A rich, extensive network of nerves transmit information to and from the brain. This includes joint position sense, pressure, pain and temperature from the joints and skin on the soles of the feet. Plus all of the stretching and contracting information from ligaments, tendons and muscles as we move.
The information from all of the receptors provides vital information that activates key reflexes that help you avoid injury when you sense something sharp, uneven or hot underfoot. Any type of shoe, including socks, interfere with this feedback to the brain. The thicker and stiffer the sole of the shoe, the less feedback your brain receives. Watch a toddler walking in soled shoes for the first time, they stomp their feet in an attempt to get the same threshold of sensory feedback from the mechanoreceptors in their soles that they have been used to going barefoot. Q. How have your feet changed since starting treatment?/
I took the orthotics out of my shoes as advised and straight away I was able to walk freer and further, my legs didn't get as tired as they did when using the shoe inserts.
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My toes are straighter and I can see daylight between them now!
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I can now walk around the house barefoot. Before treatment I had to wear shoes because my feet were too painful to walk on without them.
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Biomechanics of Walking.
When we walk the heel strikes the ground first, the force of which is known as the 'impact peak'. It can equal the force of your body's weight and can be as much as 3x your body weight if you heel strike when running.
Impact peaks send a shockwave up your legs, spine into your skull. Posture and therefore the distribution of how you carry your body weight alters how hard you strike the ground and it is common to see and hear how some individuals strike the ground harder on one foot than the other. You can tell a good deal of information about how your body is 'tracking' from the wear on an old pair of shoes.
Impact peaks send a shockwave up your legs, spine into your skull. Posture and therefore the distribution of how you carry your body weight alters how hard you strike the ground and it is common to see and hear how some individuals strike the ground harder on one foot than the other. You can tell a good deal of information about how your body is 'tracking' from the wear on an old pair of shoes.
Minimalist Shoes or Supportive, Cushioned Shoes?
This is a well-debated topic with widely differing opinions, particularly when it comes to running shoes.
Most running shoes have a cushioned heel to reduce the shockwaves and therefore make distance running more comfortable. They have arch supports built in or incorporated into the innersoles which prop up the arches of the feet. A normal foot looks like a half dome and flattens when you walk. Running flattens the arch more so that it acts like a giant spring as it stores and releases energy to propel you along. |
Just like a neck brace relieves your neck muscles and ligaments supporting your head, arch supports do the job for the ligaments and muscles in your feet. Arch supports are often built in to lessen the work the foot's muscles have to do, the less they have to do the weaker the muscle becomes.
Stiff soles and a curved upward sole (toe spring) also further lessen the muscular effort your feet have to do. Shoes with these features are undoubtedly comfy, however as Wolf's Law states "If you don't use it, you'll lose it" and this is the reason many people develop foot conditions, repetitive strains and flat feet. As we are concerned with the entire body structure and how it functions as a whole, synchronous (existing or occurring at the same time) unit, you can appreciate the knock-on or compensatory pattern that occurs from the feet up as a result of the abnormal biomechanics.
Stiff soles and a curved upward sole (toe spring) also further lessen the muscular effort your feet have to do. Shoes with these features are undoubtedly comfy, however as Wolf's Law states "If you don't use it, you'll lose it" and this is the reason many people develop foot conditions, repetitive strains and flat feet. As we are concerned with the entire body structure and how it functions as a whole, synchronous (existing or occurring at the same time) unit, you can appreciate the knock-on or compensatory pattern that occurs from the feet up as a result of the abnormal biomechanics.
When Buying New Shoes...
Go for shoes with the following...
- A flat surface inside the shoe (no moulded contouring),
- Good room for your toes to spread when you walk,
- Flexible soles,
- No arch support or heel cup,
- Heel height: Flat or less than 1 inch*.
*A supportive heel height is very specific to each individual. If you are keen to understand more please ask me to demonstrate this to you.