Ready to Run by Dr. Kelly Starrett and TJ Murphy, (05) Standard #2: Flat Shoes, Notes

(05) Standard #2: Flat Shoes

• • Question - Do you wear flat shoes? The default position for the feet is barefoot. Use shoes that protect the foot but that allow the foot to function as normal as possible. Wear mostly flat shoes to avoid throwing biological hardware into disarray. Use ‘zero drop’ shoes for both running and work.

  • Recommended Mobility Exercises prepare the feet for Flat Shoes - (1) Plantar Mobilizations (p. 217), (2) Toe Grip (p. 220) (3) Toe Re-animator (p. 221) (4) Toe Separation (5) Calf Smash (p. 205)

  • Briefing - When running, do the heels land first? The result of running with a fat chunk of cushion under the heel, landing on the heels causes the leg to be snapped into full extension out in front of the body, jamming the calcaneus into the ground with braking forces shock waving through the skeleton and transmitting various shearing forces to the soft tissues within the joints. Multiply this by the number of steps taken and miles completed in a week and it becomes clear why nearly all runners get injured each year. Children begin to heel strike about first grade, the effects of hours spent sitting at desks and wearing heeled shoes kicking in. This sets children on a path to weak feet, collapsed arches and shortened heel cords, robbing them of the natural power of the feet. Put children in flat shoes early and keep them there. Make a concerted effort to be barefoot as much as possible to strengthen and mobilize the feet. Rebuild the muscles in the feet. Let the foot be the foot. When the foot is stressed the way it was intended to, it becomes stronger.

  • Shoes for Children - The best shoes are no shoes. Starting the ritual of barefoot Saturday, spending one day per week barefoot is good for both children and adults.

  • Focus on how the foot fares without shoes: Optimal foot development occurs in the barefoot environment. The primary role of shoes is to protect the foot from injury and infection. Stiff and compressive footwear causes deformity, weakness and loss of mobility. There is no research supporting the use of corrective shoes. However, shock absorption, load distribution and elevation are valid indicators for shoe modifications.

  • Flip-flops? Just say no. Lifting the toes, especially the big toe, winds up the plantar fascia’s windlass mechanics, reducing shearing forces on the ligaments and compression forces in the joints and absorbing elastic strain during the acts of running and jumping. When wearing flip flops, to get from A to B the big toe must be clenched to keep the thing from slipping off. The windlass system of the foot grinds to a halt and the plantar fascia pay the price. The tissues of the arch get gummed up and shortened. The kink gets distributed through multiple systems, from a shortened heel cord to entrapping the sciatic nerve. Flip flops in a public shower room are Ok. Other than that, avoid them like the plague.

  • Dropping down to Zero - If you have been wearing heeled shoes your whole life, there is no overnight fix. Dorsiflexion is an issue and you suffer the consequences of having a valgus calcaneus and knee. But the feet have the power to change over time. The protocol (Dr. Nick Campitelli):

    • Choose a pair of minimalist shoes that fit well. Be as close to barefoot as possible. Look for zero drop with zero arch support.

    • Plan for a minimum of 6-8 weeks to transition. Longer is fine. Shorter is not. Two months is not a big deal when it comes to a running life.

    • Use the 10 percent rule. Wear a minimalist shoe at the beginning of a run when the feet are fresh and run for 10% of the run in them, then switch to old shoes. Each week increase the amount of time running in the minimalist shoe by 10%. Listen to the feet. If they say not to increase the time, skip a week here and there.

  • A word on Work Shoes - In progressing the feet toward full work capacity, look to effectively cancel out any time spent in a shoe that shortens the tendons and kills off the range of motion that the foot was designed to wield.

  • To control excessive pronation train the abductor hallucis muscles - The abductor hallucis muscle has the job of abducting the big toe. When it is strong and supple, this key postural muscle brings the feet to life. By simply wearing flat shoes and spending as much time barefoot as possible, the abductor hallucis muscles get the workout they need and deserve.: