Which shoe should I wear?
When we look at the shoes that people wear, we see that there are several types and various trends. What is the best choice and what should I wear?
The famous high-heeled shoes shorten the Achilles tendon and calves, in addition to reducing the mobility of the foot and moving the center of gravity forward, which causes a hollow in the lower back. This predisposes to patella and lower back pain. I suggest you keep them for special occasions and nothing prevents you from changing your high heels for flat shoes, for example if you are at work.
Like high heels, clean shoes with a rigid sole and heel decrease ankle mobility, weaken the intrinsic muscles of your feet while decreasing your proprioception (the state where your foot is in space without you looking at it), which affects your gait mechanics. So I encourage you to save them for special occasions as well.
I often hear that running shoes with big cushioned heels would be ideal. Sorry to disappoint you but this is not the case, because when you run and your foot goes too far forward, you land directly on your heel and the shock wave goes up through your heel, knees and hips, creating injuries. Also, there is a decrease in the mobility of the ankles and feet. Watching a top race, no athlete runs on their heels, but on their toes. These shoes should never be worn and a flat running shoe is suggested.
The famous “gougounnes” or sandals are unfortunately also bad choices because you have to squeeze the sandal in question with your big toe so that it doesn’t stick out of your foot, which produces a marked extension of your big toe. This stresses your plantar fascia and foot muscles and changes your gait and can also cause plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, Achilles tendon irritation, and ankle stiffness. Even if a sandal is without heels, the disadvantages are greater.
What should I wear? Ideally, we should walk barefoot as much as possible to stimulate balance, proprioception, and posture in addition to strengthening the muscles of the feet and legs. If you must wear a shoe, it must be flat, without heels, with minimal cushioning; in order to protect your feet from cuts that can be inflicted while walking in the street for example. It’s all about how much time you wear clean, high-heeled shoes or sandals, which should be worn in moderation.
