Mark Sisson ran for decades in cushioned shoes and paid for it with a hip replacement he believes was preventable.
Seven Gs of force hit your hip with every step in cushioned shoes, versus one or two when your feet can feel the ground. That number reframed everything I thought I knew about footwear.
Mark is the forefather of the primal movement, founder of Primal Kitchen and Peluva, and he’s spent decades studying what keeps a body moving into its 70s and beyond.
Wide-toebox shoes alone will not undo a lifetime of damage. Mark explains why toe articulation is the piece almost everyone misses, and why the big toe, the most important joint in the foot, shows its lost function in your knees, hips, and glutes.
Also covered: Failure Magazine, a $1.5M TV flop, the pivot that became Mark’s Daily Apple, cold plunges, keto, TRT, biohacking, and why chasing a top-2% VO2 max might cost you your life.
If your feet hurt, your knees hurt, or you want to still be walking at 90, this one’s worth listening to.
Visit peluva.com/lukestorey and use code LUKESTOREY for 10% off.
You'll learn:
[0:00] Introduction
[8:25] How years of entrepreneurial setbacks led Mark to Mark's Daily Apple
[20:43] Why minimalist runners kept getting horribly injured
[26:53] Foot health as the lowest-hanging fruit in longevity
[32:07] Toe spacers versus individual toe slots
[38:56] Feeling every airport step through minimal footwear
[46:00] How breaking a hip triggers a fatal domino effect, and managing risk with age
[57:31] Why pointy shoes fight your natural foot shape, and the fashion barrier to five-toe shoes
[1:05:21] Mark's cold plunge story and when it negates your workout gains
[1:13:18] Training to stay uninjured in your seventies, and how diet builds metabolic flexibility
[1:22:24] Mark's take on supplements and TRT, and why chasing a top VO2 max isn't the goal
[1:27:26] Biohacking as the day trading of health
[1:35:55] Three teachers who shaped Mark's path
Resources Mentioned:
Primal Kitchen | Website
Know the Cause | Website
Mark's Daily Apple | Website
Read: Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall | Book
Bunions | Wikipedia
Plantar Fasciitis | Wikipedia
Metabolic Flexibility | Wikipedia
Qitone Powder Peptides | Shop
TRT | Wikipedia
VO2 Max | Wikipedia
Full show notes at lukestorey.com/barefoot
Find more from Mark:
Mark Sisson | Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTok
Peluva | Website | Instagram
The Primal Kitchen | YouTube
Read: Born to Walk: The Broken Promises of the Running Boom, and How to Slow Down and Get Healthy―One Step at a Time by Mark Sisson and Brad Kearns | Book
Read: The Primal Blueprint: Reprogram Your Genes for Effortless Weight Loss, Vibrant Health, and Boundless Energy by Mark Sisson | Book
Find more from Luke:
Luke Storey | Website | Instagram | Facebook | X | YouTube | LinkedIn
My new book, A Horse Named Lonesome, launches November 17, 2026. Pre-order now at ahorsenamedlonesome.com and get bonuses: access to my Inner Circle Book Club, an exclusive Lonesome Conversations six-part miniseries, and an ebook transcript of the series.
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