How often do you workout on pillows? Barefoot Training and Ballistic Exercise

No, I'm not talking about when you're fooling around! Get your mind out of the gutter! I'm talking about those big, fluffy running shoes you use when you go to the gym. Side support, arch support, outsole support, midsole support, upper padding, motion control, stability control, and about a hundred other features that claim to protect your feet, allow you to run for days on end, and be totally worth the zillion dollars that people spend on them each year (not to mention the fact that you HAVE to replace them every 6 months).
Now, before you marathon runners get your panties in a bunch, let me explain that I'm talking about workout gear for weight training (even though there are lots of studies that suggest that running shoes are not good for running either). Whether your goal is to be "functionally" fit or not, the fact of the matter is that exercising with too much support actually weakens your feet and can lead to injury.
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