Barefoot shoes benefits go far beyond what we will discuss today, but these are the 3 most prominent features I’ve noticed current health/fitness icons wearing and recommending them for.
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Alexander Cortes wears Xero Shoes.
Thomas DeLauer wears Xero Shoes.
Ben Patrick (kneesovertoesguy) wears Xero Shoes.
Why are so many health/fitness icons wearing Barefoot-style shoes like Xero Shoes?
There are honestly 100 reasons why barefoot shoes are superior to conventional shoes. I’ll save most of those for another time.
Let’s focus on 3 of the main reasons why:
Barefoot Shoes Benefits #1 – They’re Flat
We’ve hit a new era of awareness in footwear, going from wearing shoes with arch support, a big heel, and a cushioned sole to well….none of those.
Barefoot shoes are made with a FLAT sole. That means there’s no toe spring (upward curve on toes), no arch support, no raised heel, etc. The shoe is intentionally made to not have influence on your foot.
This is great for balance and agility for athletes. A low and level center of gravity, not to mention being closer to the ground, is ideal.
This is great for posture. No more unnatural pelvic tilt and forward leaning shoulders and heads due to compensation of the elevated heel.
Arch support is gone so the foot can gain natural strength and support itself.
Toe spring is gone, which is known to cause shin splints, neuromas, and plantar fasciitis.
Image Credit: exercisinghealth.net
Barefoot Shoes Benefits #2 – They’re Wide
Barefoot shoes are made to be wide, especially in the toe box.
People have been conditioned to think it’s normal for their foot to be bullet-shaped, wrong! Your feet should be widest at the ends of the toes in the words of renowned podiatrist Dr Ray McClanahan.
The narrow toe box of conventional footwear notoriously causes bunions, hammertoes, plantar fasciitis, and over-pronation.
When you wear wide toe box shoes, your toes can spread out and get proper blood flow, proper nerve function, better balance, and strong arch muscles.
Barefoot Shoes Benefits #3 – They’re Thin and Flexible
Conventional shoes have a thick sole that is almost completely inflexible. You can’t bend your toes or feet, you can’t feel anything, and your foot essentially go to sleep.
Barefoot shoes have a thin and flexible sole. This means your toes can not only dorsiflex (bend back) but also plantarflex (bend down). Great news, since this is how our feet build strength and generate force.
This also means your feet can feel the ground and the different surfaces that they’re on. This sends information up to the brain about what they sense and the body adapts accordingly.
This feeling also encourages better foot and ankle mobility, since the sole forms to the surface it’s on when under pressure. This is necessary for keeping the feet strong, flexible, and injury resistant.
In Short:
These barefoot shoes benefits offer what conventional shoes can’t – a vehicle to let our feet be feet. The features are meant to be non-intrusive to the foot and may even correct the problems that conventional shoes caused.
I started wearing Xero Shoes when I was desperate to get out of Foot Pain and they were a saving grace for me. 7 pairs later, I haven’t looked back.
Try Xero Shoes for yourself and see what the hype is about (affiliate):
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The End of Plantar Fasciitis – The program I built to get you out of never-ending foot pain.
Use the simple and natural methods I used (Barefoot Shoes are one of them) to eliminate my own Plantar Fasciitis so I could run, play soccer, and be free to do what I want again.
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