Why Foot Strength Matters

Imagine being able to run further, balance better, and move with ease. 

Guess what! Wearing barefoot shoes and building up your foot strength can lead to all these things and more. 

Your feet are the foundation for your entire body. When your contact with the ground is steady and strong the rest of your body benefits. As much as we like to think of our bodies as a jigsaw of individual parts, that's not quite how they work. Everything’s connected.

Remember that song we all sang as kids… 

In other words, what happens in one part of the body affects everything else. This means strong feet are about so much more than happy toes. Strong feet help build strong legs, strong hips, and bodies that move the way nature intended. 

Get your feet strong, and the rest naturally follows. 

Strong Feet, Are They Worth the Hype?

Have you ever had a body part immobilized for a while? It gets weak fast, right? When you squeeze your toes into stiff, narrow-toed, overly cushioned conventional shoes your feet don’t move the way nature intended. Restricting your feet like this messes with how they function and weakens your feet over time. 

This lack of foot strength leads to…

Gait changes: While these might not be noticeable at first, squashed feet can cause you to develop funky walking patterns that impact your whole body.

Flattened arches:  The excessive support from regular shoes means your foot muscles don’t have to work as hard, leading to lazy and collapsed arches.

Confused Toes: When you stop toes doing what they‘re supposed to, grip, bend, and flex, they wave the white flag of surrender and kinda give up trying.

Posture problems: When your feet are out of whack and weak your posture tends to be too. Poor posture leads to discomfort and pain in areas like your knees, hips, and back. 

Enter Barefoot Shoes.

Barefoot shoes work by giving your feet the FREEDOM to move naturally. They allow the muscles, tendons, and bones in your feet to work as they’re meant to.

This natural movement is how feet get stronger. Studies show that walking in minimal shoes is as effective as strengthening exercises at increasing foot strength.

Barefoot shoes not only improve foot strength but also encourage: 

Your toes to spread - Minimalist shoes give your toes space to SPLAY. The result? Stronger, more flexible toes that help you maintain balance and stability.

Your arches to become arch-shaped - When your feet flex more and can feel the ground, your arches start looking more like rainbows than pancakes.

A more natural gait - Without excessive padding or heel elevation to mess with your stride, barefoot shoes help you rediscover a more natural way to walk and run.

Better body mechanics - Strong feet improve posture and alignment. This means your whole body moves more efficiently, your performance improves and your coordination gets upgraded.

What we’re saying is building foot strength doesn’t just mean happier feet - it means a happier body from head to toe. If your feet are strong you’ll experience less pain, better performance, and more strength everywhere! 

Are we suggesting that switching to barefoot shoes might be the secret to a stronger core, you betcha!

Toes Ready to Hit the Gym?

If you’re ready to enjoy the benefits of stronger feet, barefoot shoes are the perfect place to start. But if your foot muscles have been lovingly ignored for a while (*ahem*  years) you’ll need to give them some time to adapt to wearing minimalist shoes. So start slowly and increase your time in barefoot shoes gradually. 

We’ve got you covered with all the lowdown on making your switch to barefoot shoes a sustainable one HERE.

And remember, next time you’re planning a bit of strength training, don’t forget about your feet!