What Are the Benefits of Foot-Healthy Footwear?

It's important to understand the potential benefits associated with foot-healthy footwear (i.e., flexible-soled, zero-drop, wide toe box shoes, boots, and sandals) for overall foot health and biomechanics in order to get the most out of them. Based on our foot health philosophy and our own personal experience, the top such benefits are the following:

• Natural Foot Positioning: Foot-healthy shoes position your heel and forefoot at the same height, promoting a more natural and stable foot position. This can help improve posture and reduce strain on your lower back and lower extremity joints.
• Improved Balance and Stability: The wider toe box of foot-healthy footwear allows your toes to splay naturally, enhancing balance and stability during movement. This can lead to improved agility and coordination.
• Strengthening Foot Muscles: Flexible soles encourage your foot's natural movement, helping to strengthen intrinsic foot muscles. This can lead to better (natural) support for your arch and overall foot health.
• Reduced Impact: Many foot-healthy shoes incorporate thinner soles, which encourage more thoughtful, lower-impact footfalls and help reduce joint impact when walking, running, or performing a variety of sports.
• Enhanced Ground Feel: A thinner, more flexible sole provides better ground feel, which allows for increased sensory feedback. This can improve proprioception and assist with things like balance and agility.
• Reduced Risk of Injury: By promoting natural biomechanics and allowing for a more natural gait and foot position, foot-healthy footwear can help reduce the risk of common foot and lower limb issues, such as plantar fasciosis or shin splints.
• Adaptability to Various Terrain: Low stack height and flexible-soled shoes adapt better to different surfaces, which provides you with greater versatility for various activities, from running to hiking.
• Comfort: Many people find foot-healthy footwear to be more comfortable, as it can accommodate a wide range of foot shapes and sizes and does not encroach on your foot or toes in any way.

When it comes to improving overall foot health and optimizing foot and lower extremity biomechanics, foot-healthy footwear is an excellent choice! We encourage you to explore our men's and women's footwear collections to see examples of shoes, boots, sandals, and slippers that best support long-term foot form and function. By seeking out and using foot-healthy footwear, you'll be putting your foot in the most advantageous position possible and ensuring it performs the way nature intended. This also stabilizes your entire foundation and supports the rest of your musculoskeletal system so that it can perform at its best.