Foot issues are common—and often show up in yoga therapy
Minimal footwear is something I often get asked about, especially by yoga therapy clients dealing with foot issues. Foot-related problems are so common, and although foot exercises aren’t usually where I start in yoga therapy, they often become part of the work at some point.
When it comes to foot issues, it’s worth talking a little bit about shoes. Although shoes are not technically a yoga thing, I get asked about them a lot because people know that shoes contribute to how their feet (and knees, and hips, and back) feel.
Is there a “best” shoe for foot health?
Although I know we so often just want a straight answer, this is another area where I have to say, “It depends.” I do have a strong opinion about what shoes are best, but it comes with a pretty important caveat.
What minimal footwear does differently
I believe it’s ideal for people to spend as much time barefoot as possible, and to get into what are often known as “barefoot” or minimal footwear. These shoes have a wide toe box to allow your toes to spread and function more naturally. They have thinner, more flexible soles so that your feet can interact with the ground, and no internal arch support so that the intrinsic muscles of your feet can work to support them. And they are completely flat, or “zero drop”.
Conventional shoes, including those sold as “men’s”, usually have a visible or hidden raised heel and some amount of lift through the toes – this affects lots of things from the length of your calf muscles to your pelvic position!
Minimal shoes require a transition period
It’s important to know that if you’ve been wearing conventional shoes with arch support and lots of cushion, your feet are basically couch potatoes. Walking around barefoot or in minimal footwear is asking your feet to get up off the couch and run a 10k or lift a heavy barbell. You probably wouldn’t do either without proper preparation and training – and your feet need training to transition to minimal footwear too.
When minimal footwear might not be a good fit
I do NOT recommend minimal footwear to people who:
- Have never worn it before and haven’t done any prep work in their feet & the rest of their bodies
- Aren’t willing or able to spend time preparing their feet and body for minimal shoes
- Need or want to prioritize other issues before working on their feet
- Don’t want to wear minimal shoes for any reason
In these cases, it makes sense to wear whatever feels best for you. If you still want to reduce pain but don’t want to (or aren’t ready to) change your shoes, you can still get plenty of benefit from yoga therapy with foot and whole-body exercises, meditation, and other yoga practices.
Strengthening foot exercises can help all feet
If you have flat feet, or weak feet of any shape, you may find some of the strengthening exercises helpful in the video below, especially if you also have painful symptoms. These are just some of the practices I use with my yoga therapy clients. Everyone’s feet are different, and a personalized program may be needed to figure out how to relieve your foot symptoms.
Where to Start With Minimal Footwear
If you decide to go ahead with minimal shoes, I recommend going slowly and getting guidance when making the transition. Petra Fisher Movement, Nutritious Movement, Gait Happens, and Anya’s Reviews are also some good places to start learning about minimal footwear.
Get Custom Support for a Safe Transition to Natural Footwear
A personalized plan for transitioning to minimal footwear is best and I’d be happy to help with one-on-one support. Just schedule a consultation to get started and we can figure out what format would work best for you.
