Ep. #654: Steven Sashen on the Truth About Minimalist and Fancy Sports Footwear

What’s the deal with athletic footwear?

On the one hand, you have fancy, expensive running and sports shoes coming out every couple of months claiming some new technological “breakthrough” for more comfort, safety, and even performance.

And then you have the crowd that dismisses those products as pure marketing puffery and that swears by minimalist shoes for all athletics or even none at all.

What are we supposed to make of this?

I’m no expert when it comes to running or the best footwear for healthy feet, so I invited someone onto the podcast who is. Specifically, my guest is Steven Sashen, who’s a Masters All-American sprinter—meaning he’s one of the fastest men over the age of 50 in the US—as well as the founder of Xero Shoes, a brand dedicated to designing thin and flexible shoes for walking, running, and all other athletic activities.

In this episode, we chat about . . .

• The truth behind the “Big Shoe” marketing machine
  
• Why more padded shoes can be worse for your joints
  
• How to pick a good training shoe
  
• What people with flat feet should do
  
• The benefits of strengthening your feet with "natural movement"
  
• How to transition to minimalist shoes
  
• And more . . .
  

So, if you want to learn about how to build stronger, healthier feet, listen to this episode!

4:31 - Is it better to run barefoot or with shoes?

11:26 - Are padded shoes worse for you than running barefoot?

13:12 - What is the proper method of running?

17:35 - Why is it hard to run properly with a fancy pair of running shoes?

29:33 - What about people with flat feet?

30:35 - What are some other benefits of strengthening your feet?

39:32 - Are there any tips for transitioning from fancier shoes to a more minimalist approach?

Mentioned on The Show:

Books by Mike Matthews: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/

https://xeroshoes.com/

https://www.instagram.com/xeroshoes/

Steven's Podcast - The MOVEMENT Movement: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-movement-movement/id1456342261

Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/