A few of weeks ago I was contacted by Mike Simondes of the website EarthRunners.com. He sent me an email asking me if he could send me a pair of their earthing shoes so that I could write a review on my website. I checked out his website so I could get a feel for what he was about and promptly replied that I would be happy to test their product but I could not guarantee a positive review. I would say what I thought.
So here I am saying what I think. After our initial exchange of emails he then sent me instructions by way of a video on how to measure each foot, because the sandals they were sending me were made to measure.
I took the measurements as instructed, using a pen and a few sheets of paper, and sent them the outlines of my feet back to them using a scanner. He then asked me my preferences in terms of materials used and design and 2 days later said my grounded sandals had been posted to me.
About a week later the grounded sandals arrived. Their website says “Earth Runners are minimalist ‘grounding’ footwear inspired by the world renowned long distance runners, the Tarahumara Native American Indians of Northwestern Mexico.” There are plenty of pictures and videos on there so I pretty much knew what to expect.
The peculiarity of these sandals is the sole which appears to have what looks like copper pins inlaid. As far as comfort goes I must say I am not a fan of sandals with straps between the toes but these straps are well placed and they do make it feel as though the sandal is a part of your foot when you walk.
But for me what really counts is whether they earth.
Do Earthing Shoes Really Earth?
With a view to answering this question I did some testing using a basic multimeter to obtain some body voltage readings. I did this test in my home, stood on stone tiles and using the ground on the electrical socket. Here is what I found:
With the Multimeter on the AC setting, my body voltage readings are:
unearthed (wearing insulating soles) 1770 mV
earthed (barefoot) 850 mV
earthed (wearing Quantum sandals) 1050 mV
this indicates that the sandals are effective because the AC body voltage is reduced when the sandals are worn, but the body voltage reduction is not as significant as when going barefoot.
With the Multimeter on the DC setting, my body voltage readings are:
unearthed (wearing insulating soles) 29 mV
earthed (barefoot) 900 mV
earthed (wearing Quantum sandals) 100 mV
this indicates that the sandals are effective because the DC body voltage is increased when the sandals are worn, but the DC body voltage increase is not as significant as when going barefoot.
I ran my results by Mike at Earthrunners and he gave me the following feedback:
unearthed (wearing insulating soles) 1770 mV 0% earthed
earthed (barefoot) 850 mV 52% earthed
earthed (wearing Quantum sandals) 1050 mV – 41%earthed
Mike has also done some testing, but outside on grass, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Running shoes
Thong sandals
Earth Runners
Barefoot
Are Earthing Shoes Worth The Money?
Conclusion: these sandals do earth. Would I buy them? Absolutely. As an electrosensitive person, earthing is very important to me and wearing this kind of footwear in a natural environment is a way of obtaining some of the benefits of going barefoot. Plus the fact, for every 10 pairs sold EarthRunners.com donate a pair of sandals to children in need. In buying through them you are also helping them to help others.
Any downsides? My only reservation is that which I have with any kind of grounding. Grounding in a high EMF environment could increase exposure levels, see here.
Many thanks again to Mike for the earthing shoes which I now wear regularly and I wish him all the best in his venture.
Comments
Kelly Wakefiekd said,
Ola:
Am familiar with the Taramira folks n their Chia seed n their lengthy mountain foot races.
Also learned awhile back, Roman sandles were Hob Nailed. interestin, Ya ?
Have a boy, master electricion, they wear boots witn No metal.
Foot covers, are works of art, some are Caca.
K
Peter McIntosh said,
Hi Lloyd,
Like the review and the honesty associated with it.
We also believe in earthing, even if only for a short period in the morning and evening or during the day if we can escape the office. Working around and in a high concentration of EMF – EMR makes us both very conscious of the need to take whatever precautions we can.
We do believe in energizing our biofields also to help us and are putting a lot of energy into that these days.
Good luck in marketing your new book, you have chosen an ideal target market!
Pete n Lynn (USA & Australia)
Lucille Gherardini said,
Sounds good for someone one with sensitive feet. The closest I can get to barefoot is leather moccasins. Just natural leather is that being grounded?
Lloyd said,
Hi Lucille
Leather soles will ground better than most other materials used in footwear (plastic, rubber), but having a metal connection like these earth sandals give you is better still.
Paul Von said,
Hello Lloyd,
Very interesting product. Thanks! I’ve generally been quite critical of most modern foot wear, as many contain PVC based (toxic) plastics, and the rubber or vinyl soles, isolate the body from Earth ground.
I’ve always worn 100% leather products on my feet, and have had few foot health problems as a result.
You are quite correct in suggesting that direct ground products should NOT be used in high EMF zones, as the direct ground only amplifies the body’s natural antenna effect.
pamela j. said,
wow! these look really neat. as i have electromagnetic elf/emf issues, really glad to read about these shoes. just traced my foot and ordered a pair!! yippee!!
Derick Frere said,
Hi Lloyd,
Thank you for this. I’ve ordered a pair for my daughter and me. Also a question that I’ve asked before that remains unanswered please. Do you think that listening to music on an IPhone with conventional ear phones still transmits EMF from the phone to your ears or is it more the case with actual phone calls?
Thank you
Derick
Lloyd said,
Hi Derick
iPhones can emit radiation 24/7, even when switched off (I have not tested this).This is the principal danger. You need to put the iPhone on airplane mode to stop this. The EMF exposure from listening to music through regular ear phones will be fairly insignificant compared to the potential radiation exposure of the pulsed radiation you will be exposed to if your iPhone is not in airplane mode – making phone calls will expose to yet higher doses still.
Ruth Ruddock said,
Lloyd, I value your opinions so much. Here is a question that came up for me while reading this last post: I have noticed lately that I get dizziness and head “swelling ” effects while talking on my AT&T phone that has the built in digital answering system. The phone is connected to the same phone outlet as my PC here, and I have the slow dial-up service now, since high speed internet is not offered in this area. Also, wondering if the smart meter on the house is somehow connected with this phone line and that may be what is causing my issues with it. Oddly, the phone does not always cause these issues for me, but lately it is happening more often. Any thoughts on this or readers who are experiencing the same thing?
Thank you!
Ruth/Wisconsin
Paul Von said,
Hello Ruth Ruddock,
There are several web sites that list the SAR limit or measured EMF generated by common cell phones. You usually need to input the particular model number of cell phone, but you’ll get an idea of which manufactures are on the right track, and the amount of time it may take to exceed a practical dose limit.
Do take the time to research the many warnings associated with “smart meter” technology. Here’s a link to one such site. > http://www.magdahavas.com/ Smart meters are a VERY nasty technology, and should be completely banned from manufacture, sale, or usage. Goggle the significance of the Pacific Gas and Electric class action lawsuits in California.
Please be aware that electromagnetic sensitivity is a cumulative biological process. That is: Most people become more and more sensitive to EMF radiation as exposures multiply. It is extremely wise to limit or eliminate as many exposure sources as you can.
Best regards and good health,
Paul Von
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