THE IMPORTANCE OF NATURAL FOOTSHAPED SHOES
The importance of natural foot shape
The greatest masterpiece of human evolution is the "foot." Humans are the only animals on Earth that use both their hands and feet for daily living. And it is precisely because of the evolution of the feet, which has supported us both in the past and present, that this has been possible.
The feet support the body's weight and control the direction of travel. To achieve this, the feet, which act as the base, must have the widest supporting surface (contact area).
A "natural foot" is one in which the big toe extends straight forward from the heel and is independent of the other four toes, and the entire foot is wide, powerful, and elastic like a spring.
Left: Natural foot shape with straight big toe
Right: The foot looks a little cramped...
Ever since our ancestors descended from the trees to the ground and began walking on two legs, human lifestyles have shifted to one where movement is the main focus. The direction, thickness, length, and position of the big toe have evolved to adapt to bipedal walking on land. This has enabled humans to move around flexibly and take light steps even on hard, rough ground.
Ever since our ancestors descended from the trees to the ground and began walking on two legs, human lifestyles have shifted to one where movement is the main focus. The direction, thickness, length, and position of the big toe have evolved to adapt to bipedal walking on land. This has enabled humans to move around flexibly and take light steps even on hard, rough ground.
In order to control the transfer of weight using your feet, the first metatarsal (see diagram below*1) as well as the big toe must be straight.
The big toe and second toe, which are extended straight forward, act as the fulcrum of the lever, allowing you to shift your weight from back to front (see diagram below*2).
When the big toe bends toward the other toes, it becomes impossible to control the trajectory of the center of gravity, causing the ankle to tilt excessively inward when landing, resulting in "overpronation." As a result, the balance of one foot and the direction of weight transfer are also impaired.
When the big toe is deformed toward the second toe, the force required for movement is not properly directed, resulting in unnecessary body movement. To compensate for this, extra muscle movement also occurs.
The knee joint, in particular, is a joint specialized for sagittal plane movement, bending and straightening the knee forward and backward. Although the range of motion in the horizontal plane, rotating left and right, is limited, if the big toe is deformed, the knee joint also rotates internally, which puts you at risk of pain.
It is widely known that the feet adapt to their environment. In particular, the structure of a child's feet, whose bones have not yet fully ossified, is greatly influenced by what is wrapped around the foot . Perhaps the foot pads of ancient Chinese culture are a good example of this.
In an experiment in which teenagers who were used to going barefoot were made to wear shoes, deformities of the big toe were observed in just six weeks. (1) In areas where shoe-wearing is a cultural norm, there is a strong correlation between the number of years of wearing shoes and foot deformity. In other words, foot deformity becomes more pronounced in proportion to the amount of time spent wearing shoes.
Over 95% of babies (yes, almost all) are born with natural feet - healthy feet that can open and close at will.
A wide forefoot supports your weight and distributes pressure, while a strong, flexible, and straight big toe acts as an anchor to connect you to the ground.
Maintaining healthy feet even as adults will provide us with the strength to support us in various situations in life.
By spending most of your time barefoot and doing the right exercises, you can give your feet time to move, and slowly restore the natural shape of your feet that we were born with.
Healthy movement and living starts now with our feet .
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