In part 1 we covered why it is important to have healthy feet.

These shoes should be immediately thrown away or given to someone you don’t like.

These Sketchers not only violate ALL of the elements of a healthy shoe, they radically change the normal healthy gait of the wearer which down the road will lead to severe dysfunction.

Plus the claims of toning your legs as you walk are preposterous. You will no more get slender toned legs wearing these than you would wearing tin foil on your head to keep the aliens out.

These shoes were basically the original Skecher Shape Ups. I’m not really sure where the creator of this shoe gets the “Masai” and “barefoot” part of the name since these shoes are nothing like what the Masai wear and are opposite to being barefoot as one can get.

As you can see by this picture the Masai create their own sandal from the hide of animals. The soles are 1 – 2 layers of hide (very thin) and have some wraps around the top of the foot and heel so they will stay on while sprinting and moving around.

Grandma is about to fall down the stairs again!

Orthopedic shoes are designed to create foot stability but end up creating balance instability. They are stiff, rigid through the midsole, have a high heal which causes forward lean, and of course they have a thick sole which removes proprioceptive feedback from the ground.

We have 3 balance systems:

1. Visual – peripheral visual fields help us to find balance.
2. Vestibular – the inner ear contains very complex reflexes that help us find equilibrium.
3. Proprioceptive – the nerves in the bottom of the foot sense pressure from what we are stepping on and can signal that we are on an uneven surface or that we didn’t step down on the stairs correctly.

Well as we age people lose their peripheral vision. Also the inner ear reflexes get worse as we age.

For someone who does not do specific visual and inner ear balance exercise what is left to create balance?

That’s right, the nerves in the feet. Being barefoot or in close to barefoot shoes will allow the greatest amount of balance but these orthopedic shoes are the fastest way for grandma to fall and break some bones.

For exercising and generally walking around in casual shoes, aka not your going out on the town shoes, here is what you want to look for.

• Light weight
• Zero to very little heel
• Zero to very little arch support
• Flexes and bends through the entire sole of the shoe – you can grab it with your hands and bend anywhere
• No heel cup
• Wide toe box so your toes are not jammed
• Very thin sole so you can feel the ground

The good news is that barefoot-like shoes are becoming more popular and are easier to find than they used to be. If style is your focus you will need to look a little harder though.

Classic sports shoes such as these Onitsuka (Asics in Japan) Tiger Mexico 66 look stylish on both men and women and also are great for exercising and general recreational sports. You can dress them down with shorts or dress them up with a nice pair of jeans. Not dressy enough for a suit but unless you wear a suit every day these are some great every day shoes.

Here are some more to search for online:

• Vivo Barefoot
• Xero Shoes
• Puma has some classic sneakers for those with narrow feet that are light and flexible
• Feiyue – a Chinese minimalist kung fu shoe that is super cheap, although the soles can wear out quickly

This is certainly not an exhaustive list, just something to get you started.

But What About…?

Here are answers to some questions that I get asked a lot including ones that I had myself when I first made the switch to a minimalist shoe.

But Brian I can’t wear a minimalist shoe in a dress/suit/stylish event/dancing/etc.

No worries I don’t wear my minimalist shoes all of the time. They are my every day shoe when I’m at the grocery, exercising (when I can’t be barefoot that is), or dressed casual. If you need to be dressed up go ahead. When you don’t need to be dressed up get out of those oppressive shoes and get barefoot or in minimalist shoes.

Brian what shoes do you recommend for XYZ sport?

I play soccer and I wear soccer cleats. They violate some of the rules of a good shoe but the ones I wear aren’t too bad actually. They are a little stiff through the midsole, have a minimal heel cup, are extremely light weight, fit snugly (for quicker change of direction on the field), and of course have cleats appropriate for the 4G artificial grass that I play on.

I wear TruSox so I my feet grip the inside of the shoe without needing to tie them super tight.

So for your sport figure out what is more important and find the most minimalist shoe that gives you the sports advantages that you need.

Brian I work on my feet all day on a hard surface, what can I do?

This depends on the current strength, suppleness, and orthopedic health of your feet but for me I would wear my Mexico 66 with perhaps an insole that gives a little cushioning. Then again for some people the cushioning would make their feet more fatigued.

I will tell you this for sure. If you are moving from a stiff shoe with lots of support to a minimalist shoe then you need to make a gradual change to allow the muscles and tissues of the foot to strengthen. Going from a 12-hour shift in Dansko clogs to a 12-hour shift in minimalist shoes with no transition will make your feet incredibly fatigued.

Instead try wearing your minimalist shoes for an hour or two each day. Once you start wearing them for a long work shift you might want to alternate days until your feet have gotten strong enough. That might take a couple of weeks or months depending on the current condition of your feet.

Brian where I work we need steel toe protection, what can I do?

I’ve never seen a minimalist shoe with steel toe protection so stick to your boots! Just wear your minimalist shoes when not at work.

I am an avid hiker what shoes do you recommend?

Check out Merrell’s selection of outdoor minimalist shoes. There are also lots of other ones coming on the market all of the time that have amazing grip, are water friendly, etc.

What shoes should I wear around the house?

None! Go barefoot or wear socks. Let those feet move in the most natural way.

Summary

• The strength, suppleness and mobility of your feet are directly related to the health of your other joints particularly the knees, hips and spine
• Stiff, heavy, clunky shoes make your feet stiff and clunky
• Minimalist shoes make your feet strong, supple, and more injury resistant
• If you are used to stiff shoes and not going barefoot often then you will need to gradually transition to minimalist shoes over the course of several months.

Until next time,

Brian