About ten years ago, I started to get foot pain.
Not too major but enough for me to connect the dots that “something” wasn’t right. I had also started to develop a bunion!
Like most people, I wore “good” shoes, supportive, structured, cushioned. Shoes that were designed to help support my feet and reduce risk of injury. And to be fair, they did appear to do what they promised… at least on the surface.
As a human movement professional, I’m always keen to stay up to date with new developments in this field and it was about 10 years ago that the concept of “barefoot” began to appear.
And it was also at this time that a store opened in the local area that specialised in these new barefoot or minimalist shoes…my curiosity to see if this was the solution for my foot pain was piqued.
Having always worn a runner with a raised heel for all fitness activities, including running and aerobics, the move to a “zero” or completely flat shoe with no cushioning was indeed a shock to my feet!
The first run in these new shoes was not a pleasant experience!! The calf cramps were so intense, I had to abandon the run and hobble home!
The Transition (Not the Overnight Kind)
So I definitely didn’t throw out all my shoes and go full barefoot overnight. My entire body alignment had to adjust to the new experience my feet were having.
It was a very gradual process.
I started spending more time outdoors barefoot, no shoes at all, even running without shoes!
Paying attention to how my feet felt on different surfaces. My calves worked harder. My feet got tired quickly. I had to slow down and change how my feet interacted with the ground.
But that discomfort didn’t stop me, I just took it as feedback that I had to continue.
I mean, how could doing something that the human body was designed for…walking naturally, be so dysfunctional?
Muscles that hadn’t been asked to do their job in years were finally being invited back into the conversation.
Over time, my feet became stronger, responsive and alive. But the biggest shift wasn’t just in my feet, it was in my whole body.
My posture changed, balance improved, and my feet became the driver of my movement.
My feet have physically changed, the bunion has regressed, my toes are lengthened, my foot has broadened…a lot! And the alignment of the entire lower limb has changed.
And perhaps most importantly, I developed a completely different relationship with the ground beneath me.
Now, wearing shoes that change the natural function of the feet is not an option for me.
Your feet are the foundation of your walking capacity and not being able to walk effectively compromises the quality of your life significantly.
If you’re curious about going barefoot, you don’t have to go all in.
In fact, I wouldn’t recommend it.
Start small:
Spend more time barefoot at home.
Start to choose shoes that allow your feet, particularly your toes to spread out. Just reintroduce your feet to “natural”.
This journey hasn’t been about shoes, really.
It’s been about reconnecting to something fundamental.
We spend so much time trying to “fix” the body from the top down core, posture, alignment.
But sometimes the most powerful changes start from the ground up.
Quite literally.
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