I recently wrote an article called “Healthy People = Barefoot People,” which discusses why barefoot people tend to be healthier than often-shod people and how/why being barefoot can improve your health. It’s a good read, but hey, I wrote it, so of course I’m going to say that. The reasoning behind the article was also to discuss three important topics/questions that I get a lot. One, “If I’m not injured, should I still get out of my oversupportive shoes?” (Answer = yes.) Two, “How do I properly transition out of my current shoes without getting injured?” And three, “I started running barefoot and now have pain, why?” (Answer = You’re doing it wrong.) Since I posted that article, I still get these questions, so I think I should have broken up that article and put the last two sections separately. So here it is, along with some additional info regarding my shoe suggestions. If you’ve read “Healthy People = Barefoot People” and are doing well, then most of this is deja vu, and you can skip to the end where I discuss those recommendations. If you’re reading this first, great, but read “Healthy People = Barefoot People” next to really understand the concept behind why I think everybody should strive for the most minimal footwear.
Should You Venture into Minimalism if You’re Not Injured or Having Problems?
If you’re not injured and couldn’t care less about performance, should you get out of your traditional footwear or running shoes? Though many advise just to keep doing what you’re doing, I don’t support that position. You will only truly be sure if your feet and other areas of your body are strong and healthy if you venture out of your footwear. If you have trouble doing so, it’s an indication that there is a problem you’ve been supporting, just as if you were not having elbow pain when playing tennis because you wore a brace, for example. Just because you don’t have pain, weakness, or discomfort doesn’t mean a problem is not there. Ask yourself why you can’t go without your supportive shoes or supportive foot braces. This doesn’t mean you go barefoot right away, but you should enter the realm of minimalism just to get an idea of where you’re at. Stronger feet and lower legs and more body awareness are definitely possible the more you are barefoot.
A healthy individual can be barefoot (barring some injury to the foot), and they can further improve their health, fitness, and overall well-being. If you have a health problem or an injury, investigating the minimalist and barefoot approach may be an essential step in your recovery and further prevention of that or another problem. Barefoot isn’t going to cure a disease you may have, but it most likely will have a noticeable effect on your health and well-being. If you don’t think it can have such a powerful effect, how do you really know unless you’ve tried it?
Ready to Make the Change? Transition to Minimalism and Barefoot Correctly
Too many people get injured by switching from their current footwear to minimalist footwear or even going barefoot. This gives the traditional medical doctor, podiatrist, or therapist reason to believe that humans today are not meant to be barefoot and that we need to protect our feet with more supportive shoes. I get a fair share of hate mail from these people who think that because we don’t live in wild jungles, we need support on our feet to get through the day on our “unnatural” surfaces. Though of course I don’t agree with this, the typical unhealthy person and/or person who has always worn supportive footwear or orthotics can’t make the shift drastically. Many of them do, and they get injured, so these doctors and therapists see them in their offices, and rather than educate patients on overall health (diet, lifestyle, and foot care), they convince them that barefoot is evil and humans need shoes all the time. This is pretty sad in my opinion, but it’s the standard of our health care system.
You must transition to barefoot slowly and carefully so you do not become injured. There is no rush! Start by walking barefoot inside your house as much as you comfortably can. If that’s painful, you can start with a minimalist-type “transitional” shoe and eventually work out of those to barefoot. It’s okay and often advised to alternate between your current traditional shoes and a minimalist shoe/barefoot if you have pain or discomfort. It’s very common to feel tightness and some discomfort in the Achilles tendon, as it has shortened from years of wearing shoes with high heels. So if you feel an ache in your Achilles, just be sure to rest it well and even go back to your current shoes as needed and not barefoot or in low-drop shoes until the discomfort subsides. If you’re wearing orthotics, talk to your prescribing doctor about getting out of them so you can walk naturally again and not support your dysfunction. If that doctor doesn’t think it’s possible for you to rehab your feet in such a way, then I’d find another doc, unless your situation truly warrants a supportive device (very rare). If you’ve been wearing supportive shoes with orthotics for years, the transition will take time.
Once you can comfortably walk barefoot, work on balancing (one leg at a time) barefoot for several seconds and then a minute or so at a time. Hard surfaces (tile, hardwood) are okay and advised!
Once you’re walking barefoot and balancing indoors comfortably, venture outside onto hard, smooth surfaces like your driveway. Slowly build up time as comfortably as you can. Eventually, make your way to other surfaces like grass and gravel. Of course, make sure these areas are safe to walk on. If barefoot is bothersome to you outside, then use a minimalist shoe at first. *Remember that different shoes work for different people!
Once you’re walking barefoot outside comfortably, then try a bit of barefoot running on a flat, hard surface—not too much at first, or you’re likely to develop sore feet and calves very quickly! If you’re not a runner, then a minimalist shoe will be more appropriate at first, or you should just stick to walking. If you don’t want to run outside barefoot, that is perfectly fine. But do your best to get into a minimalist shoe or “barefoot style” shoe. Continuing to walk barefoot outside, and especially inside, as much as you can, is advised.
Watch the Sock Doc video on how to properly strengthen your feet and lower legs.
Proper Shoes for a Healthy, Fit Body
If you’re a runner or avid walker, then while introducing this barefoot program into your daily routine, you should also transition out of your current “necessary” footwear into minimalist-type shoes. Think flat, firm, flexible, and wide. This means the shoe should not have a significant or any heel-to-toe drop (if you’re coming from a thick heel, you will not want to go to a zero-drop shoe immediately). There should be little to no cushion or padding in the sole, and the shoe should not be rigid anywhere—it should bend throughout the shoe in any direction. The shoe should also be wide at the toe box, allowing the toes to naturally splay apart.
Finally, don’t go back to your old shoes! The only unfortunate nuisance of being barefoot and wearing minimalist/barefoot-style shoes over time is that the typical shoes you were wearing will soon be very uncomfortable on your feet, and you’ll need new footwear. Even a 4mm drop may be uncomfortable to an often-barefoot individual. It is for me.
