How Modern Shoes Have Weakened Our Feet | Galahad Clark

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Each one of your feet has 26 bones, 33 joints and over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. And for thousands of years, feet have helped humans navigate their surroundings and strengthen their connection to the earth. But now, we shove our feet into rubber-soled foot coffins that weaken our feet and cut off our connection to nature. It’s time to free our feet and let them guide us once again.

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Galahad Clark is a 7th-generation shoemaker. And now he’s getting our feet back to their roots with VIVOBarefoot.

As a teenager, Galahad spent summer holidays on various show production lines in Europe and Asia. However, after school, he went to America on a scholarship to study Chinese and Anthropology. It was there that he founded Students 4 Students International, an organization that helps disadvantaged students in Africa go to the best schools. In 2003, Galahad started his first shoe project inspired by his love of the Wu-Tang Clan called “Wu Shoes.” He now focuses all his energy on Vivobarefoot, an innovative natural health company that makes footwear to strengthen your feet.

Along with his cousin Asher, Galahad started Vivobarefoot to bring back the original human shoemaking principles. They draw upon simple barefoot design principles for optimum foot health and natural movement. Studies prove that wearing Vivobarefoot for six months can make your feet 60% stronger– meaning the Clark cousins achieved what they set out to do. Together, they hope to change the way people look at the foot and body connection. On a quest to become a net-positive business to regenerate human and planetary health, Vivobarefoot also runs ReVivo. This secondary market is the first of its kind for professionally reconditioned footwear– to keep them on feet and away from landfills.

In this episode,

Galahad explains just how amazing human feet really are. Vivobarefoot footwear are the only shoes I ever wear– I keep a pair in my car, just in case I need to run inside somewhere. I’ve always hated shoes. I feel most connected to the earth when I’m barefoot. So it’s so cool to talk to a 7th-generation shoemaker that feels the same way! In this conversation, Galahad explains the complex machinery that is human feet, and how you can strengthen your feet to improve your overall health. After all, he doesn’t consider Vivobarefoot a footwear company– it’s a natural health lifestyle company. Because your feet are connected to your health!