The future of barefoot shoes from BÄR

Watch the interview live on YouTube or read the full story here. The interview is about the BÄR barefoot shoes and the innovative Archraiser sole:

INTERVIEW BETWEEN DR. CLAUDIA SCHULZ AND CHRISTOF BÄR:

Dr. Claudia Schulz: Today I'm at BÄR Schuhe in Bietigheim-Bissingen and I'm very pleased that we're getting together again today for an interview, because there are lots of new things to report from BÄR. When I see all the hype at the moment about barefoot shoes - which is undoubtedly a good topic - I asked myself: BÄR is actually the protagonist and stands for the topic of barefoot shoes in general. Mr. BÄR am I right or how would you see it?

Christof Bär: Absolutely right!So I am also glad that you recognize this, Dr. Schulz, because it shows that we have also been speaking to the outside world about "walking like barefoot in the sand" since 1982, when we were founded.This has always been our theme since the company was founded, because the toe freedom we offer does not restrict the toes, i.e. we offer a completely natural way of walking via the zero heel - no one is born with a heel. That basically says it all: you walk in our shoes as if you were barefoot. And what has spread on the market today and in recent years as barefoot shoes is something that we practically helped to create. Yes, also in the last few years since around 2010 when the studies came out that barefoot running has its advantages over steamed running, so since then we have also been directly active in this niche, which has now developed out of its niche position, but this also has the disadvantage that there is a lot on the market that is called barefoot shoes but basically just means a sock with a layer of latex underneath

Dr. Claudia Schulz: That's exactly where you need to enlighten me. I think this also concerns many people who are interested in barefoot shoes.There are certainly advantages, I think so, but if I were to ask you now what distinguishes a barefoot shoe from the masses, then perhaps you could explain this to me in more detail.

Christof Bär: Yes, that was very important to say from the very beginning, even during development. Children used to wear ABS socks and that's something that has an effect at home, of course, because I don't have high demands on my running or my body, but when I go outside, I need more protection and I also need a certain amount of stabilization for my body.Even if the soles are very thin, the foot and the shoe should behave in a similar way according to the anatomy and biomechanics of the body, i.e. they should not be too tight, but they should not offer too little either. As a result, we launched a development that we then patented. This is the Archraiser, which was developed together with Dr. Norbert Becker. The Archraiser stands for lifting the arch of the foot (arch = arch, raise = lift). We can see this here on the shoe: I can regulate how tight or loose I want it to be via the lacing, depending on the area of use;

Dr. Claudia Schulz: And if I tie it tighter, will I have more energy, more muscle strength or what's the point?

Christof Bär: The muscles are bent in one direction and the difference to the footbed is that you actively participate in the movement sequence and thus build up again yourself. This means that you will then feel the effect because the muscle build-up takes place through the strain and supports the body itself. This also has the effect of improving the entire muscle system. This also influences the strain on the back and knee, as well as on the muscles and all joints:

DISCOVER THE ARCHRAISER HIKING BOOT: