19,500 Steps per Day in France. Healing foot pain.

When I was in middle school I went to the podiatrist because my feet hurt all the time. Here's what I remember. He told me I had super high arches and stiff feet, which explained why I was always walking on the outer border of my feet. And wierdly that because of that I had "objectively" attractive feet. The things we remember as kids.

So he prescribed arch supports (which I hated) and I never did podiatry again. I quickly learned that as long as I had the perfect shoes, my feet were ok. I've always been a practical person so I started focusing on comfort over style in shoes in high school- always an old soul, even in orthopedic footwear as a 16 year old :).

Even as a middle schooler, walking was my sanity. I walked long and often. I'm pretty grateful to have discovered this early in my life (practical, old soul again!) but that meant that making sure my feet didn't hurt was a priority. I quickly learned that as long as I had the most cushioned, most expensive running shoes my feet felt amazing. In my 20's my walking took on a fitness bend and I started walking further and faster. And that's when my hip and back started hurting.

I believe that the hip/back stuff that started in my early 20's and that I still dance with today is the result of those heavily cushioned shoes I wore for 20 years. So it has felt like 6 of one and half a dozen of the other as I do the dance towards healing foot pain to get my steps per day. The dance between the shoes that feel good on my feet and the shoes that feel good on my back.

Over the last 3-5 years I have gradually and slowly and intentionally and sometimes painfully transitioned into occasional barefoot style shoes, balanced with transitional footwear and hiking shoes. I have strengthened and stretched and massaged and dry needled my feet and ankles and hips and back. This is a dance and it isn't simple.

Barefoot style shoes mean my back doesn't hurt but I can't walk very quickly in these shoes because I have to be meticulous about how I use my feet. I've gotten new foot problems from these kinds of shoes. BUT my back hurts less when I wear these. When I wear my more cushioned (but still zero drop and wide toe box) shoes, my back will probabaly hurt, but my feet will feel better and I can get a better workout. This is a dance and it's NOT simple.

I am willing to do this dance because walking is SO important to me. It is important for my physical and emotional health. When my kids were little and I felt like I was drowning my husband would hand me my shoes and push me out the door and I would return a new woman. I have walked and cried and walked and laughed and walked and sang. I listen to books and podcasts and birds and bugs. I walk in the pitch black in 5 degrees in the winter at 5:30AM and 100 degrees at 3 in the afternoon in the summer.

This month I had the most incredible 3 weeks in France and I averaged 19,500 steps per day. When I compared the time it would take to take the bus and the time it would take to walk, if it was even close I walked. I hiked in the alps and walked everywhere. Were my feet a little sore sometimes? Yes. Did my feet and back and hip HURT sometimes? Yes. Did I wear 4 different pairs of shoes? Yes. But did any of this stop me? No.

I consider wearing barefoot shoes an exercise. A mindfulness experience. These are not shoes I can just put on and go. When I put them on and can feel the ground I HAVE to walk differently. I have to focus on the mechanics of how my feet touch the ground. I have to take smaller steps and roll carefully from heel to toe. I am slower.

Are you ready to learn this dance? It can be frustrating and slow. It isn't magic and you will probably have to be persistant and patient. I can teach you this dance. I can teach you to get in touch with your toes and feel the connection between your big toe and your hip. I can help you see and feel your imbalances and this can be done virtually or in person. Are you ready?

Now is the time.