Do you feel like your feet get sore all the time? Or that you have to find the perfect arch supportive shoes to keep them comfortable? This is an extremely common scenario. So many people are constantly searching for the perfect shoe, or the perfect insole. But what they don’t realize is that it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, our feet are a marvel of engineering that do not need any extra technology to keep them healthy. Feet are designed to function perfectly on their own, without any intervention.
It is this intervention that actually causes our feet to become dysfunctional. Decades of wearing shoes that squish our toes, restrict joint motion, and remove sensory input contribute to weakening of our foot muscles, disconnect between our feet and our environment, and the reliance on outside support to keep our feet comfortable. The more time we spend in shoes rather than barefoot, the more we start to rely on shoes to provide a level of comfort and support to our feet.
Feet are designed to support themselves
Feet are made up of 26 bones and 33 joints. Joints are designed to move! The foot has three jobs: to be a mobile adaptor or shock absorber when it first hits the ground, to be a rigid lever during push off, and to be a sensor of the environment. As long as it can do these three things, it will function well. However, modern shoes tend to inhibit all three of these. They have thick soles and cushioning which prevent the feet from feeling the ground surface. They are stiff and rigid, which prevents the joints from fully moving through their range of motion and limits the foot as it moves through its mobile adaptor and rigid lever phases. Arch supportive shoes further limit the motion of the joints throughout the foot.
Additionally, when the foot cannot move freely, the muscles that support the foot become weak. The foot actually has three layers of muscles along the arch. These muscles naturally support the arch, stabilize, and allow for perfect orchestration of each step. These muscles are not able to contract and move when the foot is in a stiff and restrictive shoe. Therefore, they become weak and slow, no longer providing the natural arch support that they once did. This leads to the feeling of weakness and soreness that develops on the bottom of the feet.
Focus on your foot function, rather than arch supportive shoes
If you find that your feet get sore easily, start focusing on restoring your natural foot function rather than searching for a more arch supportive shoe or insole. The good news is that your feet will change once you change your daily habits! Small shifts can make a huge impact on how your feet feel and function. Once you restore function and strength to your feet, they will feel better! Then you can work on using less shoe and relying on your natural foot strength instead.
Go barefoot
- The first step is to start spending some time barefoot around the house. Simply taking off your shoes and socks for even an hour per day can have a great impact on your feet. Feet will recover strength naturally just by walking without being hindered by shoes. If your feet hurt at first, start with a little bit each day and increase the amount of time you spend barefoot as it becomes more comfortable.
Release your feet
- Start releasing your feet. All those small muscles and joints in your feet become stiff from so much shoe wearing. Grab a lacrosse ball and place it under your foot. Press into the ball with your foot and roll it across the arch and up into the ball of the foot. This will feel uncomfortable at first but stick with it and your foot will start to loosen up and restore functionality. Eventually this activity will start to feel really good! Do this release for about 5 minutes twice daily.
Rehab your toes
- Grab some toe separators! Toe separators are a great way to restore the natural alignment of your toes after they have been squished into traditional shoes with poorly designed toe boxes. Even arch supportive shoes do not provide adequate space for toes to function. Toe separators also help to strengthen the small muscles in your feet by stretching them and allowing them to start firing with every step. Start by wearing your toe separators for 30 minutes per day until they feel very comfortable. Then you can wear them as long as you like! They are also great to wear while exercising. Try these toe separators by Naboso!
Improve your shoes
- Start working on your shoes. As your foot function improves, you will be able to tolerate less arch supportive shoes. Minimal, functional, and barefoot shoes are flat, flexible, and shaped like feet! They will actually help your feet to naturally strengthen as you wear them, and they will prevent your feet from becoming stiff and dysfunctional over time. Start with a pair of functional sneakers like Altra or Topo Athletic, and slowly shift to more minimal shoe brands once you can tolerate them. Head to Anya’s Reviews and my post on minimal shoes for a complete breakdown of everything you need to know about minimal shoes!
What next?
Want to learn more? Sign up for The Shoe Academy online course where I will dive deep into shoes, arch support, foot function and strength so that you can recover your feet naturally, ditch your reliance on supportive shoes and get rid of foot pain once and for all!