What Shoes Did I Wear All Through Italy?
Flip flops and Xero Shoes.
Over 50 miles of walking = ZERO foot pain.
But that wasn’t always my story.
For over 8 years, I battled chronic plantar fasciitis. I tried it all—orthotics, high-cushion stability shoes, endless PT, cortisone shots—and nothing worked. In fact, all that “support” just made things worse, eventually leading to knee pain and hip bursitis.
At one point, a surgeon even recommended cutting my plantar fascia tendon. 😳
No. Way.
I knew there had to be another path.
The Shift: From Support to Strength
That’s when I dove into the work of barefoot runners, Jay Dicharry, Kelly Starrett, Runner’s Anatomy, and Born to Run.
What I discovered changed everything:
👉 Strong feet are the foundation of healthy, injury-free running.
Your feet are your first connection to the ground. They send critical signals to your brain with every step, helping you stabilize. But when you’re 4 inches off the ground on a cushioned,
narrow platform—arch support doing the work for you—you shut down your body’s natural ability to stabilize.
Running is essentially one-legged balance with momentum. Why make it harder?
Why Most Shoes Hold You Back
The shoe industry keeps pushing $300–$400 shoes, adding carbon plates, and telling you they’ll only last a few runs. It’s no wonder so many runners end up injured and dependent on the medical system instead of their own strength.
Here’s the truth:
💥 When you strengthen your feet, ankles, and legs—the rest of your body falls into alignment.
💥 You run stronger, longer, and with less risk of injury.
💥 You don’t need “magic shoes” to run pain-free—you need strong feet.
How to Start Strengthening Your Feet
If you’ve been dealing with foot pain, recurring injuries, or just want to future-proof your running, the first step is simple: build strong, resilient feet.
🎥 Watch my foot strength video here
These exercises will help wake up your feet, improve stability, and lay the foundation for stronger, injury-free running.
Ready to Take It Further?
That’s why I created my Run Essentials Program, a system designed to help runners from 5K to marathon build strength from the ground up. You’ll learn how to:
✅ Strengthen feet, ankles, and hips
✅ Improve running form and efficiency
✅ Avoid the most common overuse injuries
✅ Run with more confidence and less pain
Want to chat instead? Schedule your FREE Triathlon Breakthrough Session and let’s do it! Click here: http://www.scheduleyou.in/5ZIsVaU
Erinne Guthrie is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach since 1999 and Chief Motivating Officer at Full Circle Coaching, LLC since 2010. Creator of the 16 week Triathlon Transformation. She has been training, racing and coaching triathletes since 1997. She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Master’s Swim Coach, Motivational Speaker, Metabolic Efficiency Specialist, Mom, Mermaid and much much more.
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