I started barefooting mid-May and have been almost completely barefoot except to the gym, where I have to wear my Vibram Five Fingers (the next best thing!), and for some special occasions that require more formal dress. I always had an issue with shin splints with modern running shoes, but barefoot and in VFFs my form has fixed itself. If you try ditching your shoes on a run, you’ll quickly find that it hurts to run incorrectly and heel strike, while shoes with a cushioned heel will encourage this bad habit.

A couple days ago, I stumbled upon the site http://marksdailyapple.com and his Primal Blueprint. In a nutshell, his philosophy is that we evolved to be equipped with everything that’s necessary to sustain ourselves and don’t need products like sunscreen, shampoos, footwear, and many other modern “conveniences” to function; in fact, these things are counterproductive. I’ve had ideas like this for a long time but brushed them aside to stay “normal,” but he illustrates them very lucidly. I’m going to give it a try and live a little more like our hunter-gatherer ancestors. If it doesn’t work out, I can always go back to my routine before this experiment. I made this page to keep myself accountable and as something to look back on.

Michael