How to Strengthen Your (Bare, Flat) Feet
About 20% of adults have flat feet. A small subset of the population suffers from hereditary flat foot, but most of it is developed. Very few of us are actually born with flat foot. In this post I’ll explore what you can do to avoid flat feet in the first place, and if you already have them whether it is possible to reverse the damage.
Since publishing blog posts on ditching shoes, alternatives to going barefoot, and others I now receive regular reader emails like this one:
Dear Mark,
I’ve had flat foot all my life (18 years so far) and always wondered about the cause from an evolutionary stand point, and any negatives that might come from it. I vaguely remember the doctors subscribing foot supports and a lot of unnecessary products which I haven’t used in a decade. I don’t have any problems that I know of, but just wondering if there’s any alterations I should make to my workout routine to benefit me more? Thanks in advanced.
Ahmed
Great question, Ahmed.
First, how do we develop flat feet? Almost every online resource gives a few stock answers for the cause of flat foot. Most places say something like this:
Causes of Weak Arches:
Flat feet can be hereditary and present themselves at birth. For others the condition can occur as a result of mis-treating the feet – for example wearing high heels for prolonged periods of time, or wearing shoes with no support.
Flat feet or fallen arches can also result from:
- Weakened muscles in the foot due to aging
- Weakened muscles in the foot due to injury
Or this:
Causes:
- Weakened muscles due to aging or heavy strain placed on the feet.
- Standing or walking for long periods in high heels.
- Wearing shoes that don’t provide proper arch support.
Okay, weakened muscles in the foot I can buy as a cause. In fact, it’s almost certainly one of the primary causes of flat foot. High heels aren’t doing us any favors, either, although I’d amend that one to include anything with even slightly-raised heels as a causative agent. I cannot, however, agree with the contention that lack of shoes without “proper arch support” is the problem; I’d even say that it’s the exact opposite. Try “Wearing shoes that do provide proper arch support” instead. Shoes do little else but provide an environment that our feet simply haven’t truly adapted to.
Our genes want us to be barefoot. In fact, it’s the only environment they know, having been born into a shoeless existence. On an individual scale, you could say we adapt to our shoes, but not on a genetic level. Evolutionarily, we’re still walking on the same bare feet Grok used to get around his environment. In fact, hominids have been obligate bipeds for over two million years. Our feet were arguably the first things to develop. Before the big brains, the complex tool making, and the language, our ancestors were walking upright on feet that looked remarkably similar to our own. But don’t tell that to the guys at Nike. They’re convinced those millions of years of natural selection still weren’t enough to produce a working, functional foot that doesn’t require manmade supportive footwear (unless, of course, you buy the Nike Free, in which case the lack of support is suddenly beneficial – awesome logic, huh?).
The Evidence
Before I get carried away on a tangential rant against athletic shoes, I’ll try to stick to the topic at hand. We know that shoes alter the structure and function of the foot. I mean, it sounds like plain common sense, but there’s also some concrete evidence. Back in 1905, an orthopedist named Dr. Philip Hoffman conducted a “Comparative Study of Barefooted and Shoe-Wearing Peoples” (don’t you just love old research?) and published his results in the American Journal of Orthopedic Surgery. He also took a ton of photos.
Here’s one of a foot that rarely – if ever – saw the inside of a shoe.
Note the wide toes, and how a straight line can be drawn through the axis. Looks pretty healthy and stable, right?
Now look at this photo of a pair of feet and the shoes they’re shoved into.
Notice the narrow structure and the cramped toes, especially the angle of the big toe. It’s pointing inward!
Shoe wearing acts quickly, too. Here, Hoffman snapped photos of two sets of feet.
Foot A is that of a child who has worn shoes for a mere three months, while Foot B is that of an adult who’s gone barefoot his whole life. Three months was all it took to drastically shape the child’s feet. Already his big toe is turning inward.
In the end, Hoffman concluded that of the “one hundred and eighty-six pairs of primitive feet examined, [he] did not find a single foot associated with the symptoms of weakness so common in adult shoe-wearing feet, which are weakened by the restraint the shoe exerts over function.” He also noticed that foot development was remarkably similar, in all populations, up until the introduction of foot wear. Shoes, it seems, have an undeniable ability to alter one’s natural foot structure.
But wait: there’s even more. Researchers in India found (PDF) that flat foot was far more prevalent among people who wore footwear before the age of six. Kids who ran around barefoot for most of their first six years – the formative years, it turns out – had better developed longitudinal arches and less flat foot. Among children who wore footwear on a regular basis, 8.2% suffered from flat foot (compared to 2.8% of barefoot kids). No other factors had comparable impacts. Adults didn’t have higher rates of flat foot than the kids, unless they reported wearing shoes as children. Why do we wear these things, anyway?
If you’ve got kids or are planning on it, you may want to take a good long look at their shoes – or lack thereof.
What Can You Do About It?
Okay, that’s all very compelling, but what does a guy like Ahmed do about his condition? Whether it was inherited (not likely) or developed through footwear usage, he’s still got to deal with a pair of flat feet. He can’t go back in time to age four and throw out his baby sneakers. He can’t erase the years and years of shoe-wearing, years that may have exacerbated his problem (kudos for ditching the orthotics, though!). Is Ahmed beholden to his situation? Are his feet forever altered?
No! Assuming his flat foot was developed, he’s still got the genetic potential to improve his feet and – at least partially – restore some of his natural structure and strength. You’ll still technically be flat footed, but you should be able to restore total functionality to your feet.
The first, perhaps most important step is to stay away from orthotics and shoes with “plenty of arch support.” Rather than help you solve your problem, shoes with arch supports prop you up and lead to weak, atrophied foot musculature. Your feet aren’t grasping, pulling, pushing, and flexing inside a pair of athletic trainers; they’re growing soft and growing weak. Fixing, or at least mitigating, your flat feet is going to require some serious foot strength.
Next, spend as much time as humanly possible with your bare feet. If you’re at home, remove your shoes as soon as you enter. If you’re heading out to take the dog on a walk, try circling the block in your bare feet. Mail’s come? Shoeless. Early morning paper? Barefoot. Living room workout? Do it without shoes on. You’ve got to learn to use your feet again, and the best way to do so is to simply live, eat, breath, and sleep barefoot.
Try toe running. When I haven’t done any serious barefoot work (which is very rare, actually; I’m almost always barefoot or in minimalist footwear) in awhile, I’ll hop on the treadmill in my socks (to reduce slippage) and do five or six minutes of light jogging. The catch is that I make sure to stay on my toes the entire time. This strengthens the ligaments and muscles (there are over a hundred of ‘em in the human foot) and prepares them for future activity.
A Few Simple Exercises to Strengthen Your Feet
Do toe spreads. Sit, stand, or lie down and fan your toes out as widely as possible. Create space between each toe. Hold this position for ten seconds, and repeat the exercise ten times daily per foot.
Point at things with your toes. Pick something, anything, in the room and point your toes at it. Now flex your foot. Hold it for five seconds, then release. Again, do this ten times per foot each day. For extra work, try tracing the alphabet with your feet in midair each day.
Get on your toes. Stand on your tippy-toes and just walk around for five minutes each day. Never let your heels touch the ground for the duration. Barefoot toe treadmill work is a worthy alternative.
Try side walking. Stand up (barefoot, of course) and get in a shoulder wide stance. Bend your knees slightly and roll onto the outer edges of your feet. Keep the weight on your outer feet and slowly raise up on your toes. You should feel your longitudinal arch stretching; once you do, hold that position for five seconds. Repeat five times each day.
Walk in sand. Sand is never the same. If you kick off your shoes and hit the grains (yeah, I just coined that phrase: “hit the grains”), you will be catapulting your virgin bare feet into a chaotic, ever-changing environment that will force them to adapt. Hyperbole aside, walking barefoot in the sand is a highly effective way to strengthen your feet.
I can’t stress this enough: go slowly. From the previous pictures, it’s obvious how much of an impact shoes can have on our bodies. For many of us, a lifetime of shoe wearing means the risk of overtraining our bare feet is possible, or even likely, if we don’t exercise caution. You don’t want to leap blindly into barefoot sprints with severely flat feet and risk injuring yourself even further, do you? Do the strengthening exercises before anything else.
Again, the damage may be done, and the flat feet may be permanent. I’m obligated to say it. There is, however, a lot of anecdotal evidence, especially on some of the barefoot running sites, that suggests people with flat feet can prosper without shoes (and even cure their condition), but there’s little in the way of actual, concrete evidence. We do know that shoes affect the structure and function of our feet; what we don’t know is whether the damage can be reversed. You can certainly strengthen your feet simply by removing your shoes and going barefoot as often as possible – and I highly doubt we’re forever beholden to an artificial adaptation. We often hear about people adopting the Primal Blueprint and turning their lives around in a month after eating the Standard American Diet for years, because our genes are hardwired to prefer certain things and our bodies can recover from an awful lot of abuse. Maybe our feet are the same way. Maybe actual structural changes can’t be completely overcome, but I’d be willing to wager that through careful, targeted foot exercises and a focus on barefoot living, we can make them almost irrelevant.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on flat feet and a barefoot existence. Hit me up with a comment. Thanks for reading, everyone!
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Posted By: Mark Sisson
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What I did to transition into “barefoot” running was sprinting up trails on hills. Running uphill is much more naturally forefoot striking as compared to say running downhill and heel striking. I focused on trying to use the foot as a spring and launch off with each step.
It’s definitely a steep (sore) learning curve, however.
Sorry Mark, but I tried everything, for years. I was diagnosed with flat feet when I was seven. Guess what the solution was, though? Inserts. My dad made me do exercises every day to ’strengthen’ my feet.
Did my shoes aggravate the situation? Absolutely. Is there anything I can do now? No. I give up. I’m obtaining a bunion and must wear nice shoes to the office, so that I can continue to feed my family
Do I think it could’ve been avoided? Yes, maybe, but at a VERY early age. I was pigeon-toed as a baby and by age 4, I still remember making myself bloody with my ‘church shoes’ because I kept hitting the inside of my ankles with them.
Fast forward to today: No amount of exercise on these arches had done me ONE OUNCE of good!
I HAVE to be your one exception….
SassaFrass88, sorry you are giving up. I’m not convinced you’re the exception. I bet if you got yourself some VFFs for outdoor training and a pair of FeelMax Pankas to wear at work…and did your exercises religiously, you could make huge gains over time.
You’re not the exception. I am the same way. My feet are flat to the ground, and now I have bunions. I train barefoot, but I have to wear shoes to work!
Erica,
You could try getting a pair of “Vivo Barefot” shoes. I have a pair myself and they emulate barefoot working almost perfectly (nothing like the real thing of course, but the difference is negligible).
Another exception here–my feet have always been flat and we never wore shoes in the house–it’s an Asian thing. I’ve been plagued by bunionettes (pinkie bunions) since my mid-30’s and have added bunions in my mid-40’s.
Over the last two months I have been diligently doing foot and ankle exercises (mostly to rehab an ankle so I could keep learning how to power lift). I just got back from a screening with a new podiatrist (Dr. Steve Subotnick, who used to write for Runner’s World magazine). The sesamoids near my right big toe have actually moved out of position (man, I though my feet were ugly on the outside–the x-rays were a complete horror show). I’m to continue with my self-researched exercises and will return in 6 months to see if my bunions have stabilized or even begun to show improvement. I don’t expect to ever have much of a real “arch” but I’ll be happy if I can at least stop that ugly and painful “bunion bulge.”
There will always be exceptions. But, perhaps, because the muscles in your foot have become so use to shoes (just a crutch for our feet), you need to work harder to build up those very weak and flabby muscles. I have posted a lot on this topic on my site, and some of this info may inspire you to try once more.
What is your website ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpHQuETQXi8
Watch this then get back to me please young lady !!!
Scotty, that video should be on “funnyordie.com” New nominee for most ridiculous procedure in medicine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpHQuETQXi8
I’m in Australia. What is the best way to strengthen your feet and produce an arch ?
I will try anything !
Scott
Hi guys ive had flat feet since I was a baby and have never had any pain until now at 24. I have started having ankle and knee pains and I think it could be due to me starting up running as a hobby. What kind of supports can i wear to run and generally walk in and is there a way to actually build my arches up??? Thanks, Simon
Very interesting!
I always walked barefoot or wore “horrible” shoes like converse or flipflops that offer no support. I have very high arches, while most of my friends who wore “supportive” sneakers/shoes or heels all the time have flat feet now. (and/or shortened achilles tendons)
I noticed after wearing heels all the time to work that when I would walk all day barefoot or wear flat sandals my arches would ache. That was when I realized I HAD to go barefoot a lot to strengthen my feet. Now my arches don’t ache!
That being said I think some poor souls are just cursed with foot problems no matter what they do(genetic or whatever). That sucks.
Huh… as a kid I always wore Converse, famous for their lack of support, and yet had high arches. I had never thought to make a connection between the two. I wonder if it’s causal?
Barefooting was what turned me on to the Primal lifestyle in the first place.
In my case, totally flat feet, lifetime foot pain, lower leg pain, lower back pain. A lot of it is my weight and lack of fitness, I know. But when a doctor suggested bare feet time to help strengthen my feet (”where am I going barefoot in Manhattan” I remember replying at the time) and then a few news articles about shoes and being barefoot, I went into Vibrams and mocs and barefoot and never looked back.
These days the only times I am not either barefoot or in a barefoot shoe is for something unavoidable like a formal stage performance. And even wearing soft mocc-style dress shoes, the 1/2′ heel feels horrible and gives me foot pain.
Since I started being barefoot most of the time , my toes have spread out dramatically. I can’t even fit into some of my old shoes anymore. My feet have strengthened and nearly all of my foot problems have disappeared. My toes which used to be locked and near-motionless can flex and grasp things like pencils.
The only problems I have now is a little fascitis in one foot, usually when I over-train.
My only criticism of barefooting to a city dweller like me is the constant pavement/concrete surfaces is unnatural for the feet, footware or not. Making shoes that are barefoot but with a little more padding might be a good choice for the city.
It isn’t cheap, but Terra Plana’s Vivo Barefoot is basically what you are asking for.
I will admit they don’t keep me from heel striking when I’m being lazy, and don’t remove the inserts, but it is a close to barefoot while still wearing shoes as you are going to get.
Do you have an arch ?
I’m one of those who “cured” their flat feet by going barefoot
I had doctor-prescribed orthotics for doing athletics (running, rowing, hiking, etc). I always bought shoes with “motion control” and lots of arch support.
2yrs ago I read the book “Chi Running” (similar to POSE), and learned to run properly. Ran a marathon in Newton running shoes (minimal support). I started doing all my workouts barefoot (crossfit), and now I’m running in VFF for everything.
Looking at my feet, and watching how I walk, my ankles no longer collapse inward. My feet don’t get tired from standing. I can wear fashionable shoes with no arch support. I can hike/run/etc w/o orthotics. I was on the beach recently and my footprints looked normal!
So yes, it’s possible, but it took 2yrs. I’ve always been barefoot at home, maybe that gave me a jumpstart
I have also had flat feet my entire life and like Ahmed, didn’t seem to have any problems at 18 either. However, now at 43 it’s a different story… after standing or walking for a long time (the “shuffling” of shopping seems to be the worst) I get a lot of aching from my feet to my knees to my hips.
As if that weren’t enough, I now have arthritis/bone spurs in the joint where my right big toe joins with my foot and that causes frequent pain (it’s called Hallux Limitus, though fortunately I still have a fair amount of flexibility there). Believe me, you don’t realize how much weight that joint bears and how important it is until you start having pain there.
I just recently went to a podiatrist who prescribed custom insoles/supports that provide some arch support but more importantly provide some extra space for the toe joint to function, which avoids some of the pain.
I’m intrigued by the Vibram Five Fingers and Nike Free shoes, but frankly it’s painful just to think about walking in shoes with little/no support, or barefoot. Granted that is due much more to my toe problem than to my flat feet.
To Ahmed, I would say be willing to try everything possible to strengthen your feet or adapt to your condition while you are still young. It’s great that you are aware of the issue now instead of trying to ignore the nagging aches for years until you finally force yourself into a doctor’s office.
I use yoga toes to help spread my toes.
They seem to work.
I get the argument for barefoot. But if you live in a city it’s hard to avoid cement sidewalks, hard floors ect. Cetainly not the soft sand of Grok.
How would Grok do on concrete?
Concrete is wonderful. Soft, gentle pillows of comfort compared to dirt with rocks, acorns (and other seeds), plants with strong runners and sharp leaves, etc. I strongly prefer concrete to sand for normal walking. Barring extreme heat and cold, concrete and asphalt are simply not a problem for barefoot walking/running/etc.
The thing to remember is that you can’t scuff/drag your feet along like you might with shoes. Look where you’re going to put your foot, pick your foot up, put your foot down, wash, rinse, repeat.
I live in LA and am barefoot unless I’m riding my motorcycle, walking on really hot/cold surfaces, or going into a store/restaurant with a no-bare-feet policy. I keep several sets of sandals in strategic places (car, baby’s stroller, backpack) just in case I need to put them on. Working pretty well for the past year now.
I’d argue that on harder surfaces it’s even more important to focus on barefoot techniques. Walk on the balls of your feet, don’t overstride, and avoid shoes with excessive padding that just move the problem elsehwere on your skeleton.
I’ve worn my VFF all day throughout the city, and never had a problem. It does take your body time to adjust to being barefoot so much, but if you walk correctly there’s no problems.
Additionally, ‘barefoot’ walking in the city brings much more awareness of the ground surfaces, there are lots of interesting textures out there
Concrete? I wear my VFF’s and I’m fine. (I think Grok would probably hate concrete, just like me… but, we deal.)
I found some foot exercises a while back that are right in-line with “side walking”, which you mentioned above. If you’re looking for more, try these:
Walk for 25m or so, to start, in each of the following six positions:
1. Toes pointed outwards (duck)
2. Toes pointed inwards (pigeon)
3. On the outside edge of your foot
4. On the inside edge of your foot
5. Backwards, on your tippy toes
6. On your heels.
Only takes a few minutes, but they really help strengthen the musculature around your feet.
I’ll also speak highly of POSE running; it takes time to condition your feet/calves/legs to it, but once you’ve got it, it’s amazing.
Thanks Adam
I’m another big fan of POSE running!
What is POSE running please mate ?
Very interesting article. I went barefoot practically my whole childhood and everyone always commented on how “high” my arches are. When I went into regular work in my 20’s I had to wear heels & started getting knee problems…then to orthodics…supports…you name it. In past 2 years I managed to change my job and get out of my heels. Voila…no more knee pain. I’m happy to say my arches are high and my toes wide like they used to be.
By the way the toe-spread thing is also interesting. I’ve always had particularly “wide” feet for a woman, so much so that I’ve always bought men’s hiking shoes, for example.
Mark,
Thanks for the great article.
Just one remark: actually, we all are born flat footed. It is only when we start to stand up and walk that we really develop our arches. That’s why it is really important for babies and children to walk barefoot a lot. If they where rigid shoes with ‘good support’, they will not get the chance to develop arches, nor good functioning feet.
In general, speaking about musculoskeletal problems, function is more important than structure. Although the two are related, function is what counts.
We (physical therapists) see this often. If you have scoliosis or excessive lorosis of kyphosis is your spine, the chances of getting pain in your back are not bigger than for people with ‘normal’ spines (exception: really really big anatomic variations are more likely to cause problems)
First, there’s a lot of inter-individual variation, without being abnormal.
Second, the way the body moves (motor control!!!) is the best predictor of pain and dysfunction.
This means:
- good ’structure’ with bad funcion will be more likely to cause pain/dysfunction
- ‘bad’ structure with good function (motor control) will be less likely to cause pain.
So for people with flat feet (or other structural foot problems): don’t worry to much about the structure, work on function.
And Marks article will help to increase the function of your feet
Thanks so much for this important info!
But as the Mom of a one-year old who has been sick with colds or flu for over six weeks, I am having a really hard time letting him be barefoot on the cold floors (not to mention outside!) Everytime I feel his freezing little feet, I have to put something on them. Socks and slippers can be doing harm, can they? What about soft baby shoes?
Wendy, socks are fine, but what makes you think there is any relationship between colds/flu and bare feet on a cold floor? There’s none.
I’ll second Mark on this.
Being cold, or in cold climate does not mean you’ll catch a cold.
Stupid name for a number of viruses that range from influenza to any other bother.
Hey, the feet in those pictures look like those of my ancestors’ from 100,000 years ago! That was when they negotiated unpredictable terrains better than folks now can on a straight sidewalk.
Great post. I’m coming to understand that physical stress patterns in infancy/youth have a strong influence on skeletal development.
Mark,
What about wearing flat sandals like Rainbows? I know its not barefoot so how does it compare? Thanks
On the barefoot-to-completely-constrained continuum, sandals are better than hiking boots, but they still have way too much cushion and support for my taste. In a few weeks, I’ll be introing another minimalist shoe by FeelMax.
Hurry please – my boss just told me my 5 fingers do not look “professional enough” for the office. I found the “normal” shoes I was wearing before, and while they are much lighter than typical shoes (Reebok racing flats, probably like Nike frees), they really hurt my feet now that I know what shoes should feel like.
Just google “Feelmax Luosma”!
They are perfect for your needs and really feel like walking barefoot!
Regards,
Rob
My feet are definitely not flat. as a former athlete that would be pretty bad if i did.. I’m going to show this to my readers and ask them too. Thanks for the insight Mark.
Mark, have you ever heard of healthy toes? http://www.healthytoes.com/ I have used them daily for a while now and I think (maybe just in my head) that it’s helping get my feet back to where my toes are spreading out and not crushed. Any experience with those?
Also, I forgot to add, have you used the five finger shoes before? Would you recommend those at all?
I pretty much live in my Fives and my FeelMax Pankas (more on those soon).
Most of the banner pictures on the site show Mark in VFFs, he’s a big fan (as many of us are, myself included
Thank goodness I managed to keep my high arches, despite wearing shoes for most of my life. Right now, I’m 90% barefoot and doing my best to insist that my 13-month old daughter never wears shoes. Grandmothers are the toughest nut to crack on this front.
I’m halfway through the article but…
I grew up wearing flip-flops (so, not arch support whatsoever) for the overwhelming majority of my time outside. The only exception would be sports (soccer, baseball, and basketball later on). Otherwise I’d be outside running around on flip-flops.
My feet are terribly flat.
So, I’m inclined to disagree with the assertion that being barefoot while young will prevent flat feet.
Evan, wearing flipflops is not “going barefoot”.
I understand its not the same as barefoot. But it provides 0 support that a typical shoe does. Nor does it force toes inward as the examples in the post.
A typical flip-flop used in my youth:
http://www.localslippers.com/catalog/catalog-pics/slippers-locals-black.JPG (work/family safe)
Well, in retrospect I do recall having SEVERE foot/heel pain while wearing various sporting shoes (mainly the baseball/soccer cleats) as a youngster.
I dunno, I’m at a loss then. If wearing sport-only footwear can cause damage to ones foot structure, what’s a youngster to do?
The high stress portion of your “day” you were in shoes…
Srsly. Have ya seen how flip-flop wearers walk. That’s not walking it is shuffling along. Ya can hear ‘em from a mile away. Ya think that’s natural? Nuh uh.
Great post, Mark. Thanks. I can’t agree with you enough that it’s important to go slowly. After years in shoes that were actually too small (my feet looked like the shod person from 1905 above), I first moved to standard shoes that were simply the right size (FWIW I went from 11.5 to 13). Made a huge difference – DUH! – but took a long time for me to accept that I really needed bigger shoes since the smaller ones seemed to “fit.” After a couple of years in proper fitting shoes I was able to move to a more minimal shoe (Earth Lazer-K) for about 6 months, and then the Nike Free 3.0. I spent 2 years in the Nikes before finally getting into my Five Fingers. It was a long process but worth it. By going very slowly I was able to do it painlessly. Now just don’t expect me to post pictures of my feet!
Ahhhh!
C’mon Geof. Your feet would be perfect for scientific study…
Yes, I’m picking on you.
Sorry. Nico, didn’t know you had a thing for feet (yes, I’m picking on you). Sadly I don’t have any “before” pictures.
Only in a scientific study…
(Gee, I set myself up for that one didn’t I?)
i am one of those blessed with wide, flat feet(south american ancestry)
i remember the one time my dr. tried to arch support me when i was younger, pure torture!!!!
the best shoes for running and hiking, because i cannot afford to get my toes on a pair of vibrams are worn out classic vans. they dont offer not much in the way of support of thickeness of sole and i find it better to run trails and scramble rocks with them because i can really feel what i am on and grab stuff with my toes…
Hi Mark,
First of all, I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy reading your blog. It has been so informative and inspriatinal to me. Last year, I moved to Stockholm, and the new apartment that I am now living in has hard wood floors that are overlayed on concrete. At least that’s what it feels like. After trying to go bare foot since March, I’ve switched to wearing my Chaco flip flops. It seems like the right thing to do. What are your thoughts?
Bridget, whatever works for you. If your feet are strong already and the hardwood makes you uncomfortable, who am I to tell you not to wear the Chacos. OTOH, my floors are all stone and I love going barefoot all the time on them. Socks only?
I have wide feet. I blow out the sides of shoes. I had mashed up toes like snapshot “A”.
All my toes spread naturally now like the snapshot “B” except my pinky. He might be a lost cause.
About 5 months of Five Fingers & Injinji socks were the cure. If I have to wear “normal” shoes now, I at least wear a pair of Injinjis to keep my toes from meshing together so much.
Grok,
I have the exact same thing with my pinky toe. Maybe the pinky is supposed to be that way?
-Rafi
I’ve love my VFFs (got them 4 months ago), and I have developed little arches over the past 3 years from yoga and walking in my VFFs (used to be totally flat), but I live in a mountain town that gets a fair bit of snow. Anyone have any good ideas on what to do when there’s 2 feet of snow on the ground?
very interesting. my sister and i are the perfect examples of different lifestyles and how they affect feet. i’ve always walked around barefoot everywhere and my sport was dancing, especially barefoot african dance or martial arts. walking around outside on any surface is quite easy for me. she played a lot of running sports in highly supportive athletic shoes..basketball, soccer, etc. my feet are very wide with a high, strong arch and picking things up with my toes is easy and i’ve often toyed with the idea of doing some paintings with my feet
:):). she is the opposite, with flat narrow feet that hurt her all the time. her toes are practically on top of each other and she NEVER walks barefoot. even getting out the shower, she has supportive athletic flip flops with arch support, not the cheapy $3.75 strips of rubber from old navy.
Mark,
I have high arches and bunions. I have been told that the bunions were caused by over pronating and that I needed orthotics to correct the dysfunction and associated knee pain. Going barefoot is suppose to be really bad for the bunions. Any suggestions on how to handle these foot problems even though I am 61 years old?
I have high arches (they do not touch the ground when I walk) and have been given inserts and/or shoes with arch support. Any opinion on what kind of shoe I should where, be it minimalist or the five fingers?
My toes look like the photos (not the good ones either). I was such a good doobie all my life that I took the expert advice on super supportive running shoes. Now am I to blame them for my bunion?
THanks Mark. I guess going primal in as many was possible is the best course of action.
Mark,
What do you think about Nike Free type shoes…supposed to simulate barefeet while strengthening your feet…
Not at all impressed with Nike Frees.
My arches are decent (probably since I wear “bad shoes” like converse and flip flops 90% of the time) but my toes are really close together and apparently have been since I was born- my mother can confirm this. I always joke that I was somehow genetically designed for those awful pointy women’s shoes. But seriously, do you think the exercises would work to spread out my naturally squished toes? I’m concerned that I won’t even be able to put vibrams on if I were to buy a pair because my 2nd toe rests on top of the big one.
Suddenly ballet slippers and roman sandal like contraptions are en vogue… which means that a lot of people might be able to get away with wearing minimal shoes to work.
http://www.zappos.com/burberry-nylon-ballerinas-black
Not that I’m planning on spending $300 dollars on this flimsy little thing, but… nobody would blink if I wore them to the office.
Actually, tell a lie! A whole lot of people would like be in shock and speechless if I wore them to work (I’m not famous for my sense of fashion), but there are about 100 other people at the company I work for who could wear them without anyone batting an eyelash.
I’ve had high arches for a long time… first noticed when i did ballet years ago… then again when i was figure skating (had trouble finding skates that gave enough arch support), again when i was downhill skiing – the arches in the boots never hit at the right spot. and definitely with most running shoes – the arch padding never comes up high enough. curiously, i get really bad shin splints when i run in running shoes. i got a pair of VFF this summer and did some running – no shin splints! yay!
It’s funny…I ran around barefoot as a kid, all the time. There were even a couple of times in high school as a goofy teenager trying to be “unusual” enough to be noticed, I went barefoot. I walk barefoot around my house pretty much as a matter of course. When I’m not in the house, my shoes of choice are flip-flops (actually, right now I mostly wear a pair of “Fit-Flops”…love to know what Mark thinks of those!). I tend to like shoes best that don’t restrict my feet. I do own and wear heels, pointy-toed boots, etc, but not very often (I’m not much of a fashion plate in many ways). I’ve always associated barefootedness with a sense of lightness and agility and freedom. I almost feel sorry for my husband with his tender feet. I’m glad to know that going barefoot may be one of the few truly instinctive things I’ve done for myself. I’m proud of my calloused feet!
Me too. I use to run around the garden barefoot as a kid and now, as an adult, I am always barefoot at home (or just socks in winter). My feet are hard as leather. Despite having a number of number of biomechanical issues with my legs and ankles which would predispose me towards flat feet, I don’t have them.
Hi Mark,
I’m 29 years old and started hiking about a year or so ago. From the getgo, I noticed that after the hike, I would be in much pain for several days, while others talked about going on another hike the very next day. At first, I put this off as just being new to hiking. However, it didn’t go away and I noticed after a certain distance, I was getting a callous and sensitive area under my big toe. Then there was a hike where we did a lot of walking in small, loose gravel. I noticed that my walk made a lot more noise than others. Discovered that before toe off, my foot pronated, so it was step, twist, step twist; instead of step, step. I finally went to the podiatrist and was told I had functional hallux limitus. I bought his $400 orthotics which of course were no help. I did find relief with MBT shoes, but they don’t help on hikes because you can’t use those shoes for that. What, if anything, can be done about functional hallux limitus? (other than surgery) Thanks,
Mike
I work in a hospital, on my feet, up and down stairs all day. I used to come home with aching feet and sore knees. Earlier this year, I bought some Vivo Barefoots, and now my feet and knees (and calves and shins) feel strong, even at the end of my shift! I will never go back to conventional shoes.
I used to spend a lot of time barefoot, so my feet are a lot less civilized than other women my age. However, I have very large feet, and two foot related issues. When I was a child I broke my left leg, and I wasn’t well rehabilitated in walking. So on one foot I walk “heel toe” and the other I use “toe heel” When I concentrate on it, I can make both feet do the same thing, but when I don’t think about it, they do what they do. Needless to say, I am not a good runner even though I am a good hiker and long distance walker. In college, I broke all the bones in the top of my right foot by dropping 50# of slab clay on it accidentally. Just recently I started a retail job where I stand on my feet all day. I really thought I was going to die, my feet hurt so much. I am only allowed to wear certain types of shoes as part of the dress code. Someone suggested orthotic insoles, and I tried them, and they do make it possible to get through the day. When I am not at work, I wear some flexible, croc-like shoes that don’t constrain my foot in any way. I wish I had a better option for work, I still agree that barefoot is best, but right now I have to do what I have to do to work without pain. The shoes I am allowed to wear at work include most “nursing shoes” including Dansko and NurseMaid.
Thanks for the great answer Mark, definitely been doing a lot of barefoot work. It’s weird, but my squat and dead-lift have actually gone up in coordination with the increase of going barefoot.
Here’s a link to the 1905 barefoot study for those interested in reading the whole thing:
http://ahcuah.home.att.net/docs/hoffman.htm
I had another link to it that seemed to show the pictures in greater detail and clarity but I can’t find it right now. If I do I’ll post.
It’s obvious there are a lot of people out there who have problems with their feet! I feel for everyone, as I have been living with extreme plantar fasciitis in my left heel for quite some time now. I’m truly at a loss how to deal with it. I walk 1/2 a mile from my bus stop on pavement to work and back every day, and it’s an excruciating experience. Last year, I bought large orthopedic shoes that allow lots of room for my toes, and removed the inserts from them, and added a gel pad to the heel on the sore foot. At home, I’m either barefoot or in Crocs. I cringe at the thought of losing the padding under my feet. I’ve lost 10 pounds in the last 6 weeks since going Primal, and I know another 50 will work wonders. Anyone have other words of advice for me?
Whenever I do the point exercise my feet really cramp (along the bottoms). Any guesses at the reason why and what the solution is? You think it would get better with consistent work, but it doesn’t seem to.
I have high arches and am currently struggling with a case of plantar fascitis.
Will wearing VFF, going barefoot as much as possible, and doing the strengthening exercises mentioned be of benefit to me?
Thanks!
Scott, yes but just take it easy. Always better to ease into barefoot training.
Hi Mark,
I’m a believer, and go barefoot as much as possible – at home, in the neighborhood, etc. When it gets colder, I wear warm socks around the house.
Even as a child I went barefoot as much as possible, and would at the beginning of every summer do a lot of walking over various terrain to “toughen up” my feet for an entire season of going almost fully barefoot.
Still, I have a job, and have to wear shoes in the office. My feet are in okay shape, but I often feel the need to stretch my toes out after being in shoes.
My question is, could you please provide a comprehensive review of minimalist shoes? I see your reference in this post to FeelMax Pankas, and have previously seen you refer to others such as the Nike Free and VFFs (of course!)…I keep looking but don’t see anything that would be appropriate for my office. So, a great round-up of every model you’ve ever found would be really helpful!
p.s. I really like the look SoftStar Shoes, too, for around the house, but haven’t tried them yet.
Ms. Ripe, the problem is that there aren’t many minimalist shoes to review at this time. Some that claim to be minimalist aren’t really very good IMHO. The FeelMax are probably the best for your purposes at work. No one should even notice, let alone give you grief.http://www.extremeoutfitters.us/feelmaxpankamensblacksilver.aspx
It’s incredible how little time it takes to make a difference. I have been going barefoot or rocking the five fingers since mid June and already I have seen a difference. My feet are making the transition from A to B. My arch has come back, my toes are more spread and I have a generally more stable base. Great article.
Great post! Shoes are generally detrimental to our feet. Periodically, I write about this subject. Recently, I wrote The 3 Main Ways Shoes Harm Our Feet.
can anyone tell me a website on buying fivefingers at a cheaper price? Thanks
Currently I haven’t got VFF (not in my size in the shops, and I do want to try them on before I buy). But I have the Feelmax Pankas and I love them. Hope to get some VFF someday.
I wear my Vibram Five Fingers when I do my primal walks, sprints, kettlebell training and deadlifts. I wear them to grocery shop etc. I go barefoot as well all day at home.
I always had good arches until I broke 4 of my 5 metatarsals in my left foot. After it healed, I started losing my arch and I noticed my ankle was rolling in. I got some inserts from Barefoot Science http://www.barefootscience.com/us/index.php (WFS). You can put them in any pair of shoes, preferably a pair that are flexible and lose fitting. Unlike orthotics that immobilize your arch, they force you to flex your foot to strengthen your arch. They come with 5 different levels so your foot can strengthen gradually. Worked great for me.
Dang, people sure turn out to talk about feet!
My problem began about eight weeks after starting to sprint barefoot. Running without shoes immediately cured my anterior shin pain but eventually caused a bad case of plantar fasciatis (and I’m not the only one around here with that nuisance injury). I think what happens is that I can run on the front of my foot at slow to medium speeds, but once I open up and run full-tilt I start landing hard on the heel. Ouch.
When I recover from the PF, which is going on three months now, I will try again but this time with a more careful approach to the higher speed.
Mikehell, you most likely did too much too soon. That’s a common problem in transitioning. Always better to go easy at first…a few short sprints the first time out, adding a little distance the next workout, but not overdoing. It’s one reason why some elite running shoe stores no longer carry VFFs: runners got injured doing 6 and 7 mile runs their first workouts!
When you sprint correctly barfeoot, your heel almost never touches the ground – certainly not “hard”. Good luck when you start up again.
I’m really confused. You recommend this running on the toes things, but wouldn’t this be like running in heels? How is this beneficial?
j, high heeled shoes are NOTHING like going barefoot. Heeled shoes support your heels and prevent them from absorbing the landing shock.
I have a leg lenngth discrepancy of about 1.5cms. this is an actual difference in the lenght of my leg bones, and has been measured with x rays.
this causes a functional scoliosis which leads to all sorts of pain unless i wear one shoe that is thicker than the other.
i have had some minimalist sandals made with one sole 1cm thicker, and i also wear convers or dulop volleys with a 1cm insert. this works fine for me, although i would much prefer to be barefoot!
any suggestions or similar cases?
I LOVE my Vibrams…I suffered from shin splints and with VFF – I don’t.
2 problems:
1 – I live in Michigan and VFF’s let snow in. And I can’t wear my wool socks with them.
2 – I was told that my VFF’s don’t comply with DOL regulations for closed toed shoes (I teach mentally impaired adults job skills on a factory work floor)
So far, I haven’t been caught by a supervisor and so far I’ve dealt with the cold, but the temperature hasn’t dropped below 40 (yet)
I’ve been a barefoot baby my entire life, and still don’t have very pronounced arches. I have a slight arch. My parents kept us barefoot except in the winter. (kinda hard to go barefoot in the snow!)
I have been very diligent about my small sons going barefoot 90% of the time. Even in malls, on sidewalk, etc.
Mark, what do you suggest for those of us who are living primal in the land of ice and snow?
lil, good for you having your kids go barefoot. BTW,I moved from Maine because I couldn’t take the cold! I guess the answer is wear socks like Injinjis (toed socks)under your VFFs when walking outside in the cold. Otherwise, it might be fun to find some true leather mocs with little or no support (like the indigenous Americans wore)and a wider toe box.
I’m knitting “flip flop socks” – they are knit down to the toes and then I just stop and put a loop between the big toe and the rest. It will keep the rest of my feet warm, but not my toes.
I have enough of a problem getting my “pinkie toe” to get into the right slot in my VFF’s without trying to do it with toe socks
For those of us who must wear dress shoes to work (and partly want to), does anyone have any idea about the Wysong Ergonomic insoles, which a poster mentioned before?
Also, am I correct in assuming that if you have to wear dress shoes and have flat feet then you’re better off not wearing insoles of any kind with the dress shoes? Or would insoles like the Wysong be a decent choice?
I have never had flat feet, but I have noticed that since making the transition to going barefoot as often as possible this year (including walks and runs at the park), my arches are getting much stronger and taller. I’ve also gained about .5 inches of width, and hoping for another .5 inch by next year to get those last two toes spread out a little more.
Anyone have a good suggestion for work shoes? I work in an office and it is business/business casual.
Also I have a short first toe, commonly known as Morton’s toe, which is quite common. For my toes not to be crunched in my VFFs the back by the heel is loose.
Any suggestions?
Thanks….
What about high arches? This causes me many problems with running. Any suggestions?
I’ve always had flat feet, and they have hurt since I was twelve. I’m now 45. For the past 6 months, I have been stretching my toes out fairly regularly with Healthy Toes (like Yoga Toes). Man, what a difference.
orthopedists, podiatrists, shoe salesman—-look at a piece of a person. What if your hips are wide & you are almost knock-kneed? What if your joints are very mobile & you’re prone to ankle sprains and/or popped kneecaps as well as having very flexible feet, which can arch beautifully but collapse with every barefoot step.
Wouldn’t barefooting run the risk of practicing harmful patterns? and wouldn’t orthotics transfer the wobble to the vulnerable knee joint?
This is complicated !
Mahala, everyone was designed “perfectly to operate barefoot. Many of us have just trained our bodies into awkward positions through shoes and chairs. I say we can untrain those awkward forms and relearn properly by going barefoot…but no one HAS to run to do it.
Great post, Mark! Any additional exercises for someone with Morton’s toe? (For those unfamiliar, ck this: http://bit.ly/16fcVN. Both of my feet are as pronounced (or worse) than the top right photo. The swelling of my 2nd metatarsal has caused me numerous problems over the years.
I would appreciate any thoughts.
Paul, just do what you can. Most people who go barefoot a lot notice toes spreading and evening out somewhat over time. Don’t push the envelope, take it slow and see if you notice an improvement.
FeelMax Pankas are a good minimalist shoe for you.
The best no-shoe exercising I have found is Bellydancing. The dance is traditionally performed barefoot. Many of the movements are performed on the balls of the feet and the ones that are not require a good amount of dynamic foot strength and stability. The movements are no-low impact so all fitness levels and body shapes can do it. My feet and ankles went from being soft and painful to strong and graceful with about six months/twice a week of belly dance classes. It is amazing how much control I gained over my entire body after learning to use my feet (in the barefoot state). That was years ago, now I teach bellydance and I see students go through the “foot transformations” regularly. I am partial to belly dance, but many classical, folkloric and traditional dances (from around the world) are performed barefoot and would likely have similar benefits.
I have detested shoes since the day I was born… or the day I had my first pair of shoes put on me, whenever that was. I ran around barefoot a lot as a child, broken glass be damned. School of course meant shoes, but I apparently managed to kick them off enough that by the time a chiropractor’s assistant got a hold of my feet in high school, she was amazed by how strong they were.
I’m in my early 30s now, and occasionally have lamented my “duck feet” (which look a lot like that photo of the never-worn-shoes guy, except my toes aren’t quite that far apart), since I absolutely can’t fit my feet in fancy, pretty shoes. Oh, well. I’m old enough now that I just don’t care. I’ll buy some dressy Birkenstocks. LOL About a year ago I did start having trouble with plantar fascitis, and all the websites said it’s caused by going barefoot too much. What?!? It came and went for months. I never gave in and wore shoes more often. It seems to have gone away now that I’m getting more magnesium in my diet (I have lingering absorption issues from gluten-intolerance, so I still need extra magnesium.)
I’m really hoping to get some Vibram’s soon. It would be awesome to be virtually shoeless all the time!
I started going barefoot anytime I was in or near my house when I started going primal. But then one day, just walking through the kitchen my swinging leg and pendulum like foot caught my middle toe on the leg of a kithen chair and broke the bejeezus out of it. I couldn’t walk without a limp for 4 weeks. I couldn’t do sprints for 8 weeks.
So I agree with what you’re saying, but maybe “toe-proof” your house before you embark on barefootedness. You know, the same way people baby-proof a house before bringing home a baby. It’s not a danger I really considered at all. It’s a CHAIR for crying out loud. A broken toe is excruciatingly painful. I broke my wrist before and this was worse.
Fixed, I feel your pain. I’ve had those moments – that turned into months of repair and regret. Obviously, the lesson here (learned all too often) is not one of barefooting, but of Law # 9 and the need for “hyper-vigilance” and “risk management”
Dear Fixed Gear,
I’ve fallen on the ice while carrying a gymnastic ball, tripped on a bulging city sidewalk while carrying a laptop & a shoulder bag, fallen in a construction area, and face planted in the middle of an unlighted midblock city street jayrunning to catch to late night bus, and banged my bare toes to the point of yelling at least twice a decade..every time giving thanks despite the bruises because i didn’t break anything.
Please let me know your MD checked the xrays for bone thinning, especially if you are small-boned, thin, and/or female. My father suffered from osteoporosis despite an extremely active lifestyle.
Anyone can have it , and a painless bone scan will diagnose.
I have always had the opposite problem of this article. Ever since I was born I had extremely high arches resulting for a shorted heel cord, a genetic issue. When I was 13 I had surgery to lengthen the heel cords so that my heels could touch the ground when walking.
However, the surgery was less successful that intended and I still run very much on my toes and primarily stay on the balls of my feet when walking or standing.
Now I am beginning to wonder if it isn’t a bad thing at all that I have this issue.
I wore birkenstocks for years and had happy feet. Last year I was convinced by the barefoot argument and starting going barefoot/non-supportive. Big toe started hurting. Thought it would go away, 6 mos. later, went to podiatrist, I’ve got hallux limitus, convincingly directly brought on by the barefoot. When I asked doc about it, she said what I had been thinking – barefoot is great on soft ground, terrible on concrete. She sees runners with injuries caused by barefoot running all the time. I am back in birks and rocker soles, but now feeling like a dope, after doing irreversible damage to my feet by going barefoot. (cartilage disappears in joint, followed by bone growing as a way to help, unfortunately makes things worse.) I would have been fine maybe if I wasn’t so active – but doing lots of plyos, etc., it was a killer combo. Be wary.
Yeah man you did it wrong imho.
I go barefoot sprinting all the time IN THE GRASS or IN THE WOODS!
On concrete i either wear Fivefingers, Feelmax or walk ON MY TOES which should come naturally after some practice!
If you are walking and training barefoot on concrete you better do that very caucious or not at all, but you already know that now.
When i do plyos and heavy impact stuff i always train on soft martial arts mats.
Just my thoughts on the subject!;-)
Regards,
Rob
Interesting coming across this article. I am a healthy 35 year old male, who had been a fit 20s something before getting derailed. I had severe knee pain, prescibed orthotics, etc, etc, and then found VFFs. I’ve been wearing them 7 days a week for the last 2 years, and running for the last 6 months. My longest run in them is 6 miles. I go to the park and kick the soccer ball around (league games i wear shoes). I run on a rough trail, and I’ve hiked up a mountain in them. (and I’ve felt the burn in my calves the whole way).
I recently had a sprain from soccer that wasn’t healing (fast enough) and went to a physio. She immediately noticed that I have flat-ish feet. She then did a strength test and my calf strength (plantar flexion) is off the charts, but my dorsalflexion is weak to say the least. They’ve never seen such a disparity, and say that I do not fit anywhere within the realm of the statistics and ratios. They are now treating my flat feet and this out of balance ratio as something to solve, but since I am so far out of text book scenarios, they’re a bit stumped. Also, the x-ray shows that the angles of edge of my tibia and the top bone in my foot are way outside of normal ranges.
If my ankle sprain was just from over use and playing too much soccer too quickly, (hadn’t played for well over a decade) then my feet feel great! But if the sprain came from being out of balance or flat footed, then I need help.
Any thoughts? I hate shoes, and do not want to go back, but would if truly needed.
(Great site by the way! I came across you for this specific issue, but will keep coming back for everything)
[not a doctor here]
Tim, I’m not sure how wearing shoes of any kind could cure a dorsiflexion “imbalance”. I’m not even sure how the physios arrived at “normal” balance ratio, since dorsiflexion is a very minor movement (unless you hang from a trapeze by your feet). If your plantar flexion is high, that is a good thing. I highly doubt your wearing VFFs did anything but help strengthen your feet. I could speculate that your rolled your ankle in soccer cleats because you were higher off the ground than if you’d been barefoot and maybe you did try moving laterally too much too soon. Sometimes sh*t just happens.
What an interesting article. I hate my feet. I really do. They hinder me from doing all the fun things that I want to do. I don’t know what or when the problems arose really. There was a period of time (2-3 months) when my feet hurt really bad though. I don’t know why that was, either.
Anyways, I’m 20 years old. I’ve tried using expensive orthopedic inlays two times; first time was about five years ago, and the second time is happening right now. First time – no improvement. Second time – no improvement, even after five different occasions when corrections has been made to them.
I will definately try this – in a religious manner. I’m more or less dependent on being able to exercise in various ways. I’ve never been able to run for any longer than 30-40 minutes, and that I can’t do more than twice a week, orelse there’ll be trouble with my ankles and knees. Anything that can make me whole again is worth so, so much.
I will try with the exercises mentioned in the article, and anything else I can find useful – whether I found it on the web or came up with it myself. Are there any other advice except the exercises offered? And about the shoes – here, in Sweden, it’s hefty cold right now, and it’s not even winter, yet. I doubt I can wear VFFs or any similar shoes without my toes falling off from the cold. So, if anyone knows an alternative for colder environments, please advice. Thanks!
Try VFF Trek or Feelmax Kuuva!
You can have an insert put into your foot !!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpHQuETQXi8
I have a bone that grew down in my foot instead of forward where my arch should be. It actually protrudes out the opposite way. I’m 18 years old, and I have orthopedics and leg braces (new, refuse to wear). I work 30 hours a week in addition to school, at a shoe store of all places. My feet are KILLING me. And I wear the orthopedic things and maximum support tennis shoes all of the time. Do think I’ll be able to walk and exercise like a normal person if I start doing this program?
I’ve had flat feet all my life. I was also born pigeon-toed, something I inherited from my father. I was born in New York city and for the first 14 years of my life, was forced to wear closed orthopedic shoes, which I believe in the long-run ended up crushing my toes together and causing me pain. I’m now in my forties and no longer feel pain. How did I do this? Well first of all, when I was 19 I moved to the Caribbean and began wearing sandals. No more closed shoes; no more winter boots scrunching my toes together. It was so liberating. However, I did ocassionally have to wear platform shoes to work and I also would use sneakers for jogging and aerobics. About 10 years ago I started feeling a horrendous pain in my feet–it was a sharp nerve pain. Went to the podiatrist and he diagnosed me with Metatarsalgia. Said that this was irreversible and that I would have to be periodically injected with corticosteroids for the rest of my life to control the pain. I thought this was the end of my life, to tell you the truth. I couldn’t walk for more than ten minutes without feeling excruciating pain. Anyway, I decided to ditch my doctor’s suggestions and started doing my own internet search. Finding information on the anatomy of the foot and realizing that I had to change my fashionable footwear to something more natural and foot-friendly. I realize that walking barefoot is the natural way, but I’ve, at least, discovered Birkenstocks. They saved me, and within six months I was back to my old self again. Thanks to Birkenstock sandals, my toes have the space to spread apart, and I actually believe my feet have widen a bit. Perhaps this is all conjecture, but I feel the difference. After reading all these posts I would like to start going barefoot, but I know that I’ll have to do so gradually; perhaps start off with the V-five fingers. Thanks for all your ideas and suggestions.
any suggestions for childern living in cold weather, ie. Michigan.
“Feelmax Kuuva” or “Vibram Five Fingers Trek”
Hi Simon,
Um… have you read the article and comments??
The whole point being made here is that supports DO NOT help in strengthening flat feet!
Your body is designed to go barefoot. Exercising and just being barefoot will make your feet (and arches) stronger.
Minimal footwear (Vibram, Feelmax, etc.) are a good compromise or transitioning tool.
i just began reading this… but im glad i did ive always had flat foot and since im 6′5 235 trying to play bball flat feet wont cut it… actually i really didnt care much about my feet until my friend said “whats up with your toes” because honestly they curl and … but just from doing the exercises at the top of the page i felt a refreshing stretch… i think just from doing these exercises daily and staying bare foot as much as possible along with wearing the proper shoes (so happy i found some size 14 converses) ill be able to improve this… it might even help out with my lower back pains that i have sometimes… glad i caught this while im still 19 ill repost in a month to update =)
I was diagnosed with fallen arches over ten years ago and had to wear arch supports in my shoes. My feet continuted to get worse (I could not walk barefoot because it was painful and I felt like I was walking on bare bones!!! A couple of months after I started the low carb diet last fall, I started to notice a difference in how my feet felt. Stronger maybe. Then I found the Primal Blueprint book at Amazon.com and thus MDA website. I read the article and began doing the exercises. Slowly but surely my feet have gotten better and better. It is wonderful to walk barefoot again. It used to be my natural state unless I was at work so it has become that way again. I am not doing my walks or sprints barefoot yet because it is still too soon, but the difference in my feet is absolutely amazing to me.
My left foot pronates. I knew I would need to ease into barefoot very slowly.
I gave up inserts about 2 years ago, so that was a start.
But within the first 2 months of just trying to wear socks around the house, I now have a case of tarsal tunnel!
oops. So I will work on stretching my calf muscles, using the various exercises mentioned to strengthen my feet and try it all again in a few weeks.