Is Barefoot Bad?
Tips for Your Journey Toward Foot Health
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Apparently, the pandemic is taking its toll on our feet. Since the onset of the pandemic, podiatrists are seeing an increase in instances of foot pain now that people are spending more time at home.
Why?
The rationale is that people have been spending more time barefoot now that they work from home and stay at home.
So does that mean that going barefoot is bad?
No! As with most of this body stuff, it’s a little more nuanced than that.
Think about it: if you’re used to spending at least eight hours a day in shoes and then you suddenly switch to being barefoot most of the time, you haven’t given your feet a lot of opportunity to succeed in the transition.
We can think about this another way: Imagine you’re a bit of a couch potato (no judgment) and then you decide to get up and run a marathon. You’ll probably be sore the next day, right? You might even get injured. That’s because there was no transitional period of conditioning.
The same thing goes with our feet.
Humans started walking without shoes and our bodies have evolved to do that well. But wearing shoes (especially ones that are “shoe-shaped” and not “foot-shaped”) and walking over flat, predictable surfaces has resulted in weak feet.
Photo by Michał Parzuchowski on Unsplash
Train Your Feet
Going barefoot isn’t inherently bad (unless you’re walking through a field of rusty nails—OUCH). You might just need to give a little TLC to your feet to help ease the shock of the change. You’ll be setting yourself up for success and moving your feet toward greater health.
Try these exercises to wake up dormant foot muscles, build awareness, and condition your feet toward barefoot living.
Exercises for Foot Pain Relief
—Roll your foot on a ball
—Toe splay (passive and active)
—Toe lifts
—Marble pick ups
—Squeeze the ball
For more foot exercises, check out this Sole Food Foot Care class or this Sole Food Foot Strength class on the KindBody Movement Virtual Studio.
Consider Your Soles
In the meantime, if you are experiencing foot pain, take a look at the shoes you’re wearing the most. Zero in on these details of each shoe’s design:
Photo by Brian Stalter on Unsplash
Heel
How much higher does your heel sit than the ball of your foot in these shoes? Don’t forget that stilettos aren’t the only kind of shoe with a positive heel—many gym shoes, boots, and men’s shoes have a heel as well.
Toe Box Width
How much room do your toes have to move around? Are the poor things squished or do they have some wiggle room? A wide toe box allows your toes to splay and move as you walk.
Upper
The upper is the part of the shoe that goes on the top of your foot. You’ll want to consider how well attached the upper is to the sole. Shoes like flip-flops, mules (backless slip-ons), and sandals with flimsy heel straps are going to be a little harder on your feet.
Sole
Consider two points here: Thickness and flexibility. How thick is the sole of your shoe? Is it rigid or flexible?
After you’ve taken stock of your most commonly worn shoes, it’s time to think about the process of transition.
Photo by Casper Nielsen on Unsplash
Take Baby Steps
If a 3-inch heeled, pointy-toed, rigid shoe is the top of the staircase and your bare foot is the bottom of the staircase, you want to shoot for going down the stairs one or two at a time.
Take it slow. Gradually scale back features like heel height and sole thickness and while ramping up sole flexibility. Definitely prioritize shoes with a wider toe box and a well-attached upper. As you progress down the staircase, your shoes should start to look more “foot-shaped” as opposed to “shoe-shaped.”
Try This
Plant your foot on a piece of paper and trace it. Do this with both feet—they might have different shapes! Now compare the shape of your foot outline with the shape of your shoes. The next time you need new shoes, consult your foot outline to choose a shoe that matches the shape of your foot more closely.
As you make the transition to more minimal footwear AND you continue to prioritize foot conditioning exercises, come back to this exercise occasionally. You might be surprised at how the shape of your foot can change over time.
Conclusion
Going barefoot isn’t inherently bad. A combination of foot exercises and a gradual transition toward more minimal footwear will help you strengthen and condition your feet for barefoot living and your movement-rich life.