In recent years, the choice of various types of shoes in addition to appearance styles has also paid more and more attention to foot health. Today we will talk about the function of our soles and how shoes should be selected to look good and comfortable.

The foot is in contact with the world-the secret hidden in the sole.

We are one of the few animals in the world that stand and walk on two feet. The sole that is in contact with the ground is obviously of great significance. The meaning may only drop drastically.

Maybe your soles are not as flexible as your palms but don’t underestimate them. When we stand still, the soles of the feet support and stabilize the whole body like a foundation, and give you first-hand information about the interaction with the ground; and When we walk and bounce, every step on the ground is like a shock absorber to give the body buffer and support, and every time we step forward, we must give propulsion power. It is not easy to complete these tasks. You can imagine How powerful the feet are.

Are the shoes protecting your feet, or are they harming them?

There are many different types of modern shoes, different appearances, different occasions, and different functions. How to choose has become a science. Everyone wants to dress beautifully and functionally, but now it seems that they only pay attention to appearance. That’s fine, but everyone must have seen many people’s shoes on the road that seem to be incompatible with the body. Needless to say, it’s just like damaging the owner’s feet, unable to take every step steadily, and the inner arch collapses more severely and shakes. Shaky high heels…

Wearing shoes on your feet is like putting on a glove on your hands. The feeling or movement of your feet will be affected. The difference is far beyond your imagination. Take a look at the first time a puppy wears shoes:

The main purpose of shoes should be to protect our feet from injury. How to prevent shoes from becoming an obstacle to our actions but to help, let us take a look at the skills of choosing shoes!
The principle of choosing shoes: the shoes our body needs.

Wide last: The last is the widest position in the front half of our shoes. The parts corresponding to the soles of your feet are the two sides of the roots of the big toe and little toe. If the last is too narrow (common in pointed shoes, high heels, etc.) That will limit the structural activities of the soles of the feet, and further produce hallux valgus, compression on both sides of the soles, and so on.

Basic soles: Did everyone like soft and thick soles when they picked shoes? I prefer to see products that advertise “buffer cushions” and “avoid plantar fasciitis”. It feels very comfortable to wear, but in fact, the insoles that are too soft and thick will replace your original soles, which have shock absorption and cushioning capacity and interfere with The power transmission of the lower limbs may feel very comfortable in a short time, but not only will the soles of the feet become weak for a long time, but the body is also more prone to injury or pain. The presence of the sole allows you to have a basic cushion when you come into contact with harder roads.

A structure that does not limit the range of motion: As mentioned above, the sole has many functions, of course, there is a large range of motion. When wearing shoes, be sure to move the ankles, soles, and toes. You should not feel that there are parts that are limited by the shoes. The structure will not affect the mobility of the feet.

Functional activity test: We can use a simple left and right center of gravity to see if our shoes restrict our bodies. The test method is to first stand barefoot and easily, then try to push the body’s center of gravity to the farthest to both sides without moving your feet, and then put on shoes and try again.

By comparing the difference between barefoot and wearing shoes, if the function of shifting the center of gravity to the side is much worse after wearing shoes, then maybe these shoes are not suitable for your feet!

But if your feet are uncomfortable, or you have been living a static daily life for many years, then a good pair of shoes may not be enough for your health. Then we can do some small exercises to help us His feet are coming alive again!

Reminder: If you have any pain in your body, you should seek help from a medical professional. The description in the article is not an antidote to your pain but is only for daily health care.1. Find the center of gravity and exercise stably.

Living on the earth, we humans are constantly interacting with gravity (gravity) to produce various actions to accomplish various purposes. For the only feet that are in contact with the ground, we find the center of gravity of the body (that is, you The relative position of your body and the earth) is the first condition for good activities.

So the first exercise is very simple. It is to feel the center of gravity distribution when the sole is on the ground and try to move the center of gravity to the front of the heel and the calf perpendicular to the ground, which is directly below the ankle, to let our body weigh Can fall straight to the ground.

After finding the center of gravity, take root and grow upwards like a big tree, step on your feet firmly, maintain the center of gravity position, and stretch your body upwards, imagining the feeling of growing taller.

2. Weight shifting exercise

After we return the body’s center of gravity to the neutral range, we can proceed to a more dynamic part, which is the shift of the center of gravity. As we move, our body’s center of gravity is constantly changing, which is a very important sensory feedback for the soles of the feet in contact with the ground, telling us where our brains are in this space and what level of the plane we are stepping on.

We can bring out the movements of the three planes of the body by swinging with both hands. Follow the movement with one foot and tap the floor to bring out the center of gravity of the other stable foot.

3. Dynamic integration of the soles of the feet

After we have learned how to shift the center of gravity and feel every inch of the soles of our feet, we can move on to dynamic movements! After all, the structure of our human body is designed to move and move. No matter how stable and powerful your feet are when you stick to the floor, you won’t move efficiently, just like you can’t perform martial arts without having to do it, and practice dynamic activities. It reintegrates and connects your active feet with your body, helping you move faster, easier, and more efficiently.

The training of dynamic activities, such as walking, running, jumping…Any activities related to the movement of the feet in this space are good training. It depends on your training purpose and training intensity. If you don’t have a special purpose, just think If you move, then this slow-motion exaggerated walking method is very suitable for you!

Through the complete walking process: heel touching the ground → midfoot support → tiptoe advancement, to re-feel the feeling of “walking”, then you can slowly increase the intensity, increase speed, increase light jumps, and match a pair of suitable, Without over-protection shoes, you can regain the inherent strength of the soles of the feet, and health is not far away from you!