Boy, this is the shoe I need...

Since we opened the new shop in Marchena many older women have come in to ask:

"Boy, this is the shoe I need... wide" - she says picking up a pair of espadrilles.

"My toes are wasted, I'm at the chiropodist all day long.
But there weren't any of these before.
Of course, these are very flat, better with a little bit of heel".

They know that their feet are damaged. They don't work as they should and that's why they are looking for a solution.

Varicose veins, bunions, leg cramps, claw toes, Morton's neuroma, blood circulation problems... and a lot of back pain.

They have been wearing narrow, high-heeled shoes all their lives, or as they say, with a little bit of heel. They refer to the elevation at the back of the shoe, which, without reaching the height of a stiletto heel, usually raises the heel 3-6 cm above the front of the foot.

This shortens your Achilles tendon and calf muscles, causes muscle imbalances and deforms your toes.

The effect of all this is more serious than it seems because it affects your autonomy, where it all begins. Without movement, there is no life.

And not just because of the pain in your feet and knees, but because it weakens the biggest muscle we have, the gluteus.

Weak glutes affect your ability to move (walking becomes difficult) and can lead to back problems.

Despite the difficulty of fixing your feet at a certain age, your body has an incredible ability to repair itself.

And it's worth trying.

If you can fix these anatomical problems, your life will change, that's a fact.

How?

"Can you walk barefoot at home?" - I ask the person concerned.

If the answer is No, or she doesn't know, I encourage her to try and I don't sell her any shoes.

If they can't walk barefoot on the softness of the floor at home, they won't be able to walk barefoot on the street with minimalist footwear either.

And so that they don't get false hope, they should start there.

But if the answer is Yes, that she is comfortable (some even say she loves them) then I recommend shoes according to what they are looking for:

"Now yes child, what a relief!
It looks like I'm not wearing anything.
Mari, try them on, really, what a comfortable thing to wear!" - telling it to the friend who usually accompanies her.

And with this simple gesture everything begins.

Changing shoes.

So that the shoe adapts to your foot and not the other way round.

From here on you can continue to improve: doing foot exercises, using the Correct Toes while walking, walking barefoot...

Simple.

Two options that are always popular:

• Manoletinas by Xero: Phoenix knit, Phoenix Ltr, Cassie and Aptos

• Manoletinas by Be Lenka: Bellisima, Harmony, Sophie.

So that health starts with your feet.

Antonio Caballo.