Popular Q&A: Curiosities

This is a great question, and one that the team here at Natural Footgear often receives from curious parents. Quickly, though, before we dive into that topic, it’s important to note that long-term foot health is an incredible gift that parents can give to their children—a gift that will pay large quality of life dividends over time. It’s natural that parents want to ensure that their little ones put their best foot... Read more

This is a question that we frequently receive here at Natural Footgear, and it’s a reasonable one to pose by those who spend long parts of most days in a weight-bearing situation on unyielding surfaces. The human body is incredibly resilient, and it’s our belief (and experience) that most people can, with the proper time, care, and consideration, reach a point where it’s possible to comfortably wear minimalist footwear on... Read more

It's usually possible to wear minimalist footwear even if one of your legs is shorter than the other, but there are a few important considerations to ensure comfort and avoid potential strain. Minimalist shoes are designed to encourage a natural foot strike and optimal alignment, which can be beneficial for your posture and overall gait. However, and as you are intimately aware, when one leg is shorter than the other,... Read more

Thank you for this excellent and timely question, Kevin! As the conversation around longevity and healthspan gains momentum, it's worth recognizing that the feet—often overlooked in broader health discussions—play a foundational role in determining long-term vitality and independence. Healthy feet enable natural movement, which in turn supports cardiovascular health, joint mobility, metabolic efficiency, and neurological function. Perhaps even more compelling is the relationship between foot strength, balance, and fall risk—a... Read more

Bunions are often considered to be a female-specific foot problem, but the truth is, these deformities frequently occur in people of all genders and ages (apart from the very youngest in our society, at least until conventional footwear is adopted). For women who wear high-heeled footwear frequently throughout their life, the likelihood of developing a bunion is quite high. However, due to the flawed shape and construction of modern shoes,... Read more

Vibram FiveFingers are, for many, the ultimate minimalist shoe. Designed to fit your foot like a glove, these flexible-soled toe shoes enable a high degree of tactile feedback as you move about on varied terrain, and they allow your foot to act like a healthy bare foot inside your shoe. They meet our criteria for foot-healthy footwear—they are, in fact, exemplary of it—so for people who already have some experience... Read more

A vestigial structure is an organ or physical attribute that has lost some, most, or all of its original or ancestral function but yet is still retained by members of a given species. Examples of vestigial structures in humans may include the palmaris longus muscle, the pyramidalis muscle, wisdom teeth, and the plica semilunaris (a fold of conjunctiva at the eye's inner corner). Suggesting that the little toe is a... Read more

Hi, Jerry. That’s a great and insightful question—and one we hear more often than you might expect. While it’s easy to imagine a kind of “shoe-spiracy” at play, the reality, we believe, is more nuanced. Most conventional footwear companies aren’t actively trying to harm our feet; rather, they’re simply following long-standing design norms that have become deeply embedded in the industry. These norms—like tapering toe boxes, rigid soles, and elevated... Read more

In a world filled with generally atrocious and injurious shoes, there are many possible contenders for “worst type of footwear.” In reality, though, there exists a continuum of footwear, ranging from models that are practically unwearable to models that let you realize your full foot potential. Still, some shoes ignominiously rise above the rest when it comes to sheer awfulness. Because of the utter ridiculousness of their design and construction... Read more

At Natural Footgear, we believe that any footwear should be evaluated based on how well it supports the natural structure and function of the human foot. Birkenstock sandals often come up in discussions of “healthy footwear,” and while they’re certainly a step up from many conventional options, they’re not without their drawbacks. In essence, Birkenstocks fall somewhere in the middle of the footwear health spectrum: Not inherently harmful in all... Read more

That is a phenomenal question, Janice! Many thanks for asking about it. At Natural Footgear, our work has always centered on the feet—not just as structures that carry us, but as foundational instruments of human health. Through almost two decades of observing how conventional footwear and foot care have disrupted natural foot function, we’ve come to a clear conclusion: Many widely accepted “health practices” inadvertently harm the very systems they... Read more

The wear pattern you see on the soles of your shoes provides important clues about your gait and how your feet are interacting with the world. The specific wear pattern mentioned above (outside, or “lateral,” heel) is typical among pretty much all wearers of conventional footwear that incorporates heel elevation, rigid soles, and substantial cushioning, and excessive wear in this location is particularly apparent in running and walking shoes. The... Read more

Every set of feet is unique! Among the many possible foot characteristics that vary from person to person are: arch height, foot and toe width, and foot and toe length. Some people (probably somewhere between 20-30 percent of the population) possess an index toe (i.e., second toe) that is longer than the big toe. This is known as Morton’s toe, and it is hereditary. In most cases, the index toe... Read more

This is a question that we commonly receive from customers and site visitors! The truth is, most folks who adopt foot-healthy footwear (i.e., shoes that stay out of the way of your feet) in combination with other helpful footgear (e.g., toe spacers, toe socks, metatarsal pads, sole-stimulating insoles, etc.) experience a lengthening of the feet. It's not so much that the feet are growing after adopting minimalist and foot-shaped footwear,... Read more

It's true that Correct Toes costs more than other toe spacing devices, and people often wonder why this is so. Here's why: Correct Toes is more than just a premium product; it represents an entire approach to foot care that upends decades of conventional foot care treatments. As such, it's a product that requires extensive educational resources to instruct users about its many applications, uses, merits, and nuances. Indeed, the... Read more

Hi, Germain. What you experienced is not only common but also quite telling. Once your feet have had the opportunity to function naturally in a minimalist environment—where they can splay, flex, and engage in a more anatomically sound way—being confined once again to conventional footwear often feels jarring and, in many cases, downright painful. Traditional dress shoes typically feature rigid soles, tapering toe boxes, toe spring, and elevated heels—all design... Read more