January is all about reconnecting with our feet, and this conversation wouldn't be complete without addressing the role of footwear.
If you're someone working on strengthening your core or you often experience foot cramping, it's essential to recognize how improper footwear can detrimentally impact your foot's structure. Such footwear not only has the potential to weaken your core but also heightens your risk of foot cramps with each step. Continue reading to learn more.
We'll begin by exploring foot cramps. Dr. Ray McClanahan, an esteemed podiatrist and the inventor of our studio’s favorite toe spacers, Correct Toes, divides the causes of foot cramps into two categories: 1) medical reasons, such as electrolyte imbalances, poor circulation, side effects of medications, and nerve issues; and 2) muscle imbalances caused by inadequate footwear.
While medical reasons are legitimate, Dr. Ray notes that most foot cramps stem from muscle imbalances caused by improper footwear. This is a common observation at Pilates in Common as well. New Pilates practitioners who haven't yet strengthened their feet or switched to our recommended footwear brands tend to experience more frequent cramps. To learn more about Correct Toes, how to select properly fitting shoes, or to discover our favorite footwear brands, check out our blog post “Pilates for Your Feet!” This post also includes a video with exercises to help correct common muscle imbalances found in the feet.
How exactly do conventional shoes cause muscle imbalances that lead to foot cramps? Let's take a look the differences between a conventional shoe (shoe on the left) that's marketed as "healthy for your feet" and a "minimalist" shoe (shoe on the right).
You'll notice three major differences between these shoes:
- Elevated heel: The left shoe has an elevated heel, often marketed as "padding for comfort." But this design keeps the calf muscles contracted, leading over time to chronically shortened calves. Shortened calves impair your ability to flex your ankle, a key component of proper gait that allows you to lift your foot. Insufficient ankle dorsiflexion forces other muscles, often the hip flexors, to compensate—resulting in "tight" hips that are more about foot-originated muscle imbalances than actual hip problems.
- Toe Spring: This feature, often marketed as "support" for the toes, actually keeps your toe joints in prolonged extension (toes pointing upwards). The right shoe, without a toe spring, allows the toes to remain flat, promoting healthier bone alignment and articulation of the bones. Prolonged toe extension from toe springs can lead to shortened toe extensors on the top of your foot, potentially causing hammer toes as the body compensates by trying to flex the bottoms of the toes.
- Cushion: Thick cushioning in shoes is promoted for comfort but disrupts the natural gait cycle. The soles of your feet are packed with nerve endings that sense the ground, providing crucial sensory feedback to your brain for movement initiation. Excessive cushioning mutes this feedback, diminishing proprioception and altering your body's natural movement patterns.
Another key feature not visible in the image above is the difference in toe box width between conventional and minimalist shoes. Most conventional shoes feature narrow toe boxes, while minimalist shoes, like the one shown, typically offer wide toe boxes. We could dedicate an entire post to the benefits of wide toe boxes, but for now, we'll let this image from one of our favorite shoe brands, Vivo Barefoot, illustrate the point:
TLDR: Conventional shoes with elevated heels, toe springs, and excessive cushioning create muscle imbalances by chronically shortening calf muscles and toe extensors, and lengthening the arches of the feet. These imbalances lead to foot cramps when trying to activate these compromised muscles and have body-wide repercussions.
How do these muscle imbalances in the feet affect the core?
These imbalances can escalate up the kinetic chain. When the feet suffer from muscle imbalances or are constrained by improper shoes, instead of feet propelling you forward, you might find yourself arching your mid-back to "hoist" or "throw" your body forward. This arching leads you to move from your stomach rather than your feet, overstretching the front of your diaphragm and compressing the accompanying posterior side of the thoracic spine. The front of the diaphragm, crucial for both respiration and core stability, becomes over-lengthened, impacting its function and your overall core strength. For a concise overview and visual explanation on this concept, check out this video:
At Pilates in Common, we celebrate when Pilates effectively addresses pain and enhances performance. However, we recognize that exercise isn't a panacea. If you're experiencing knee, hip, or back pain, it's crucial to assess the functionality of your feet, which includes evaluating your footwear. This step is often key to understanding and mitigating pain rooted in structural imbalances.
Written by: Destinie Slavich
