my wife did not have to go through many of these structural changes

Beginning barefoot running will most likely create some structural changes in your feet, particularly if you have been wearing shoes just for a long time.

 Prior to barefoot running, I was someone who wore shoes most of my life, and for the past 18 years had been wearing tightly laced athletic shoes during my intensive running career. This resulted in my foot had to go though many (sometimes painful) structural changes as I began training for barefoot running.

 I will detail these changes below; however I will first note that my wife did not have to go through many of these structural changes, because she had spent the majority of her childhood and much of her life going barefoot or in minimal footwear, and thus her feet were better adapted to barefoot running to begin with. Should you go barefoot often, you might not have to deal with the structural changes the following as you start barefoot running.

 1. Barefoot running structural change #1: Spreading from the toes.

 My toes were very close together when I began barefoot running, and my outer toes even curled beneath the ones alongside them a little. As I began barefoot running my toes all started to disseminate, until today, they're quite separate. I have tried personally "toe spreaders" whilst not out barefoot running sometimes, to help this beneficial spreading process.

 2. Barefoot running structural change #2: Bones becoming unfused in forefoot.

 If you have been wearing shoes for a long time, you might find as I did that the metatarsals (small bones in your forefoot) have actually become bonded or fused together, with cartilage. One way to determine if this has happened would be to attempt to wiggle or move your toes independently; if you cannot, your cartilage may have bonded your bones inside your forefoot and you'll be in for any painful "loosening" while you begin barefoot running.

 My experience when i began barefoot running was that the insides of my feet were in a substantial amount of pain because the cartilage broke apart internally. The best way to cope with this is to begin barefoot running slowly, so that it doesn't happen too rapidly; also to use cold water foot baths to soak the feet in after running. You can also use Traumeel, a gel with arnica in it, to rub in your feet. Nevertheless, you will also just have to cope chaussure de foot mercurial with some pain as this happens, I understand of no way to completely cure it. But it goes away as you keep barefoot running and your foot heals.

 3. Barefoot running structural change #3: Loosening and flexibility from the toes.

 As your toes spread apart, and also the bones inside your forefoot become unfused, you will see that your toes are not only further apart and looser, but that you could start to move them independently of one another, quite simply barefoot running will help you to wiggle your toes.

 4. Barefoot running structural change #4: A wider, more muscular foot.

 My foot hasn't only become a little wider at the front, but additionally much more muscular. Also, the tendons in my feet accustomed to stand up quite a lot, and today they don't, causing my foot to look smoother and without the sharp ridges that accustomed to show from my tendons being strained.

 5. Barefoot Running structural change #5: Inability to Be comfy Wearing (Any) Shoes.

 This is not so much a structural change as a result of the structural changes you may experience barefoot running: you may find yourself unable (or unwilling) to wear normal shoes anymore. I've discovered this in my experience the case, and today I only go barefoot or wear Vibram Five Fingers copa mundial blanche (minimalist shoes with separate compartment for the toes).

 The last time I attempted to wear shoes was actually after i visited meet President Clinton at a charity dinner (I didn't think they would allow my Vibrams) and chose the preferred "dress" shoes I possibly could, some Doc Martens. My feet and back were hurting the whole night. So, you might very well wish to invest in a set of Vibram Five Fingers if you are barefoot running a lot, and obtain used to the idea that shoes may be a a part of your past!