Just google barefoot training and you will be inundated with both pros and cons of minimalist shoes and the whys and why nots of going barefoot. If you want to get all sciency and read up on the biomechanics of the foot then google is the place to go.
I decided to write about barefoot training because I get asked ‘Why I work and train in barefoot’ a lot and my response is usually ‘if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it’. What I mean is that our feet are like any other muscle in the body, If you don’t train them then they will become weak. When you wear shoes all the time, some of the muscles in the feet can become inactive. The arch of the foot is so use to resting on a nice cushion inside a shoe that they would rarely have a chance to work themselves.
I’m not suggesting that you throw away your shoes and start walking and training in barefoot straight away, as some of you might not be ready for it. That’s like telling someone who’s never done strength training before to go do some heavy back squats…the body just isn’t ready.
If you have flat feet, plantar fasciitis, bad knees (this list can go on) then this will certainly be the case. You would need to slowly introduce the feet to the idea of going barefoot and start switching on any dormant muscles.
My suggestion would be to spend just a few minutes each day barefoot and increase you’re tolerance, whilst also spending time on mobilising your feet and ankles, foam rolling your calves and activating your feet.
Going straight to barefoot might not be an issue for some people, however building up the tolerance for jumping, bounding and running might take some time. You don’t want to end up straining ligaments or muscles because they’re not used to it. Again, build up to any high impact work and let the feet adjust, start small and work your way up
My reason for keeping those muscles in the feet active is that when the feet are weak and the arches collapse then other parts of the body have to adjust. Knees might collapse, ankles might tighten, hips then become tight, the back can gets sore and so on and so on. Having week feet can affect the entire kinetic chain in a negative way.
I am not a podiatrist, physio or a foot guru, so don’t take this blog as gospel. I would like to make note that this blog is purely anecdotal. I have trained in barefoot for many years and it has worked for me and many others. There are lots of other blogs on this subject and people more educated than me who have researched this topic so there is plenty of information out there on barefoot training, everyone is different so maybe give it a try and see what works for you.
Coach Alex