What's the best footwear for foot pain! -MoveU

Are your shoes contributing to your foot, knee, hip, and back pain? This week we are going to go over footwear of various types, not just athletic, and explaining how and why they may be a cause for concern. We have been asked dozens of times over the last couple weeks to cover plantar fasciitis, achilles pain, ankle pain, toe pain, etc so we decided to cover one of the root causes of that pain… lack of body/foot awareness and poorly designed footwear.

There is a time and a place for every shoes. If you can move away from them and transition to more of a zero-drop or barefoot shoe, your feet and body will thank you.

Do you wear heels? If you say no, you probably are anyways! Almost every shoe we saw in all 12 stores had some sort of heel lift in them and they were excessively squishy and “comfortable.”

Why is cushion and comfort bad? You become disconnected from the ground! All of the force we generate to walk, run, jump, squat, deadlift, etc comes from the ground. If you have a cushion between you and the ground, you are reducing that force output. The cushy shoes also cause a lack of foot control and awareness, preventing you from properly distributing weight across your entire foot. This causes your toes to warp and your arch to collapse. Plantar fasciitis, bunions, heel pain, and achilles pain will ensue.

Switch to a more minimal shoe or one with less of a heel “drop.” In the case of the vans (and a shoe called Altra’s) there are more 0-drop options, meaning that the shoe is the same height from the toe to the heel, but they still have cushion. Minimal shoe brands like Merrell, Vibram, and VivoBarefoot*** are amazing for your feet.

Do you have foot pain in the toes? Do you have bunions? Arthritis in the feet? Can you spread your toes and move them like fingers? Your shoes are likely to blame for why you are having issues with your foot. Aside from “cushy” shoes and shoes with excessive heel lift, many shoes have a super narrow *toe box* that prevents the toes from spreading like they normally would when you walk. Almost every name brand shoe that you guys will comment about most likely has too much cushion, a heel lift, AND a narrow toe box.

When looking for shoes, it is best to find brands that have a wide, open toe box like Vivobarefoot, LEMS, Xero Shoes, TadeEvo, and Joe Nimble. You will find a few shoes in name-brand stores that have a wider toe box, but they are often still accompanied by a heel lift and/or a fat cushion!

The toes are meant to spread apart with each step. If you restrict that movement, you actually reduce your balance!

Remember, different shoes are fine to wear once in awhile, but if you are having to wear them every day for work, then your feet and body will morph into a terrible position.

Test Your Feet! No matter what shoes you have on your feet, you have to understand how to use your own feet first! You can’t just simply transition to a barefoot shoe and expect your feet to work, hence why many of you feel increased pain when you switch to a barefoot shoe.

Increase awareness of your feet! 1. Can you actively spread your toes? 2. Can you roll the ankle in and out by collapsing then activating the arch of your foot? 3. Can your toes bend upward and downward?

Whether or not you struggle with the motions in this video, it is time to work on them ALL day EVERY day! Simply trying to spread the toes and roll the ankles while in the shower, washing the dishes, working, sitting on the couch, etc is the first step to gaining more control of your feet.

Flat feet? Plantar fasciitis? Strengthen your arches! I am willing to bet that you guys can’t hold a tight band under the big toe like this while doing movements and exercises. #Challenge?! The big toe is directly related to glute activation.

If your “base” or feet aren’t engaged and stable, you are LOSING force output and are unable to engage the glute!

When applying this to real life… you want to actively engage the big toe! It won’t just do it on its own. Do it everywhere.

If you are complaining of plantar fascitis, bunions, ankle pain, or any other foot pain, then learning to spread the toes, drive them into the ground, and grab with the arch of our foot is a must.

Notice in the video that when the arch is engaged and torque is applied from the glutes, the whole knee and leg rotates outward. The feet are the foundation to your house. If the foundation isn’t stable, the house falls down! In the case of the body, the crumbled house is your poor posture and movement.

Transition to Barefoot shoes! Vivobarefoot, LEMS, Xero Shoes, TadeEvo, and Joe Nimble are all examples of athletic, everyday, and formal barefoot shoes.

When switching to barefoot shoes of any kind, it is important to understand that you HAVE to use your own feet the way that they were designed.

[davidf]

As much as I liked your videos in the older format, I like this all-in-one format even better ! Always great stuff from you guys . . .

[bigmacsawce]

really impressed with the content on this channel

[piyushdwivedi]

Just the video I needed! I went barefoot a week ago and this is gonna be life changing, thanks!

[michelebreen]

Thank you for the great lesson! I am strengthening my feet rn!

[valeriebrown]

This is hilarious 😂😆 except when it come up n smacked him n then wen he was walking with the straps had me cracking up. I needed a Valentine's day laugh. 😂 Lolol

[DearTime]

Thank you very much for your works!
This already works for me... You are an absolute angel!
I haven't found a good doctor or hospital around me in my country.
So I still have a problem after long years in pain with extensor digitorum longus muscle especially on the front ankle, which is always tense and tight so that I can feel and touch that part with my fingers. This may cause hip pain and even neck pain in last few years.
Could you please be so nice to give me any advice or exact video that I've got to see to fix this tightness on my front ankle?

[Edensrdseed]

Thank you. What shoes are you wearing? You didn't cover that, I've already purchased some birchberry, but I like yours better.

[ulyssespayne]

Thanks I am trying vivovbarefoot shoes

[msbauer]

🤣 You’re preaching like a Fire & Brimstone Minister! Love it!😂

So - please sir, more videos of progression exercises for us sinners who want to take back our heathen comatose feet.
I would like to learn how to run and jump rope without interior knee pain.
I know my feet need strengthening as I was born pigeon toed and my hip muscles are weak. Please suggest a shoe to start me towards the zero drop shoes and exercises to increase strength.🥰

[kmuck]

Great info. I'd hate for my narrow toe box to cause prolapse. 😲

[JasonMichaelBernardo]

What do you suggest for those of us who must wear boots for extended periods of time because we work as Fire Fighters, Law Enforcement Officers, Construction Workers or Military personnel? Thanks, Love you guys.

[eloymaes]

Great videos guys. Do you remember that I introduced you to the Vivo shoes way back when?

[norajohnston]

@moveu I would like to take the advice and get a barefoot shoe, but I wear orthotics, would that defeat the point?

[pizzaisftw]

would you do the drills before you run?

[kcegr]

Me: walking always barefoot
Foot: i am not spreading the toes!

:_(

[-nobody]

Not all of us can do that dude. Some of us are farmers.

[Spidaface]

*I work 12 hours a day on concrete ALL THE INFORMATION ON THIS VIDEO IS USELESS*