Going barefoot…

Sometimes we just need to allow our bodies to breathe. The same goes for our feet, and yet we very rarely do. As someone who is very active I have spent many years in heavily supportive trainers, which made perfect sense until I suffered with Plantar Fasciatis and had to rethink my footwear choices.

When you think about the rest of the body; unless we break something or are taking part in an activity where intense strain is put on a particular area - we don't wrap our bodies in supports, we use our muscles to support our frames and assist the movement, so why do we almost panda to our feet? Admittedly they do take a lot more wear and tear than other parts of our body but they should still be given space to be as nature intended. A lot of the trainers we like to wear are great at providing cushioning for the exercises they are designed for but so many of them narrow out at the toe area which prevents our feet from sitting naturally, and prolonged use can actually lead to the weakening of our feet resulting in inflammation of the foot fascia, the narrowing of the toe alignment and other structural problems.

The idea that walking without shoes could help strengthen the feet, improve posture and balance, enhance circulation AND reduce impact on our joints, seemed too good to be true! But going barefoot wasn't appealing to me (bar being barefoot on a tropical sandy beach), until I came across Barefoot Shoes..... a solution to protect the feet, whilst allowing them to breathe, realign and strengthen.

The first few days of being "barefoot" caused quite a bit of aching, but that's apparently to be expected as the feet will be finding their natural positioning again, using muscles that other footwear would have taken the place of. Once your feet adjust though, its like a whole new level of comfort, as obvious as it sounds - it feels as if your not wearing any shoes. Now I wear them everyday, around the house, to complete my daily walks and workouts, and my feet have never been healthier. They have most definitely strengthened, and I've noticed significant improvements with how my muscles engage during my workouts.