In a recent Carabo Cup match against Preston North End, the Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling, with the game barely a minute old, collected a pass wide on the left, guided the ball past the fullback, who put his body into Sterling, sending him to the ground with a thump that was almost audible.
Sterling was quickly up and unamused, words were exchanged, he moved in obvious discomfort. Every Manchester City fan and millions of Raheem Sterling fans held their breath. He ran through the pain and 18 minutes later collected a pass and turned in one movement by the half line, accelerated away from his marker, charged into the box, three fakes and slightly deflected shot later, he scored.
A lot went into that moment, all the people who had helped him on his way, and his own determination to become a success as a football player. But I want to focus on one of the basic building blocks of this athlete.
Now this is a sensitive subject, being barefoot is widely regarded as a sign of poverty and no responsible parent would ever allow their child to suffer such an indignity, but Raheem’s mum can be forgiven, if during her own battles, he occasionally went without shoes, maybe even played a game of ‘scrimmage’ barefoot, like everyone else on the barren dustbowl of an open lot, beside a gully.
This player has had 30+ games in the EPL each of the past 3 seasons. He has also been subject to some of the most cynical challenges we see in the modern game, and is not afraid to put his body on the line when needed. He is one of the smallest players in the league. Of his teammates, who may be considered peers, only Bernado Silva has similar availability. Gabrie Jesus and Leroy Sane have both had their availability reduced by long term injuries.
This is not luck, Stephen Gerrard, some years back, remarked on how strong Sterling was, something you would not know until shoulder to shoulder with him. This strength is a core strength, and it begins in the feet, and extends throughout the body. It can only be built by being barefoot, especially during your early years.
The human foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, over a hundred muscles, tendons and ligaments, the reason we can stand erect is the Gluteus Maximus, the reason we walk and run, the foot. Yet the story of the last few centuries has been to reduce the use of the foot, resulting in atrophy, which in turn has led to many problems in the rest of the body as we do not develop the strength to support ourselves.
Shoes were a technology which enabled us to operate in otherwise hostile environments, but it weakened us, by preventing the feet from operating correctly. More recently we have seen ever more sophisticated shoes for ordinary living and exercising, as we seek to compensate for the fact that our feet no longer work.
The arch in the foot, both strong and supple, has widely collapsed in modern populations, robbing us of explosive power and transmitting imbalances up our body, to knees, hips and backs, resulting in weakness and injury.
Our feet are on average two sizes bigger than our ancestors’, as they have flattened and spread, because of disuse.
Walking barefoot in a controlled environment can help to rebuild the foot, sand or grass, a few times a week is good. Exercising in sandals, with minimal support to the foot is also helpful. The Raramuri, a people living in the Sierra Madras , modern Mexico, think nothing of strapping on their sandals and running 50km up and down the mountainside for the next party. The sandals offer protection while allowing the foot to work, every step a surprise, forcing countless micro adjustments as the brain and body which work together to balance and propel.
No matter your age, you can practice going without shoes for a while, each day. The best gift to your child, do not rush to get them into shoes.
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