![]() ![]() The conventional heel-to-toe drop (the difference in height from the back to the front of the shoe) is around 10-12 millimeters in running shoes. This is the opposite of what I was trying to accomplish. A traditional shoe, with its raised heel, puts the calf muscles in a shortened position. Increasing ankle flexibility was one of the keys to improving my arches. Wearing a shoe with a raised heel is like standing on a ramp facing downhill. Elevated heels can be found in everything from dress shoes to running shoes and many types of casual shoes. Many shoes on the market have raised heels. So here are my top five reasons for using minimalist shoes. That right there is probably reason enough to continue wearing them.īut I also think there are a lot of other benefits that have come from using them. I think they’re incredibly comfortable when compared to traditional shoes. This includes both everyday use and working out. I spend the majority of the time now in minimalist shoes. Low heel-to-toe drop (the difference in height between the heel and front of the shoe).I look for several features when choosing shoes: So, as you can see, minimalist shoes have several characteristics that separate them from other types of footwear. That all changed once I began looking for ways to raise the height of my arches.Ī recent study defined minimalist shoes as:įootwear providing minimal interference with the natural movement of the foot due to its high flexibility, low heel to toe drop, weight and stack height, and the absence of motion control and stability devices. This mindset–thinking that my feet were inherently flawed and needed to be supported by shoes–had kept me from considering other options. Since I wanted to give myself the best chance of fixing my arches, I decided to take the plunge and go minimalist.įor the longest time, I bought into the idea that I needed shoes with support because of the way my arches collapsed. As I began doing my own research, I came across convincing arguments for the benefits of minimalist shoes as well as the potentially harmful effects of traditional footwear. Looking back, I can’t say I ever noticed any benefit from wearing supportive shoes. I’d been told so often in the past that people with flat feet need to choose supportive shoes with stability and motion control features. I was a little unsure about trying minimalist shoes since it was a big departure from just about everything I’d learned about choosing shoes for flat feet and overpronation. Reading reports about the benefits of using less support was part of what inspired me to attempt to work on my arches in the first place. I had previously been using stability shoes with a lot of built-in support features.Īt the time I started this project, the barefoot running movement was probably nearing its peak in popularity. During the process of fixing my flat feet, I became a huge fan of minimalist shoes.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |