At last year’s Academy Awards, Shailene Woodley caused a stir by wearing her black Vibram FiveFingers Classics (RIP) to an after party. Many people were shocked that she would ditch her designer heels and choose the comfort (and, yes, odd looks) of a barefoot-feel shoe, but we at Technically Running said, “More power to her!” Heels and traditional men’s dress shoes are some of the worst culprits when it comes to squishing and bending your feet into unnatural positions (and even women’s flats can squish your toes), so the more celebrities we can get choosing healthy footwear, the better.
This year, at the Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party, funny man Jim Carrey made people stare with shoes made to look like giant bare feet.
Carrey said on his Twitter account that the wings and big feet are supposed to represent the awkwardness of his personal spiritual journey. Oddly enough, this crazy fashion choice kind of works as a metaphor for the transition period to minimalist/barefoot running. Sure, you feel awkward at first while you adjust to a new form, but you are finally connected to the ground beneath you and you become more aware of your feet than ever. Many people would describe running as a spiritual experience, and, when everything’s clicking, you definitely feel like you’re moving effortlessly forward–flying, almost. Too cheesy? Deal with it! 🙂 Of course, I also can’t help but mention that the giant feet also remind me of some of literature’s greatest barefooters–Hobbits!
Jim Carrey wasn’t the only one with alternative footwear on Sunday night. Despite the disapproval expressed by some over Shailene Woodley’s VFFs last year, a couple brave souls chose comfort on the red carpet at this year’s Oscars. Bradley Cooper’s mom, Gloria Cooper, rocked metallic sneakers the whole night, and Best Supporting Actress Nominee Sally Field swapped her heels for sneakers after the show. Hopefully next year we’ll see some celebrity recognition of minimalist dress shoes, like the Primal Professional, or, for the ladies, Merrell’s Barefoot Life Wonder Glove (that I wore to my wedding!).
Meagan is a geochemistry research lab manager, runner, Netflix binge-watcher, and Mom to a rescue dog, a bunny, and a human child. She started running in May 2011 and ran her first half marathon in October 2012, followed by her first marathon in October 2013. In July 2018, she joined the triathlon world and completed an Olympic-distance race. After an extended break (pregnancy/maternity leave), she is making a long-overdue return to running and is preparing for a high-elevation half marathon at Crater Lake National Park in August 2020.