Five Fingers change the way we walk. They change they way we posture and they change the way we run. For years I asserted my dominance physically by standing tall, wearing shoes with slight heels and striding heel first across the room. It felt powerful to stand straight up or even lean back a little. I made sure to always keep my shoulders back and head high so I could communicate with people the way I wanted to.

Confidence is the first thing we notice about people and the way they hold themselves is a good indicator of that. Until I became a Five Finger guy, I thought power was portrayed from an upright, heels-first position, like people in parades. I’ve seen plenty of regal figures who walked the same way.

Man, was I wrong. Walking like that is something only a sissy does, because you aren’t ready to react to anything. You aren’t ready to run or to fight. And it feels unnatural. I used to hold myself like that, but I don’t anymore. Now I walk relaxed, but always toe first. I always lean forward a bit and I seem to be in continual motion. My appetite has changed, too, as I don’t like overly-processed, heat and serve type meals. It feels weak and unmanly.

Five Fingers are the healthy way to get your groove back and here’s why:

1. Walking naturally makes you FEEL more athletic
I’m more aware of my surroundings, better able to judge the steadiness of a surface and always careful where I’ll step. This has made walking in the cities much easier, as there’s less chance of stepping off of a curb or on a grate. That hurts.

2. I feel like a hunter/gatherer
I know it sounds weird, but it’s totally true. I want to obtain things, hunt food and go on adventures in my Five Fingers. I want to step light and fast. I want to eat fresh things from trees and the ground. I want to eat a Paleo diet.

3. Smaller steps keeps you on guard
I get that modern society allows us to relax and not worry about being done harm, but I’d prefer to take a few precautions. Because I take short, quick steps in Five Fingers, I feel much more agile and therefore able to avoid whatever I need to, from people with baby strollers at the fair to packed networking conferences where it’s far too easy to spill a drink.

Do you feel different when you wear your Five Fingers?