Vivobarefoot, a pioneer in minimalist footwear, proudly announces the release of “Unbound,” a compelling short documentary that challenges conventional beliefs about women’s footwear and its impact on health. This initiative seeks to empower women to reclaim their natural strength and embrace the benefits of barefoot movement. For centuries, societal norms have perpetuated the idea that “beauty is pain,” leading many women to endure discomfort from narrow, pointy, and heeled shoes.

These footwear choices have often been linked to persistent foot problems and broader health issues. “Unbound” delves into this narrative, shedding light on the adverse effects of modern footwear and advocating for a return to natural foot movement.The documentary is a collaboration with visionary filmmaker Becky Hutner, known for “Fashion Reimagined,” and Oscar-nominated producer Melissa Robledo of “Food, Inc.”

It features insights from five women across diverse fields—including medicine, academia, sports, wellness, and indigenous culture—each sharing their holistic health journeys and perspectives on the importance of natural foot health.Among them are, Tati Gabrielle, pictured below.

She advocates for strong feet which connect with the ground and how this has played an important role in her personal wellness (scoliosis, mental health), and in her Martial Arts training, which will be showcased in Mortal Kombat in Fall 2025, her biggest role yet. Others featured in the movie are Radhi Devulkia-Shetty, a plant-based cookbook author and natural health thought leader; Rina Harris, a functional podiatrist; Bonnie Wright, a Hollywood star in her youth (Ginny Weasley from Harry Potter); Arizona Muse — and why off-duty models prefer to be barefoot. 

“Unbound” is not just a film; it’s a movement encouraging women to question what’s ‘normal’ in footwear, reclaim their natural strength, and discover the joy of barefoot movement. By highlighting personal stories and expert opinions, the documentary aims to inspire a shift towards healthier footwear choices and overall well-being. Vivobarefoot invites everyone to watch “Unbound” and join the conversation on women’s footwear liberation.

The documentary is available for viewing on the Vivobarefoot website.

For more information, please visit Vivobarefoot Women’s Barefoot Liberation.

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“Bad Lemon (Creep)” (2019)

New York-based artist Kathleen Ryan creates small glittering sculptures that conjure up conflicting emotional responses. Stay with me on this.

She encrusts common fruit forms in precious and semi-precious stones, meticulously curating placement, texture and color to produce realistic versions of rotten molding flesh. The result is grotesque and stunningly pretty.

“Bad Peach” (2019)

Ryan creates coated polystyrene bases, larger than real fruit, onto which she paints her desired extent of surface decay.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2ekksLBx-2/?utm_source=ig_embed

Her extensive palette of gemstones includes opal, malachite, onyx, quartz, rhodonite, jasper, unakite, amazonite, sesame jasper, olive jade, fluorite, lodolite, amethyst, lapis lazuli, agate, Russian serpentine, marble, ruby in zoisite, abalone shell, bone, coral, freshwater pearl, petrified wood, and glass.

“Bad Lemon (Sour Sparkle)” (2019), detail

She places each stone individually, securing each with steel pins and occasionally mastic. The finished pieces ranging from 6 to 29 inches.

“The sculptures are beautiful and pleasurable, but there’s an ugliness and unease that comes with them,” the artist told The New York Times. Ryan artist studied Studio Art and Anthropology at Pitzer College and received a Master’s of Fine Arts from U.C.L.A.

This reminds me of a long-ago Green Prophet story about a French artist who employed insects to craft spectacular “jewelry”. Hubert Duprat uses adolescent caddisflies to create gorgeous tubular forms out of gold leaf, pearls and gemstones. 

Impeccable craftsmanship reinterprets decay. Creepy insects create fine jewelry. Often our most evocative experiences involve a straddling of contradictory concepts and incompatible emotions. 

Are these pieces monstrous of amazing? That’s yours to decide.

Ryan is represented by London-based Josh Lilley, and Los Angeles-based François Ghebaly and explore her work on their gallery websites. See more of Ryan’s wide-ranging artistic practice on Instagram.

IMAGES:: All images courtesy the artist and Josh Lilley, London. Photographs by Lance Brewer.

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