoe shopping and what it’s like to eat danish in Denmark.
Where did you go on vacation this summer? Did you pick a special pair of shoes? Let me know!
Related articles
- Bucket List #100: Visit the Eiffel Tower (michellereed.org)
- A Quiet Weekend and an Eiffel Tower Mosaic (scarlettartlet.com)
- Paris in the rain! – Paris, France (travelpod.com)
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