CrossFit Boston

(Once again I am preaching to the choir to most of the people that are reading this.  Hopefully there is some new information or perspective for those that already know the detriments of squishy shoes.)

Last week we were performing the mighty deadlift.  I was sharing the platform with two others, including a veteran crossfitter and a newbie.  The newbie was appreciative of tips and pointers from myself and the veteran until we mentioned that he might want to do this one barefoot.  He looked at us both like we told him to do something unspeakable with a kettlebell, and then went on about a rant about how the workout is about doing the hard work and lifting the weight and not what you are or aren't wearing on your feet.  I quickly agreed that the hard work is the most important part, and pointed out some of his hard work was being absorbed by his squishy shoes.

Crossfit has challenged me to rethink my shoe choices.  I used to wear a pair of cushioned running shoes.  I thought that I needed the extra cushion due to my size, and my chronic knee problems.  Once again, I was wrong.

In chapter 3 of Redesigning the Brain by Norman Doige, MD he writes that "Gross motor control declines as we age leading to loss of balance, risk of falls, and difficulty with mobility.  This decline... is cause by the decrease in sensory feedback from our feet.  Shoes worn for decades limit the sensory feedback from our brains to our feet to our brain.  If we went barefoot, our brains would receive many different kinds of input as we walked over uneven surfaces."  He adds that as we age "we may start to use canes, walkers, or crutches or rely on other sense to steady ourselves.  By resorting to these compensations instead of exercising out failing brain systems, we hasten their decline."

Squishy shoes... bad for your deadlift and bad for the brain.

(So far, my switch to a pair of shoes with minimal cushion has been a welcome change.   For me it's been a pair of Onitsuka Tigers - Mexico 66.)