The least sexy thing you can do isn't gain weight: it's walk…

Have you ever noticed how you wear out your shoes?

Because there’s a type of wear that appears little by little. So slowly that you don’t even notice it.

Until it’s too late and your shoe is more tilted than the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

It always happens in the same place: the inner edge of the heel.

And if it happens to a friend and you point it out, the answer will be something like:

“I always wear my shoes like this.”

The thing is, nobody gives it importance.

Nobody asks why.

And that’s exactly where the problem begins.

You see.

When your shoe collapses inward, it’s not the shoe. It’s you.

And when this happens, your foot loses strength every single day.

Not tomorrow.

Today.

And your big toe, which should be the captain of the team, stops being in charge.

This toe is the one that activates the muscles that slow down excessive inward rotation.

The one that stabilises.

The one that pushes.

So what happens when you put that captain inside a conventional shoe?

The captain goes crooked.

And even if it’s just a little, your structure starts to fail. You don’t need a textbook bunion. A slight deviation is enough for the foot to lose strength and become clumsy.

And where does that come from?

From years of stuffing your feet into shoes that twist them every day.

Narrow toe boxes, lasts that force the toe to point inward, soles that numb everything.

Very nice on the outside. Sometimes very expensive. But inside, a complete mess.

So what happens then?

That since your body is smart, it compensates and holds on. Until it can’t anymore.

First with a bit of discomfort when you get out of bed in the morning.

Then with that sharp pain in the heel that appears out of nowhere.

And suddenly someone says the cursed word: plantar fasciitis.

Then, when you ask, nobody gives you an answer and you think that the damn fasciitis came out of nowhere.

It doesn’t come out of nowhere.

It comes from years of weak feet in narrow, stiff shoes trying to hold up your body.

I see it every week in the shop. It always starts the same way.

Alright.

If you’re wondering what to do, you have two options:

Keep going the same way and end up with insoles, physios and anti-inflammatories.

Or you can change the root of the problem.

For the second option, choose a barefoot shoe you like, wear them as much as you can and let your feet do the rest.

And if you feel you’re not moving forward, move on to the next level.

Go barefoot at home and whenever you can outdoors, and spend a few minutes a day exercising your feet.

Just by doing that, you’ll be doing more for your feet than 95% of people with problems.

If you don’t know where to start, Groundies is a solid starting point.

For women, take a look at these boots Groundies Camden that keep you comfortable and stylish, while your friends complain that everything hurts.

For men, these elegant Groundies Milano are perfect for work, going out, and even a classy dinner party.

Efectiviwonder

Health starts at your feet.

Antonio Caballo.