I am not a “girly girl” by any standards; I hate nail polish and am not a big fan of makeup. However, I love shoes; heels, boots, flats, sandals, etc. I previously wrote a blog called The Science in High Heels. Most people are aware that heels are not the best shoes for daily wear. That blog looked into how heels actually harm the body. However, I had no idea that other shoes were also detrimental.
Someone commentated on my blog informing me about plantar fasciitis; which can become worsened while wearing flats or flip flops. According to the Mayo Clinic, plantar fasciitis “is one of the most common causes of heel pain. It involves pain and inflammation of a thick band of tissue, called the plantar fascia, that runs across the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes.”
(picture by Braun Fitness)
This brought me to my new topic: Are all shoes harmful? What shoes provide the best support for your feet?
A study was conducted by the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg called “Shod Versus Unshod: The Emergence of Forefoot Pathology in Modern Humans?” In this study they “examined 180 modern humans from three different population groups (Sotho, Zulu, and European), comparing their feet to one another’s, as well as to the feet of 2,000-year-old skeletons. The researchers concluded that, prior to the invention of shoes, people had healthier feet. Among the modern subjects, the Zulu population, which often goes barefoot, had the healthiest feet while the Europeans—i.e., the habitual shoe-wearers—had the unhealthiest.”
Walking barefoot is beneficial to your health, especially when you walk on natural surfaces such as grass, soil or sand. Dr. Isaac Eliaz claims that walking barefoot allows you to receive electrons from the earth which is beneficial to your health. A study claimed that this form of walking “changed the electrical activity in the brain, as measured by electroencephalograms. Still other research found that grounding benefitted skin conductivity, moderated heart rate variability, improved glucose regulation, reduced stress and boosted immunity.”
We can conclude that shoes alter the way you walk. But how?
(picture by the science of sport)
Dr. Rossi, a consultant for the footwear industry, believes that “Natural gait and shoes are biomechanically incompatible because all shoes automatically convert the normal to the abnormal, the natural to the unnatural. And no therapy or mechanical device, no matter how precisely designed or expertly applied, can fully reverse the gait from wrong to right.” The gait is a walking abnormality caused by shoes with different forms:
- “Propulsive gait — a stooped, stiff posture with the head and neck bent forward
- Scissors gait — legs flexed slightly at the hips and knees like crouching, with the knees and thighs hitting or crossing in a scissors-like movement
- Spastic gait — a stiff, foot-dragging walk caused by a long muscle contraction on one side
- Steppage gait — foot drop where the foot hangs with the toes pointing down, causing the toes to scrape the ground while walking, requiring someone to lift the leg higher than normal when walking
- Waddling gait — a duck-like walk that may appear in childhood or later in life”
Once the damage is done, it is almost impossible to fix it.
These studies and claims prove that shoes in general are harmful to your feet. However, this does not mean that people should walk barefoot. Can you imagine everyone around campus… barefoot?
Science once again has not abandoned us. There are solutions, you could walk barefoot while wearing shoes.
Companies such as Merrell, VivoBareFoot, Planet Shoes, Xero shoes and tons of others are dedicated to creating shoes that “lack high cushioned heels, stiff soles and arch support,” according to Daniel Lieberman
(picture from Vivo BareFoot)
While this information is very intriguing, I do not foresee myself wearing Barefoot shoes because typically the shoes range from $100-$200. Given that we are college students with loans we would rather by a $50 shoe compared to a $100 one. Next time your feet hurt remember that it might be your shoes.
This is a huge argument especially among the parents of infants! They’re always debating whether to buy the rigid soled shoes or to let their children go barefoot when they’re first learning how to walk. But, according to past president of the American Association for Women Podiatrists and podiatrist, Dr. Jane Andersen, “After they start walking, you want them either barefoot or in the most flexible shoe possible so their muscles can develop properly.” Podiatrists recommend socks with rubber grippers on the bottom for beginning walkers.
Therefore, I think its very important for parents to note this because as you stated, “No therapy or mechanical device, no matter how precisely designed or expertly applied, can fully reverse the gait from wrong to right”. Meaning that if children are wearing rigid soled shoes at too young of a age they could potentially ruin their gait for the rest of their lives!
Aye! I am not a shoe fan, but have serious foot issues. Can’t remember my foot issue, but I basically have to wear orthopedic flip flops in the summer, and then orthopedic inserts every other season. I personally know that the majority of shoes are bad for your feet, especially cute shoes (you should know as a shoe lover). I recently joined a sorority and we have a lot of functions we have to attend and dress up for, and orthopedic flip flops aren’t allowed (obviously). Living on a huge campus, I rock my orthopedic flip flops (that happen to look like Crocs) like it is no one’s business. For dressy functions, I have had a hard time finding shoes that are cute, let allow me to stand and walk places. So I totally support this blog post based on personal experiences, and totally feel for anyone else with foot issues. While this link isn’t science-y, please check out this link for my favorite (and not super fashionable) flip flops. They may not be hot, but they save my feet and totally rock! http://www.oofos.com/
This is most definitely a very interesting and controversial issue you have taken on. When I was in high school I was on the Cross Country Club and my coach hated those shoes because they had no support runners need. It is the irony of the shoe. It is very good for people who just walk or are not in an urban area but for runners and those in the modern world they are terrible. These shoes ware out very easily and from personal experience hurt my feet more then the other shoes. While you are right in how some shoes cause permanent damage and your view of feet issues is right you miss the situation problems. However, all in all this blog post is very well done and amazingly researched. I also like it a lot even if I do not agree with it.
Holly Rubin, my studies show that shoes alter the way you walk, so yes in general shoes are bad for you. This blog was meant to pose a solution to finding a shoe (Barefoot shoes) that does not alter your feet like heels do or your walk like shoes with flats or flip flops which was brought up to me by a fellow classmate. By clicking on my links you will find more information about how barefoot shoes still protect you from the glass, etc. In my link titled “Shod Versus Unshod” you will find this story “Tim Brennan was an avid tennis player who suffered from chronic knee and ankle injuries. His father taught the Alexander Technique, a discipline that studies the links between kinetics and behavior; basically, the connection between how we move and how we act. Brennan’s father encouraged Tim to try playing tennis barefoot. Tim was skeptical at first, but tried it, and found that his injuries disappeared. So he set out to design a shoe that was barely a shoe at all: no padding, no arch support, no heel. His prototype consisted of a thin fabric upper with a microthin latex-rubber sole.” Additionally, I looked up another article by Zen Habits that says “FiveFingers (another barefoot shoe brand)They remove the cushioning and motion control of running shoes, allowing your feet to strengthen and feel the ground more, but still give your feet the protection you’ll probably want as you head out on roads of asphalt and glass, and trails strewn with pebbles and roots.” While I am saying that you should be aware about how shoes affect your feet, in no way am I saying that you should walk barefoot in the streets.
http://zenhabits.net/barefoot-running/
I have an alternative solution, as i have flat feet and don’t exactly see myself wearing the reccomended shoes (which simulate barefoot effects). I have naturally flat feet, and in order to improve my comfort I wear orthodics. I went to an orthopedist who molded insules in order to combat the negative effects associated with flat feet. Without orthodics, I defintley agree that shoes alter the way in which you walk.
Walking barefoot on the beach, I don’t know if its a case of placebo, however, I feel positively comfort. It feels as if the effects of my usually-painful flat feet have been negated. Maybe this is due to the effect of the electrons, something I would’ve never put together before this article. Very interesting.
sources: https://www.painscience.com/articles/orthotics.php
I completely understand that some types of shoes may not be good for your feet or even for your knees and back but I feel like concluding that all shoes are bad for you is somewhat ridiculous. If people were to not wear shoes worse things can happen. You can step on something in the street and your feet would literally be unsanitary and cut up all the time. Shoes are meant for protection and even the examples of shoes that you showed that are better for our feet may not be fully protective for everyone.