Vivobarefoot Releases new Research on the Advantages of Minimal Footwear with "Shoespiracy"

LONDON, June 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Minimalist footwear company, Vivobarefoot have launched Shoespiracy, a public health campaign exposing of the damaging effects cushioned shoes are having on feet and movement. The campaign launches in line with the news that Liverpool University research shows wearing minimalist footwear for 6 months will increase foot strength by 60%¹.

From an early age we have been told that shoes require support and cushioning to support the health of our feet. This research shows what has become normal is not natural, thick soles, narrow toe boxes & excessive cushioning have all become the norm in shoe design and are making feet weaker. Cushioned shoes are changing how feet naturally function leading to reduced mobility and stability, attributes all humans rely on.

Further research from Liverpool University also showed that a reduction in foot strength due to cushioned shoes are directly impacting mobility & stability². This is having a huge impact on our health systems with NHS spending £4.6million a day on fall related injuries³.  The research identifies that walking and moving barefoot or wearing minimalist footwear over 70% of the time will help stop this issue.

The Foot is the most advanced piece of technology to ever go into a shoe. Natural Foot function is designed to move barefoot, that is why Vivobarefoot create wide, thin and flexible footwear using science and research to inform their designs, ensuring your feet will move in the way nature ended.

Vivobarefoot founder, Galahad Clark said, "Big athletic brands are making big money businesses selling 'stabilising' sneakers, that only present a slightly less destructive alternative to their traditional offering, attempting to reduce - not reverse - the damage their very shoes and 'innovation' are causing. That's why we make wide, thin & flexible footwear to mimic the barefoot condition, using the science and research on foot health to support out footwear design. We want to help make a healthier movement focused world."

Vivobarefoot first exposed the Shoespiracy with their short documentary: Shoespiracy. They continue to call for the public to reclaim their foot health with this campaign.

ABOUT VIVOBAREFOOT
Vivobarefoot are the outsiders of the shoe industry. Rejecting this broken industry and fighting for a more natural future, by reconnecting people and planet. Sedentary & cushioned lifestyles are making people and planet sick. The short-term comfort of foam and air is having a long-term effect on our health – Vivobarefoot want to change this by making footwear that makes your feet stronger. Using wide, thin and flexible design principles that allow your feet to do their natural thing. They add less so you feel more.

All Vivobarefoot footwear is produced using sustainably sourced natural, bio and recycled materials. With the aim to protect the planet so you can run wild on it, forever. Created by two cousins from a long line of cobblers, Galahad and Asher goal is to create alternative footwear for those who want to feel. Vivobarefoot want to be judged by their actions – championing foot health and the planet. In 2020 they became accredited B Corp brand and launched ReVivo, a program that sees worn and returned Vivobarefoot footwear revived, reconditioned, keeping shoes on feet and away from landfill. The same year, Vivobarefoot launched the Livebarefoot Foundation, an in-house impact hub, catalysing research, advocacy, and enterprise-based solutions for environmental and social problems. For more information on VIVOBAREFOOT, visit www.vivobarefoot.com

References
¹ Curtis, R & D'Aout, K (2020) Daily activity in minimal footwear increases foot strength. Footwear Science. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19424280.2019.1606299

² Cudejko, T, D'Aout, K et al (2020), Minimal shoes improve stability and mobility in persons with a history of falls. Nature.com https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-78862-6

³ Age UK (2010) https://www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-press/archive/falls-over-65s-cost-nhs/

CONTACT:
Exposure America
[email protected]

SOURCE Vivobarefoot