There are few things that serve us more than to keep in constant, reliable contact with the ground. Whether it is taking on a physical challenge, settling in for a long days work, or even easing ourself for a moment or nights rest… we will need to partner with the ground beneath us.
And with that, there are few things more worth investing in for our comfort, health and well being than the things that connect us to the ground in our daily life.
Be it the chairs you sit on in your day…
The mattress you sleep on at night…
Or the shoes on your feet.
Now I am not going to talk to you in this article about the chair that you sit on, however you are more than welcome to both read and view my thoughts on it HERE and HERE.
And I am not going to share any insights about the mattress that you sleep on, but that said you are more than free to read and view my thoughts on that HERE and HERE.
What I am going to talk to you about, though, are the shoes on your feet… and most especially how any of us can easily go about making an effective judgement on what sort of shoe wear may be best for us, if any.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD SHOE?
Whether one likes it or not, the most accurate answer I can give is… it depends.
What it depends on is both the person using them, and what the shoes are going to be used for.
Truly, a good shoe is no different than a good pair of work gloves.
What this means is that they should fit well and allow you to do the work you are aiming to do more effectively and safely because of them.
Hence, it a depends entirely on the individual using them… and what they are looking to use them for.
That said, there are two very simple boxes to make sure any given shoe checks.
The first is that the shoe must be comfortable.
The second, is that when you are wearing them you should feel just as steady, or even steadier than you do without them.
BEYOND COMFORT AND STEADINESS, ARE THERE OTHER ASPECTS THAT ARE FOUND IN A GOOD SHOE?
Yes, there absolutely are.
You see, shoes can be very challenging to shop for because in our culture they are a commodity. With that, since the shoes on ones feet are so often linked with status by so many, we find shoes evolving and changing each year.
So, even if you do find a brand of shoes that works well for you, and meets the demands, there is little guarantee that next year’s model is going to be available or even anything like it was before.
Because of this, it is best to simply know the necessary ingredients to a good shoe, and from there pick from the options that remain.
These ingredients are…
- The shoe should have a firm heel counter. If it is a sandal, then it should have a firm heel strap.
- The shoe is relatively stiff through the midsole, and bends easily at the toes.
- The shoe is relatively flat (a .5cm to 1cm heel to toe is often acceptable, and at times useful).
The first component simply ensures the shoe is firmly attached to your foot… and with that you. Without this your foot will be sliding around in the shoe regardless of how tightly you lace them, and often your toes gripping to trying to make up for this.
The second component simply make sure the shoe is firm enough to be a reliable surface to move on, while letting your toes move freely for normal gait to occur.
The third component simply ensures that your feet are working from an anatomically normal and ideal position.
Now the above truly only takes about 15 seconds to check at most.
From here, if the shoes pass these three tests, you will do well to put them on and test out their comfort and usefulness as it relates to you and what you are looking to do with them.
ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT FLIP FLOPS ARE NOT IDEAL?
Yes, I absolutely am.
In fact, I would argue that if you regularly wear flip flops for any length of time beyond standing in a public shower, running a barbecue, or navigating a poolside… then flip flops are quite likely contributing to some level of physical aches and pains in your life.
Another way to put this would be… walking in flip flops for any length of time tends to mess you up.
This is because to keep them on you have to shuffle walk.
Literally, shuffling is the only way that you can walk and keep flip flops attached to your body. Since we are all in a constant state of adaption, for better or for worse things tend to add up over time.
If you would like a bit more insight on this, feel free to both read and view exactly that HERE and HERE.
WHAT ABOUT THE WHOLE IDEA THAT BAREFOOT IS BEST?
It is hard to argue with the fact that all of us are born without shoes, and with that we seemed to have evolved to function by and large just fine without them.
In fact, it is has been shown that having our barefoot very regularly on the ground is quite likely essential for our health. More on that HERE.
Because of this we can absolutely say that by and large barefoot is absolutely best… however ideally on natural surfaces, and with individuals that are able to effectively interact with those surfaces.
By natural I mean grass, sand, and forest floors.
By effectively interact, I mean smooth and steady.
WHAT ABOUT FORMALITY AND FASHION?
Yes, some folks may be in a situation where the roles they inhabit professionally require them to convey a certain sense of formality.
With that, and regardless of its merit, by and large in our culture the shoes on ones feet do impact the impression that one gives.
And while there is an increasing number of options available for comfortable shoes that appear a bit more formal than sneakers, by and large most formal shoes are not very comfortable or helpful when worn for any length of time. This is especially true of women’s shoes.
So, when it comes to the choices one makes around formal shoe wear, my best advice is to choose your mess… because it is always going to be messy in this lifetime anyway.
It is just a matter of what mess one wants.
However, when it comes to the pleadings of fashion… just remember that mullets, corsets and foot binding were all very fashionable at one place or time.
The point being… fashion is probably a thing that we are all best to generally rise above.
Now, if you would like to go a bit more in depth into what I touched on above, then I encourage you to watch the video below, where I go though just that.
If you have any questions about the above, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Regardless, I hope you find the above helpful, and I hope you are comfortable, able and well.