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Barefoot Movement
Are you intrigued by the Barefoot shoe movement but not sure where to start?​
Over a decade ago there was a huge increase in ‘barefoot running’ the idea behind this was that modern shoes impede our natural ability to move freely and without pain.
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The theory was that by wearing more minimalist shoes the structures and stretchy tissue (such as muscles and ligaments) in our feet get stronger and more flexible allowing better, more efficient movement and importantly a decrease in common running injuries such as ‘runners knee’.
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Many running enthusiasts jumped on the band wagon and bought shoes with little support and thin soles such as the Vibram five finger shoes (the one with individual toes), some found huge benefits to running in these whilst others found it exacerbated or developed injuries.
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The main reason for these negative effects has been put down to the transition phase – essentially if you normally wear a heeled shoe (even trainers have a slight increase in heel height compared to the toes), with cushioning, arch support and that squishes toes together and this is something that you wear the majority of the time then your foot adapts to the shape and support it has.
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You see our body re-models itself every 7 years so if you have spent the last 30 years in modern not very flexible, toe hugging shoes then your body has adapted in that way.
When you then try to move or run over a long/sustained period the body is simply not adapted to this way of moving. It’s like if you had a building that was always supported by scaffolding and over the years as part of the walls crumble or loose strength the scaffolding starts to do more and more of the work in holding up the building – if you take the scaffolding away completely then the building simply cannot stand up by itself – the support system is not there. This is the same for our bodies and in particular feet.
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A period of transition is often needed to adapt the foot (and all the body above) to the way it needs to move without the support of standard modern shoes. It is also important to note that barefoot shoes may not suit everyone there is an amount of flexibility required in the toes and strength in the sole of the foot. Whilst the latter can be developed some individuals for example with hEDS may simply require the support of insoles due to the structure of the soft tissue (or stretchy stuff) in their bodies.
What are barefoot shoes?
These are as minimalist as possible – like with all things there are varying decrease of ‘barefoot-ness’ and there are debates about which aspects make them ‘barefoot’ or minimalist’.
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Essentially there are 3 main fundamental ingredients to a barefoot shoe:
Thin flexible sole
This allows ‘ground feel’ or rather the shoe and foot will mold around the surfaces they encounter so that we can feel stones and lumps and bumps in the ground. A minimalist shoe will have perhaps a slightly thicker sole providing greater padding and lessening the ‘ground feel’.
Space for toes
Either a larger toe box (the bit at the end of the shoe where your toes go) or space for each individual toe – this tends to be the same for barefoot and minimalist shoes equally and different brands offer different widths. The consensus is to find a shoe that provides enough space for the foot to fit in comfortably without compressing any toes. There should be space for the toes to move individually and freely within the toe box. The largest toe also requires to have ‘rolling room’ so that the toe never touches the end of the shoe. ROLLING is what happens when the foot flattens and widens as we transfer our weight onto it and forwards onto the next foot.
Zero drop/flat sole
This is where the whole of the shoe is flat without either end raised. Some modern running shoes have a heel at the back (meaning that our heel doesn’t reach all the way to the floor and changing the angle of the ankle and knee joints), and ‘toe spring’ where there is a lift of the sole at the front of the shoe – this provides more of the scaffolding by mimicking the movement of the toes as we spring onto the next foot. Barefoot or minimalist shoes have a flat sole regardless of where they are on the sliding scale of barefoot to conventional shoe.
Why is transitioning important?
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Well simply put as in early descriptions our conventional shoes provide the foot with scaffolding – before making a drastic change it is important to get out feet ready by strengthening and mobilising the feet.
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Step 1 – spend time at home barefoot and in the garden if it is safe to do so
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use your lowest/flattest widest shoe more when out and about
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Start with some simple strength and mobility exercises
Step 2 – IF and WHEN step 1 is comfortable and you are ready to purchase a pair of barefoot/minimalist shoes
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Start to wear these 1-2 hours a day or when doing some small amount of walking and built up as needed
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Continue/progress foot exercises
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Step 3 – start to wear your barefoot shoes more and if there are no problems then you could try some of your regular sports or hobbies.
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IT IS RECCOMENDED TO WEAR BAREFOOT SHOES CONSISTENTLY EVERYDAY FOR AT LEAST 6 WEEKS BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO RUN.
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PROGRESSION THROUGH EACH STAGE SHOULD ALWAYS BE DETERMINED BY THE BODIES ABILITY TO TOLERATE AND RECOVER.
Are you interested in finding out more about barefoot shoes and transitioning?
As an accredited Barefoot Movement Coach I am able to offer guidance and support into your barefoot journey. Whether your interested in getting more functional movement back into your feet or trying natural methods to reduce bunions and other ailments.
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Our Transitioning to Barefoot Shoes Workshop walks you through the above steps as well as discussing foot types and how to choose the right shoe for you.
