Posts Tagged ‘hiking’
Worn Soles
By: Dani Mirth
Although I always have multiple pairs of shoes on my shoe rack, 95% of the time I have on my feet the same pair of shoes which I wear until they are so worn out, that the holes are more than obvious. But what made them so special that I reached for them, again and again? Each pair of those worn-out shoes was my favorite because they, in their own sense, were so accurately representative of me that sometimes they became less of just plain footwear and more of an extension of myself – the existence of all the other pairs was deemed irrelevant.
I have never even thought about sharing the stories about my shoes. Those who know me would think that I am a girl who never really thinks about shoes, let alone the stories that they have to tell. I admit that a year ago, that would have been true. A year ago, my memories that dealt with anything even slightly shoe-related were very few, and very far in between.
One of my most unforgettable memories took place during a trip to China. Cue the flashes of an exotic culture filled with beautiful women in their glamorous dresses and expensive shoes. But through the fog of scented oils and night market lights, there is a memory of a single pair of black fabric slip-ons, so caked in dirt that the color appeared a grayish brown. The shoes were not torn or filled with holes and they were actually very well kept, despite being very old as indicated by the indentations of the toes over worn soles. The owner of these shoes appointed herself as my tour guide on the 10-kilometer hike that was the Great Wall of China. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how much pain her feet were going to be in by the end of the trek – those shoes did not look like they were made to hike. I thought to myself, “if I were her, wearing those shoes and seeing the long journey ahead of me while in these shoes, would it be worth it?”
At first, she walked alongside me – always keeping pace and stopping each time that I paused to take pictures of the majestic scenery. I didn’t question or dismiss her company, as she didn’t attempt to intrude into my space. I had thought that she would have given up as soon as she recognized the look of a poor student, unable to buy any of the souvenirs that she carried. I was wrong – those well-worn slip-ons continued on beside me.
Now, despite being fit, young, and in my pair of, specifically-made-for-walking-sneakers, our footsteps were no longer in sync by the third kilometer. I started to make stops to rest, picture taking long forgotten as the roller coaster-like design of the Great Wall began to take its toll on me. But the pair of slip-ons was still there in my line of sight. They would alternate between being in front of me during the steep rises, acting as a focus and goal of sorts, to being right beside me during the sudden descents, ready to assist if I were to slip. No matter where those shoes were, they remained steady and in pace as if they walked along some sort of innate rhythm.
Half way through the hike, we began to exchange stories. My guide told me, in her broken English, about the family of three young children that she had back home. She was hoping to make some money here selling to tourists, as the farming had been bad the last couple of seasons and she wasn’t making enough to feed her kids. She was just into her late twenties, but the struggles of her life weighed heavily on her looks and were reflected in her eyes. About five hours later, we finally finished. I dug around in my pockets and gave her about $20 – all the money I had at the time. I didn’t want to buy anything because after those 10 kilometers, the mere thought of carrying even a small trinket those few hundred feet to the tour bus felt like a Herculean task. She kept insisting that she couldn’t just take the money and I finally gave in, buying a bottle of cold water to drink. I studied closely as she started back towards the direction we had just come from. The black slip-ons carried on steadily and even appeared to be going at a lighter and faster pace. I stared ahead at her navigating along the stony path – winding over the rises and falls. I wasn’t sure if she was on her way home or going back to become someone else’s self-appointed guide. The thought crossed my mind once again: “Was it worth it?” I remembered smiling, as I already knew the answer to that.
The Great Wall of China - you can just see my shoes, and my guide's (on the far left) slip-ons
What do your shoes do?
When you try on a new pair of shoes, do you look for first? Style? Comfort? On most shoe shopping excursions, I am looking for the most flattering style I can run in (yes, even if it’s a pair of heels), without causing damage to me feet or my wallet. Most women can appreciate the leg-lengthening powers of a great pair of heels or the comfort of good arch support from a forgiving pair of Birkenstocks. Recently, however, a new flood of footwear trends has added greater meaning to the question I consider when shoe shopping, “What will these shoes do for me?”
My curiosity began at my cousin’s wedding reception last summer. Both Joshua and his wife Andrea (for the first time in history there are two Andrea Schpoks in the world) are avid cyclists and hikers. Two summers ago they spent 59 days biking 2,735 miles across the country together, camping out and blogging as they went. Somehow in the course of conversation that evening, my mom told me that Joshua and Andrea had the most interesting shoes. I had seen someone at the gym wearing the new Vibram Five Finger shoes (or “foot shoes” as I called them) earlier that summer and was incredibly fascinated by them. It turned out that these were the shoes that Josh and Andrea wore on many of their hiking and biking adventures. They weren’t wearing them at the reception but Andrea told me she would bring them to breakfast the next day so that I could try them on. When I finally slipped them on my feet I wasn’t entirely sure what I thought of them. I couldn’t help but to think that my feet looked rather frog-like with each toe defined and supported by the flexible rubber sole. Still, I was intrigued by their concept: Barefoot running has become a hot topic of discussion in the footwear and fitness worlds.
As evidence mounts that barefoot running may, in fact, be the long-lost art that optimizes human performance and strengthens foot and calf muscles to keep our bodies better aligned, several shoe companies have bought in to the trend. Nike offers its version, Nike Free 5.0, designed to simulate barefoot running while keeping your soles protected and MBT presents “the anti shoe” which sets its buyers off balance in order to simulate the natural, soft, uneven surfaces humans were designed to walk on. Vibram Five Fingers are probably the most apparent with their purpose; These shoes not only simulate the barefoot experience, like a gloves for the feet, these shoes look the part as well.
I eventually caved in to my curiosity and bought a pair for myself. According to research, we run differently without the padding of traditional athletic shoes so that we are less likely to strike with our heels (an impact that is hard on the body). I do notice that I tend to step more lightly when my feet hit the ground because I can’t rely on my shoes for protection and that my calves are sore after a long run. I haven’t and probably wouldn’t make the switch to these shoes as full-time athletic gear but I think that throwing them into the mix has been a worthwhile and satisfying experiment.
My take on the influx of fitness shoes on the market:
1) A shoe that wobbles is not a good replacement for time at the gym and probably not the best look when you want people to take you seriously. Throwing you off balance may burn a few extra calories and help engage muscles so I can’t discard the idea completely but if you do go for them don’t abandon your workout routine.
2) Barefoot shoes are great but only if you can afford a second pair of regular athletic shoes to wear on cold days and for activities that you want to keep your toes protected.
3) Try to find research on any kind of new “shoe technology” that is published from a reputable organization that isn’t sponsored by the shoe company… Make sure the facts are there before you buy!
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