Barefoot Movement

The Barefoot Movement: 

What is the barefoot movement?

The barefoot movement is exactly what it sounds like, it’s going back to the basics of being barefoot and changing the shoes we wear, when we have to wear them, to better support the natural shape and movement of our body. This is a topic Kate and I are extremely passionate about. We’ve both been on this journey of walking barefoot and transitioning to barefoot shoes for a few years now. In this post we will go in-depth on the foundations of barefoot shoes and how your natural foot stance while barefoot is affected by the shoes you wear. 

To define our terms when we say “barefoot shoes” what we mean are shoes with zero drop, a wide toe box, thinner soles, are lightweight, and flexible. Additional features found in some barefoot shoes can include being sourced from natural fibers like leather which would also be grounding. There are other grounding barefoot shoes made of synthetic or insulating fibers that have copper plugs. By nature, barefoot shoes are often minimalist. Barefoot shoes are designed to provide your feet with minimal support and coverage while allowing your feet and the rest of your body to move freely using natural movements. 

Features of Barefoot Shoes

Zero drop means no height difference between the heel and the forefront of the shoe. The importance of zero drop is allowing your heel to take its natural shape and position. When the heel and foot are in alignment horizontally then the rest of your body can assume its natural position vertically. Wearing shoes with a heel distorts the natural positioning of your feet which affects the rest of the way the body is positioned. This can have long-term effects leading to more shock impact on your legs, overuse, or pain in the feet, ankles, knees, hips, and back. The goal is to keep the foot as close to the natural stance it would have if it were barefoot but while wearing shoes. 

Wide Toe Box

A wide toe box has the widest part of the shoe placed where the foot is the widest, at the toes. This creates a spacious area for toes to spread. Conventional shoes can squish the toes, changing the natural shape of the feet which can affect strength, balance, and more. Shoes with a wide toe box have room for the natural position of the toes to be more spread out. In my experience, transitioning from conventional shoes to barefoot shoes with a wide toe box my feet physically widened across the toe spread. Once my feet had room on the day to day basis my toes naturally spread further apart. I have greater balance and it just feels better. This process can take time but once you have committed to a wide toe box it is hard to go back!

Thinner Soles

Counter to the norm of adding cushioning to everything, reducing the cushion from your shoes can be beneficial. Our culture is obsessed with cushion and comfort. There is cushioning on basically everything we stand, sit, and lay on. I don’t believe this is natural and it may be doing us more damage than good. Our feet were meant to touch the ground and contour to the obstacles of nature. There are thousands of nerve endings concentrated in our feet that are underutilized in conventional shoes. Having thinner soles in barefoot shoes enhances our movement experiences and can improve foot stability, flexibility, and strength of our feet. 

Lightweight

Lightweight shoes put less strain and impact on the feet. Just as it is harder to carry something heavy than it is something light, the same concept applies to our feet. Going all day in heavy footwear will take a toll on the overall health of the feet. Wearing lightweight shoes is a way to promote natural foot movement and better foot health overall. 

Flexible

Wearing shoes that are flexible instead of stiff creates greater foot strength and natural movement. This is similar to the concept of having thinner soles in shoes because it allows your feet to move more, the way they were designed to. Other muscles in the feet and the ankles can be engaged and will gain from the movement. Exercising these muscles will strengthen the feet and ankles overall. Having movement on the soles of the feet can lead to a sensory increase. 

Check out our shop page for resources on barefoot movement and great reccomendations on barefoot shoes!

Conclusion & Other Resources

Walking barefoot and wearing barefoot shoes can literally change every step of your life, by strengthening your feet and increasing your mobility. As I always recommend, do more of your own research on barefoot movement, barefoot shoes, and how to safely transition from conventional shoes to barefoot shoes. There are specific exercises that can help you transition and strengthen your feet while preventing injury. I recommend Katy Bowman’s site at https://www.nutritiousmovement.com/ as a great resource for all things barefoot. I’ll end with an anonymous quote, “If you’re not barefoot, you’re overdressed”.