Will you let the shape of a shoe deform your foot, or do you prefer a shoe that respects your natural foot structure? But how looks a healthy foot? Do we have functional feet after so many years of wearing conventional shoes?
Read on, and you will probably find all the answers. At the same time, we will show you a way how to improve not only your health but also your musculoskeletal system. And yes, you guessed it right, barefoot shoes with a wide toe box play a significant role in it.
What is natural?
We can start with a glance into the past. According to the evolution theory, the human comes from a monkey. As we look at the foot of a chimpanzee, an orangutan, or a gorilla, we can see a separated big toe from other toes.
The development reflects the needs connected to an upright walk on two feet. In order to maintain stability, the longitudinal and transverse arch developed, the heel bulked up, and the big toe reduced the grasping function and positioned itself forward with the other toes but still kept a slight distance.
Toes (mainly big toes) serve for a better arrangement of the body weight and the center of gravity. Toes enable the foot to bounce, and they finish the phase of unsticking the foot and initiate the swinging phase.
The toe layout in the fan shape with regular gaps can be considered natural. That is why the toes can cover the broadest support base and, at the same time, have enough space for providing the movement.
Regular shoe issues
Conventional shoes bring loads of problems in the area of the toe box. First is the shoe tip alone. The majority of shoes have a peak of a toe box in the middle of the foot, but if you take a look, you can see the middle toe is not the longest, so it doesn’t require more space. These shoes get narrower on the sides, so there is not enough space for the big toe, and the other way round, it pushes the big toe to other toes, which can lead to bunions - Hallux valgus.
Similarly, insufficient width can cause problems too. In a better case, toes don’t have enough space for toe gaps, but often the toes are squished together. The pinkie and other toes get it the worse - bunions, folded toes, corns, ingrowing nails, pressure sores, calluses, inflammations, blisters, grazes, or damaged nails, and that’s not all.
An insufficient shoe length and a too-small size can cause other issues. These problems are caused by wrong foot measurements and by the natural growth of children's feet. In the small shoe, the toes crumple, and it can cause hammer or claw toes.
It doesn’t end with the mentioned ills. It is the other way around. If we don’t have adequate big toe support, the ankle can collapse. The change of position deactivates the buttocks, tenses the knees, and loosens the abdominal muscles. If you have problems with aching back, hip joints, shoulders, or knees, your problems can originate from the longtime wearing of unsuitable shoes. But there’s always a way how to correct and regenerate your body.
Advantages of barefoot shoes
The makers of barefoot shoes reflect the need for a wide toe box as the most crucial aspect of healthy shoes. So if you look for shoes for men, women, or children, you will find many pairs with enough room for toes.
In wide-toe-box shoes, sufficient space allows the toes to move in all directions. We actively use the toes for further movement implementation. The broad arrangement of all toes provides support. It is not just in the big toe.
Barefoot shoes, unlike regular ones, allow the foot actively work, which leads to natural training of all muscles, bones, and tendons, which could become inactive. Zero-drop (non-raised heel, or shoe tip) ensures there won't be any unwanted stability deviation of the whole body.
Prevention
Since it is always better to prevent the issues than solve them, we recommend barefoot shoes to children from their very first steps. Pre-walking soft soles are, in this regard, ideal first shoes, and then other ones can follow. On our e-shop, you can easily choose from thousands of pairs in stock, and we guarantee next-day delivery. If you are still hesitant about which one to choose, read our reviews or contact us.
It is never too late to start to care about your health! The transition to barefoot shoes has positive health effects for women and men of all ages. Just like the gradual finishing of smoking will help regenerate the lungs of long-time smokers, the liberation of feet from regular shoes will help us achieve healthy feet. Buy barefoot shoes with the wide toe box and grant your feet needed freedom!