Kendall Giles

Here's a neat idea for business cards --- make your business card the Google business card:

This certainly makes job transitioning and other status changes easier to deal with, since all you have to do is keep your Google profile up to date (as an example, here's my Google profile), and then just always point to your Google profile.

You can order your own Google business cards from, well, Google!

"The human foot is a work of art and a masterpiece of engineering." --- Leonardo Da Vinci

The above quote is from a study on the natural form of the foot and proper running form based on the natural biomechanics of the human form. So it's too bad people shove those works of art and engineering into cramped shoes with thick, padded inserts, leading to bad running form, back and leg pains, and poor posture!

Folks who like to stay healthy often participate in a variety of activities --- running, jogging, hiking, lifting weights, kettlebells, martial arts, RKC, crossfit, etc. And then there's just walking around. All of these activities put a lot of stress on our feet, and the type of shoe we wear impacts our performance. In learning how to run, I discussed the problems some may have with squishy running shoes --- complete with inflexible soles and soft inserts --- especially since those shoes tend to promote the heel-strike running form, and are very unstable for use in the gym when lifting weights. In addition, those shoes, and many other shoes in general, prevent the development of leg stabilizer muscles, important for many functional activities, since they keep the toes of the feet trapped in the toe box and the squishy shoe padding prevents proper contact with the ground.

In fact, here's a timely article on running as nature meant, rather than as the shoe marketers want: "Will Running Barefoot Cure What Ails Us?".

So what is best for these activities, while helping us use a form Leonardo would be proud of?

One idea is to do what the body was meant to do --- go barefoot! I love walking in my bare feet, feeling the grass or sand beneath my toes. In some sense, walking barefoot feels like, well, freedom. However, the modern world sometimes frowns on folks in bare feet, and I don't like stepping on things that hurt. But with the Vibram FiveFingers shoes (sometimes called VFFs) my feet are free and safe!

Long a maker of quality soles for mountaineering boots and other footwear, Vibram designed a new type of shoe. This unconventional shoe is winning awards (e.g., it was named one of the best inventions of 2007 by Time Magazine) and gaining notice as fitness professionals and just plain folks are discovering the benefits of these shoes.

The company makes several models, and I've been enjoying the KSO (Keep Stuff Out) version. This version has a mesh covering the top of the foot and a velcro strap to keep the shoe snug. They also make other versions, such as the classic, the sprint, and the flow.

In addition to being a casual shoe that is very comfortable, I also wear them when working out, especially when lifting weights and running. This is one shoe that fits almost all activities (well, except for coat and tie occasions). They feel like your foot is wearing a soft glove, and when walking around you really can sense the ground beneath your feet. When I run, my body uses a more natural running form, where the foot lands on the fore/mid foot, rather than on the heel as when using squishy running shoes. When lifting weights, I am much more stable, especially in squats and overhead presses, and so am able to lift more weight and get a better workout (and am safer doing so, too).

When I first got them, I wore them the entire day without trouble --- no blisters, no soreness. Definitely happy feet! However, some folks have noted muscle soreness when first wearing them, so you may want to ease into them by wearing them just a few hours at a time. This is because your foot is likely not to have the muscle strength and support structure needed to handle long periods of walking barefoot.

What's not to like about them? Well, you may not like looking like a hobbit, but these shoes are certainly no uglier than the sandals, crocs, and basketball shoes that many people wear! In fact, you may find yourself the center of attention --- people *will* ask you what is on your feet!

You can order them on Amazon, from Vibram itself, or from a variety of outdoors and fitness resellers, such as Kayak Shed.

UPDATE: check out this great article from RKC Mark Cheng on the Vibram Five Fingers shoe, and why you should not settle for sub-optimal training (i.e., cheating nature).

Here's a really cool new feature: you can subscribe to my blog on Amazon --- this is my blog's subscription link. This will automatically load onto your Kindle my blog so that you will always be able to read it, even if you do not have Internet access. Also, the Kindle version has just my articles --- it removes a lot of the other ads and sidebars that are on my main web-access version.

Just as an example, here is a Kindle screenshot of one of my articles:

As you can see, the images turn out pretty good, and the text font size is freely sizable, as always on the Kindle.

The low monthly price (which was set by Amazon, by the way) will help me create better reviews and discussion pieces, so thank you in advance for your support!

Here's my new office at VCU:

After being on a lot of travel lately, I was pleasantly startled as I walked out into my backyard last night to hear a chorus of frogs greet me in welcome:

frog talk, mp3, 32 seconds.

How many different critters can you hear?