Minimal Shoes: What They Are and How To Transition

I've been talking to my classes (and anyone else who gets me started) about minimal shoes. The more I learn about alignment and its relationship to overall health, the more I return to the feet and how important it is that feet be strong and mobile. Foot health is not a new topic for me. I've been getting classes and clients to roll their feet on super balls for about 15 years. I've been talking about the problems with flip-flops for at least that long as well. Recently, I've learned more about shoes that are designed for optimal foot health. They're call minimal shoes, and yes, you should want them.

BUT you may not be ready for them yet. Consider this a primer on what a minimal shoes are and how to transition toward them. 

First of all, what are minimal shoes?
Minimal shoes meet certain criteria:

• The shoe holds onto your foot, not the other way around.
• The toe box is the widest part, with room to wiggle your toes.
• The sole is flexible, not stiff.
• There is no height difference between heel and toe (zero elevation).
• They have minimal-to-no padding, no arch support.

So many people tell me they need stiffer shoes or better arch support because their feet hurt without them. I thought the same thing. I gave up my beloved Converse years ago assuming I was just too old, that my feet needed more support as I aged. The truth is, like any other body part, if you don't use your feet to their fullest, they weaken. Feet have 33 joints in them (each). Yet our stiff shoes and flat, level walking surfaces mean we use very few of those joints. As feet get more mobile, the muscles and bones work as they should to support themselves. The arch no longer needs help to maintain itself. Depending on the kinds of shoes you've been wearing and how old you are, re-developing this mobility can take months or years. I gave up high heels years ago and have spent quite a bit of my time barefoot every day for most of my life. It took me about six months to make the transition. My feet no longer hurt wearing Converse (yay!) and I have minimal shoes that I love, that I can walk miles in. If you've been in stiff-soled shoes with a heel, if you spend most of your time walking on hard tile floors, this transition might take much longer.

All my talk of minimal shoes needs some qualification and some explanation as to how you begin transitioning. Don't go out and buy the most minimal shoe right away. Don't buy anything new for now. And don't try everything at once. Make one change that you can live with. When you're ready, try another. The following are some of the easiest ways to start:

• If you have been wearing high heels, shift slowly. Wear heels that are an inch lower for several months. When that feels normal, shift down again. You may never get to zero elevation, but getting closer to zero is better for your whole body than being in 3 or 4" heels.
• Get off the sidewalk whenever you can. There is often grass next to it. Walk there. Walk in the grass, walk on rocks, walk on sand. If you can't get outside, find ways to create changes in surface texture by walking in place on a folded up blanket, or make a rock tray to walk on indoors.
• If you frequently wear shoes that do not attach to to your foot (flip-flops, slides, clogs, Birkenstocks without a strap on the heel), switch to shoes that do. Your foot muscles should be free to respond to the ground, instead gripping to hold onto your shoe.
• Opt for the shoes in your closet that are more flexible. Putting feet on a stiff sole is like putting your foot in a cast. The joints are restricted, and over time the muscles will atrophy and the foot will become less and less mobile. 
• Arch supports solve an acute problem, but using them for life is like leaving someone in a neck brace after they have whiplash. If you do not slowly bring movement back to the injured area, it will never recover full range of motion. (Do not throw them away because I said you don't need them. You may well need them for a while as you begin the process of making your feet strong again.)

If you are starting to think about making changes for your feet (which I highly encourage that you do), please go gently. Contact me for movements and exercises that you can add into your day. Those feet you've been standing and walking on need time to relearn their natural state. You may not have enough pads left in your feet to go to the thinnest soles. You may have nerve damage or conditions such as diabetes that will always require a bit more cushion. You may work or live where there is no choice but to be on hard, flat surfaces. (Trust me, you'll want more padding if you live in NYC.) 

Without buying any new shoes, you can start making better choices for your feet. Check out your closet and see what you've been wearing and if you have better options. (You probably do.) If you do start buying new shoes, have fun. As a shoe-loving woman myself, it hasn't been easy parting with some of my favorite (unhealthy) shoes. But now, I have a whole new set of criteria. And a good reason to get new shoes. Next time you see me, check out my cool minimal shoes. They're pretty much all I wear. My whole body is happy.

Think of it this way: you're not transitioning to minimal shoes, you're transitioning to healthier, stronger feet. 


Note 1: I link to several minimal shoe companies on the Resources page on this website. I personally have Otz and Unshoes now, to go with my Converse.  EarthRunners, Softstar, and Lems are on my wishlist.
Note 2: For information on how feet impact your overall health, you'll just have to wait for the next blog post.