We recently listened to a podcast with Dr. Courtney Conley on the importance of feet health so to speak and we were extremely intrigued!
Modern shoes are believed to be detrimental to foot health, altering the natural structure of our feet and contributing to issues like knee, hip, and back pain.
Take women’s heels for example – when a foot is forced into a pointed-toe heel, it acts like a wedge. The elevated heel shifts the body weight forward, jamming the toes into the narrow, constricting front of the shoe. This is extremely unnatural and the compression causes immediate pain and can lead to severe long-term structural deformities, joint strain, and nerve damage, not only to the foot but to the rest of the body!
Dr. Courtney Conley emphasizes the importance of footwear that interferes less with the foot’s natural function and is most beneficial for foot health.
Do the shoes I wear really impact the rest of my body?
In short, absolutely. This is something that we talk about ALL the time in our office. Everything in our body is connected and when we neglect certain areas, problems arise elsewhere as well. Cue Hauser’s Law #1 – if the etiology of chronic pain or joint degeneration remains elusive, it can be traced back to ligamentous joint instability.
Our feet are like the “tires of our body” and if they are weak or misaligned, the damage travels upward, i.e knee pain, hip pain, low back pain… you get the picture. By taking care of our “tires,” we are enhancing our longevity and fall prevention!
What shoes should I stay away from?
Less is more in this situation – A shoe should “do less to your foot to be best for your foot! When picking a new shoe, whether for athletics or leisure wear it should not taper or be more narrow at the toe. The toe is the widest part of your foot, and for good reason. This design helps distribute our body weight more evenly across our feet. It allows for better support and drive. Having wider toes can enable better grip and balance, especially when engaging in activities like walking on uneven surfaces or climbing. So, when we SQUISH our toes into a shoe, we are losing the ability to do all of those things.
We should be picking shoes that do not change the structural anatomy of our foot!
What do healthy shoes look like?
Say it with us, FUNCTION over FASHION!! We know that can be really hard especially with summer coming up, there are so many cute sandals that you could be wearing, but let’s think about the long term here.
Here are a few non-negotiable when it comes to buying a new pair of shoes!
- Anatomically wide toe box, this means when you put the shoe on, you can still see space in-between your toes.
- Completely flat zero-drop, your heel and toes should sit on the exact same flat plane.
- Highly flexible, thin sole, your shoe should be able to fold up with ease.
All in all, we have traded fashion for functionality and it shows! Having healthy feet is more important than you may think, it’s time to start showing your feet some love!