What They Don't Tell You About Barefoot Style Shoes...

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares their experience transitioning to barefoot minimalist shoes, highlighting the challenges and solutions they found to make the process smoother. They discuss the importance of foot conditioning, the benefits of increased proprioception and balance, and the need for foot and ankle strength and mobility. The video offers practical advice on exercises like foot doming, toe spreading, and improving ankle mobility to prevent injuries and promote foot health for longevity in outdoor activities.

Takeaways

• 👟 The video discusses the speaker's experience transitioning to barefoot minimalist shoes and the associated challenges and solutions.
• 👣 Barefoot shoes are defined by being wider, flatter, thinner, and zero-drop, which means no difference in height between the heel and forefoot.
• 🏃‍♂️ Transitioning to barefoot shoes requires the body to adapt to changes, especially if one has worn conventional shoes for many years.
• 🚶‍♀️ Integrating barefoot shoes can improve foot health and longevity in outdoor activities like hiking and climbing.
• 🦶 The speaker emphasizes the importance of conditioning the bottom of the feet to adapt to pressure and prevent injuries.
• ⚡ Strong and supple muscles in the feet reduce pain and improve balance and proprioception, which are crucial for mountain activities.
• 🌲 Developing an arch in the foot, through techniques like foot doming, enhances natural foot function and efficiency in movement.
• 👟 Wide barefoot shoes allow toes to spread naturally, unlike restrictive conventional shoes, which is essential for foot health.
• 🧦 Toe spreaders and toe mobilization exercises can help improve foot flexibility and counteract the effects of wearing tight shoes.
• 🔄 Zero-drop shoes promote natural ankle mobility and prevent issues caused by higher heels, such as limited ankle dorsiflexion and improper gait.

Q & A

What are the key features that differentiate barefoot shoes from regular shoes according to the video?

The key features that differentiate barefoot shoes from regular shoes are that they are wider, flatter, thinner (offering less protection), and have a zero drop (no difference between the heel height and the forefoot height).

What are some of the problems one might encounter when transitioning to barefoot or minimalist shoes?

Some problems encountered during the transition to barefoot or minimalist shoes include discomfort from the lack of support, potential injuries due to the foot not being accustomed to such footwear, and the need to adapt to the increased sensory feedback from the ground.

How can one condition the bottom of their feet to better handle the pressure from minimalist shoes?

One can condition the bottom of their feet by gradually applying pressure to the soles, using tools like a trigger point ball, a golf ball, or a broomstick handle. This helps to strengthen and supple the muscles, reducing pain and discomfort from the pressure.

What is the importance of having good ankle mobility and how can it be improved?

Good ankle mobility is crucial for functional human movement, especially for activities like hiking, walking, and running. It can be improved by integrating exercises that focus on ankle dorsiflexion and by regularly testing and working on the range of motion of the ankles.

Why is it recommended to start integrating barefoot exercises even before fully transitioning to barefoot shoes?

Starting to integrate barefoot exercises before fully transitioning to barefoot shoes helps the foot to reorganize itself and form its own arch naturally. It also helps to prevent potential injuries and makes the transition to minimalist footwear smoother and less painful.

What is the concept of 'foot doming' or 'short foot' and how does it help with the transition to barefoot shoes?

'Foot doming' or 'short foot' is a concept where one actively tries to create their own arch in the foot using the muscular structure of the legs. This helps with the transition to barefoot shoes by strengthening the foot's natural arch and enabling it to act as a spring, leading to more efficient movement and less strain on the knees.

How can wearing wide shoes help with the transition to barefoot shoes and what can be done if one finds it difficult?

Wearing wide shoes allows the toes to spread out naturally, which is beneficial for the foot's health. If someone finds it difficult to adjust, they can try using toe spreaders or practice a technique called 'toe gloving' to mobilize and strengthen the toes.

What is the significance of the zero drop feature in barefoot shoes and how does it relate to ankle mobility?

The zero drop feature in barefoot shoes means there is no difference in height between the heel and the forefoot. This is significant as it prevents the creation of false ankle mobility and forces the body to adapt and improve actual ankle mobility, which is crucial for natural and efficient movement.

Why is it important to have a good understanding of the foot's structure when transitioning to barefoot shoes?

Having a good understanding of the foot's structure is important because the foot is a complex and integral part of the body's movement and support system. Recognizing its complexity helps in preventing injuries and ensuring a smoother transition to barefoot shoes.

What is the role of the 'mountain proof ankles routine' mentioned in the video and how can it be accessed?

The 'mountain proof ankles routine' is a set of exercises aimed at improving ankle mobility. It can be accessed for free as a PDF with videos and tests to help individuals work on their ankle mobility and prevent related issues.

Outlines

00:00

👟 Transitioning to Minimalist Footwear

The speaker discusses their experience with transitioning to barefoot minimalist shoes, highlighting the challenges and solutions they found to make the process smoother. They emphasize the importance of foot health for longevity in outdoor activities and explain the four key characteristics of barefoot shoes: wider, flatter, thinner, and zero drop. The speaker also touches on the necessity of adapting to these changes due to years of wearing traditional shoes and suggests that even if one is set on traditional footwear, some of these principles can still benefit foot health.

05:00

🏞️ Protecting and Conditioning the Feet for Minimalist Wear

This paragraph focuses on the importance of foot protection when transitioning to minimalist footwear, especially for hikers. The speaker shares their personal experience and suggests conditioning the feet to withstand pressure and impact. They recommend using tools like a trigger point ball or a broomstick to release tight and weak muscles in the feet, which is crucial for optimal foot health. The speaker also discusses the benefits of increased proprioception and balance that come with minimalist footwear, which can lead to fewer falls and accidents in the mountains.

10:03

🌳 Building Arch Support and Ankle Mobility

The speaker addresses concerns about the lack of support in minimalist shoes, particularly for ankle and arch support. They explain the importance of creating one's own foot arch through exercises like foot doming or the short foot technique, which involves using the muscular structure of the legs to form an arch. The paragraph also covers the benefits of having a natural arch, such as acting as a spring and reducing pressure on the knees, thus improving efficiency in hiking and other activities. The speaker encourages practice and integration of these techniques into daily exercises for better foot health and performance.

🦶 Exploring Toe Movement and Zero Drop Footwear

In this paragraph, the speaker discusses the benefits of wide shoes that allow the toes to spread out naturally, as opposed to being restricted in tight footwear. They introduce the concept of a 'toe glove' to help mobilize the toes and prevent issues related to restricted movement. Additionally, the speaker explains the concept of zero drop or heel drop in footwear and its impact on ankle mobility and foot posture. They suggest daily exercises to improve ankle dorsiflexion and provide a free resource for tackling ankle mobility issues. The paragraph concludes with a reflection on the complexity and marvel of the foot's structure.

Keywords

💡Barefoot Minimalist Shoes

Barefoot minimalist shoes are footwear designed to mimic the natural shape and function of the human foot, emphasizing minimal interference with the foot's biomechanics. They are characterized by being wide, flat, thin, and having a zero drop. In the video, the speaker discusses transitioning to these types of shoes and the benefits they offer for foot health and injury prevention in activities like hiking and climbing.

💡Transition

The term 'transition' in the context of the video refers to the process of shifting from traditional shoes to barefoot minimalist shoes. The speaker highlights the challenges of this transition due to the body's adaptation to the new footwear, which can take time given the years of wearing traditional shoes.

💡Foot Health

Foot health is a central theme of the video, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the foot's natural structure and function for long-term well-being. The speaker discusses how barefoot minimalist shoes can contribute to foot health by allowing the foot to move more naturally and by strengthening the foot muscles.

💡Protection

In the context of the video, 'protection' refers to the minimal shielding provided by barefoot minimalist shoes compared to traditional footwear. The speaker notes the importance of foot protection during outdoor activities but also discusses the benefits of conditioning the feet to handle pressure and impact without excessive protection.

💡Conditioning

Conditioning the feet is a process mentioned in the video where the speaker describes how to gradually acclimate the feet to handle the pressures and impacts encountered during activities like hiking. This involves exercises and techniques to strengthen and prepare the foot muscles for the demands of minimalist footwear.

💡Proprioception

Proprioception is the sense of the relative position of one's own parts of the body and the strength of effort being employed in movement. The video discusses how minimal footwear can enhance proprioception, leading to improved balance and a reduced likelihood of falls during outdoor activities.

💡Support

Support in the video refers to the structural assistance provided by traditional shoes, such as ankle and arch support. The speaker explains that transitioning to minimalist shoes requires the foot muscles to adapt and provide their own support, which can be achieved through exercises like foot doming.

💡Foot Doming

Foot doming, also known as the short foot exercise, is a technique discussed in the video for creating an arch in the foot using the foot's muscular structure. This is important for adapting to minimalist shoes and for improving the foot's natural spring-like function, which can enhance hiking efficiency.

💡Width

The width of barefoot minimalist shoes is highlighted as an important feature in the video, allowing the toes to spread out naturally. The speaker suggests that wide shoes can contribute to better foot health and function, and provides tips for mobilizing the toes to maintain their natural splay.

💡Zero Drop

Zero drop refers to the lack of a height difference between the heel and the forefoot in minimalist shoes. The video explains how traditional shoes with a heel drop can lead to issues like shortened tissues and limited ankle mobility. The speaker advocates for zero drop shoes to promote natural foot and ankle function.

💡Ankle Mobility

Ankle mobility is a key concept in the video, discussing the importance of having sufficient dorsiflexion for functional movement, especially in activities like hiking and running. The speaker provides insights on how to improve ankle mobility and the implications of limited mobility on gait and foot health.

Highlights

The video discusses the speaker's experience with barefoot minimalist shoes and the challenges faced during the transition.

Four key characteristics of barefoot shoes: wider, flatter, thin, and zero drop.

The body needs to adapt to the changes brought by barefoot shoes, especially after years of wearing traditional shoes.

Conditioning the bottom of the feet to withstand pressure is crucial for adapting to minimalist footwear.

Using a trigger point ball or a similar object to release tight and weak muscles in the feet.

The importance of foot proprioception and balance for preventing falls and accidents in the mountains.

Creating an arch in the foot through exercises like foot doming to improve support without relying on shoes.

The concept of 'short foot' technique to strengthen the foot's natural arch.

The role of the deep frontal line in creating an arch and its connection to the pelvic floor.

Wearing wide shoes allows the toes to spread out naturally, which is beneficial for foot health.

Using a 'toe glove' technique to manually mobilize and strengthen the toes.

The negative impact of heel drop in shoes on ankle mobility and the potential for injury.

The need for daily ankle mobility exercises to improve dorsiflexion and prevent issues related to limited mobility.

Leonardo da Vinci's quote on the foot as a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art, emphasizing the complexity of the foot's structure.

The video concludes with a reminder of the importance of understanding and caring for the foot's complex structure for longevity in physical activities.

Transcripts

so in this video i'll be talking about

my experience with barefoot minimalist

shoes and in particular talking about

some of the problems that i encountered

along the way trying to make that

transition and some of the solutions

that i found that helped me smooth that

transition out over the last couple of

years but even if you've already made up

your mind about barefoot shoes i think

that integrating some of these things

will be great for your foot health in

the long run anyway and that means that

you can continue to hike and walk and

climb injury-free hopefully well into

old age and that's pretty much what this

channel is about longevity in the

mountains let's get into it

so real quick let's go over exactly what

constitutes a barefoot shoe in my mind

there are four things that really

differentiate barefoot shoes from

regular shoes and that is that they are

wider they are flatter so they offer

less support they are thin meaning

there's less protection and then finally

that they are zero drop meaning there's

no difference between the heel height

and the forefoot height and when you

begin spending more time barefoot or

wearing minimal shoes your body has to

adapt to all four of those changes so

that means that if you're like me

pushing 40 and you've been wearing shoes

since you were i don't know three or

four years of age that means you've got

about 35 years of foot punishment you've

got to undo regardless of whether you

want to integrate minimal footwear or

not given how long it's taken for your

foot to adapt to wearing a tight

restricted shoe it's unreasonable to

expect that the body will be able to

play catch up in such a short amount of

time just by wearing the shoe so in this

video i'm going to go through four

things from each one of those categories

that will help you transition to

barefoot quicker and avoid the injuries

that often come along with the

transition to minimal footwear or

injuries that just happen to us anyway

for any number of reasons

so first up let's talk protection or in

the minimal case lack of it and this is

incredibly important for us as hikers in

particular i mean no one wants to

experience their food being punctured by

anything and when you're out in the

wilderness hiking or running that's

certainly a possibility but i would

argue the chance of actually getting

punctured for something directly from

the ground into your foot is actually

pretty low at least from my experience

but what's more common is the fear of or

complaints of the foot copping an

absolute beating from anything on the

trail whether it be rocks or roots or

anything else we encounter and i think

that's one of the main reasons why

people have maybe tried barefoot shoes

and then decided it's not for them

because simply their feet just copped a

beating from the trail and it's pretty

uncomfortable at least initially but

what i've begun to do as i've

transitioned into a minimal shoe is to

condition the bottom of my feet over

time so that it's become more accustomed

to getting pressure from below and this

runs in line with one of the most

crucial things that i've learned from

foam rolling and doing tissue work and

self-massage and that's that tight and

stiff weak muscles they hurt to pressure

whereas muscles that are strong and

supple they don't hurt to pressure so if

you are experiencing pain from the

bottom of the foot in any type of

footwear it's likely that the muscles in

the bottom of the foot are weak and

stiff and they need to be released if

we're going to find optimal foot health

so what can we do to help release that

tight and weak muscle well the regular

thing to do is to get a trigger point

ball but you could also just use a golf

ball i like to also use a broomstick at

home or if i'm out on the trail i'll

just use the handle of my trekking poles

and the idea here is that you place as

much pressure as you comfortably can

allowing the foot to kind of drape over

that implement allowing the bones and

the muscles and the ligaments and the

fascia to move around so you can start

by just placing a little bit of pressure

into the bottom of the foot into the

ball just rolling up and down for one

minute and then another minute just

going side to side so this technique

combined with slowly integrating more

and more time on trails and more and

more time in minimal footwear means that

the bottom of your feet can slowly

become accustomed to those sensations

and the pressure from anything coming

through any type of footwear and that

sensory information that we get from the

bottom of the feet is actually really

important so this has everything to do

with how often you fall you know whether

you've got good balance skills and

they're obviously incredibly important

things when you're in the mountains and

one of the great things about minimal

footwear is the increase in

proprioception and balance which

eventually leads to less falls and less

accidents because we're able to stay

upright and perceive our surroundings

through our feet and even if you've

never had any foot problems and your

feet are fine it's not necessarily an

indication that things are going well

the feet are capable of putting up with

a whole bunch of neglect before we start

to get symptoms like plantar fasciitis

or any number of other foot and knee

ailments that could impact our time in

the mountains and i've had plantar

fasciitis and it is not fun so

prevention is better than cure

[Music]

okay let's talk about support because

this is the one thing that people are

always concerned about and i totally

understand that if you're out by

yourself and your role of sprain and

ankle it's going to be pretty difficult

to get yourself out of that situation

and to be honest if you started wearing

barefoot shoes and you went out for a

hike that's quite a likely possibility

because after decades of wearing shoes

with ankle support and arch support and

without performing any drills to help

the foot reorganize itself to form its

own arch then that's likely to cause

problems and or make your transition to

barefoot extremely slow and probably

painful and this is where i think a lot

of people just tend to give up on the

barefoot thing because it's too hard so

to combat that there's a couple things

we can do firstly what i did is i

started to integrate as much of my

exercise as possible being barefoot

secondly i started to actively create an

arch in my own foot whilst i was doing

those exercises this is a concept known

as foot doming or short foot where you

actively try and create your own arch

using the muscular structure of your

legs and in particular the deep frontal

line the line of fascia that runs from

your pelvic floor all the way down to

your big toe so in order to do this it's

useful to start with your feet directly

under your hips and press those long

flexors of your toes lightly into the

floor

thereby anchoring the toes to the ground

from there it's useful to think about

generating torque from the hips so i

like to imagine there's a crack in the

ground between my two feet and i'm

trying to externally rotate my feet and

really spread apart that crack in the

ground and at the same time we exhale

and lift the pelvic floor up so the way

we do that is thinking pee in poop in

and not everyone will see this

immediately but over time and with

practice and reintegration you should

see a lifting of the medial arch in the

foot meaning that yes you can recreate

your own arch or at least in most cases

you can one more important thing that i

should point out is that if you're doing

this correctly you'll have the arch in

the foot which will extend to your first

metatarsal so the big bone at the front

of your foot that should actually be off

the ground so really think about

weighting the outside the lateral parts

of your feet and then you can integrate

this short foot technique into every

exercise you do you can squat with short

foot you can dead lift you can lunge you

can stand and do a knee drive which

happens to be one of the best exercises

for bulletproofing the knee and also

boosting ankle mobility it's really a

one stop shot so for me when i know i'm

doing this correctly is that i'll feel

this deep connection from my pelvic

floor all the way down into the ground

and i feel like i'm a tree i feel like

i'm connected to the ground sounds very

hippy but if you imagine yourself like

tree roots with your toes spreading out

to the ground that's how you know you're

doing it right as long as it's coming

all the way up into the pelvic floor and

if you're struggling with this initially

which you probably will it's best to

just do this standing i like to teach it

in a hip hinge so don't try and do any

complex exercises at first just start by

trying to draw power up from the ground

as if you're a tree so what has all this

got to do with hiking and walking and

climbing well having an arch in the foot

enables the foot to do its natural

intended purpose which is to be a spring

meaning that you will spend less energy

you will have less pressure on your

knees and you will hike more efficiently

if you are able to create that arch

because your foot is just acting like a

spring and believe me everything gets a

lot easier from that point if you have a

good strong arch now there's a very

brief explanation of quite a complex

topic so i would encourage you to

research it practice it integrate it and

if you want you can check out some of my

other routines where i give you these

cues and you can follow along and start

creating that arch on your own i would

recommend starting with this video

[Music]

okay now let's talk width and wide shoes

my personal favorite one of the easiest

concepts to understand about wide

barefoot shoes is that they enable the

toes to spread out display

naturally as opposed to being trapped

within a skinny restrictive shoe that's

honestly just designed to look nice

rather than being functional but from my

experience simply wearing a shoe doesn't

necessarily mean that your toes are

going to follow along it starts playing

out naturally for example when you wear

a sock that tends to restrict the toe

movement as well which is why so many

people in the barefoot community opt for

wearing in jinji socks but if you've

tried enjiji's and you're just really

not down for it then one other thing you

can do is try toe spreaders in fact it's

probably going to be even worse so one

thing you can integrate is something

that i call the toe glove and it's

really simple all we do is we try and

integrate our hand into our toes now

this is going to be difficult at first

especially if you've been wearing tight

footwear for a while but essentially

what we're trying to do is just slide

the fingers into the toes so that the

webbing matches and then from there we

can start to mobilize we can start to

grab the toes move them around in all

sorts of directions as long as you're

not experiencing any pain during this

it's absolutely fine and safe to do and

this is one thing that i do just about

every night when i sit down at camp is

try and mobilize my toes and get things

moving again because even though i am

wearing predominantly white shoes the

toes still need some love and they need

a little bit of massage and some support

especially when you're doing big miles

so try that out let me know how you go

okay finally we're going to look at zero

drop or heel drop so let's clarify

exactly what we mean by that well an

eight mil drop would equate to the heel

being eight millimeters higher than the

forefoot and this essentially means that

the shoe is creating eight millimeters

of false ankle mobility for you which

may seem like a good thing i mean ankle

mobility pops up in just about every

functional movement pattern but the

catch is that having a higher heel

forces more weight onto the forefoot

this can cause all kinds of problems one

of the key ones is that over time it can

cause shortening of the tissues and the

posterior chain which explains why a lot

of people can't touch their toes so

we've got tight calves and tight

hamstrings but what's even more pressing

is if you don't have that ankle mobility

the body will find a way it will create

a shortcut always and generally what

tends to happen is that the feet will

externally rotate out to the side to

enable the heel to pass over and also

what you'll tend to see is the big toe

pointing laterally so it's essentially

getting squashed as you're rolling

internally rather than walking with your

feet straight and this is a really good

thing to do just check out your own gate

next time you're walking see if your

feet are pointing directly straight or

maybe ones out laterally maybe both are

out laterally it's likely you've got

limited ankle mobility so check in with

your gate by watching your feet while

you're walking have a look at the big

toe and then finally test your ankle

mobility and in general we should be

aiming for at least 35 degrees of

dorsiflexion in the ankle for functional

human movement especially when it comes

to hiking walking running so not only

does that heel drop not solve the

underlying problem of limited ankle

mobility it's also likely a huge cause

of it so how do we tackle ankle mobility

well because of the complex nature of

the foot and the role that other muscles

play in ankle dorsiflexion it can take

some experimentation and some effort and

some time and some learning but the one

thing i'll say is just if you can hit in

range on your ankle mobility every

single day that's going to go a long way

to help you boost your ankle mobility

over time if you're not sure if you've

got tight ankles or if you know that you

have them and you really want to attack

this as a problem i would download my

mountain proof ankles routine it's

completely free it's a pdf with a bunch

of videos and some tests so you can

start problem solving this so for me i

think the greatest thing that i've taken

away from this learning experience of

transitioning into barefoot is just

getting a tiny understanding of how

incredibly complex the structure of the

foot is so a quote from leonardo da

vinci the foot is a masterpiece of

engineering and a work of art and i

think that's a good place to end on this

video thanks for watching i'll see you

on the summit