I found this picture on Facebook and it is brilliant! Which picture is the best representation of YOUR feet in YOUR shoes?
When your toes are all squished together like the picture on the left, your metatarsal bones are pushed in too and that results in pain overtime.
This inward pressure can result in:
Bunions (no they aren't just hereditary)
Hammer Toes
Tight, restricted or inflamed fascia of the foot, called plantar fasciitis
Consider the effect on our feet since most of us have worn shoes with a tight toe box ever since our very first pair of shoes 😟.
Bunions
A calcification of the first toe joint on the inside of the foot near the big toe, as the big toe begins to push toward the second toe.
This bump often becomes even more irritated by the pressure of tight toe-box shoes.
Dr. McClanahan DPM at Northwest Foot & Ankle says “Bunion formation only exists in cultures that wear conventionally shaped footwear with a tapered toe box, toe spring, and an elevated heel.”
It it also true that calcification results from postural imbalances and compensations between the hip, knee and ankle that cause an improper foot strike.
Hammertoe:
Toe(s) that form a bend at the mid-toe joint, as if the toes are trying to grip the ground.
Hammertoes are quite often linked to toe compression in restrictive shoes...as seen in the shoe picture above. Dr. McClanahan noted that shoe-less populations very rarely exhibit hammertoe.
Hammertoes are also quite often the result of improper foot strike, which is the result of feet, ankles, knees and hips that aren't functioning properly.
SOLUTIONS for foot problems:
Change your hip, knee and ankle function by improving your posture
Improve your gait & foot strike (I've included an exercise below to help)
Strengthen your feet
If you've worn orthotics or motion control shoes, you've weakened your foot overtime
Go barefoot as often as possible
Swap out your conventional shoes, including running shoes, for shoes that allow your feet to work properly and build muscle. Here are my two favorite brands:
Get Correct Toes...these are proven to help with bunions and hammertoes, not to mention plantar fasciitis and other issues I will discuss in this email series. I sell these in my office for locals.
The best fix is all of the above.
I can tell you from personal experience that when I switched to Xero shoes a few years ago, my feet were tired at the end of the day and felt sore (like good workout sore) when they hit the ground in the morning...but my feet are much stronger and that tired sore feeling is long gone.
Many of my clients said the same thing, and also added that their foot pain, hip pain and even back pain was greatly reduced after wearing the zero drop, wider toe box shoes.
Remember, just changing the shoes is only a part of the solution. You have to change your posture and alignment in order to improve your foot strike.
For one of my favorite exercises to improve foot strike + hip function + shoulder function, Egoscue’s Function Run, shoot me a quick email.