Hi dollar shoes bad for feet?

[berninbush]

"Physical anthropologist Erik Trinkaus believes he has found evidence that the use of shoes began in the period between about 40,000 and 26,000 years ago, based on the fact that the thickness of the bones of the toes (other than the big toe) decreased during this period, on the premise that going barefoot results in greater bone growth before this period."

Very interesting theory. But I would think there's a fairly simple way to test it. As recently as 50 to 100 years ago, children routinely went barefoot all the time for much of the year in the rural Southern U.S. Did they develop thicker toe bones? If so, it would support this theory... if not, it seems much less likely.

[JAK]

Yes, so maybe he meant we adapted thinner toes over time. Not sure. For it to make the most sense it would have to be an advantage, or at least stop being a disadvantage, for people to have smaller toes. I think there may be something to that.

[gravityman]

That's funny cause to me a "Modern Jackass" theory would be one that argues that there is only one correct way to live, ours.

(snip rant)

Yeah, for me that about sums up the "modern jackass theory"..

Ah, this is a PERFECT example of 'Modern Jackass' as I mentioned it..

Look it up...

modern jackass:
a person that talks expertly about something he/she actually knows nothing about

(Defined by the NPR show This American Life)
Usually occurs in a conversation when you know a little about a subject and when asked to expand upon it, you extrapolate completely unrelated nonsense.

"What are trans fatty acids?"
"Fats that have an extra hydrogen atom on it"
"What is that bad for you?"

[nufsaid]

Ah, this is a PERFECT example of 'Modern Jackass' as I mentioned it..

Look it up...

modern jackass:
a person that talks expertly about something he/she actually knows nothing about

(Defined by the NPR show This American Life)
Usually occurs in a conversation when you know a little about a subject and when asked to expand upon it, you extrapolate completely unrelated nonsense.

"What are trans fatty acids?"
"Fats that have an extra hydrogen atom on it"
"What is that bad for you?"

He was explaining the Modern Jackass Theory and he was spot on. Apparently, you've never heard of it and LOL took it as a personal attack. Oh, the irony.

gravityman You just managed to tick off 2 blowhards in one post.

[Mother's Finest]

all I will say is this.

I will take my high end Brooks Running shoes and custom orthotics (calibrated for weight)
over going barefoot or wearing a PayLess type shoe any day of the year.

Hype sells both ways.

peace
mf

[DAJA]

Why would I be ticked off? Because you disagree with me? Sorry friend, but we're all in this together, so there is no benifit to gain from working against one another..You'll either teach me something new, or strengthen my resolve to move forward with a purpose. Either way, my energy will be spent improving my family, community, country and world, not getting angery because someone has a different opinion than me..

[gravityman]

gravityman You just managed to tick off 2 blowhards in one post.

Seems that about 99% of the posts on whiteblaze could be tagged as 'Moden Jackass' posts. Probably even a few of my own

G

[nufsaid]

Why would I be ticked off? Because you disagree with me? Sorry friend, but we're all in this together, so there is no benifit to gain from working against one another..You'll either teach me something new, or strengthen my resolve to move forward with a purpose. Either way, my energy will be spent improving my family, community, country and world, not getting angery because someone has a different opinion than me..

Good for you. I am not an angry person either. But the other one seems to be.

[nufsaid]

Why would I be ticked off? Because you disagree with me? Sorry friend, but we're all in this together, so there is no benifit to gain from working against one another..You'll either teach me something new, or strengthen my resolve to move forward with a purpose. Either way, my energy will be spent improving my family, community, country and world, not getting angery because someone has a different opinion than me..

Just to make it clear. The only issue that I had with you was the rant. You had the decency to apologize for that. I don't have any issue with you.

[Kanati]

If any of you read or study U.S. Civil War history, you're probably aware that the Confederate troops were poorly equipped to survive, little on wage a war. Many of them didn't have shoes and that didn't slow them down. They just kept coming. I believe that is because most of them grew up barefooted and their feet and legs were tough enough to take it.

I just finished reading "For Cause and For Country" about the battles of Spring Hill and Franklin, TN. The time of year was late November, 1864 and the southern army had marched from the Atlanta area west
across Alabama and north into Tennessee. Some of them had shoes but they were worn out. The rest was bare footed.

They were real men in those days. Today there are very few real men. Most are nothing but over privilaged whinners with lots of excusses. This is especially true for most born after 1960, which includes my 3 kids.

[DAJA]

They were real men in those days. Today there are very few real men. Most are nothing but over privilaged whinners with lots of excusses. This is especially true for most born after 1960, which includes my 3 kids.

And who is responsible for raising them this way?

[Dr O]

They were real men in those days. Today there are very few real men. Most are nothing but over privilaged whinners with lots of excusses. This is especially true for most born after 1960, which includes my 3 kids.

"The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they allow disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children now are tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.” -- attributed to Socrates by Plato

[DAJA]

I do know that I suffer from weak ankles thanks to 16yrs of playing hockey. Hockey skates are like wearing casts on your feet. I played right up to semi pro, which means from the time I was 12 to age 20 I had skates on my feet nearly 3-5hrs a day year around...

I go bearfoot often, or sandles when some form of footwear is required, and i've been able to toughen up my feet, but still have to be very careful with foot placement to protect my ankles... Not sure i'll ever develop strong ankles.. When carrying a pack I have no choice to wear a full boot, i've gradually worked down from heavy full leather boots, but still need to be careful...

[Kanati]

And who is responsible for raising them this way?

There is no clear cut answer to your question because no one will take responsibility and a large book would not hold all of societies ills today. In our case, I take partial responsibility for trying to provide the things for our children that I didn't have growing up. In my early childhood years, we had no electricity, bathroom, trips to the movies or anything like that. We had running water though because if Mama had to tell you more than once to go and draw a bucket of water from the well, I can guarantee you would be running with it.

We went to town, (Henderson, TN) on Sat. afternoons for "resupply" of things like coffee, sugar, flour, salt, etc. Everything else we grew ourselves, and we lived good. We were barefooted and wirey. I didn't realize until recent years just how well off and privilaged we were. We walked a path about 3 miles thru the woods to school and when we got home we took off our good clothes and "shoes". In the summer we bathed in a #2 wash tub in the back yard in water drawn from a well and heated by the sun. I guess you could say we had a solar powered water heater. LOL.

When my kids came along in the 70's my wife and I wanted them to have everything we grew up without. That was one of my lifes mistakes. We spoiled them to some degree, but lately they've turned into pretty darn nice guys and have recently blessed us with 2 very fine Grandsons. Our kids are all polite, respectful and hard workers. We're proud of them. Not bragging.....Yes, bragging.

[Kanati]

Most everyone in the country lived similar lives in those days. This was true for people in the south, north, east and west. This was the 1940's, 50's and 60's. It was not a southern thing.

We, like most familes raised and butchered two hogs each year. They would be about 400 pounds each by Thanksgiving and that's when we processed them. No part went to waste. Death came quick and humane because Dad would shoot them between the eyes with a .22 cal. rifle then slit their throat to allow them to bleed. They were then hoisted into a 55 gal barrel which had been positioned at about a 45 degree angle, filled half full of water. A fire had been built under the barrel and the water heated to almost a boil. This was called scalding them, after which the hair was scraped off with butcher knives. The kids got to help with this but our work was closed inspected by the adults. Dad would always raise white hogs because the hair roots would not show in the skin which stayed on the meat. We also raise female hogs from piglets in the spring so the meat would be tender and tasty by November. When acorns started falling in October, we let the hogs run out to fatten up on the acorns. All the fat was rendered into lard which was used for cooking. Vegatable cooking oil was unheard of in those days. For cooking off the lard, the fat was cut into small pices about 1" by 3". After cooking the lard out, which was done in large black kettles over an open fire, the meat would draw up to about half size and these were called cracklings. Mom would cut these into smaller pieces and cook them in cornbread. This of course was called......crackling cornbread. And folks, if we could cook this on the trail we would have something delicious, filling and high in calories and protein. This would probably be the ultimate hiking food. I may try to make some this year in Maine.

Anyway, that's part of how we and millions of others lived back then. It was a hard life but a good life. We very rarely went to the doctor, but were rarely sick. When we did get sick there was always a home remedy to get us well.

I wish I could return to that life but everyone, my family included, would think I was crazy.

[nufsaid]

Most everyone in the country lived similar lives in those days. This was true for people in the south, north, east and west. This was the 1940's, 50's and 60's. It was not a southern thing.

We, like most familes raised and butchered two hogs each year. They would be about 400 pounds each by Thanksgiving and that's when we processed them. No part went to waste. Death came quick and humane because Dad would shoot them between the eyes with a .22 cal. rifle then slit their throat to allow them to bleed. They were then hoisted into a 55 gal barrel which had been positioned at about a 45 degree angle, filled half full of water. A fire had been built under the barrel and the water heated to almost a boil. This was called scalding them, after which the hair was scraped off with butcher knives. The kids got to help with this but our work was closed inspected by the adults. Dad would always raise white hogs because the hair roots would not show in the skin which stayed on the meat. We also raise female hogs from piglets in the spring so the meat would be tender and tasty by November. When acorns started falling in October, we let the hogs run out to fatten up on the acorns. All the fat was rendered into lard which was used for cooking. Vegatable cooking oil was unheard of in those days. For cooking off the lard, the fat was cut into small pices about 1" by 3". After cooking the lard out, which was done in large black kettles over an open fire, the meat would draw up to about half size and these were called cracklings. Mom would cut these into smaller pieces and cook them in cornbread. This of course was called......crackling cornbread. And folks, if we could cook this on the trail we would have something delicious, filling and high in calories and protein. This would probably be the ultimate hiking food. I may try to make some this year in Maine.

Anyway, that's part of how we and millions of others lived back then. It was a hard life but a good life. We very rarely went to the doctor, but were rarely sick. When we did get sick there was always a home remedy to get us well.

I wish I could return to that life but everyone, my family included, would think I was crazy.

You are making me hungry.

[zoidfu]

Good for you. I am not an angry person either. But the other one seems to be.

The other one seems to be? Dood! I let this go earlier today and you're still butthurt about it? I was right, you ARE a very sensitive person.

[zoidfu]

gravityman You just managed to tick off 2 blowhards in one post.

I said that he gave an explanation, not a definition and his examples certainly fit.

LMAO... I'm pretty sure that I clearly said I was trolling you and I'm still doing it!

He certainly had you pegged and you knew it! Trolling you didn't really take much effort. Hook, line, sinker.

[Alli]

Okay I'm an Anthropology student and I'm running a half marathon in a week so I think I'm somewhat qualified to post in this thread.

While the results of the development of agriculture are undisputed, whether it was positive or negative for the human race is up for debate. On one hand our life span has increased dramatically, on the other, our diet sucks compared to our hunter gatherer ancestors.

Long story short, we might have run barefoot for thousands of years, but like a poster ahead of me said, us whiteys have thinner foot bones from birth! I'm sure you can learn to run without shoes effectively but I'm fairly confident I would die if I tried to do the half-marathon barefoot.

[Jayboflavin04]

Very interesting theory. But I would think there's a fairly simple way to test it. As recently as 50 to 100 years ago, children routinely went barefoot all the time for much of the year in the rural Southern U.S. Did they develop thicker toe bones? If so, it would support this theory... if not, it seems much less likely.

It would be interesting to compare the anatomy or the average U.S adult and that of an indigenous tribe in 2009. Say around the age of 35-45 to compare lean muscle mass, bone density, overall organ health. I bet we would be suprised.