Are Your Shoes Causing Foot and Ankle Dysfunction?
by Vin Miller
Despite how much we depend on our feet every day, few of us give much thought to their complexity or importance. Nearly everything we do involves some form of walking or running and it’s our feet that are responsible for absorbing the resulting ground impact and keeping us upright. Ironically, the shoes we wear to protect our feet inhibit their natural function, and in turn, can promote muscle and joint problems throughout the body.
Our Amazing Feet
The foot contains more than 20 bones, 30 joints, 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments, and 200,000 nerve endings. In fact, the feet contain a quarter of the bones in the human body, and as such, deserve more of our attention.
By landing mostly on the ball of the foot when walking or running, the complex structure of the foot is able to absorb the resulting impact. This absorption capability is a major reason why our prehistoric ancestors were able to hunt and flee from danger without shoes and why Abebe Bikila was able to win the 1960 Olympic marathon running barefoot. While you might cringe at the thought of running barefoot, our highly evolved feet are perfectly capable of making it possible.
Problems Associated with Shoes
Although shoes provide many conveniences, they impair the natural function of our feet.1 The padding that’s common on most shoes encourages us to land on our heels rather than the ball of the foot. Because the heel lacks the absorption capabilities of the forefoot, much of the impact is instead transferred to the ankles, knees, hips, and spine which is obviously undesirable. Shoe padding also impairs the body’s awareness of ground contact and foot orientation which disrupts the neuromuscular feedback loop that controls our gait, and in turn, alters walking and running mechanics.2
Research shows that contrary to popular belief, an increase in shoe cushioning doesn’t reduce the amount of impact transferred from the foot to the rest of the body during running or walking.3,4 In some cases, the amount of impact actually increases as the amount of cushioning in the runner’s shoe also increases.5 This is believed to be a result of the loss of sensation of ground contact caused by the cushioning.6,7,10 Finally, it has also been shown that even on a hard surface, barefoot runners who land on their forefoot generate less impact force than those who run in shoes but land on their heels.8
The stiffness of a shoe’s sole is another concern. Unrestricted dorsiflexion of the metatarsophalangeal joints, which are the joints that join the toes to the forefoot, is important for natural arch support and efficient propulsion. The sole of a shoe, especially if stiff, has been found to reduce this dorsiflexion by half.11
The Advantages of Going Barefoot
Although there may be additional factors involved, populations that walk and run barefoot have healthier feet and fewer foot and ankle injuries.6 Because shoes restrict the foot’s natural function, they cause muscles, tendons, and ligaments to weaken, and in turn, increase susceptibility to injury.
In 1905, Dr. Phil Hoffmann analyzed the foot structure of primitive populations and concluded that wearing shoes causes deformations that inhibit the foot’s function and restrict the movement of its joints. According to this research, the toes of people who never wore shoes were spread apart and provided more stability and balance while the toes of people who wore shoes were crowded and less functional.9
Going barefoot as often as possible will promote strong and healthy feet, reduce the chance of pain and injury, and also improve physical function.
A Practical Compromise
While being barefoot all the time would promote excellent foot function, it’s certainly not practical, and in many cases, it’s not safe either. Fortunately, shoe manufacturers are paying more respect to the importance of proper foot mechanics and are designing shoes that minimize the restriction of natural foot function.
Here are a few options that will allow you to get as close to going barefoot as possible without actually doing it.
Nike Free
Nike Free shoes are probably the most popular option because of the Nike brand name and the fact that they closely resemble regular sneakers. However, unlike other Nike shoes, the Nike Frees are specifically designed to replicate the freedom of walking and running barefoot. Each model is rated on a scale of 0 to 10 with zero being barefoot and 10 being a standard shoe. Most of the Nike Free models are either rated 3.0, 5.0, or 7.0 with most of the 3.0 and 5.0 models being running shoes and the 7.0 models being cross trainers.
Hoping to get as close to barefoot as possible, I chose the 3.0 model pictured above. Although they’re definitely much less restrictive than regular sneakers, they still have a notable amount of padding in the heel which I’m not pleased with.
Here’s the full line of Nike Free shoes. You’ll likely be able to find older models at a cheaper price if you search on eBay.
Vibram Five Fingers
The Vibram Five Fingers are a very popular choice among the most dedicated health and fitness enthusiasts, but they require a bit of a rebellious personality to wear them in public. For obvious reasons, they’re bound to draw attention, and although I could do without this aspect, my dislike for the heel on the Nike Frees convinced me to order the pair shown to the right.
Although the Vibram shoes have the funny looking appearance of gloves for your feet, I think this may be one of their most important features. Because this design spreads your toes apart and allows them to function more independently, perhaps it could help to reduce and maybe even reverse the toe crowding and dysfunction described earlier that results from wearing shoes.
Here’s the full line of Vibram Five Finger shoes.
Vivo Barefoot
Although expensive, the Vivo Barefoot shoes appear to be a great choice for situations where shoes that look like gloves, or even sneakers, aren’t appropriate. I think they’d especially be a great choice for anyone who has an office job and has to wear casual business attire on a regular basis. I’d like to eventually get the style shown to the right.
Here are the many different styles of Vivo Barefoot shoes to choose from.
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I recently bought a pair of vibram spring and posted a first look review on my blog. I use them to do sport and running. The model you bought should be more confortable for everyday use as far as I know, but still adapt to running.
well there’s nike free, vibrams but there’s also new balance, here’s a post comparison about the nike free and new balance.
Hi theremore, thanks for sharing that review! Judging by appearance, the bottoms of the New Balance sneakers look thicker and more stiff than the Nike Free, especially the Nike Free 3.0.
Vin, you must be reading my mind. Everyday when I take my shoes off and then walk across the floor I have a lot of pain in my feet. I’ve been thinking I need to go barefoot and build the muscle strength in my feet. I didn’t even know such shoes existed. Thanks for the info!
Vin – I’ve just bought some Vibrams. So far so good. I had previously been wearing trainers with arch support. I think most people would be told they have fallen arches if they went to a podiatrist. I am guessing that’s a consequence of wearing modern footwear. What I am wondering is whether switching to barefoot and Virbrams most of the time will correct my supposed fallen arches, or whether some of the damage caused by wearing modern footwear is irreversable….
Hello Vin,
If it is possible to love an article, then I am in love.
I have the above conversation with my friends at our local YMCA, where I am getting ready to go for my morning workout. Today is my boxing class.
I have been telling everyone who will listen to me for the past 40 plus years that one should never land on their heal. That they should land on the ball of their foot.
As proof, I would say take off your shoe and run barefoot, you will never land on your heal.
All of them thinks I am nuts. So I point out how the leg is straight when they land on their heal and when they land on the ball of their foot the knee is bent and the calf and thigh, along with the foot, absorbed the shock.
I am 65 and ran the 880 in high school and set my high school record in 1961. That record was broken this year.
If I may I would like to post a few paragraphs of your article on my blog and then link back to your blog if I may. I have a nutrition business. Thanks
Duane
http://duanespears.com
I never used to have problems with my feet until I started working from home. Now I am barefoot most of the day and my feet have spread out. The problem with that is that most women’s shoes are made in China and so now I find it really difficult to find shoes that fit and I have pain in my feet on the days when I am not working from home.
As for running, I gave up on it as no matter what I do, it hurts my feet.
Thanks for pointing me to the reason why I have the problems I do and to a retailer that may help!
Great article Vin, MBT has a line of shoes that is designed to mimic the experience of walking barefoot in dry sand. Their fan base is expanding rapidly.
Thanks for the links to more options besides the 5 fingers (though I plan to get some any day now). This whole topic fascinates me-I do find I LIKE running more barefoot and lifting in flat shoes (gym won’t allow me to go shoe-less) leads to a more solid squat and deadlift.
Thanks for the comments guys!
Oscar – I was actually considering the KSO model which is similar to the Sprint, but Vibram is out of stock in my size. I look forward to reading your follow up review!
Stephen – If you give any of these shoes a try, or even just going barefoot more often, I’d love to hear if it helps to resolve your foot pain!
Methuselah – I used to wear orthotics to prevent overpronation, but it was because of forefoot varus, not flat feet. I was able to correct my problem by being mindful of proper walking mechanics and strengthening my glute muscles (they resist the cascade of the leg rotating inward). I know there’s ways to improve arch problems as well, but most people are too lazy to do them! Keep us posted on your progress!
Jude – Being able to go barefoot all day is one of my favorite aspects of the days when I can work from home! I hope you’re able to find some other shoes that don’t cause any pain!
Jonathan – I came across the MBT shoes while researching for this article. It looks like they promote better walking mechanics, but I wonder if the thick sole interferes with the sensation of ground contact just as regular shoes do. They’re definitely an interesting alternative to look into.
Erin – You’re welcome! I like to squat and deadlift barefoot also. Perhaps you should consider setting up a home gym. I can squat and deadlift barefoot all I want and don’t have to listen to bad gym music or wait for anyone to finish using equipment.
I don’t like to jog, but I do look forward to trying sprint intervals in the Vibrams.
Have you tried Earth Footwear? The negative heel is supposed to benefit your feet as well as your entire body. I have been wearing them for a few years now and LOVE how they make me feel. Very interesting technology and so many styles to choose from!
Hi Bethany! No, I’ve never tried Earth Footware. I just checked out their website and they look pretty interesting. Thanks for pointing them out!
I own Vibram Classic and KSO. They are awesome! I walk, run, and dance in them. However, nothing, I mean NOTHING, is the same as, or compares to, going real-natural-barefoot.
Halfway through any run in my Vibrams, I have to take them off and complete the rest with my skin on the ground!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Sal! I’ve been enjoying my Vibram Classics as well and have been using them for working out, including treadmill intervals, but haven’t tried them for outdoor sprints yet. I’m suspecting that I’ll have to stay off the pavement which is a good idea anyway. I agree that nothing is better than barefoot, but I don’t run for distance and am not quite brave enough to sprint barefoot.
I just ordered a pair of Vivo Barefoot “Leonidas” sandals from the link in this article. They did not have you listed in the where did you hear about us nor a comment section for my order.
I can’t wait to try them out!
Hi Elijah, let us know what you think of them! I wouldn’t expect the company that makes them to have this site listed. I’m sure they have far too many people recommending their products to list all of them.
Walked out of the store wearing vivo barefoot Lucy’s and haven’t gone back to any other shoe. My toes have plenty of room, just finished running 12 miles … two days after my 66th birthday. My goal is to finish the NYC marathon on Nov. 1, 2009. It is my first marathon.
Decided to get the shoes after reading BORN TO RUN. The “shoe chapter” has some really good tips about running nearly barefoot. Also, I am trying to emulate
“chi running” as written up by Danny Dreyer.
I DID wear MBTs, and my husband swears by them even now. However, I cannot run in them, and I think that walking around with the thick sole contributed to last year’s injury.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Marie!
It’s good to know that you can be active in the Vivo Barefoot shoes since they look more like regular shoes than sneakers. I especially like the fact that they don’t have any additional heel padding which is one of the things I dislike about the Nike Free line. Once my Nikes wear out, I think I’ll try a pair of Vivos!
I hope you have a great run during the NYC marathon! Good luck!
ill admit a lot of the shoes look very nice and are comfortable like the vivo’s masai.. nike frees but they really don’t compare to vibrams when you’re talking about barefoot running and running health.. but if you’re so inclined to check out barefoot running shoes, see the comparison of the nike frees and vibrams here (the 2 most popular):
Hi partnuner, thanks for sharing that comparison! When it comes to running or working out, I completely agree that the Vibrams are clearly the best. However, for casual use, I prefer having a normal looking shoe or sneaker.
I DID finish the ING NYC marathon on Nov. 1… Lots of me ached, but not my feet.
My entire family is amazed that by 10 a.m. the following morning, I was feeling JUST FINE! No callouses, blisters, nothing…and I really tortured my body because I ran a lot slower than the majority of runners. In fact, 42,000 people finished ahead of me, but there were 700+ behind me, and MILLIONS who didn’t even attempt the run! As soon as my cold-onset asthma subsides, I am going to start training for at least one marathon in 2010.
The only two times that I have tried to wear “fashion” shoes ended in utter pain. So, I am saving my money for more pairs of Vivos, the more fashionable ones.
Thanks for reading my comment!
Congratulations, Marie! It’s great to hear that you and your feet fared well.
Does wearing socks (that are the correct size for your foot) count as barefoot, or do socks subtly constrict the movement of the foot as well? For some reason I can’t find any information about socks. I’d love to know as I’m a habitual indoor sock-wearer but I’d take them off if it was better for my feet.
Hi wildduck, I don’t know of any reason why socks would be a problem. They’re certainly less restrictive than any shoe designed to promote full foot function.
I just ordered two pair of Vibrams. I can’t wait till they get here!
I am also considering Feelmax for everyday office wear. But on the other hand… vibram…
Hi Dorien, thanks for your comment! I hope you enjoy your Vibrams!
Hi, Vin!
I have vibram classics and LOVE them. I train for walking marathons and races, and now that I’ve figured these ones out, I won’t walk in anything else. I badly sprained an ankle many years ago that constantly gave me grief, but thanks to my chiro and my vibrams, I only have issues with it if I walk in regular shoes.
I use Vibrams for training and my everyday shoes are very flat Merrell shoes with a decently wide toe bed. I have just one pair of dress shoes, and wear them as little as possible. Otherwise it’s bare feet at home (or “hut booties” in the winter – flat, thin soles) and flat shoes outside.
Darlene
Hi Darlene, thanks for sharing your experience! It’s great to hear that the Virbams have helped you with your ankle issues. I think avoiding dress shoes as much as possible is great too.
Nike is one of the worst offenders of sweat shop labor and unfair labor practices in the world. Please opt for one of the other options that Vin mentions in this article. Thanks.
Thanks for pointing this out, Jon! I wasn’t aware of it. With the exception of Nike Frees, I’ve stopped buying Nike sneakers a while ago. What’s great about their Free line is that they look like normal sneakers which isn’t the case with most alternatives. Hopefully some of the other major brands start providing some better alternatives, but unfortunately, I don’t think there’s enough of a market for it right now. Running is probably the biggest market, and the companies that do make shoes like this, such as New Balance, don’t seem to make a model that’s as stripped down as the Nike Free 3.0. I’ll keep looking!
Just tried out the Injinji 5-toed socks. First pair expensive, but then found them on sale (probably being discontinued) in a department store. I really like them…the skin between my toes is dry and I am just more comfortable. Did I say expensive? for acrylic/cotton. Wish that Smart Wool made them.
Have just discovered Tozzok socks…cost a lot less. Has anyone tried them?
Hi Marie,
I haven’t tried these socks, but thanks for sharing your thoughts about them!
Hi Vin,
This might be a silly question, but I wear flip flops all summer (hard sole – not rubber) when I’m not at work. They are not restrictive at all. Would wearing flip flops be close to bare feet?
Hi Lisa,
I agree that flip flops are not restrictive in the same way that regular shoes and sneakers are. However, they can still alter the way your feet function when you walk. Researchers at Auburn University found this to be the case and attribute it to the need to keep your toes pointed more downward while walking to keep the flip flops in place. In addition, flip flops seem to be associated with more slip and fall type of accidents.
Hi Vin,
I appreciate your articles, but this one has me confused. I have post polio syndrome (which means some of my muscles aren’t getting messages from my neurons). I don’t walk very far without fatiguing and am home a lot. I wear a simple high top Dear Foam slipper 90% of the time. It feels much the same as going bare foot.
My problem is that I have developed severe pain in the “back” of my right heel. Now if I wear a simple
well arched sandal or leather type tennis shoe it relieves that pain. Can you tell me what I need to do to help get rid of this pain? It has traveled all the way up to the front of my upper thigh? I thought I was doing something wrong by not wearing shoes with a good arch support (I do have a high arch and narrow foot).
Thank you,
Shari
Hi Shari,
It’s difficult to say what might be causing your pain. If I were you, I would consult with a physical therapist and look into the possibility of plantar fasciitis or tight calf muscles being a contributing factor. You might want to consider massaging the bottom of your foot by standing with one foot and part of your weight on a tennis ball and rolling it around. You can also use a foam roller to massage your calf muscles. In addition, there are some basic exercises and stretches for plantar fasciitis that might help. You should be able to find demonstrations of them on the internet pretty easily.
I hope that helps! Good luck resolving your pain.
After wearing the Injinji 5-toed socks for awhile, I thought that I had a real problem: numbness. Hard to describe. Finally figured out that the material between the toes had worked further on to my toes, thus cutting off circulation where my toes join the foot (does this make sense?) The solution is to leave the material bunched up… I wonder if anyone has toes as long as fingers?