The foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints and hundreds of muscles, tendons and ligaments. It has evolved into a complex structure ideally designed to support and balance us during upright walking. Yet most of us shove it into a rigid shoe and limit the majority of the motions it was designed to do. This is akin to taking a brand new Ferrari, putting it in a shipping crate, pushing it down a hill and expecting it to perform just as well.
When evaluating the posture of the foot there is a significant arch running lengthwise that should be present for the foot and the muscles of the leg to function properly. This arch is supported by ligaments of the foot but also by a specific muscle (tibialis posterior, if you really want to know, or just want to impress your friends) and its tendon. When the arch collapses and someone has what is commonly referred to as “flat feet” it changes the muscle action of the lower legs and strains the joints of the feet, knees, hips and can affect the entire spine and posture.
The potential problem with modern footwear is two-fold. The first problem is the thickness of the sole of a shoe prevents our feet from “feeling” the ground we are walking on. As mentioned in the beginning of this article the foot is made up of many joints, muscles and ligaments. All of those structures and tissues have specialized receptors telling our brain what is happening on the ground. When your foot is insulated from this information the joints and muscles can not respond properly. This even applies to your ankle, knee, hip and the joints in your spine. If those joints don’t know precisely what is happening at the ground they can not move appropriately to counter the forces the foot is exposed to.
The second problem is the sole thickness and cushion of the average shoe causes us to take longer strides which impact our joints harder and changes the way our foot hits the ground. Many studies have shown that when we are barefoot we take shorter strides and more of the force is near the front, or ball, of the foot. This is how our foot was designed to absorb shock. When running barefoot the ball of the foot will actually hit first. Just watch a child run barefoot. They look like they are running on their toes. That is how the foot is designed to land when running. We end up retraining our bodies by wearing thickly cushioned shoes. In a shoe the heel strikes the ground first with greater force. The longer stride in a shoe also straightens our knee and extends the hip more than when barefoot. These changes in the way we walk actually increase the total forces experienced by the joints in our feet, legs and spine when wearing a conventional shoe versus walking barefoot.
So the question becomes what is the average person to do? You certainly can’t walk around barefoot all day. Pavement may be too hot or cold, you could step on something, hurt your foot and most shops are no shirt, no shoes, no service. This is were you can benefit from some of the new barefoot or minimalist shoes that are available. These are shoes with very little cushion on the bottom, thin materials for the top which allows the foot to move much more freely than a conventional shoe while still protecting your foot. A quality barefoot or minimalist shoe should also have what is referred to as “zero drop” meaning no heel or slope to the bottom of the shoe.
Barefoot shoes are not for everyone. Someone doing construction type work or anywhere you need extra foot protection would need to be in a standard work boot. If you are overweight it will be too much force on your feet and you will need the extra cushion of a conventional shoe to prevent damage to your feet. If you already have fallen arches or “flat feet” you will need to do some training and strengthening of your feet. Someone in this situation could go between barefoot shoes and a conventional shoe with an orthotic in it to support the arch while you retrain your foot and leg muscles.
If you’re active and want to get back to letting your feet move the way they were designed to then follow these guidelines to get your feet back to functioning properly. Adapting to barefoot or minimalist shoes requires some time and you must be very conscious on how you step and walk. The insulation from conventional shoes has made our walking very sloppy. When you step during normal walking the outside edge of the heel lands first then as you transfer weight to the front of your foot it should roll so that you step off with the inside edge of the front of your foot and your big toe. When first wearing barefoot shoes you have to slow down your stride and think about every step you take. For the first few weeks it may be uncomfortable and the muscles of your legs and feet will be sore. This is no different that starting any other training program using muscles you are not used to, soreness is to be expected. Early on you may need to limit how long you wear barefoot shoes as you retrain the muscles of your feet and legs, working up to wearing them all day. With some dedication to retraining your gait and the muscles of your feet and legs you’ll be walking as your body was designed to in no time.
By Dr Scott Szela
