[Physical Fuel] Why Capitalism Hides the Natural Path to Strength & Wellness

This is the story of how I learned to run in barefoot shoes and what it taught me about the unnatural bullshit that’s all around us. If you just want the step-by-step guide, skip down to the Process section. (:
— Andrew, F the Lines

April 2017 — I tried on two hundred running shoes and I didn’t like any of them…which was weird because they all looked so comfy. They were like puppies, scrambling over each other, yipping “Pick me! Pick me!”

I guess I should tell you why I was trying on shoes.

I had just landed some part-time hours at a local running store and the managers wanted me to play Cinderella. I was supposed to get a feel for the shoes and find my favorite but also memorize their features.

Terms like “motion control” and “EVA” and “dynamic stability” and “pronation” and “stack height” whizzed by me. It was all very exotic.

Finally, I picked up a shoe called the New Balance 1400.

This was my Benny Rodriguez / PF Flyers moment. This was the shoe for me. Super-light, super-fast, and super-responsive. At the end of the shift, I practically danced out the door with a pair of size tens, but a little voice in the back of my head kept wondering…