Practitioner, Consultant and Author Bernie Landels: Why I choose Barefoot

Why I chose a barefoot lifestyle

Growing up in NZ it was just part of life, going barefoot that is. The climate was not extreme and it was safe. It was not until I was training to be a Structural Integration Practitioner (bit like being an engineer for the human body!) that I made the connection between feet and health. It was then that my journey back to barefoot began.

Feet and health connection

I had been working in health for nearly 20 years and had never thought about the importance of feet, let alone any connection to someone's overall health and wellbeing. As I started observing and assessing the human body through different lenses it became clear to me that if our base of support (aka feet!), the place we move from is not functioning well, both in terms of stability and mobility, then it can affect everything above. Let me explain.....

If a person spends excessive amounts of time with their feet squashed, restricted and fully supported in conventional shoes (narrow toe box, arch support and rigid sole) this reduces the mobility of all the joints both that is required for movement and absorbing impact, resulting in sending that movement and impact elsewhere in the body - the knees, the hips, the lower back. And as Nina Curtis highlighted in her blog it weakens the muscles of the feet and stops natural movement.

Add to this a raised heel, then you change the dynamics of the tissues that are holding the person upright. To stay upright some tissues shorten and others lengthen, the angles and positions of bones change just to keep balance.

As I incorporated education and treatment of the feet more and more into my clinical work, the more success my clients were reporting and the less I saw them! For me personally, I am more aware of my own body, I'm fit and healthy, and still playing competitive hockey at the age of 54!

My first barefoot (minimal) shoes

Hiking in my Vivobarefoot in Phoenix Arizona

There were very few 'foot-like' adult shoes with minimal features on the market in 2014 when I was wanting them. Vivobarefoot, established in 2012, was where my first pair (and not last!) of barefoot shoes came from. I recall they were quite expensive, sometimes though you have to be prepared to invest in your health. And I was interested from a professional perspective so really had no option.

I have had many Vivo shoes over the last 10 years - Primus Lite/Trail, Tracker and Geo Chelsea boots - I still have them all and wear most of them.

Vivobarefoot Tracker Textile Vivobarefoot Gobi Chelsea Boot Vivobarefoot Magna Trail

I found Xero's Mesa Trail shoes were great for playing hockey and I'm now in my third pair with the old ones being retired to the garden!

Xero Waterproof Mesa Trail

Vibram 5-finger shoes are a super lightweight option that I love, especially when traveling. The thin soles allow me to really feel then ground I'm moving over.

In summer my go to sandal was Xero's Z-trek or Z-trail, until I won a pair of Wildsole Sandals and now own a couple of pairs! I prefer Wildsole over Xero as they do not restrict my toes and forefoot from spreading when I walk and run.

Hiking in Wildsole Barefoot Sandals | Happy Little Soles

Wildsoles Hiking in Poland

Most of the shoes I have mentioned are more 'active-wear' in style as it has not been until the last few years that more 'fashionable' foot shaped footwear have appeared on the market.

Be Lenka Promenade Sandals in Black

Currently I have in my wardrobe Be Lenka Promenade sandals and a pair of slip-on sneakers, and a selection of Paperkrane shoes for when I want to look extra funky!

Be Lenka Promenade Sandals in Tan in Lebanon

The best thing about 'barefoot' shoes, apart from their being better for my feet and comfort, is that I can pack more pairs without worrying about weight or space when going on holiday!

Being 'Barefoot Bernie'

Shoes were made out of necessity in the beginning - to protect feet from the environment.

After seeing the light and switching to 'barefoot' shoes I also increased the amount of time I was actually barefoot. I would head out from my home in Oxford, UK with naked feet much to the horror, amazement or amusement of the locals. I'd turn up at hockey in the winter with no shoes on and as soon as I had finished playing would shed them. I recall walking up to my village shop one day and three different people commenting on that fact I was barefoot. These interactions were great opportunities to chat and educate!

I love the feeling of the ground whether I am barefoot or in barefoot footwear, it's really grounding and I feel lighter when I run and walk.

Bernie Landels Why I Chose Barefoot | Happy Little Soles

Now I live on 7.4 acres of sandy land in Western Australia. Despite the many things that could bite me I love nothing more than walking around my property barefoot or in my Wildsole Sandals.

"Walk as if you are kissing the earth" Thich Nhat Hanh

Another step in my journey.....writing 'Finding Their Feet'

During the global pandemic I could not work so embarked on researching the root cause of why many adults have pain and what the feet had to do with it. One of the main causes - wearing conventional shoes while growing up, especially during the first 15 years of life when the foot is still growing and developing.

The end result was a book for parents and caregivers on the actual development of baby's feet, early movement and milestones. Have you ever thought about how we learn to first walk? Do you know what your body, your child's body has to do to move and stay upright?

You can read more about it here and grab a free chapter here or buy the book.

Bernie Landels - Finding Their Feet Book

Your next step....

You've obviously made some decisions about your feet, or your children's feet because you are here reading this and exploring the Happy Little Soles website.

Your child will easily adapt to wearing more barefoot like footwear, and love being barefoot if you can let them. For yourself, take some time to make the change. You wouldn't run a marathon without doing some training, so let your body slowly get used to the more natural alignment having a flatter and wider base of support brings!

Happy Little Soles provides a wide range of choices for all ages and genders, my top pick for summer is: Be Lenka Ladies Promenade Sandal - I love the colour choices and style.

I prefer the sandals with the strap coming up from between the first and second toes as it does not restrict the rest of my foot. The strap around the back keeps them nicely on my foot.

And for kids......barefoot! Or choose the ones with the 'most barefoot' logos, their feet will thank you in years to come.

Here's a few tips...

• Involve your children in choosing their shoes by telling them to look for the logo!

• Measure their feet later in the day

• Talk to them about their feet and how important they are, and how they should never feel squashed

• Create shoe-free zones at home and in your garden

Thank you so much to Bernie for her insight into why she choses barefoot or minimalist footwear. If you'd like to know more about Bernie and her work you can check out her website here: