Image from yogapro.com
YOGA TOES! I have never been into these because of my particular foot type. HOWEVER, these things are awesome if you need some more space and spread through your toes and metatarsals! You can start just trying to get them on, progress to wearing them for 5 or so minutes around the house, and then try doing foot exercises with them on your feet! Let me know how it goes!
Thank god sneakers have become stylish enough to wear all the time. I am glad I can feel only slightly shameful when sporting the tennie and skirt look. I have some strong opinions about these sneakers based on my own feet and I could spend years of trying different brands and styles. Below are my personal opinions and preferences. Listen to your body and find yours!
new balance: I wore classic New Balances twice in my life. The first time I was in high school and was into vegetarianism and hardcore. These shoes were not cute, but they weren't made out of leather. I had a shaved head and wore cargo shorts. You get the picture! (Now New Balance makes a large variety of styles- even flats!)
The second time I wore New Balances was right after surgery. They were the first shoes I wore out of the boot. They were boats and I was made fun of by my friends, but they served a purpose. I have always heard that New Balances are great shoes, but for me they didn't have superb arch support and my feet kind of swam inside (I do NOT have narrow feet). pro: metatarsal break pretty sturdy, wide, lots of styles, these shoes work for many people con: really wide and bulky
nike: There are so many kinds of Nikes out right now and the Nike Free is an acceptable work shoe these days. If anything gives women a break from wearing terrible shoes to work, I am pumped. However, orthopedically speaking, Nikes are pretty terrible. There is little to no arch support, the heel cup does not cup your foot, they tend to run narrow and the met break is fashionably flexible. All of this being said, I love Nikes and just bought a pair as my "dress up" shoes (how sad is my life...). pro: fashionable, can wear to work, LOTS of colors/styles, affordable con: not the best for orthopedic concerns
asics/saucony: I put these two together because they seem to serve similar purposes. Some people like Asics and some people like Sauconys. I like Sauconys. My friend Marimba wears Asics. We have very different feet but our concerns are similar: good arch support (we both put in our own actually, but the stock arch support is ok), good mid foot support, good heel support, wide toe base, sturdy met break. These shoes are in no way as fashionable as Nikes and have to just be accepted as plain ol' sneakers. pro: they feel great, orthopedically sound, not too expensive con: not the best looking, a little bulky
five fingers: I have never personally been in the barefoot shoe club. I am however a barefoot contemporary dancer so I very much understand the benefits of being barefoot and having strong, articulate feet. Five finger shoes are not miracle way to get them. Strong feet take intelligent work just like any body part or firing pattern. I can see the benefit to wearing these in nature if you want protection from rocks and sticks or in the gym if you are stable enough to lift in bare feet and understand what that means. I do not see the benefit of track running or concrete running. From an orthopedic support perspective Five finger shoes, you make my joints ache and my MTPs cry. I can't offer a true Pro/Con as I have never worn them.
converse/vans(and also Toms): These are the shoes of my generation (I suppose I am not the only generation who can claim converse...). Growing up, you wore one or the other depending on your musical and action sport preference. These shoes are flat flat flat and have zero arch support. They are cheap and cool but they do nothing for your body. Wearing these shoes is asking for bunions and shin splints. I hate to say it, but these shoes are not good for you. pro: cute, stylish, easy, cheap con: not good for you!
More about feet, right this way!
When you have a foot problem, the first thing you might hear is "you should wear clogs!" If you are confused about what clog brands are out there, and what might work for your fashion sensibilities, look no further. Clogs can be great for specific ailments because they have a wide toe box, a slightly rocker bottom sole and they keep your foot from articulating too much. They are great after surgery, if you have to stand all day, or if you need to give your tootsies a rest!
Each foot is as individual as it's owner. I have what is called a 'Grecian foot', meaning my second toe is the longest and my toes taper down. My toes are long and every joint in my feet is very mobile! My arches are high but easily spread out when I put weight through them. Below are my personal opinions and preferences.
dansko: This is the ol' faithful, the "she's a dancer or a nurse" shoe. You may or may not like how they look but you most likely have an opinion one way or the other. I go back and forth between convincing myself they are fine and really not being into the boxy horse foot thing. I have recently opted for the all black version so that at least I can imagine they disappear somewhere below normal vision. Honestly, when my feet are not happy, these shoes are the VERY BEST thing to wear. pro: slight rocker bottom, room for the toes to spread, heel lift, good arch support, you can beat them up and they live forever, shock absorption from the sole con: horse feet, can hit cuneiforms if you have a high arch, easy to fall on uneven surfaces (this is true of any clogs)
no. 6: This shoe has been a favorite of mine. Not only do they have a very cute store in nolita, they do custom orders! You can order a shearling lined boot with your choice of leather and clog base. They have wood bottoms and come in three heights. There is a clog for every season: dressy and not dressy, heels and wedges. To be honest, the high heel clog cannot be considered orthopedically sound but the medium height can be made cute and did not bother my foot when it was at it's worse (actually the medium height created the rocker I needed when pushing off was causing too much pain). pro: customizable, good if you need to not articulate your mtps, super cute con: $$$ (250-550), no arch support, have to order in NYC store for customization, wood bottoms can be too hard for some
Sven: I don't have a ton of experience with Sven clogs, though I did have one pair. They are a good standby clog if you need a wooden bottom. If my rumor ears tell me the truth, No. 6 actually just uses customized Sven clogs, so maybe I have more experience that I realized. pro: not too $$$, easy to find, lots of styles con: I can't think of one
Swedish Hasbeens: pro: lots of styles, easy to find online con: narrow!!! (I could never wear these)
CLOGMASTER: This is the ultimate clog experience. You walk in to see the clog master and before you sit down she tells you your shoe size and promptly disappears to the back to bring you a few options to try on. From there, you just talk size and style and usually walk with at least two pairs of custom clog orders on the books. This is customization at its best. I saw her when she was still in LA but she is now based in Portland. She travels around the country to do fittings and take orders. pro: everything con: cost prohibitive if you're on a budget, otherwise if you don't like these, you just don't like clogs
ok there were more...
Let's try a couple exercises to get a better sense of your heel bones. If you have questions about the language in this post, look back at Meet Your Calcaneus.
First, have a seat, cross one ankle over the opposite leg and use your fingers to palpate (feel) your heel bone. How does the bone feel to you? Look at the pictures from the anatomy post and see if you can trace the whole length of the bone. Knowing that muscles, tendons and ligaments lie on top, imagine you can go below the tissue layer and really put your intention on the bone. Repeat on your other foot.
Heel rocks. Now stand on two feet in parallel (2nd toes pointing forward with kneecaps aligned--approximately :)). Take a moment to just feel your weight in your heel bones. You may feel slightly pronated or supinated. This is ok and normal! Shift your weight so you feel more on the outside of your right calcaneus and the inside of your left, then switch sides, repeating a few times. This may be easier on one side than the other. Now turn this side-to-side motion into a circle, 6-10 times in each direction. Try to make the circle smooth and feel as much of your heel into the floor as you can.
You might feel a little bit like this, but don't get too crazy:
Here's a trick for releasing. Often times, this can help with plantar fasciitis or tightness in the ankles and calves. Place a pinky ball right in front of your calcaneus, ever so slightly to the inside of your foot. Try to stand on both feet, putting as much weight into the foot with the pinky ball as in your other leg. This area may be VERY tight. Try to take 10 breaths here and let the tissue relax. Repeat on the other side.
Stretch your calves! A good ol' calf stretch (standing in a shallow lunge) does wonders for releasing the calves and achilles, and can relieve tension through the plantar fascia of the feet. In your calf stretch, go back to your heel rocks and find the place where your calcaneus feels most evenly planted on the floor, finding weight in the back of your heel! Take 8 long breaths with a straight back leg, 8 with a bent back leg. Switch sides.
Hello! Shorty here to teach you a little bit about your foot. Today's focus is the Calcaneus!
Your calcaneus (aka your heel bone) is not just a round nub at the end of your lower leg. It extends behind your two lower leg bones and forward towards the center of the arch of your foot. Your talus sits above your calcaneus and interacts with your tibia and fibula, the bones of your lower leg, which create the archway of your ankle. Let's talk about the calcaneus, learn where it is and what it does!
Image From Wikipedia
The terms "pronation" and "supenation" of the foot have to do with how your calcaneus sits and thus affects the function of the foot. A pronated foot is one that rolls in, collapsing the arch of the foot. A supinated foot rolls out, putting a lot of weight on the outside of the foot and causing the inner arch to pick up away from the ground more than it should.
Image from Wikipedia
Notice that in neutral, because your calcaneus is not a square, your weight does not fall in the center vertically (the arrows do not align perfectly). The calcaneus is constructed to have a bit more of its bony weight on the outside, leaving room for muscles, ligaments and tendons on the inside of the ankle. These support the medial longitudinal arch. In walking, your foot naturally moves through a slight supination and pronation.
You may know about your achilles tendon or have heard of plantar fasciitis. The achilles tendon wraps around the back of your calcaneus and your plantar fascia grows forward from the under side of your calcaneus, creating a sling around your heel. Often times when your gastrocnemius and/or soleus (aka your calves) get tight, this tightness affects tension under the sole of your foot in your plantar fascia. Your heel functions as the fulcrum to the muscles of your superficial back line. This fulcrum helps you propel yourself forward in walking and running as well as keeps the muscles of your calves and sole of the foot pulled long when you are standing still.
Image from Wikipedia
Your calcaneus not only receives gravity and the weight of your body, it also distributes it forward and backward through the feet. Your vertical plumb line falls more or less through the center of your calcaneus (front to back). It has the ability to shift inwards and outwards, adapting to the needs of your gait and balance. In order to have a well-functioning foot and ankle, your calcaneus has to be able to feel the floor and have mobility, stability and adaptability to deal with the varying surfaces of the ground and actions your body makes.
Stay tuned this week for new ways to feel and experience your heels as well as some exercises to balance them!
Did you enjoy this post? See more from our Month of the Foot series here!
See what else Shorty Swan has to say!
Ok, this may be a sensitive topic for the alignment folks out there. Some people describe parallel foot alignment as aligning the center of the heel with the third toe or making the outer edges of the feet parallel. On my alignment this looks monstrously turned in and it forces my medial arches to collapse!!! yikes. In August we will talk about a lot of foot issues and give lots of helpful tips about foot maintenance and strength! Each foot is as individual as it's owner. Find your unique and balanced strength from the ground up!
This two hour long workshop is geared towards clients who want to learn more about feet! We will learn a little anatomy, practice strengthening exercises and learn how to release and align the feet and lower legs. Working on the feet helps us ground ourselves and gives us a strong base from which we can establish clear mechanics through the rest of our bodies. Email us or sign up online to save your spot! Taught by Eleanor Hullihan.