Orthopedic insoles for barefoot shoes – nonsense or a reasonable compromise?
Orthopedic insoles and barefoot shoes – it seems that these are opponents, each as a representative of the opposite current of opinion. To support, support the leg and absorb the impacts, or to give the leg freedom and wait for it to activate naturally? This is a question and an eternal dispute even among experts. Yet, like life, nothing is black and white, and you can’t show and say “this is wrong and this is good.” How about finding a compromise and taking the good from both?
Will barefoot shoes fix the foot automatically?
Barefoot shoes give the toes a generous space for their work, they also do not provide cushioning and drop (that is, the inclination of the sole), so the foot learns to walk more gently. However, for a civilized person accustomed to standard shoes with life-long imperfections of the foot, this may be too much. And then it cannot be expected that everyone’s leg will “fix” itself, activate and start working optimally.There are quite a few people who were attracted to “barefoot”, but they found out that it was not for them – that they hurt the transverse arch, heel or even after a day of walking headache.
But there is also no solution to give up and resort again to nicely cushioned shoes, with the support of the vaults and a soft pillow under the heel. Then the foot has no chance to learn something and start working better.
Functionally created orthopedic will help to work the foot better
So what if we combined it? We can take barefoot shoes and help the foot to better function with targeted support, so that it starts to work better with an orthopedic insole. For example, if you have a problem with a zero drop, we can glue the insert with a heel 4 mm high. Even such a drop is still quite minimalist, definitely smaller than in standard shoes, but again not zero. The leg gradually adapts to a smaller drop, less stomping and what a person can not yet cushion on his own, does the insert for him. The heel can be sanded or completely torn off over time. With an insole, if it has a good heel secure, we can also help keep the heel in the axis, and the foot will not tend to sink inward (into excessive pronation). It is the heel guidance that is essential for the condition of the longitudinal vault.For another example, you may have a problem with the transverse vault. It is held very ligamentously and little muscularly. Therefore, if it already falls once, it is a little more complicated with it. In order to start working at least partially again, she must be able to stretch and rest her fingers. However, if it is sunken and the fingers are properly hammered, then it is difficult for the fingers to start to engage on their own and there is rather a risk that the transverse arch will start to hurt you in the barefoot. And then again we can use the insert – but forget about the old familiar hearts, which support the transverse arch only passively and do not teach the foot anything. It is also possible to support the thumb and pinky side of the foot so that the thumb and little finger can lean back and start working in the step and bounce.
We perceive orthopedic insoles for barefoot shoes as a reasonable compromise and as a long-term sustainable way that leads to better work of the foot and may be necessary by switching to a complete barefoot style. Just a warning – the barefoot shoe must fit well in the heel, so the heel part of the shoe must not be too wide, and must have enough space in the front for the toes. And if you buy barefoot shoes and want to have insoles made into them, leave enough space for them in the shoe.
We have a lot of types of inserts – from the very thin ones, with little support, to the more subdued ones with more pronounced support. We further adjust the inserts very individually according to how the foot behaves in them and how it works in them. These corrections can be gradually changed as the work of the foot improves. More about making orthopedic insoles here.
Let your barefoot shoes, perhaps with our orthopedic insoles, be well worn!