The health of our feet
We are born with perfect feet – long and splayed toes. This is good balance, good gait. Due to modern shoes, our feet have changed over time. And not in a positive way. The toes are squeezed together and the balance of the leg muscles is out of place. As a result, our balance and gait suffer. The main culprit is narrow and stiff shoes. Modern shoes squeeze the toes together, causing the big toe to lean towards the other toes, have a heel rise and/or arch support, are stiff and the toe of the shoe is in the air (in English toe spring). This is definitely not the natural position of the foot and over time our feet deform. Walking disorders, foot pain, musculoskeletal problems (e.g. hallux valgus) may occur, which in the worst case may require surgery or medication to cope with the pain. The easiest way to avoid this is to let the foot function as nature intended and maintain the normal shape of the foot. How? Walk barefoot as much as possible and if this is not possible, choose comfortable and foot-friendly shoes – barefoot shoes 🙂
Barefoot shoes give your toes room to spread out. Barefoot shoes follow the natural shape of your foot. Barefoot shoes have no heel counter or arch support, and their soles are thin, which means your muscles and nerves can do their job comfortably, feeling the ground you’re walking on. Barefoot shoes are light and flexible. They can be easily (or effortlessly) rolled into a C-shape and twisted like a towel.
Based on the information you read, can you tell which shoes are foot-friendly and comfortable barefoot shoes?
That's right! The right ones. They follow the natural shape of the foot and toes. But let's take a closer look at how your toes might feel in these shoes:
The shoes on the right have plenty of room for the toes to spread out and are in the same position as when barefoot. The shoes on the left have narrow toes, they are compressed together, and because of the rounded toe, the big toe is tilted and pressed towards the other toes. This is exactly what modern shoes do to our feet.
The impact of modern footwear on feet and toes (Source: Google)
So now, without further ado, get yourself and your children your first pair of barefoot shoes! 🙂 How to get started with barefoot shoes? First of all measure the foot!
If you want more information about what barefoot shoes are and what modern shoes do to our feet, read on. from here.
