We do not realize that we are imprisoned. We have taken one of the most complex parts of our bodies and locked them away — in shoes. When you think about it, humans do not need to be wearing shoes most of the time, and if you look at the anatomy and evolutionary history of the human foot, you’ll see how shoes are a prison.
It is not that shoes are totally useless — they are necessary at times, such as if you work in an environment with dangerous materials. At these times, the shoe protects the foot, but generally we do not need such protection. However, many Americans now find going barefoot a challenge.
Whether you start walking around barefoot or not is your choice, but the benefits and changes one experiences when unshod are profound. We don’t need to permanently ban shoes, but people should begin to look at them in a different light and consider more minimalist styles, such as traditional sandals and countless other footwear options.
For the majority of human history, a shoe was simply a sandal that protected the bottom of one’s foot from sharp objects. The Tarahumara, a tribe in Mexico made famous by Christopher McDougall’s book “Born to Run,” regularly participate in ultramarathons, where they run back-to-back marathons wearing only sandals. These sandals are very similar to flip-flops, with the key difference of an ankle strap.
These Huarache sandals are the basic kind of shoe humans have worn for the majority of our time on this planet. By providing only a bottom, this style of shoe allows the foot to work naturally, changing the way a person walks.
The anatomy of the foot makes it clear how ridiculous it is to imprison this work of art. According to Healthline, “The foot’s complex structure contains more than 100 tendons, ligaments and muscles that move nearly three dozen joints while bones provide structure. The foot itself is a web of muscles that can perform specific articulations that help maintain balance and flex as a person walks.” Yet when you put your foot into a modern shoe, it over-protects and suffocates the foot, not allowing it to function like it is meant to.
When you go barefoot or wear minimal footwear, the foot begins to work as it is meant to. You begin to feel how intricate the process of walking is, and your posture becomes more natural. Instead of walking heel to toe, you begin to walk by putting the front down first and allowing the impact to distribute. This causes your gait to soften, and your walking style to change.
The final foot fact is the most convincing and explains why so many people have smelly feet. According to How Stuff Works, “The main thing that feeds foot smell is sweat. With more than 250,000 sweat glands each, your feet are among the most perspiring parts of the body. In one day, each foot can produce more than a pint of sweat!” When you put your foot into a shoe, it is not able to breathe. The sweat does not evaporate but stays trapped in your socks or shoes.
By going barefoot or minimal when the weather allows, you will soon realize that you do not need to be wearing shoes at all. After a certain point shoes do more harm than good, and you will realize this very soon. The host of changes that accompany this slight change in lifestyle is profound and have countless benefits.
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