Do you know how Mickel Jordan likes his shoes?

You know how Mickel Jordan likes his shoes?

Lightweight, not too tight and low-cut so that the foot can move.

And this is coming from someone whose profession was to perform to the maximum in every play, in every game.

Because playing basketball for pleasure is not the same as playing for work.

In the former, one seeks health, in the latter, performance. And performance goes against health.

Let's talk about shoes.

The designer of the Nike Jordan (Tinker Hatfield) seems to have it clear.

The shoes they design don't look like feet.

Look at this image.

Next to the drawing are the words No Foot.

Exactly. These shoes look nothing like a foot.

And yet they are sold for playing basketball.

It also says that your feet are made for walking, running, climbing.... and that you can do it barefoot.

But that basketball players get their feet ruined by wearing shoes that are too tight.

He doesn't blame it on the narrow last of the Nike Jordan.

Nor to the stiffness and stiffeners of basketball boots.

Nor the excessive weight.

But the lacing.

It's funny, because right after it sells you a new automatic lacing system.

Wouldn't it be easier to make the shoes wider, lighter, without buttresses and without heel (drop)?

In this way the foot would have more circulation, the toes more space and the dorsiflexion of the ankle would not be shortened.

Let's continue with dorsiflexion or the foot-ankle movement so important for walking, running and jumping.

When minimalism became strong in the United States in 2009, NBA fitness trainers started to worry about the feet of basketball players.

And they found a very relevant fact:

The dorsiflexion of their ankles was limited.

That is, their range of motion was low and this could lead to major injuries, such as a torn internal meniscus of the knee, plantar fasciitis, rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament....

This is because it affects the way your body absorbs the impact of a jump.

When you jump, the impact is absorbed by your entire leg, the foot-ankle-knee-hip complex. If the foot-ankle doesn't absorb its share, your knee and hip have to do extra work and eventually injuries occur.

I end with a question:

Why do NBA players have limited dorsiflexion?

Because of the use of inadequate footwear, especially because of the drop or heel of the shoes.

The drop tilts the foot forward and shortens the range of motion of the ankle relative to the foot.

Good.

A low-cut, lightweight, non-heeled boot that doesn't pinch your toes (the kind Jordan would like if he wore the Nike symbol) is the Lems Boulder Mid: Lems Boulder Mid.

And for moving around the mountains and trails: Vivobarefoot Magna FG (Women's and Men's).

Same benefits for your feet, but with a lugged outsole for more grip and traction.

Your body's health starts with your feet.

Antonio Caballo.