31 October 2016
Research shows that most foot, knee, ankle, hip or posture problems come from shoes, cushioned shoes or poorly fitting shoes, whilst people who go barefoot/use minimalist shoes have hardly any issues.
There are more than 200,000 nerves in the feet, these nerves aid in walking/running with proper movement by communicating with the brain and informing the type of terrain being stepped on and which muscles to fire to help protect the joints by distributing pressure evenly. All of this is taken away by shoes/running shoes as the thick cushioned bottoms break the connection between the nerves and the terrain. This then makes the foot unable to function as well, causing instability and weakness. The shoe support is doing the job for the foot and the muscles in the foot are not able to fire properly.
If you go barefoot you will be able to gradually build back the strength in the arch which also aids in better posture as a lot of people suffer from collapsed arches due to wearing shoes, this will then help the knees track correctly which also travels up to the hips and lower back helping you to walk/run with better alignment. The big toe is meant to support our balance and by connecting with the ground. It then helps us to fire stabilising muscles that we should be using to walk/run with good form such as the glutes and calves.
When running, we are naturally meant to strike off of the forefoot/ ball of foot/ toe, this is called toe strike. This happens more naturally whilst barefoot and means we put less impact through the joints as we are landing lighter and using calf muscles as suspension.
With running shoes, due to the lack of communication with the terrain and thickness of the shoe we then tend to use heel strike, this puts a lot of impact stress on the ankles, knees and hips and can cause injury and pain.
If you are thinking of going barefoot/minimalist shoes then you should do it gradually as your foot may be too weak from wearing shoes, some find the transition more painful than others but the benefits outweigh this hugely.
Maybe spend 5 mins a day at first getting used to the feel of it and then add more time when you feel ready, or you could transition by lessening the support in your shoes until you’re ready to get full minimalist/barefoot shoes.
Ensure these shoes have plenty of wiggle room for your toes to be able to spread, a flexible sole so your foot is able to move naturally and a zero heel drop so that your foot is in full contact with terrain.
Happy feet = Happy Body!