# Tell me about your Earth Shoes **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 29, 2009, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-earth-shoes/504665 "2009-07-29T13:55:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nightingale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@Nightingale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightingale)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-earth-shoes/504665/1 "2009-07-29T13:55:47Z")
I bought my first pair this week. I’ve only worn them for a little while so far (they just arrived last night) but I can definitely tell that they change the way I stand and walk. The negative heel actually makes me feel a little off balance for the first few steps, and I can really tell that the shoes are working my calves. I think I’m going to like them, eventually, but I also think they are going to take some geting used to! I have issues with my feet – plantar fasciitis and bunions, not to mention being a fat woman who is on her feet for most of the day, so I am hoping that the shoes will be good for me. Has any one else worn these, and what has your experience been? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-earth-shoes/504665/2 "2009-07-29T14:17:00Z")
[OT]Oh good lord, are they back? That’s one '70s fad I never expected to see revived.[/OT] ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-earth-shoes/504665/3 "2009-07-29T14:51:28Z")
No kidding, Jimmy Carter just called and he wants his shoes back. I had an immitation pair when I was a teen. They didn’t change my life in any significant way, for good or ill. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-earth-shoes/504665/4 "2009-07-29T15:59:55Z")
Just keep on truckin, man! ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-earth-shoes/504665/5 "2009-07-29T17:09:59Z")
Anyone care to explain (to someone who was born in 1985 and therefore has no memory of the 1970’s) wtf these things are? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-earth-shoes/504665/6 "2009-07-29T18:00:32Z")
> [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](#): > > Anyone care to explain (to someone who was born in 1985 and therefore has no memory of the 1970’s) wtf these things are? Someone noticed footprints at the beach and discovered that when we walk, we put much more weight on our heels than we do on the balls of our feet. They concluded that that is a more natural way to walk. Most shoes don’t really let that happen. Earth Shoes have the heel lower than the ball, supposedly allowing for this more natural walking style. I don’t know that anyone has really done a legitimate study on if they make a huge difference to your health. ---
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-earth-shoes/504665/7 "2009-07-29T18:21:43Z")
Their website is [here](http://www.earthfootwear.com/). I own a pair of their sneakers, because someone here recommended them for plantar fasciitis, and I decided to give it a shot. Reviews I found online were distinctly mixed - some said that said that they could help, and others said that it actually make it worse. It took me at least a week to get used to them - and my legs killed me for the first few days. I haven’t had a problem with plantar fasciitis since, though, I must admit. ---
**Author:** ![ethelbert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@ethelbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ethelbert)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-earth-shoes/504665/8 "2009-07-29T20:12:27Z")
Back in the 70’s I was so sold on this idea that I made two separate attempts to wear them. Neither attempt was successful. I could not get past the hurting part. ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-earth-shoes/504665/9 "2009-07-29T21:14:05Z")
I had some as a teen in the 70s. They were comfortable, and they made me the gorgeous, intelligent, fascinating, kind, humble person I am today. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-earth-shoes/504665/10 "2009-07-29T21:37:18Z")
> [@Nightingale](#): > > I have issues with my feet – plantar fasciitis and bunions, not to mention being a fat woman who is on her feet for most of the day At the risk of sounding rude, losing some extra weight would probably do more good for your feet than a fancy pair of shoes. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-earth-shoes/504665/11 "2009-07-29T23:17:25Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > [OT]Oh good lord, are they back? That’s one '70s fad I never expected to see revived.[/OT] Haha, you want old-time fads? Celyn is currently wearing Clark’s Start-rite sandals and feeling very retro and stompy. 😃 If the name makes no sense in the USA, well, they’re basically shoes that every second kid was wearing in Britain in the late 1960s/early 1970s, meant to be healthy for growing feet and all that. Oho, - here is example: [http://www.startriteshoes.com/childrens-shoes/girls/5322\_1/ELIZA](http://www.startriteshoes.com/childrens-shoes/girls/5322_1/ELIZA) No, I doubt I’ll be heading for any classy nightclubs. 😃 The Earth Shoes sound fun, but wouldn’t the unaccustomed strain on one’s calves be upsetting for a while? I’m basing this mainly on times of wearing shoes when there’s a "heel falls off "disaster. They might be a good idea, though, as I’m convinced that any “fashionable” shoe I see is pretty nasty. Something to put on my buy-them-some-day list.. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-earth-shoes/504665/12 "2009-07-29T23:20:55Z")
> [@Chicken\_Fingers](#): > > I had some as a teen in the 70s. They were comfortable, and they made me the gorgeous, intelligent, fascinating, kind, humble person I am today. Well, that settles it. If all those things come free with the shoes, I could use some of that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sticks_and_scones/32/16951_2.png) [@Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sticks_and_Scones)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-earth-shoes/504665/13 "2009-07-29T23:21:22Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > At the risk of sounding rude, losing some extra weight would probably do more good for your feet than a fancy pair of shoes. Should she traipse around in her bunny slippers whilst she’s losing that weight? Actually, I’ve been looking into Earth Shoes myself. Although I need wide widths and I don’t think they have much a selection. ---
**Author:** ![Nightingale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@Nightingale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightingale)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-earth-shoes/504665/14 "2009-07-29T23:38:01Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > [OT]Oh good lord, are they back? That’s one '70s fad I never expected to see revived.[/OT] Apparently the brand is doing pretty well; [Zappos.com](http://Zappos.com) carries 499:eek: different styles. I wore them for a good while today while walking the mall, and they were pretty comfortable. We’ll see how I feel about them tomorrow! I became interested in them when a coworker bought a pair of MBT shoes, which also have a negative heel. She loves hers and says that they have really made a difference to her legs and back after a 12 hour shift at the hospital, but I didn’t really want to commit $245 to a pair of work shoes. The Earth Shoes seemed like a good compromise. **Always Brings Pie** , I have wide feet too, and the Earth Shoes fit me just fine, so they might be worth trying. > [@You wanna kick MY ass?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-wanna-kick-my-ass/470414/97): > > At the risk of sounding rude, losing some extra weight would probably do more good for your feet than a fancy pair of shoes. Gee, why didn’t I think of that. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-earth-shoes/504665/15 "2009-07-29T23:54:10Z")
Yeesh, that takes me back. I was in the rehearsal room used by the Men’s Chorus at Loyola Marymount University (this would put it at Fall, 1977). Paul Salamunovich had just finished running us through one of our songs, and IIRC, he was looking for the next song he wanted to work on. Father Trame came up to read out announcements (things like: when the roll call was going to be for our next concert), and when he finished, he said we should all try a pair of Earth Shoes, they made standing and walking so much more comfortable (even if they did take some getting used to). Paul said we couldn’t wear them to the concert (black dress shoes only, don’tcha know, with the tuxes). I went right out and bought a pair, and wore the hell out of them for the next year. They _were_ pretty comfortable, very roomy in the front part of the foot, and yes, they did make me feel unbalanced for about the first week. I never bought another pair, though. Just too expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-earth-shoes/504665/16 "2009-07-30T00:22:37Z")
My Earth shoes died a natural death in the early 80’s. I seemed to be the only one I knew wearing them so I faced scorn and ridicule. I should have worn the kind that made me gorgeous, intelligent, fascinating, kind, and humble. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-earth-shoes/504665/17 "2009-07-30T01:21:24Z")
I have a pair of Earth Shoes. Lazers. They, along with Birkenstocks, really helped with my Morton’s neuroma and helped me avoid surgery (so far). ---
**Author:** ![Nightingale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@Nightingale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightingale)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-earth-shoes/504665/18 "2009-07-30T02:36:42Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > I have a pair of Earth Shoes. Lazers. They, along with Birkenstocks, really helped with my Morton’s neuroma and helped me avoid surgery (so far). I got the Lazers too, in Bay Leaf Green. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-earth-shoes/504665/19 "2009-07-30T02:42:44Z")
> [@Nightingale](#): > > I got the Lazers too, in Bay Leaf Green. Mine are “Desert.” Not the color I would have chosen, usually, but once the store put them on my feet I wasn’t willing to take them off and wait for a different color in my size. 😃 I’m going to have to get a new pair soon. I think I’m going for [Nolita](http://www.planetshoes.com/itemmatrix.asp?groupcode=3637&Item=Earth-Nolita&Brand=Earth&gender=women&cc=footwear) next time. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-earth-shoes/504665/20 "2009-07-30T14:22:29Z")
I had some way back in the 70s and they caused back problems for me. The problems went away a few months after I ditched the shoes.