Commune with Jeff Krasno The Hidden Cost of Modern Footwear with Galahad Clark
Dec 30, 2025
Galahad Clark, founder and CEO of Vivobarefoot, is a leader in the barefoot movement advocating for foot health and sustainable footwear. He discusses how modern shoes can impair natural foot function and contribute to long-term health issues. Galahad emphasizes the environmental costs of shoe production and the importance of rewilding our relationship with movement. He explores innovative design principles for footwear that promote health, offering bespoke solutions and sustainable materials to reshape the industry. Spirituality and the benefits of barefoot connection to the earth also feature prominently.
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How Modern Shoes Undermine The Foot
- The modern shoe compromises the foot's skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems by deforming the big toe and dulling sensory feedback.
- Galahad Clark says this causes compensation up the kinetic chain, increasing ankle, knee, hip, and back problems.
Feet Are Sensory Organs Like Hands
- Feet provide as much sensory input to the brain as hands, with hundreds of thousands of nerve endings.
- Thick-cushioned soles dull this input and reduce movement efficiency, per Galahad Clark.
Kalahari Trip Led To Reviving Sandals
- Galahad Clark traveled to the Kalahari to find running hunters and found villagers wearing modern plastic shoes after losing access to skins.
- He later helped reintroduce traditional running-sandal making with local partners.