Getting Used To Birkenstocks?

Birkenstocks. The perfect, most comfortable footwear. At least that’s how it’s come to become a household name today.

If there’s another thing it’s famous, or rather infamous for, is the painful first month when the cork bed adjusts to the shape of your feet.

Let’s dive deep into this first month of getting used to Birkenstocks and what it really is all about.

Birkenstocks as you may know have a sole made of compressed cork. The proprietary density is such that during the first month, your weight starts creating an impression in the footbed, and eventually that becomes a mould specific to your foot.

The great thing about this is that it feels like a hug almost for your feet.

But all is not good.

One big drawback of a footwear that is moulded for your feet is its inability to adapt to your changing foot.

You see, your foot does not maintain a singular shape throughout the day, through each movement.

The foot is a very complex combination of muscles, tendons and ligaments. All of which move in various directions, in sync with each other.
As soon as you fit it inside a mould, suddenly there is no way for your foot muscles to move freely.
They are now permanently fixed in the standing stationary, high arch position.

Your footwear should not provide you with a fixed mould but adapt to it at every step, and that is where Birkenstock misses the point.

In the short term, they may feel very comfortable, but in the long term, this will cause muscle strength deterioration and weakness that will cause bigger problems.

Barefoot shoes provide you with no support, because that is not for a shoe to give to you, but your muscles which are specifically designed through millions of years of adaptations for the exact purpose of making movement possible and comfortable.

If there is one thing we have not adapted to is to walk on super hard surfaces and sharp objects like glass. Barefoot shoes help you mitigate these potential hazards without limiting your true, natural movement ability.

If you’ve gotten used to Birkenstock- like comfort, it’s time to leave them behind and start reversing the muscle loss that may have caused already.

Go barefoot with Zen Barefoot, and stay foot-healthy.