Barefoot Series: Part I

The human foot is an engineering marvel — each foot contains 26 bones and over a hundred muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Second only to hands in sensitivity, the foot contains over 200,000 nerve endings, each of which provides us with crucial data for accurate movement and proprioception. As our ancestors descended from the trees, our feet evolved to be able to handle the variable surfaces on the ground below. It was on our feet that we walked thousands of kilometers through uncharted territory — finding new habitats and settling to become the people we are today. 

While it appears that footwear has allowed human beings to traverse across challenging surfaces and long distances, the majority of human migration was an undertaking that took place before the shoe was invented. Evidence suggests that primitive sandals were the earliest forms of supportive footwear, dating back to 30,000BC. In the northern regions, ancient humans used moccasin like footwear to insulate their feet from the snow. In most circumstances we were a barefoot people.

As society became more complex and man-made, shoes became the tool for enhanced style and bipedal locomotion. Eventually shoes became a cultural necessity, and walking barefoot was an activity reserved for poor or primitive people. Like all other man-made things shoes were subject to technological innovation. Several hundred iterations later the modern running shoe was invented and  later capitalized on by the likes of shoe brands like New Balance and Nike. Running shoe technology has improved but injuries amongst runners have remained the same. If the shoes are getting increasingly complicated, what metric determines their worth besides their increasing price? The faster race times that have been achieved in the last several decades were products of more effective training approaches and dietary regimes, and not the type of shoes you were wearing.

What's wrong with shoes?

There are three problem areas in the modern shoe. The images below are intended to highlight these problem areas via a comparison between conventional running shoe and a minimalist running shoe (which I will go into more detail about later).

Elevated heel: An elevated heel on a shoe shifts your weight toward the ball of your foot, with your hips and knees following suit. This affects our posture and gait. Your back hyperextends backwards to compensate for this shift in centre of balance. It doesn't matter if you have Stilettos, Adidas Boosts, or Nike Frees. They all have some level of elevated heel and overtime you may develop muscular imbalances due to postural misalignment.

Thick sole: There is no practical reason for people to have thick pads at the bottom of their feet. This diminishes the flexibility of the shoe and limits your foots capability to adjust to each surface accordingly, encouraging higher impact forces. The raised footbed also increases the likelihood of ankle sprains.

Narrow toe box: Bunched up toes lead to bunions and blisters. You want your toes to spread out for maximum comfort and so your foot can form a natural tripod between your big toe, little toe, and heel, for maximum stability.

If we know what's wrong with shoes, what can we do about it? We can take them off and feel the ground beneath our feet once again.