Be careful with what your doctor recommends

Wide shoes do not always mean good shoes for your feet.

Remember this sentence because I’m going to explain something that makes the difference between good footwear and footwear that is simply wide.

I’m telling you this because this week a man of about 60 came into the shop with his wife, looking for wide shoes.

- "All the footwear we have here is wide in the toe area", I told him.

And I added:

- "And it also doesn’t push the big toe inwards".

The man lowered his head.

He stayed there looking at the shoe I was wearing, as if he needed a few seconds to take in what I had just said to him.

You could tell something didn’t quite add up for him.

Because he had been told wide shoes.

Nothing more.

Like someone saying eat fruit.

And that’s when I explained what few people explain.

A shoe can be wide in the toe area and still push the big toe inwards.

And when that happens, the foot starts to lose its key piece.

A piece for loading.

For pushing off.

For balance.

The big toe isn’t there so the nail looks nice in summer.

It’s there to work.

And when it stops being straight, it stops doing its job properly.

Then come the aches.

Then the compensations.

And finally, the injuries.

That’s why I’m telling you: be careful with what your doctor recommends.

Not because they have bad intentions.

Quite the opposite.

The recommendation comes from wanting to help you.

But if someone simply tells you “wear wide shoes” and adds nothing else, half the story is missing.

Because they also have to be flat.
With no drop.
Flexible.
With no strange reinforcements trying to control movement.
And with no toe box that twists the big toe.

And we call that footwear barefoot.

Others call it foot-friendly footwear.

Others, anatomical.

All those words can work.

But only if the explanation comes with them.

Because otherwise, each word becomes a pretty label stuck on any shoebox.

That’s why I always use barefoot.

Because it’s clearer.

Because it gets straight to the point.

Because it doesn’t stop at “wide” and that’s it.

And because once you understand this, you never look at a shoe in the same way again.

You bend it.
You twist it.
You check whether the sole has a heel or any height difference.
You even take out the insole.
Because sometimes the lift is hidden underneath.

And if it doesn’t meet all the criteria, you leave it on the shelf, even if Saint Blessed Podiatrist himself recommends it.

Right.

The footwear I’m ending with is recommended by a doctor, but he knows that barefoot footwear is much more than just wide footwear.

For everyday wear, for walking, for working or for spending many hours on your feet, take a look at this clog-style shoe.

- Women’s model

- Men’s model

And if you are a doctor, nurse, podiatrist, physio or personal trainer, take a calm look at them.

Because recommending “wide shoes” is fine.

But recommending footwear that lets the foot work is much better.

Efectiviwonder

Health starts with your feet.

Antonio Caballo.

P.S. The doctor who recommends them is Juanjo López, the doctor of our Carlitos Alcaraz.