Correct toes, Natural footwear and more…
Society has this understanding that rigid footwear provides more support for the foot and is better overall for walking, running or exercising. Although it does provide the foot support, rigid footwear is also causing our feet to not move the way they should. Once I became a Certified Posture Alignment Specialist, I learned so much about how conventional footwear is affecting our feet along with the rest of our body.
I never realized my choice to wear sneakers (almost all the time because my profession allowed it) was like wearing a small heel and a mini cast every day. Nowadays, shoe companies are designing footwear that is very stiff, rounded in the front, and have an elevated heel for arch support. A shoe with a rounded front is causing our toes to be bunched together instead of straight. Shoe stiffness and an elevated heel cause our feet and toes to lose mobility, as well as cause muscles to work in ways they normally wouldn’t, leading to muscle tightness. Many individuals also buy shoes with built in arches, or orthotics to support the foots arch. Although this does support the foot, it is making our foot rely on the shoe instead of the muscles inside that are perfectly capable of supporting itself.
As someone who has worn rigid sneakers and orthotics since a young age, it was interesting to learn all of this and see how the body and feet should be supported from a different perspective. As a physical therapist, learning about posture alignment and looking at the body more as a whole made me realize how important it is to work on mobility and stability of the feet. Part of my own self-work needed to be on the flexibility of my feet and toes that was limited by un-flexible shoes, and then strengthening them. This could help my arch which had fallen over the years from weakness due to lack of using the muscles.
As I immersed myself into Posture Alignment, I learned about Correct toes which are toe spacers that help keep your toes straight. I had tried some toe splinting for bunions and very bulky toe separators in the past, but I found them uncomfortable. Correct toes were made of silicon by a podiatrist and were designed to be worn while walking around barefoot or in shoes. “Dr. Ray realized the powerful healing effect of rehabilitating and strengthening the feet, and that natural toe splay is an essential component of long-term foot health”. These were more expensive but, the quality seemed so much better. The material is soft and pliable, the sizing options were great, and they have instructions for trimming them for a better fit if needed. I found them much easier to wear than anything I had tried in the past.
Correct toes are designed for walking or running. Their best benefits arise when wearing them while moving, not sleeping or resting. Of course, as with most things, you start with a small amount of time (30 min a day) and build from there to help strengthen the feet and toes in a more natural position. Rome wasn’t built in a day – so I am on this journey to make the most of my body. If you know me, I have worked on my body as a whole through alignment. As a result, I discovered how beneficial it is to put some extra focus on feet.
To keep this progress of feet flexibility and strength, I highly recommend investing in natural fit and movement shoes. The main aspects to look for in a shoe are: the toe box shape, flexibility, rise of toes, and heel elevation. It is not natural to position the toes in an elevated way, therefore, you want to find a pair of shoes that have a big toe box so all of your toes stay straight, and a flexible shoe so your feet can stretch properly as you walk. You also want to make sure your feet are relatively flat, so be sure to get a shoe that does not cause the toes to rise up or give your heel an elevation. If you have been wearing arch support or orthotics listen to your body in terms of reducing support. Arch support would likely be the last piece to reduce when going to a more natural shoe.
By practicing all of these good habits, you can make improvements of your feet and posture for the better. When you think about it, our feet are the base of our body, and our posture is affected from there on up. Therefore, it is really important to take care of them and the rest of your body!