Dr. Mark Cucuzzella and The Natural Running Center

The Natural Running Center or NRC has been a great source of knowledge in our own search towards the perfect barefoot shoe, the majority of Dr. Cucuzzella's research and findings have been disclosed, organized, and peer reviewed in this digital library. 

In the process of designing The Goat Grip™, we relied on all of the resources provided by the NRC to identify which characteristics made a proper barefoot shoe. Elements like a zero-drop sole (meaning your toes and heel are horizontally aligned), preserving sensory input, and having a toe box wide enough to allow for the feet to spread out were key to respecting the principles Dr. Cucuzzella highlights as pillars to proper feet mechanics.

Furthermore, our minds were opened to the idea that "arch support" does not look like a thick, cushioned insole as we've been conditioned to think. True arch support is fostering feet muscle growth, in order for them to naturally preserve the shape, and spring-like function of the arch, which is mainly done by freeing them from conventional footwear. 

We would love to invite you to visit this extensive body of research, and medically-tested data to deepen your knowledge in the topic of barefoot shoes, and how essential feet health is to the overall wellbeing of our bodies. It helped us not only design Goat Grip, but to understand all the areas in which we can provide value to our community with anatomically respectful products. 

We'll keep sharing all of the resources we can, and hope you enjoy the educational process as much as we do.