My barefoot path has led me to Paleo Paws, my new best pals!
In life, there are relationships that obviously work – think ‘strawberries and cream’ for example, and those that shouldn’t – like strawberries and balsamic vinegar (yes I have an abundance of wild strawberries in my garden at the moment, hence the analogies but stick with me)
Chain mail shoes for bare feet definitely fall into the latter group.
They shouldn’t work. It’s as unlikely as a chocolate teapot.
But they do – and they work beautifully.
I am lucky enough to have been trying them out for the last two weeks and am not ashamed to say I am a little addicted. My feet have new best friends.
When I first heard about Paleo Paws, I was sceptical to say the least; gloves for feet I could just about comprehend; running socks I could grasp but barefoot shoes made from chain mail??? My Reptilian mind (the bit concerned with self-survival) leapt into action – “ohhh be careful; they’ll rub, they’ll be so uncomfortable, they’ll dig into your feet.”
Just goes to show, don’t believe all your reptile tells you.
I am going to forego the history of the Paleos (a short history; they were only ‘created’ just over 2 years ago) and how they came about, in favour of sharing the benefits I have experienced personally.
Think outside the box
I was immediately impressed as I opened the metal box they arrived in. The presentation is beautiful and demands your full attention. You immediately know you have something special in your hands. And then you lift one of the ‘shoes’ out of its box and you’re attention leaps to another level. Oooh, they feel good, all slinky and familiar and just ‘right’ somehow. And yet that Reptilian mind is still urging caution … “wait til you put them on; how can they possibly be comfortable?”
So you slip them onto your bare feet. Ahhhh. Your feet are immediately engaged. Suddenly you enter a whole new dimension. A new World. A World in which you can explore the great outdoors barefoot until your heart’s content, knowing your feet are as Nature intended and yet protected. They are quite simply the closest to being barefoot you will ever be but with the luxury of having peace of mind too. They offer protection from puncture wounds without compromising your barefoot journey.
Mind bending metal
As the proud bearer of the title, “the first person to run across Wales barefoot”, I obviously will be using them for barefoot running over unfriendly terrain, such as stone and rock and this is primarily the market they are ‘dipping their toes’ into at the moment. However they have potential to appease a much, much wider audience, from water-sports to walking and I’m sure much more in between.
On a practical note, when I first ran in them, I felt that they were a little ‘baggy’ and I wondered if I had the right size. After meeting their creator, Jorg Peitzter, I was reassured that this is how they are supposed to feel as he explained, that little bit of room allows your toes to spread out in a natural barefoot way. He also demonstrated how chainmail stretches – and that is another mind-mash – surely metal shouldn’t stretch!? Calm down Reptile!
I am not going to over-do my own running experience in Paleos suffice to say, they add to my barefoot running sessions not detract from them. There are other fabulously detailed reviews from barefoot runners on the GoSt Barefoot website and whilst I categorically believe they are the best barefoot shoe (we must surely think of a better description) on the market, they seem to have led me to discover another deeper dimension to my own barefoot path.
Chain mail magic
My own personal Paleo passion appears to be primeval. They take me to a primal place; they nudge a latent memory of a primal state. They make me feel warrior-like, a little invincible even. And that is the perfect antidote to the vulnerability that being barefoot can evoke. They are quite simply ‘chain mail magic’.
One of my most joyous moments was realising I could feel the ground temperature and it’s fluctuation, through the Paleos. That is pure unadulterated connection. And it is that aspect of the Paleos that intrigues and engages me the most – their ability to actually amplify my connection to the ground. I use my Paleos whenever I can when I am outdoors on a natural terrain (I am lucky that that is more often than not – and not just running of course) and I have found without a shadow of a doubt that the Earthing or Grounding aspect is enhanced – even from that experienced by being totally barefoot. 
Now I’m not sure whether that is simply to do with the metal content improving conductivity or whether it is because my mind is allowed the luxury of not having to concern itself with the safety aspects of being barefoot. It is therefore completely connected to the ground without any inhibition. Does that make sense?
When I walk totally barefoot I think there is always a part of my mind (maybe that Reptiley bit) that is occupied with watching out for hostile objects. When I walk or run in the Paleos, I have complete confidence in their protection and therefore feel my connection elevates to a new level. And of course they allow safe access to water, our Life Force. Whether in the guise of puddles, rivers or the sea, with Paleo protection, you can enter them all without fear of hidden hostilities.
With regard to innovative inventors, I have always loved the saying that “not only was Alexander Bell looking for the telephone; the telephone was looking for him.” And it reminds me very much of Jorg and his Paleos. They were destined to meet. As with all of my discoveries, I can only share them and encourage you to explore them for yourself. If you are reading this it may well be time for you to meet with Paleos.
And as a final footnote (pun intended), whilst I appreciate this is not a conventional review of what is definitely a unique and effective barefoot shoe; I embrace the unconventional and urge you to do the same. Aho.
