Earth shoes had round; widetoe boxes that made the shoes look similar to a

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Like most fads and trends, though, earth shoes had theirsupporters. Created by a family-owned company in Scandinavia, Earthshoes were seen as a healthy and body-friendly alternative totraditional 'fashion’ footwear. The main feature of the Earthshoe is the 'negative heel’, created by a thick fore sole andthin heel. The bed of the shoe is designed to place the heel lowerthan the ball and toes of the foot, which, say Earth shoeenthusiasts, encourages better posture and a more natural gait.


Like walking on the beach

Among the innovations that the original Earth shoes made popular are innovations that have been carried through into many other'healthy’ shoe lines, including many of today’s mostpopular shoes. Those innovations included:

Wide toe boxes. Unlike the most popular shoes of the era, which featured narrow,pointed toes for both women and men, Earth shoes had round; widetoe boxes that made the shoes look similar to a spatula. For afashion industry used to shoes designed to make feet look small anddainty, the look was bizarre, and more than one design columnistjoked that you might as well wear shoeboxes on your feet and tossout the shoes. The wide toe box serves an important purpose. Itallows the toes to spread naturally and grip the 'ground’ asthey’re meant to do. Liberating cramped toes alone was enoughto make the Earth shoe a popular style.

Negative heel. The second obvious characteristic of the original Earth shoe wasthe low heel. Not low as in 'under two inches’, but low as inlower than the toe. The foot bed and sole are built in such a waythat when standing flat, the heel of the foot is positioned lowerthan the ball and toes of the foot. This encourages better posture,according to the makers of Earth shoes, and also encourages thecalf and other muscles of the legs to work harder.

The reasoning behind the negative heel has to do with the naturalbarefoot gait, which is a heel-to-toe motion. The publicity forEarth shoes claims that walking in Earth shoes is like walking onthe beach, where the weight of the body pushes the heel down intothe sand, and then the foot has to roll"uphill" to push off intothe next step. You can check the reality of that statement bylooking at barefoot footsteps on the beach.

Rocker bottoms. Rather than flat soles, the Earth shoe featured a molded shoebottom that rocked the foot forward with each step. Again, thereasoning has to do with the natural human gait. Humans are notmeant to place the weight of each step on the ball of their foot.Rather the heel absorbs the impact of the step, then thefoot"rocks’ forward as the body’s weight moves tocenter over it. Finally, the heel comes up off the ground and thetoes grip to push off into the next step.

The NEW Earth Shoe

The Earth shoe company stopped making Earth shoes for many years,instead contracting with other shoe manufacturers to make highquality shoes. Recently, the company has begun making theiroriginal Earth shoe again, and marketing it internationally.Today’s Earth shoes are available in a wide variety of stylesand fashions. Every Earth shoe features the Kalso Negative HeelTechnology, which positions the heel at a precise 3.7 degreenegative incline in comparison to the toe.

Why 3.7 degrees? The original shoe was designed by a Danish yogamaster to simulate the angle of the feet during a traditional Yogapose. The angle positions the toes higher than the heels, puttingthe cushioning to the part of the foot designed to bear the weight– the heel. It shifts the body weight back over the heels,putting the body into a more natural, empowered position whichtriggers an array of whole body benefits.

There are many benefits to the Kalso negative heel technologybesides creating better posture. The company also points toanecdotal evidence that seem to suggest that walking and playing inEarth shoes can actually help you burn more calories during everyday activities. This is due to the longer heel extension and hipflexion used in walking in Earth shoes. Next time you are lookingfor a healthy shoe, Earth Shoes can benefit you in many ways. Youshould feel much better after wearing Earth Shoes.
By: Stephanie Larkin
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About Author:
Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about topicsconcerning fashion and shopping often highlighting specific brandssuch as Earth Shoes and Naot Shoes.
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