Gino Romanelli BS Ex Sci, FMS2, FCS, Elite Trainer
Introduction
Do your feet hurt at the end of the day? What if I told you this is caused by your shoes and not spending more time being barefoot?In this post, we will review the foot issues caused by the design of our current footwear and what we can do to correct it.
Problems With Our Current Shoe Brands
At some point in our lives, we have bought shoes based on fashion, not function. With this approach, there are now more foot issues than ever. These include plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the plantar fascia causing heel pain), bunions (a deformed big toe that faces inward), and hammertoes (joint of the second toe pulled upwards). These issues are the result of the current structure of shoes. First, current shoes have a very narrow toe box. This smashes the toes together not allowing them to space out causing bunions and hammertoes. Second, the midsole is curved in a U shape causing the toes and heel not to be level. This places extra stress on the plantar fascia causing it to become inflamed. Lastly, most of these shoes have an artificial arch. With the artificial arch, the muscles that control the arch of your foot no longer have to work. This structure of shoes causes our feet to become weak and unstable leading to, not only foot issues but ankle, knee, hip, and lower back problems
Why Buy Barefoot Shoes?
First, let’s visit the structure of a barefoot shoe. Barefoot shoes are designed to be shaped to the anatomy of your foot. This includes having a wide-toe box, zero drop (heels and toes are level), flexibility in all directions, no arch support, and thin soles (3-10mm thick). This design will allow your toes to spread out and all the muscles in your feet to do the work. This will assist in correcting plantar fasciitis, bunions, and hammertoes. The only thing better than wearing barefoot shoes is being barefoot.
How to Adapt to Wearing Bearfoot Shoes
The first week or so of wearing barefoot shoes can be uncomfortable if you are not used to them. However, there are a couple of steps to ease into them. The first step is to spend more time than you currently do barefoot. Next, start with a thicker-soled barefoot shoe so you have more support. After you adapt to this and they become comfortable, you can make the switch to a more minimalist one.
Barefoot and Barefoot Shoes Working out
At The Bar and Plate, our members work out stocking feet or in barefoot shoes. This allows them to be more balanced throughout their workout. If you are to wear a regular running shoe when working out the design (U-shaped and narrow toe box) will cause you to have uneven distribution of weight across the foot. Being barefoot allows you to distribute weight across your foot evenly. When doing exercises like the squat or deadlift, for example, this is vital so you can focus on the correct form of the exercise without adjusting for the unrealistic balance forced by your shoes.
What Now?
There are plenty of barefoot shoes but The Bar and Plate recommends Xero Shoes. This brand has the most diverse selection of running shoes, boots (winter and hiking), sandals, water, and training shoes! While getting your feet into a pair of barefoot shoes is a great first step, correcting the feet issues listed above is just the start. You will also need corrective exercises to complete this intervention. To find what corrective exercises you need, click the link below for more information.