Shoes might be the enemy?!

Yesterday, I went over the design of weightlifting shoes and what we more basic weightlifters can take away from the purpose of these shoes.

And one major thing I eluded to in that discussion...

We need to feel the ground in order to be balanced and stable.

A padded, heavily cushioned shoe will not allow us that stability when we're performing upright exercises.

In fact, I found out that - the more padded a shoe is... the harder we strike the ground with our foot! In a similar manner, when gymnasts land on a soft "crash" mat, they also tend to land with more force. This is because - like I just mentioned - we need to feel the ground in order to get that balance. It's no wonder that we have to try harder to acquire a sensory feeling.

Our feet really do transmit information about the surface we're walking/standing on - in order to give us the ability to react and balance. That's why it's so hard to balance when you're on one of those air-filled castles you find at little kids' birthday parties. And that's why most of us are so wobbly when we put on platform shoes or 6" stilletos. We can't feel the ground, and therefore, we have an incredibly hard time reacting to the lack of proprioceptive messages from our trusty feet.

Because of this principle, we can see why walking barefoot gives us the best sense of stability and balance. PLUS, the thing we don't realize? That we've got plenty of natural "shock absorption" when barefoot. It's true! When we can feel the ground, we can sense the load on the muscles of our feet and naturally absorb the impact of each step we take.

So... in all actuality... those "shock-absorbing" shoes don't really absorb the shock of walking at all. They cause you walk more heavily. Shoes alter the way that you naturally walk. And we've known all along that this is true of high heels. When your heel is lifted, the mechanics of a woman's walk changes completely - that has been a hugely important topic in recent years. But, we have failed to realize that our expensive, cutting-edge sneakers may be causing more harm than good as well.

Get this.

One article I read mentioned: "North Americans have the most advanced shoes in the world, yet 90 percent of us still develop foot problems? We’ve long assumed this means we need better shoes. Maybe it means we don’t need shoes at all."

Shoes have been designed to help alleviate the perceived problems in the foot.

But studies always show that:
1) a bare foot is usually better at correcting foot problems,
2) corrective shoes cause more incidence of injuries like shin splints, knee pain, and IT band tightness, and
3) wearing shoes perpetuates the need for wearing shoes... meaning that the foot gets weak when wearing shoes, while walking/moving barefoot actually keeps the foot strong

So, maybe shoes don't need to alleviate these problems at all.

What can we take away from all of this?
Especially b/c we can't just stop wearing shoes...

Well, shoes are meant to be protective - not corrective.

They are meant to save the feet from debris, sharp objects, and extreme temperatures. Protection!

Unless a person has a specific foot pathology, their shoes should not be attempting to correct possible deficiencies.

The shoes should fit the function - the purpose - that they're being used for...

• In tennis, shoes should have extra support for lateral movements.
• In weightlifting, shoes should be snug and hard-soled.
• In running/walking, shoes should be light and should peform the way a foot performs - by bending at the point where the base of the toes meet the foot.
  

And on and on.

A couple other pointers:

1. Be barefoot as often as possible
2. When wearing shoes that are harmful to your feet (high heels, for instance!), soon afterwards, try to return to supportive footwear, footwear that mimics being barefoot, or actual bare feet.
3. Purchase shoes for function, NOT just fashion.
4. Stay away from the ultra padded shoes and the gel insoles (unless instructed by a trustworthy fitness professional)
5. Like I mentioned above, compile an arsenal of shoes that can be used for different purposes.
   

Taking these steps to remove our reliance on shoes might actually save a lot of us from future problems. Or even fix those current foot and lower leg problems!

Chew on that, my friends!