FreeTheFoot was born from building connections with people who are passionate about questions of movement and nature…
Is it our fault that we don't move when our jobs demand we sit? What if moving is affected by a lack of fresh air and shelter against traffic? Should I move if my body hurts?
These were just some of the questions that sparked FreeTheFoot back in 2018.
On a basic level, FreeTheFoot started when its founder was introduced to minimalist (or “zero drop”) footwear. Suddenly, regular running shoes seemed to make concentration, balance, and movement harder… and many other people on social media and in her new movement circle felt the same way.
This journey unfolded further in many classrooms - fascial stretch therapy, gymnastics foundations, personal training, pilates and more. Here were many like-minded professionals gathering to learn new skills - personal trainers, athletes, physiotherapists, osteopaths, massage therapists, rehabilitation specialists, doctors… Many eagerly discussed the need for “grounding”, nature in urban landscapes, modern transit systems, and more.
Many conversations hit the same wall: without meaningful change in urban landscapes, our problems remain baked in to day-to-day lives. And even to escape this - travelling to “cottage country” for example - people often don’t have enough money or time.
But we are symbiotic with nature. Physical and emotional therapies are more successful in nature for both the therapist and the patient. And with greater access to nature, perhaps our dependency on therapy would be reduced overall. All signs point to the fact that nature must be an everyday part of our existance. Therefore, it must be accessible.
Compared to other countries, Canada is very behind in this respect.
The journey of discovery expanded into the realms of construction and urban planning. Venturing to the west coast to explore natural building concepts (such as building with clay). Seeing greater opportunity for urban design featuring the free flow of air and people. And taking part in grassroots initiatives to liberate the natural environment in urban areas, such as (legally) tearing up old concrete and replacing it with gardens.
And the movement keeps on growing.
Today, “FreeTheFoot” means more than just wearing minimalist shoes. It means trading in sedentary lifestyles for ones filled with movement - and even better, moving within nature. Sometimes this means changing our footwear, other times it means investigating the root cause of our issues, and many times it means advocating for communities that enable us - rather than restrict us.
Some of FreeTheFoot’s activities include participating in City of Hamilton’s Cycling Network to improve our network of bike paths and working with Cable14 to produce a short documentary on walking across Hamilton using its extensive trail network.
There is no way into the future but one that is more conscious of the things we have learned today.
