Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Barefoot oxymoron poignant and crass.

Barefoot shoe is a total oxymoron with an emphasis on moron.

I just love that word.  Its so poignant and simultaneously crass. 


It seems to be a necessary term these days.  I get it.  I am clever enough to appreciate the marketing beauty of the term. 

I don't mind too much however the rebel in me likes to come out and say the obvious once in a while too. 

Its rejuvenating and liberating especially in the summer time when I have months of barefoot in front of me.  

Like how time moved at a younger age when summer seemed to last an eternity.


Shoe companies want to make money.  Barefoot can't make money.

I know this guy who makes duct tape shoes and they are superb.  

They cost about $5.  They are different, weird, silly looking.  If they came with a $160 price tag would people be standing in line for them? They even come in zebra stripes and blue tie dye.


I have tested many shoes. Shoes are sexy, functional, artistic, stupid, comfortable, damaging, obsessive.  


Ideally they should be a tool and used only for the specific job. Meh. Of course they are.  More stating the obvious.

If shoes were all made of duct tape we could afford to skip the multipurpose shoe that cost us a first born child.

Do I still like shoes....sure do.


My feet are brilliant.  They tell me such lovely things about the world around me and how I move through it. 


Its comical how into shoes barefoot runners can be.  I have more shoes now than I ever have in my life.  

Its been fun though and I hope that I have been helpful in writing reviews. Part of me doesn't give a shit and I really like to just get free stuff in the mail. 

I'm honest in my reviews though so that integrity can afford me a bit of sass.

Shoes are important to me because running is important to me and running is important to me because it makes me better.  Better in all ways.


I am always changing my mind and the shoes that I said were my favorites last week may not be my faves today.  Some remain on the top of my list.


Once an opinion is written down a snapshot in time is taken and you are attached to that moment. Forever. 

My favorite shoes are still and probably will always be my $2 flip flops.  

No I don't run in them but I put them on right after I run barefoot and the cushiony goodness is sublime.


I have taken classes, written blogs, read books, and always it comes back to barefoot. Listen to your feet.  

All those nerve endings are there for a reason.  Let them be.  ((Insert Beatles song here.))


I run with many forms, all barefoot,  depending on the terrain, my soles, the rest of my body, distance, time, goals.

Its taken me a long time to admit that there IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG WAY.  I still struggle with this.  


I value my struggle.

A moral orientation gives a false sense of safety that a strong part of me craves. RIGHT WRONG GOOD BAD ((Insert Yoda wisdom here))


If I want to be that running granny I imagine myself to be in my vintage age I need to embrace a progressive orientation and LET GO OF RIGHT OR WRONG THINKING.  

Its all shades of gray.


Embrace complexity in the face of fear and stress and keep learning.

Not just running with a smile on my wrinkled and worn face but profound thoughts of life, the universe, and everything swimming in the skull under my gray head of hair.  

Seriously though The Doctor sums it up beautifully, "Basically, Run".

8 comments:

Neil Zee said...

Amen!

Anonymous said...

Woohooo!! Preach! And yes.. I love flip flops! (mamarunsbarefoot)

ShellBell said...

Love this post!

e-Liz said...

Barefoot Neil Z said exactly what I was thinking.

misszippy said...

Well said

Anonymous said...

Brilliant!

Barefoot_Brown said...

My favorite post to date!

Anonymous said...

I really appreciate the part about letting go of right and wrong. A common struggle for me.

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