For your child’s best foot health get your kids into light weight & flexible shoes without the big heel! Those precious little feet need freedom to flex & become strong. While your children are developing they need stimulus to adapt to the conditions they will need to be in. If you want good balance, flexible & strong feet give them uneven terrain without support. If you put them in a chunky pair of leather shoes with a supportive arch & a big heel raise they will rely on this support & develop less strength & flexibility in the calf & midfoot.

There is no good scientific evidence for shoes preventing injuries. If you want good scientific evidence for this statement it’s in this article: Is your prescription of distance running shoes evidence-based? C Richards et al 2009 (British Journal of Sports Medicine).

You get what you pay for is true – durable materials & a nicely moulded shoe, but that’s not what’s best for your child’s feet. Kids grow quick, so your better off buying cheap shoes & replacing them more often for a comfortable fit. You can spend $15 on a pair of Dunlop Volleys & replace them eight times in a year, for the same cost of a pair of bulky leather shoes. That’s not really even necessary if the shoe still fits well, because the older the shoes the less support they offer- Great!

Flat feet is not a reason to put your children in supportive shoes either. Foot type differs in everyone just like red haired kids can’t help having red hair, you wouldn’t dye their hair because of it (or would you?).

In fact the only reasons I can think of for a shoe at all – is to protect the feet from cuts, hot surfaces, (icy cold surfaces if you live somewhere thats freezing) & bindis! The foot is designed to run, jump, hop & skip without the impedance of footwear – kids should have as much time as possible in bare feet.

Russell Wright (Physiotherapist)
ocean view physiotherapy
central coast foot & ankle physiotherapy
86 ocean view drive wamberal

Occasionally with an injury your feet & ankles need some extra support. This is what an orthotic is useful for. Essentially it is a brace for the foot.

The big question is why does your foot need a brace?

We believe in treating the cause of your injury and can use orthotics as a symptom reliever in the short term.

An orthotic can slow the rate of pronation (the arch of the foot flattening inwards towards the ground). Pronation is not evil (although certain shoe shops may have you believe this!), it is a normal movement which occurs to help shock absorption and then propulsion when walking, running & jumping.

A firm orthotic can be uncomfortable (they are usually made firm to last longer), and is often unnecessary, plus very costly. If you identify the cause of your problem and treat it, then you probably won’t need an orthotic in the long term.

You wouldn’t continue to wear a sling for a shoulder injury after it has recovered, would you? If you did, your muscles would become weak and your joints would be stiff. It is the same with the foot. Whilst wearing an orthotic, your muscles are being supported by it and don’t have to do their normal amount of work, ultimately making them weaker.

Are you considering getting or replacing your orthotics?
Why not book in for an assessment to see if you really need them at all?

Russell Wright (Physiotherapist)
ocean view physiotherapy
central coast foot & ankle physiotherapy
86 ocean view drive wamberal

So what’s the story with minimalist shoes & running without anything (not literally – clothes are still expected by our community standards unfortunately)? It makes sense that our bodies are durable enough to cope with running without a swoosh or stripes across our feet.

There is a common misconception about shoes needing to do the shock absorbing & studies have shown that the most important shock absorber is your own muscles! Contrary to past opinion our feet have a very efficient mechanism of shock absorption called pronation which is a marvelous thing & certainly not evil as proposed in outdated podiatry textbooks.

What does barefoot running have to offer the previously shod foot? There are three main benefits of going barefoot:

1. Improving your technique:

Barefoot running can improve your running efficiency by forcing you into better running form – It hurts to run on your heel without the cushioned impact of a piece of foam under it. See our video on running form.

2. Strengthening your stabilising muscles:

Without the support of a shoe, muscles around the foot are required to be used in the manner they were designed for – essentially training these muscles which subsequently make them stronger & able to cope with the forces involved in running.

3. Stimulating your brain to use the feet as proprioceptive (sensory) devices again:

The neurosciences tell us that if we stop using a part of the body for a short while, then the brain follows suit by shrinking the area it devotes to it in the brain. Similarly if you recommence using that part giving it more sensory input, the brain devotes more area of itself to that region, allowing better dexterity. For example a Pianist has a comparatively massive section of the brain for the fingers which require fast & precise movement. If your not a Pianist you could devote some of that extra finger brain space to your toes & play a beautifully fast marathon.

A word of warning before you hit the streets with a naked foot though. A transition to running with less support needs to be gradual so that your pampered feet can adapt with some tougher skin & stronger muscles. You could start with a short run in less supportive shoes (like a dunlop volley or racing flat) in between your normal running schedule with your current footwear. A progression to bare feet could then happen within your comfort distance if your prior transition was smooth.

Russell Wright (Physiotherapist)
ocean view physiotherapy
central coast foot & ankle physiotherapy
86 ocean view drive  wamberal