When we’re born, we’re given a pair of feet that are remarkably complex and that have evolved to allow us to do things that distinguish us from our fellow apes. Their primary function is to facilitate bipedal walking, with their rigidity being a key distinguishing feature from other apes. I can’t remember what my feet looked like when I was a few months old, but I have seen others’ feet at a young age, and noticed that mine look different now. In fact, most of my friends’ and my family’s look different too! My toes are more jammed together, I’ve got some red lumps from where my shoes have been rubbing, and my arches look more collapsed. These are just some of the visual changes that have happened to my feet since I was born, most of them being a consequence of wearing ill-fitting shoes. But there are more changes than meet the eye that we should be aware of. I’d read Born to Run a few years ago and liked it a lot. However, just like anything, I wouldn’t say that I agreed with everything the book said. But it was clear to me that prom personal experience, my shoes were causing unnecessary pain and issues.

Sitting down to write this post, my plan was to write about why modern running shoes are so bad for us and our feet and why we should transition to running with as little ‘shoe’ as possible. But, in doing some digging, I’ve realised that things aren’t as black and white as this. While there are clear detriments to wearing ill-fitting footwear, many of the downstream issues they cause - to our bodies but also to workers’ and the planet - are a little more nuanced. What’s clear to me, however, is that there is consensus surrounding various important aspects related to shoes, so I’d like to touch on some of them here and then give my (unprofessional) opinion. If one thing’s true, it’s that most of us should start taking better care of our feet, taking more of a feet first approach to life. This is certainly the approach that I am going to take.

The modern shoe

I started my online search by trying to figure out the key features in modern shoes that are perhaps causing some issues. I’ve known for a while that the raised heels of most modern shoes, including running shoes, cause some changes to occur in our bodies, and it also seemed to make sense to me that a wider toe box is needed if we’re to allow our feet to function as they’re meant to. Notice my wording here - not to function for maximum performance in the modern sense, measured by metrics, but to function as they’re meant to. I’ve recently been struggling a little with the forefoot of my running shoes being too narrow, meaning that the outside of my feet, just before my toes start, are very sore after my runs. It’s started getting worse since I switched out my shoes after they stopped making the pair that I wore for a couple of years. For a while, I’ve shaken it off and accepted that it’s just part of running, but I’ve now decided that it doesn’t need to be like this. My toes don’t need to be crammed into a tapered toe box. They can, instead, be free to move as they’re designed to. Free of pain.

Tapered toe box

So this is the first design feature of modern shoes that I’d like to touch on - the tapered toe box. Just like a raised heel, the tapered toe box supposedly appeared sometime during the 17th century, although I suspect that a few people were wearing them earlier than this. At the time, like many strange expressions of status and wealth - grass lawns being one of them - pointed, tapered shoes were worn by the upper classes, with a high heel also falling into the same boat. Slowly, like many things, these shoes became more and more mainstream and, eventually, the vast majority of shoes followed the same blueprint. But there were still some ‘wider’ toe box shoes around, as they remained cheaper and easier to make than their counterparts. But, like most ‘trends’, the tapered toe box soon caught on, and more and more people were wearing this type of shoe.

Roll on a couple of centuries to the 1970s, and a similarly important step in the evolution of shoes happened. Running shoe companies started to mess around with different shoe shapes. Over the next couple of decades, these companies used the power of marketing to introduce new features, such as motion control, stability rods, and carbon plates to the market. Then, like anything that has multi-million pound backing, these shoes proliferated onto mass markets, and they’re now the norm. But, interestingly, running related injuries have remained the same, if not increased. Now, a few months ago, I would have thrown all my energy at convincing someone that we don’t need these shoes. Now I say that people can do what they want; wear whatever is comfortable for them. Instead, I’m now interested more generally in how we can take care of our feet. Not viewing things through the lens of performance, but instead through the lens of what is best for my body.

When it comes to the tapered toe box, there are a couple of key things that I’ve noticed happen to my feet over the years. Firstly, my big toes are no longer aligned with the metatarsals, as they should be. This, alongside my other toes being squished in, is a result of my shoes not allowing enough room for my toes to properly splay. This is also why I’ve got a few hot spots that have turned into lumps over the years from wearing tight fitting shoes. To me, this can’t be a good thing. I view it the same as bad posture. Nobody would choose to have bad posture, but our sedentary lives are causing our posture to become poorer. Therefore, to help with this, it would be wise to sit down less, perhaps standing to work instead (and wear minimal or no shoes as often as possible!). It’s the same with our feet. If my feet are starting to deform because of my shoes, then it makes sense to address this problem by wearing shoes that have a wider forefoot whenever I need to wear shoes. To me, this is an obvious thing that will improve my foot health.

Related to misalignment of the big toe, if we look at Liberman et. al’s Endurance Running Hypothesis, which is a series of conjectures which presume humans evolved anatomical and physiological adaptations to run long distances, we see that “shorter toes and an aligned big toe provide better push off”. It’s the first part of the kinetic chain that hits the ground, providing the foundation for any power to be generated in the posterior kinetic chain. Personally, I’d start questioning any ‘technology’ that alters this alignment of the big toe, considering that evolution is usually pretty good at dialling things in to be efficient.

Another, more subtle consequence of the tapered toe box is its effect on our stride - our running stride to be specific. When we run, our foot goes through a couple of phases once it makes contact with the ground. Or at least it should. It first undergoes supination, which is the reason why most people naturally land slightly on the outside of their foot when it first hits the ground. Then there’s pronation, where the foot and the arch turn in, and the inside of our foot (the ball) makes contact with the ground. This is an important step in the running stride that shoe companies risk undermining as they confuse us, deliberately or not, into thinking that pronation is a bad thing that should be counteracted. Finally, when we start the motion to lift our foot off the ground, the foot supinates again, rolling slightly from the ball of the foot to the outside edge again. However, modern shoes risk interfering with these important phases. In my view, the supination phases are the ones of most concern as, if our toes are crammed into the front of the shoe, they can’t function properly and the ‘surface area’, if you like, available to supinate (and splay) onto is reduced. From experience, when I’ve run in overly cushioned, narrow toe box shoes, I’ve noticed how my running stride changes. It’s a strange feeling, but a lot of cushion makes me feel like the feedback between my foot and the ground is not as good, and a tapered toe box makes me feel as if there’s less ‘foot’ making contact with the ground, which can only mean increased pressure through a smaller part of the foot, which then transmits up my leg, right?

You may be thinking, where did this idea of restricting pronation come from? This trend was started by Brooks in the late 1970s, when they introduced a Vagus wedge to control the inward rotation of the foot, making many believe that overpronation was the devil. But there was no - and still isn’t - scientific evidence nor backing to show that this technology was necessary nor helped at all. Even worse, just like the big corporations that steered the rise of refined carbohydrates did, in attempting to ‘validate’ and justify their outlandish products, running shoe companies began hiring and paying research institutions to produce results that aligned with their marketing campaigns. Picking and choosing the small grains of ‘evidence’ (there is none) to support their products. That way, they’d make more money, generating more unnecessary piles of shoes in the landfill.

I digress. This post is about our feet, not our pockets or the environment. Not that they’re more important! Despite mostly being observations from personal experience, there are two broad points that are universal to anyone wearing a shoe with a tapered toe box: misalignment of our big toes and restriction of pronation and/or supination.

Raising the heel

The next, most obvious feature of a lot of modern running shoes is what’s called a heel-toe drop. What this means is that the heel of the shoe is raised relative to the forefoot, meaning that the amount of cushion under the heel is greater than the forefoot, if you like. If you’ve ever put on a modern pair of running shoes after walking around the house without shoes for a bit, you will have likely noticed how the shoes make you feel as if you are almost leaning forward on your toes. That’s because of the raised heel. You may also have felt like I do when I wear these shoes - not so much that I am on my toes, but more so that my heel feels incredibly elevated and cushioned. I don’t like how these shoes make my body feel, especially when I’m running on trails. This is because, over time, if all that one wears are shoes with a heel-toe drop, then their Achilles will begin to shorten. There’s no doubt about that in my mind. This also means that the leg muscles that have evolved to help us run efficiently do not fully lengthen, which I suspect leads to much of the calf and knee pain that a lot of runners experience.

Now, if we look at the Endurance Running Hypothesis again, we read that the “achilles tendon springs conserve energy”, which is clearly advantageous for us when running as the less energy we expend, the more efficient and further we can run. Again, I am concerned that shortening of this vital tendon from excessive use of high-drop shoes undermines our biology. Yes, one could say that if we just remember to stretch properly after our runs to make sure that our achilles doesn’t shorten, then we’ll be fine. But why have a problem and a solution when the problem need not exist in the first place?

Another consequence of a heel-toe drop is that we may be more likely to run with more of a heel strike than we’d naturally do without any shoes. This essentially means that the function of our feet is underutilised, as we’re not demanding that the complex bones, muscles, and tendons of our feet help us to conserve energy and dissipate any stresses from making contact with the ground. Many believe that this is one of the reasons why so many runners suffer from shin splints or similar issues, as the impact forces are more likely to propagate straight up our lower leg. But, to play devil’s advocate, the Endurance Running Hypothesis mentions that a “broader heel bone will absorb more impact” when discussing our evolutionary advantages that make us good endurance runners. However, this doesn’t mean that we should be landing on our heel when running. Instead, I think this relates to a latter stage in the running gait, - where, following landing on our mid- to forefoot, our heel drops to make contact with the ground before lifting off again, or during walking, where most people strike heel first. During this phase, it makes sense to have a broader heel bone to absorb more impact, but I still think the foot is the key player when it comes to running; otherwise, why would we still have them?

Plush problems

The next thing I’d like to touch on is the excessive cushion found in a lot of modern running shoes. Some of the issues touched on above are related to simply having too much cushion under our feet, but there are other important things to mention, too. Firstly, in my view, too much cushion affects the usually stable base that my feet create and, instead, make me feel quite unstable when running off-road. The reason for this is obvious to me; it’s just a slightly dubbed-down version of constantly running on one of those balance pads. But, you might say that it’s fine as the shoe companies usually add some features to counteract any lost stability, like some support structures, or a higher ankle collar, or something of that sort. Again, why create a solution to a problem that needn’t exist?

If you’ve ever tried running on some gnarly trails with some mega cushioned shoes, then you’ll know exactly what I mean by feeling unstable. You have to be hyper aware of any protruding rocks or cambers, as a misplaced foot could cause some serious damage to your ankles. You certainly wouldn’t take some super shoes on any technical trails. I’ve found that the lower the stack, the more stable and comfortable I feel on the trails. The extreme of this is when I had a pair of Vibram Fivefingers for a little bit. I went on a few runs in the woods with them, and I was no longer concerned that I would roll my ankle, as there was no extra cushion making me feel unstable. I’m not saying that we should sack off all cushion - as the Fivefingers also required me to be cautious of other things like pointy rocks - but I do not think at all that we need as much cushion as these big companies are telling us. I reckon the less one can be comfortable running with, the better. For me, my sweet spot is around 10 mm of pretty firm cushion.

Talking about cushion, another, more sad consequence of running in high cushion shoes, is the decreased sensory feedback and experience we get when we are running. Firstly, sensory feedback is not simply there to give us pleasure or signal pain. It also helps to stabilise us and to strengthen our feet. Anyone who’s done some single leg yoga postures will understand this. By really grounding our feet and tuning into the feedback that they’re giving us, over time, we become far more stable than we’d otherwise be if this sensory feedback were absent. I also think that this helps signal to the brain any imbalances that are present in our posterior chain, allowing the body to begin ironing these out. But, by wearing very cushioned shoes, we essentially numb our senses to what’s beneath our feet. Not only is this a tremendous shame, as feeling things under our feet is incredibly enjoyable, but it also contributes to the weakening of the tiny muscles in our feet. This doesn’t simply stop there. The body is highly interconnected, so weak feet causes issues with balance and stability that transmit up our bodies, which can lead to poor overall posture.

A simple way I like to think about this is using the phrase ‘Use it or lose it’. It’s especially true when it comes to our feet. If we don’t use or ‘work’ our feet, then we’ll slowly begin losing the strength and mobility that’s so crucial for longevity in our running and life. We then risk falling into a cycle of buying more and more high stack shoes as our feet become weaker and weaker, and we think that this is the solution. However, this is simply not true. We’ve just messed up our feet so much since a young age that we think that this is our only option. But this is something that everyone seems to agree on, regardless of whether they’re proponents of high stack shoes: we need to give our feet regular attention if we want to keep them functioning as they are designed to. This means being barefoot as often as possible, massaging our feet, doing strength and stability exercises, walking barefoot on rough surfaces, etc. The list is long, but if we want healthy feet throughout our lives, we can’t simply pop them in some big cushions all day long and expect them to be strong and healthy!

The future shoe

I’ve now touched on the key aspects of modern running shoes, and how they could be affecting our running. To reiterate, these are: a tapered toe box, a heel-toe drop, excessive cushioning, and overly stiff and/or supported soles. In the words of renowned movement specialist, Jay Dicharry, what these features all have in common is they exist to try to “stop(ing) parts of your body from moving and force something to move in a different way”. What we also know is that there exists not a single shoe that has been proven to reduce the risk of injury. Yes, there are many N=1 studies, but anyone sensible knows that such studies aren’t conclusive. The companies behind these shoes are not going to tell us to go and get stronger, train smarter, and work on improving our running mechanics. Commodity markets simply don’t work like this. And running shoes, which are themselves a commodity, are no exception. Where things become interesting - and my reason for not jumping to tell everyone to sack off all of their shoes - is that there is also a lack of evidence to suggest that running shoes are the cause of our injuries (although not many studies have been performed - you can guess why). Instead, according to Reed Ferber, the founder of the Running Injury Clinic, injuries arise having done “too much, too fast, too soon”. So, we’re left in a conundrum. If shoes neither cause nor prevent injuries, then why not carry on with business as usual?

Here’s where it becomes interesting. Firstly, despite not directly causing injuries, I do believe that shoes often result in runners doing too much, too fast, too soon. Let me try to give an example. I’m a relatively new runner, who has run on and off for a few years, but never really committed to running consistently. I’ve tried, but I kept picking up injuries and little niggles, even after trying various different types of running shoes to try to avoid doing so. But I’m back. I’ve seen a new pair of super cushioned, ultralight, colour coordinated shoes online that promise to take my running to the next level. And they were on sale, so even better. I get the shoes and immediately feel (extrinsically) motivated to get out and run. I sign up for a race, find a generic plan, join the gym… The first week in and I’m running further than I ever have, going to the gym every day and doing two speed sessions a week. It’s all because of these shoes! They feel like clouds under my feet - so plush, making me feel like I am right on my toes. But, roll on week four and I am nestled up inside again as I’ve done too much, too fast, too soon. Not this cycle again!

This isn’t a true story, but I think a lot may resonate with it. I’ve certainly had a similar experience in the past. By having a new pair of shoes, we may temporarily be given a false sense of security about our running. However, if we do not address the root causes of our injuries - such as muscle imbalances, lack of mobility or flexibility, etc. - then we’ll always come back to square one. In an age where running often feels like a procession, we have to practice self-discipline in not getting carried away. Otherwise, we’ll simply get injured (unless we’re really lucky!).

So, what does this mean looking into the future? How can we shift the running shoe industry from one that’s sneaky and manipulative into one that serves the true needs of runners. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not naive to think that this is not some David vs Goliath problem, but I’d call myself an optimist most of the time. Dicharry believes that instead of trying to limit and control movement, the way forward is to completely scrap the current running shoe blueprint and start from the ground up again. A future shoe would be something that conforms to ones foot and adapts alongside it while it functions as it is designed too. This is a big ask, and one where I think individual personalisation would be best, but it’s not impossible. I can already think of the shoe company On Running, who are spraying uppers out of recycled plastic. Perhaps in a decade’s time, running shoes will be moulded to our feet, providing nothing but a little protection from objects underfoot.

However, the truth is that many runners use shoes as a salvation for running injuries. But the notion that running shoes help prevent injuries is simply false. Instead, many of the reasons why we pick up overuse injures as runners are because we simply don’t put the required work in to ensure that our bodies are functioning well. We think that we can bash out lots of miles in high-tech shoes and then sit on the couch all day binge-eating junk food without picking up any injuries, which is not true. Ferber points to the fact that most recreational runners’ aerobic development is so far away from those at the elite level, which I believe can lead to this false perception that normal runners can train like the elites with no repercussions. He also mentions the other elements that many gloss over, such as plyometrics, strength work, mobility, massage, etc., which most elites dedicate at least as much time to as their running. It’s these hidden aspects and hours of work that help the best of the best run well and sustainably, not the shoes that they are wearing.

Personally, I’ve told many people who are trying to get into running that the best thing they can do for the first couple of years of their training is to just run easy miles. There is so much gain to be made simply by building up volume slowly to create a strong aerobic base - not forgetting the other important aspects mentioned above too - to make sure that we keep the body healthy everyday. More often than not these days, we like to take shortcuts to our fantasised final destinations, but the truth is, being a tortoise is better than being a hare much of the time.

…the truth is, being a tortoise is better than being a hare much of the time.

Less is more, but take your time

Although the reality is that there’s more to running sustainably and well than the ‘running’ component, I still think that there’s a strong case that can be made for running in less of a shoe. Dicharry agrees, saying that “most runners can benefit from running in “less” shoe, especially models that don’t inhibit the natural motion of a foot.” By most, I take that he’s referring to anyone who doesn’t have serious foot or joint problems, which I think it’s safe to say is most of us. However, one should take time in transitioning from their current shoes to more minimal shoes. Trust me, I experienced pretty horrendous calf soreness after my first short run in my Fivefingers. But the time and effort required to do so is certainly worth it. By slowly reducing the heel-toe drop of our shoes and then reducing the stack height, I believe that we can start undoing the damage that we’ve caused from years of wearing silly shoes. The main bit of advice I can give is for you to go to a nice grass field, take off your shoes and socks, and do a couple of ‘sprints’. Notice how your body feels when doing this. How are your feet interacting with the ground? What are your arms doing? What is your cadence like? This is how you’re meant to naturally run. Don’t forget this while you go on this journey to reverse the (very expensive) damage that modern shoes and a more sedentary lifestyle have caused.

I’d like to finish with some great words from Jay Dicharry:

Don’t spend time opening your wallet; spend time opening your mind to making yourself a better athlete… There are multiple ways of improving as a runner and getting faster, and none of them require spending money on a piece of footwear. Make your body better and you’ll run better.

Let’s accept this truth and stop telling ourselves lies. Or, if you’re like me, take a look at your feet and be honest with yourself: do they look healthy and as they should? If not, then think about starting to put your feet first.