Over the past 12 years I have been helping people become stronger, healthier versions of themselves. One thing that seems to always come up is clients and/or their parents asking me about what shoes they should wear while they train. I have gone through dozens - if not hundreds - of shoes looking for the best one, and what I have found is that, like most things, it depends on what the activity is. If you’re running long distance, get a running shoe, if you're on turf running, jumping, and changing directions then I recommend a flatter shoe with a wide toe box.
One important lesson I learned in college is that I felt best with no shoes on at all. Sure I could cut harder in cleats, but this often led to me putting more stress on my body. I found myself rolling my ankles and needing to ice my knees after each tournament, and I played most games with either an ankle brace or knee sleeve on. Little did I know, I was only putting a band-aid over the real issue: weak feet and ankles. Luckily, I found that the best way to strengthen my feet was to spend most of my days tossing the frisbee barefoot in the park, running around, jumping, and catching. By letting my toes spread and grip the grass I felt more control, speed and balance. There was a stronger connection and awareness with my body when my feet were on the grass doing what they are designed to do. Never once doing this did I feel the same wear and tear on my body I would normally feel with my feet crammed into cleats.
Over more than a decade since my college days, I have tried many different brands and styles of shoe, seeking a fit that will give me the freedom of movement and comfort of bare feet. The one brand that continues to impress is Lems Shoes. As a coach spending hours each day on my feet, I find that my shoes make a big difference. Not only are Lems comfortable to wear all day, they give me that barefoot feeling and the ability to squat, jump and knock out any sprinting drill we may be doing that day.
If you're ready to make the change from the name brand narrow shoes and give barefoot style shoe a try follow this link to check out the wide selection Lems offers. If your are training indoors I recommend either the Primal 2 or the Primal Zens or at least avoid the overly cushioned narrow shoes.
