Barefoot shoes are not just a new fashion trend, they support your entire body and have numerous benefits! These types of shoes provide protection, comfort, traction, breathability, and support – to name a few.
Most people know (we hope) that barefoot shoes increase foot strength and balance, they also provide various health benefits for your entire body. Today, we go over these benefits and how barefoot shoes can help your whole body feel better and more aligned.
11 Health Benefits of Barefoot Shoes
Did you know that barefoot shoes can help increase your foot strength? In fact, VIVOBAREFOOT shoes can help you improve your foot strength by 60% after as little as 6 months.
Barefoot shoes don’t just support your feet, they also support your entire frame. Here are 11 advantages of wearing barefoot shoes:
1. Strengthen the muscles in your feet.
Barefoot shoes do not force your feet into a restricted position; instead they hug the natural shape of your feet.
This gives your feet more room to move naturally and in a more aligned fashion, which is what Mother Nature intended. Better alignment means you can build strength and move around more freely.
With stronger foot muscles, you can absorb impact more effectively and can learn to properly engage the muscles in your feet.
2. Develop and encourage toe strength.
More toe strength means better biomechanical movement and better foot control overall. The intricate bones and joints in your foot are critical for both balance and the posture of your lower body. Having strong toes (and feet) is important to stabilize your posterior chain.
3. Reduce your risk of ankle and knee injuries.
With barefoot shoes, your ankles get stronger, which is better for control and stability. Also, many hip and knee injuries stem from a collapse at the feet, so strengthening the muscles in your feet encourages better posture and reduces your risk of injury in the future.
4. Support your leg muscles and Achilles tendons.
These muscles and tendons will be in a more natural position in a barefoot shoe without a raised heel (which most shoes have), which leads to less injuries.
5. Improve your connection with your brain.
Your foot receives more sensory input while wearing barefoot shoes which means better communication with your brain, so you can walk and run more naturally.
According to Science Daily, “Working memory is better after a barefoot run.” We know not everyone is going to go full Tarzan mode (shoeless), and barefoot shoes are the next best thing!
6. Improve your proprioception.
Proprioception is the sensory feedback loop you get from your nervous system that tells your brain about your body’s positioning and any forces acting on, near, or around your body.
The bottoms of your feet have proprioceptive nerves that send out information about where your body is in space to different areas of the brain involved in movement coordination, balance control, spatial perception, and so much more.
One proven way to optimize this foot-brain connection is to wear barefoot shoes.
7. Provide less impact on your joints.
You’re less likely to heel strike when running and more likely to strike your mid and forefoot (optimal when running) with barefoot shoes. This means less impact on your joints.
Once caveat to this is if you spend a lot of time on cement. If that’s you, it may be beneficial to look for a barefoot shoe with just a bit more cushion underfoot. A great resource our MoveU coaches love for barefoot shoe shopping is Anya’s Reviews.
8. Reduce the risk of bunions and hammertoe.
Your toes don’t get squished together in barefoot shoes so they can do their thing and splay out for added stability and fewer problems such as bunions and hammertoe.
9. Help you run faster (or at least feel like it).
Barefoot shoes are lightweight, which means many people don’t feel like they have anything on their feet while walking or running. This might make you feel like you do all your favorite activities a little bit faster.
10. Help you move pain-free.
The heel-to-toe stride causes runners pain that can negatively impact their knees and joints. Wearing barefoot shoes helps you learn how to step or run on the balls of your feet first. Going barefoot has a positive effect on your foot muscles, arch support, posture, balance, and, as you read above, so much more.
11. Reduce back pain.
In shoes with an elevated heel, your ankles are in a plantar-flexed (toes pointing down) position and your calves are shortened. This affects your knees, hips, and pelvis negatively and can lead to muscle imbalances, misalignments, and back pain.
Wearing barefoot shoes with a zero heel drop allows your achilles heel and calf muscles to lengthen and gives your body a better chance at staying better aligned.
ARE BAREFOOT SHOES FOR EVERYONE?
If you’re completely new to the barefoot lifestyle, you may need to transition gradually from your conventional shoes by choosing the more “minimalist” shoe styles at first.
People who walk a lot on concrete all day may need a bit more cushion than those who spend more time grounding with the earth. If you do decide to go full barefoot, start wearing them for short periods of time and work your way up.
