Let's take a survey... how many of you have been told you have 'flat feet' and need to wear orthotics or "supportive" shoes? In my experience, 99% of the patients I see who have been told this do NOT have bad feet at all, but just low arches that need the things we discussed in this video. I'm interested to hear your experience.
I'm flat footed and use orthotics when wearing footwear with minimal to zero cushioning for example vans hi and lo tops otherwise they just will not fit properly. I have also been told that my flat feet were the cause of my knee pains due to underdeveloped leg muscles. This is am amazing video which I wish had existed 30-40 years ago, I love your content
I've always been told that my feet are flat and that I need orthotics. Over time, however, I have developed a small arch in my foot, but if I get myself in a pair of shoes that are wide, I know my feet would improve drastically!
@@Mathilda2zero I reckon your skepticism is a safe approach but based upon the quality of information from Squat University to date I'm going to trust this will yield desirable results.
My case, but I inquired about it and both professionals (podologist and orthopedics) told me that it's not possible to build foot archew with exercise or any other way...
@@SquatUniversity😊 I did this with a loop band above ankles for squatting, SL RDL’s, Bulgarian Split squats, walking along a battle rope - all barefoot!
@@kodostricks7983 I wear ASICS wide foot running shoes for daily. However, barefoot at home and at the gym for all S&C. I use loop bands around mid or lower shin to enhance medial arch with opening hips. All the best buddy!
@@kodostricks7983 I wear my barefoot shoes more often than normal sneakers and boots (90/10). Fortunately for me, they happen to be the best footwear option in my new line of work. Before that, I’ve put countless hours & miles in steel toe boots and military boots. The current barefoot shoe market has a wide range of styles that are appropriate for casual activities, the outdoors, even date night. Hope this helps.
I was told by a orthopedic that I have flat feet, and that's why my feet would hurt after hiking. After 10 years, another orthopedic diagnosed a heel spur, I was in serious pain at that point. My knees also hurt. I had painful treatments and more and more orthopedic stuff were sold to me. And the suggestion I should lose weight. So I went on a diet, lost 15 kilos, and the problems got worse. I was at year 5 of pain. Then I met my a strength training coach, in opposite of the various doctors, she saw what I needed: strength training. After 6 weeks of backsquats, deadlifts etc. EVERY Problem and pain was gone! She also introduced me to your Instagram channel btw. Great coach in Munich, Germany: Lea Peters, she works at Gold's
i've come to believe strength training is what everybody needs but that's an inconvenient truth to most. Even a little bit of motivation and consistency goes such a long way towards bettering your quality of life
@@WadaMalone i don't think it's inconvenient. My experience is that most people think about cardio when they hear gym, training, or fitness. And cardio is just not for everyone.
@@henryjones6957 i dont think cardio should be separated from strength training when talking about gym or training? i understand you can isolate parts to concentrate but its natural and logical and symmetrical and balanced when cardio involves strength and strenght involves cardio? just the natural order of things...... but thats just me and how i view things.... what im trying to say is i dont think you should force your body into doing unatural things or to overcompensate etc.... only if you know what youre doing though i might add
@@antwango the best case scenario is both, yes. But if a coach tells a heavily obese person to go for a run every morning, they just lost a client. Let them use the potential of carrying heavy things around, instead of forcing them to do cardio (at this point)
I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis by an incompetent PT 5 weeks ago and said I needed custom orthotic insoles. She quickly made a referral to the Chiro who was going to charge me 500 bucks s a pair. Through your videos and some online research I found out my toes are misaligned and my glutes weak. I've been working on strengthening my feet and glutes, as well as wearing correct toes. Gonna look into getting some wide toe box shoes. Thanks Doc!
My plantar fasciitis started healing after barefoot shoes, working on mobility, and getting regular adjustments (ankle and heel) at the chiro. My plantar fasciitis was caused by the sole of my shoe ripping off in a jumping lunge.
I had PF too, working on calf mobility helped me a lot. It was funny because I saw a sports med doc about it and he started off by saying that he also had it. The standard protocols for fixing PF don't really work and I'm surprised we aren't adjusting our approach. Everyone focuses on the plantar fascia and nothing else and want thick hokas with mega arch support and that really doesn't do anything but mask symptoms.
@@blobpoop457 It turns out other Physios I consulted were also wrong about the diagnosis. I'm dealing with posterior tibialis tendonopathy, which can be mistaken for plantar fasciitis. I've been working with a new Physio for a few weeks now, doing somewhat different exercises and getting shockwave therapy. I'm slowly improving!
My feet have collapsed arches, so severe that my family was considering surgery at some point. However after visits to multiple Ortho surgeons they decided to take another approach. I remember I was forced to walk on the tips of my toes when at home. Sometimes for hours every day. I considered it torture at the time, but years later my arch muscles have strengthened so much I can function perfectly even with the worst flat foot imaginable. I can't thank them enough.
You are talented! Thank you for finding the root cause of things rather than treating symptoms. If only the entire medics community would take your approach!
As well as barefoot shoes, I got fabulous results from also wearing toe spreaders all day as I was walking and exercising. I tried them before but was only wearing them passively to very little result. Making sure I was wearing them while active made a huge difference!
I'm glad to hear! That's why I love correct toes so much - the idea is to wear them WHILE you're up and moving and doing so helps align the foot and strengthen it actively!
What was your experience in the beginning? Did you have any pain after 3 hours of wearing toe spacers? Did you gradually increase the time of wearing them, or did you just wear them 24/0 from the beginning, through pain?
@@detelina9365 the only thing I got pain wise, was that one of the curves under one of the spacers stuck out a tiny bit too much and would push into the pad of the ball of my foot and cause a tiny bit of discomfort so I just rounded that off a little with a toenail clippers. Also you just have to wear shoes with enough space in them to accommodate wearing the spacers at the same time so you're not forcing your toes against the inside of a narrow shoe! The other thing you can do is just wear the toe spacers with socks around the house if you don't have barefoot shoes just yet. I'm working from home a lot so I put them on in the morning and build up a lot of hours over the course of a day!
@@SquatUniversity I didn't want to mention a brand specifically but got Correct toes as my second pair, they've worked so quickly that they've been worth every penny. You're totally right about the shoe fit though, they're far more solid than the previous type I tried so if you're wearing shoes that are too narrow, they're definitely going to force your toes up against the wall of the shoes which might be uncomfortable. Thanks for all of the other squat suggestions, I'll definitely add those in! I've also got to start adding in some side to side foot movements too. My default from years of not wearing good shoes is my ankle is slightly to the inside of my foot so I want to work to reset that standard rolled in position if you have any suggestions! A physio suggested to stand on an edge with my foot half on / off and practice rolling on / off the edge to build up the muscles which should pull my ankle a bit more into alignment? Thanks again for the awesome channel!
Arch height is massively tied to the ability of the calcaneus to properly invert and the tibia/femur to externally rotate. If you have flat feet, stand up and rotate your trunk left or right; whichever way your rotate, you will see that same side foot invert, supinate, and increase arch height and the opposite happen on the opposing side
I am 48 and work outside. This channel has been crucial. My primary care physician seems only to take blood samples. I went to a clinic, and the person looked up stretches on a laptop-useless. The direction in hipwork alone from this channel was a gamechanger and I can actually run again. Sure, it's on a treadmill, but my range of motion and decreased pain - you're doing the Lord's work, my friend. I wish I had a million dollars to give you.
Made the full switch to zero-drop wide-toe-box minimalist shoes just over 3 months ago. Have 2 pairs and I do everything these, every day, from training to walking to running to hiking to rucking. And in 3 months, my feet and my ankles have become much stronger and much more resilient. And having had flat feet for most of my life (I'm in my mid 40s) due to wearing padded and narrow-toe-box shoes, I'm finally starting to get my arch back. Totally rad! Keep on rockin'! 🤘
@@m.taylor I have a couple pairs of Vibrams, a pair of Xero, and a couple pairs of Whitin (which are low cost barefoot shoes found on Amazon that are a great bang for the buck, in my opinion).
I was wearing orthotics for 5 years and still having pain after long walks. I found online by myself about barefoot and started wearing them. All problems gone since then
Quick tip, when walking or standing you should try pressing your toes into the ground just a bit harder. A lot of people with these problems are hypermobile, a connective tissue disorder that loosens the joints. Their joints don’t support as much as they should and they fall into eachother. For most people their toes are pretty rigid. Mine are really flexible so I wasn’t pushing them into the ground because for most people it’s automatic. When this happened, my arches also lifted up. My knee pain evaporated not even kidding 😭😭 The residuals are the only thing left. I feel like I have more upper body strength too. For some reason I could never be explosive with my movements. Now, I can and it feels great like why wasn’t this taught to me 😭😭😭
This is soooo true! I am hyper mobile but as a 67 year old woman this was an unheard of notion in my younger years. I was told to wear orthotics for decades by podiatrists and all it did was tip my foot over because I didn’t have the strong tendons to hold my foot flat - two knee replacements later I have finally thrown away the orthotics and I am working on building strength in my arch. I only have one foot which over pronates with the big toe ‘popping up’ and making wearing covered hard leather shoes painful but I am making progress and my ‘bad’ foot is starting to look and perform like my ‘good’ foot, Better late than never!
I have flat feet but was told 20 years ago to wear shoes that fit wide and length,I also wear a supportive insole . I was a rock climber for years and those shoes are brutal , i wore an 9 when i am normally an 11 ouch. I love your channel lots of great info , thank you.
I also have flat feet who boulder and lead climb. What type of climbing shoes do you recommend? I really like evolv, because the shoes are slightly wider.
@@stevem220 I read an article that if someone weighs over 150 lbs . they should use stiffer shoes. This helped with flat feet i think, I liked Scarpa instinct all the versions of these over the years . I would use them then resole with 5.10 , then they would work ! I have a second toe that is longer so had some fit issues as well.,
I kind of have flat feet too, but really it looks like the ankles are super flexible and role inward. And I think this is why I have pain while running. I would love to be able to run without pain!
Start lifting weights and don't skip legs day. Squats, Romanian deadlifts and calves raises. Actually I suggest doing weighted calves raises daily as the calves are responding to frequent, heavy simulation. They are used daily as we walk and became overtrained. You need to shock them. There is nothing a proper legs day cannot cure
Your videos really helped me transition into barefoot shoes.. I wear them barefoot shoes everywhere nowadays. I had one question to ask, how does duck feet happen? Thanks for reading!
I’m not a doctor but I have flat feet, and I was told I wanted to walk so badly when I was a baby, and my parents held my hands and I kinda forced walked, my mother told me she regrets it because after that my feet got flat. Also I have very bad balance and my doc said it might be correlated to the fact I got “help” while learning walking as well.
I have flat feet and changing to barefoot shoes has been profoundly beneficial to my health, I no longer feel joint pains that I got from wearing insoles. And I also can lift much heavier.
If I were to start wearing barefoot shoes can I just go right ahead and wear them all the time or should I gradually increase the time I wear them until it becomes comfortable??
I have a flat foot! I used to squat in super tight heel elevated lifting shoes. But now I dont, my foot was literally trapped in that shoe. Ever since I squatted bare foot with the intention of squatting with a tripod feet - heel, little and big toe over the past 6 months, I've noticed that I can create an arch in my foot as I squat. Im always consciously thinking of all my toes grabbing onto the floor. HOnestly I've also found a significant difference in my squats and less pain in my knees. Barefoot but also connecting mind to your toes. think of it grabbing onto the floor just like your fingers grabbing onto things. I hope this comment helps others.
@@caleb7882 it’s definitely one of those lingering issues that doesn’t resolve itself on it’s own. From what I’ve been able to see online it seems like orthotics/ shoes with padding are recommended to be the “solution”. I’d rather not go that route since I’ve only got it on my left foot/ankle. Right foot feels fine in minimalist footwear and whenever I do try to wear conventional shoes now a days I immediately notice my toes getting squeezed together and a lack of proprioception. I think my issue might stem from over pronation on the left foot possibly caused by a hip dysfunction. Currently working with a physiotherapist but might have to drive out to see SquatU in person lol.
Doc, it will be so helpful talking of barefoot shoes for training/everyday wear if you didn’t yet. Also talking pros and cons. For example I’m wearing them from almost 3 years but when I jump or skip the rope or run, at the end of my workout I feel pain in my metatarsal.. I have not an appropriate run technique for sure.. any advice on how to solve this problem?
This is the first time i’ve ever said it, but I can’t wait til leg day. My lifting shoes have a narrow toe box and every time I did squats, i was limping on my left ankle for a week. Thanks for the tip
I wear heavy duty flip flops everywhere I go due to the convenience and I feel like they help immensely with toe grip strength. I can walk about 6 miles in them fairly easily and I'm kind of curious if they would help other people as well.
I've had pair of xero's for a month after wearing stable cross trainers for years with orthotics. I immediately started gaining strenght back in my foot. game changer
It took me about 3 to 4 months each to fix both feet. I went from walking on my arch to actually using heel, outside of foot and ball and toes of sole correctly without caving the arch in. What helped me was wide zero drop shoes/ barefoot shoes and walking with weights using correct foot planting.
@@14moti Its basically making sure when you step with one foot that you shift the weight to the outside of your foot away from your arch so it lifts off the ground. The hard part is making sure your Heels, outside of foot and ball and toes are all still on the ground when doing so. Before i fixed it i was only able to use my heel and outside of foot. My big toe and above my arch wasnt really on the ground like they should have been.
@@Weda_Bretajune Ah gotcha, I have tried this randomly-- it isn't easy but I'll work on it along with the tips from this video. I really appreciate the explanation though-- thank you :)
I have flat feet, you've just explained so much my life in this short video I can do 30 bodyweight squats in a row, I just do them as regular exercise, I'll focus more on those squats now thank you so much for this
If you could "fix" my feet you'd win an award. I'm serious. I'm descended out of Africa and like many Africans, my feet look like I'm designed to not sink in sand. The foot store place was impressed with the way my foot spread on the print. I've got a point to my big toe too. My toes do not align. I've dealt with it by using orthotics. Edited to add: I sit in the "Asian squat" anyway because it's less strain on my back. Interesting...
Thank you posting posting this video! I’ve had flat feet my entire life, including some implications. How often should you do the given exercises? Start with once per week and build up from there, or can you do these exercises every day?
Can you do one on high arches in the future? I have some of the worst curvature on feet you'll ever see - I've tried for 20+ years to fix it with zero success
Here in the canaries 🇮🇨🇪🇸 doctors said that we have to go to the beach and do several walkings on the sand of the beach for a healthy feet. And the logic is to getting stronger, because the sand and the rocks that you get into the walk.
I never noticed it, but when I started going to the gym, my big brother gave me his old Nike free and they are perfect. They are running shoes but pretty flat and as wide as barefoot shoes.
Thank you so much for this video! I feel hopeful after watching this. I have flat feet and some related flat feet issues such as knee pain, anterior pelvic tilt and toe numbness. I will definitely try out the suggest squat exercise to strengthen my foot arch!
Thank you. I'm forty seven, and I'm not able to wear shoes because of flat feet, which I was told recently, and also because of widely placed fingers. It's been 6 years since I wore any kind of shoe. Now, I know what to do. Also I developed pain in the foot because of wearing the wrong shoes.
Anybody with naturally flat feet: squat and deadlift barefoot. Start out with a trainer who can show you the proper foot form. You'll be amazed how quickly your ankles strengthen.
It’s curious and funny how that third movement (toe+squat) I’ve been doing it every morning and night for a while now, since it really feels good for me. I have flat foot and unconsciously I’ve been doing what you just said. I rather be bare foot whenever I can, i always do squats as you said. It’s just that we need to listen to our bodies and understand that not every product, shoe, gym posture, is for everyone. Thanks for tue video (and I’ll be looking for those shoes for sure)
Not having an medial arch will then lead to the collapse or the other 2 arches . Which will throw proper alignment of the body off being the feet are the main foundation of the body gravity will place force causing shearing on joints/ligaments/tendons/fascia all causing eventual pain with time .
I am experiencing that now. I have extra weight, hyper mobile knees with osteo. My legs/feet/hips/knees are very painful & calfs cramp. Hard to stand for any length of time. Cane no longer supportive enough. Rollator helps.
My daughter is having that now she just turned 21 I had bunion surgery and it was not the best however she is a severe pronator complains of pain all on inner side of foot that continues down the inner side and to the botttom of foot to end aroun the front top back of arch area. She has numbness in her rt foot now and I’m trying to find the best shoe for her but I need the shoe to cover a wide toe box for her bunion, flat feet and the motion control for the severe probation problem she does have scoliosis that doesn’t help in her upper spine as well
Like 13-14 years ago in high school I got really bad lower back/hip/knee pain, basically the whole posterior chain. I was told by my chiropractor to use orthotics as I had flat feet. It definitely helped somewhat but I'd still get knee pain. Fast forward to 2023 I made the switch to only wearing barefoot shoes for everything (mostly went with vivo shoes, but birchbury has great barefoot dress shoes) I have arches now and my feet are stronger than ever. I have no knee pain, or posterior chain pain. I've learned to walk and run correctly as well and my calves grew immensely. I always had small calves even tho I'm 6'4" 265lb (need to lose probably 20 pounds of fat). My entire life wearing cushioned shoes caused me to overstride and basically never activate my foot muscles or my calves fully to walk or run. I'm so much more athletic and strong in my leg lifts now from making the switch (and stretching) Makes me upset I didn't know this as it would've made me better at football, basketball and track in high school
Very good explanation doctor Aaron. I very like your job. I like use with my clients this exercises and stimulus in longus peroneal and tibialis as well for stabilization feet.
Omg you are incredible and doing the Lord’s work! This would have saved me from injury if I had this information years ago. I used to squat in converses with all the weight on my heels & none on the big toe 🤦🏿♀️ I’ve been dealing with knee pain for 2 years now because of it. I just assumed squatting wasn’t for me and I’d never be able to do it again. This gives me so much hope!
This looks smart and helpfull .. I have a flatt foot . And it takes an effort to run, squat, deadlifts, and long distance walking I have to develope a technique for everything . Definitely will try the heel raise and the shoes
I have very flat feet and a year ago tore my ACL I think due to the knee dropping inwards and then rotating. I'm working hard now on strong feet as well as quads, and remembering to push my knees out while squatting
This is very awesome and informative. However, what is very good pertaining to children who are flat foot who run track & field and what shoes/sneakers are best.
i don’t have actually a flat feet but it kinda disfunktional. just realising that i have propper muscles and can activate it instantly changed kinda all of my body. it’s just new life starting thanks to your information. now im shure i will be strong and pain free soon
I have flat feet and people said I couldn't sprint. But this was after I had finished competing in athletics and football (soccer). I was already one of the fastest sprinters and these people said I can't sprint. 😂
I’ve recently bought the Tyr weightlifting shoes and I have to say that I’ve never experienced a better shoe. What kind of shoes would you recommend for someone with flat feet who walks a lot during the day?
I have flexible, flat feet due to miss alignment of my subtly joint which causes overpronation which caused posterior tibial tendinitis that was insidious and nature. I had to wear an AFO and go through physiotherapy and I’m now wearing extremely uncomfortable orthotics that burn the bottom of my feet. But it’s a double edge sword and I wear these orthotics, so I don’t strain my posterior tibial tendons to the point of injury because if they rupture, then we all know what happens after that! However, I don’t wear my custom orthotics all the time and give my feet a break because I can’t handle wearing them.
Pronation on left foot , after a long period given insert from mould of my feet, in the beginning helped but now does not and hear so many confusing different ideas , yours sound more genuine
My flat feet improved as I reduced anterior pelvic tilt.... im sure it linked with weak glutes and hamstrings. See what happens to femur, knees and arches when pelvis tilts under with strong glute activation.
My physiotherapist has told me to wear stability shoes such as the asics kayano 30, which prevent me from over pronation & has prescribed me to put insoles in my gym shoes along with that i have been also told to do certain exercises on daily basis for getting higher arches. What do you think, is it viable?
There aren’t a lot of good shoe options for sports and activities. So even if we were to wear barefoot shoes daily do you have any recommendations for sport cleats/shoes, and should we put orthotics in those?
When I was young I could have followed what you are saying, but I have developed hallux rigidus over the years. I don't think I could wear that barefoot shoe because the sole looks too flexible. Any flex of my big toe in walking or running or lunging is murder since that toe has no cartilage. I can't stand up on my toes unless I do it on the outside of my foot so there is no pressure on my toe. At this point it is hard to find any shoe that works and allows me to walk for hours or run. I've tried all the Hokas.
I’ve recently re injured a foot fracture I had a few months back and wanna go correctly with physically therapy this go around. Do you have tips on how I can work on my strength in my feet?
Excellent video! This could be useful for my immediate future, as I'm about to start playing football (soccer). Although I'm in an amateur category, it's an activity I'll be engaging in consistently with training sessions and matches throughout the week and weekly. So, I wanted to ask you a quick question: What can I do to adapt the functionality of my flat foot to the efforts and activities involved in football? I have this doubt because you mentioned that "practitioners nowadays are more concerned about the functionality of the feet," so I would greatly appreciate it if you could help me with this. Thanks once again! Note: It's known that football boots inherently have a design with a narrow toe box, so there isn't much I can do on that front. Do you recommend using orthopedic insoles with football boots?
I wish there was a decent skate shoe that has some of these shoe specs with some impact protection… There is nothing out there. Btw, this channel is awesome 👍
I love the idea of a barefoot shoe. But, as I age, I find myself wanting more cushion in the heel area - for less fatigue and discomfort in my heal, foot, ankle, and even lower back. Is that something I would adjust to, or is it just normal aging? (I'm age 46).
Hello from Ukraine, I’m training in the gym. I have cramps and spasms in the abdominal area during abdominal training, but at rest it’s as if the abdominal area is under tension and discomfort in the oblique muscles. What could be the reason, what can cause this and how to get rid of it, what exercises do you recommend (you can make a video on this problem) Thank you.
I used to wear arch supports in my shoes on/off based on recommendation of PTs and chiropractor years ago. Then I started wearing shoes with large toe box some considered barefoot shoes and toe spacers like Correct Toes the last few years especially during exercise, walking/hiking. All the while my bunions continue to worsen and now have some pain. My heels have always hurt if I stood in the same place for a while for many years and now have plantar fascitis. I don't know if wearing barefoot shoes and with overpronation (no orthotics) have caused the plantar fascitis. I was exercising with hiking, cardio boxing, Zumba, and yoga and plenty of squats but recently have added more weightlifting to my routine to combat muscle loss, but am re-thinking some of the weightlifting due to plantar fascitis. Now I have added arch supports back into my shoes which do help with the plantar fascitis pain. Thoughts?
Let's take a survey... how many of you have been told you have 'flat feet' and need to wear orthotics or "supportive" shoes? In my experience, 99% of the patients I see who have been told this do NOT have bad feet at all, but just low arches that need the things we discussed in this video. I'm interested to hear your experience.
I'm flat footed and use orthotics when wearing footwear with minimal to zero cushioning for example vans hi and lo tops otherwise they just will not fit properly. I have also been told that my flat feet were the cause of my knee pains due to underdeveloped leg muscles.
This is am amazing video which I wish had existed 30-40 years ago, I love your content
I've always been told that my feet are flat and that I need orthotics. Over time, however, I have developed a small arch in my foot, but if I get myself in a pair of shoes that are wide, I know my feet would improve drastically!
@@Mathilda2zero I reckon your skepticism is a safe approach but based upon the quality of information from Squat University to date I'm going to trust this will yield desirable results.
My case, but I inquired about it and both professionals (podologist and orthopedics) told me that it's not possible to build foot archew with exercise or any other way...
Yes.
Started wearing custom orthotics at 14.
A podiatrist told me my knee pain from jogging was due to flat feet.
I had flat feet - trained for a year barefoot… I now have a neutral arch in both feet!
That's awesome to hear.
@@SquatUniversity😊 I did this with a loop band above ankles for squatting, SL RDL’s, Bulgarian Split squats, walking along a battle rope - all barefoot!
@@sidrens1047hey man sorry to bother but I was just wandering do you wear bearfoot shoes or normal ones for day to day activities, thanks in advance.
@@kodostricks7983 I wear ASICS wide foot running shoes for daily. However, barefoot at home and at the gym for all S&C. I use loop bands around mid or lower shin to enhance medial arch with opening hips. All the best buddy!
@@kodostricks7983 I wear my barefoot shoes more often than normal sneakers and boots (90/10). Fortunately for me, they happen to be the best footwear option in my new line of work. Before that, I’ve put countless hours & miles in steel toe boots and military boots. The current barefoot shoe market has a wide range of styles that are appropriate for casual activities, the outdoors, even date night. Hope this helps.
I was told by a orthopedic that I have flat feet, and that's why my feet would hurt after hiking.
After 10 years, another orthopedic diagnosed a heel spur, I was in serious pain at that point. My knees also hurt. I had painful treatments and more and more orthopedic stuff were sold to me. And the suggestion I should lose weight. So I went on a diet, lost 15 kilos, and the problems got worse. I was at year 5 of pain.
Then I met my a strength training coach, in opposite of the various doctors, she saw what I needed: strength training. After 6 weeks of backsquats, deadlifts etc. EVERY Problem and pain was gone! She also introduced me to your Instagram channel btw. Great coach in Munich, Germany: Lea Peters, she works at Gold's
I’m so glad to hear you’re doing better! Thanks for sharing your story!
i've come to believe strength training is what everybody needs but that's an inconvenient truth to most. Even a little bit of motivation and consistency goes such a long way towards bettering your quality of life
@@WadaMalone i don't think it's inconvenient. My experience is that most people think about cardio when they hear gym, training, or fitness. And cardio is just not for everyone.
@@henryjones6957 i dont think cardio should be separated from strength training when talking about gym or training? i understand you can isolate parts to concentrate but its natural and logical and symmetrical and balanced when cardio involves strength and strenght involves cardio? just the natural order of things...... but thats just me and how i view things.... what im trying to say is i dont think you should force your body into doing unatural things or to overcompensate etc.... only if you know what youre doing though i might add
@@antwango the best case scenario is both, yes. But if a coach tells a heavily obese person to go for a run every morning, they just lost a client. Let them use the potential of carrying heavy things around, instead of forcing them to do cardio (at this point)
I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis by an incompetent PT 5 weeks ago and said I needed custom orthotic insoles. She quickly made a referral to the Chiro who was going to charge me 500 bucks s a pair. Through your videos and some online research I found out my toes are misaligned and my glutes weak. I've been working on strengthening my feet and glutes, as well as wearing correct toes. Gonna look into getting some wide toe box shoes. Thanks Doc!
My plantar fasciitis started healing after barefoot shoes, working on mobility, and getting regular adjustments (ankle and heel) at the chiro. My plantar fasciitis was caused by the sole of my shoe ripping off in a jumping lunge.
I had PF too, working on calf mobility helped me a lot. It was funny because I saw a sports med doc about it and he started off by saying that he also had it. The standard protocols for fixing PF don't really work and I'm surprised we aren't adjusting our approach. Everyone focuses on the plantar fascia and nothing else and want thick hokas with mega arch support and that really doesn't do anything but mask symptoms.
@@squirrel3443any shoe names that you can share
@DCRivs Hey how are you feet doing now after exercise ?
@@blobpoop457 It turns out other Physios I consulted were also wrong about the diagnosis. I'm dealing with posterior tibialis tendonopathy, which can be mistaken for plantar fasciitis. I've been working with a new Physio for a few weeks now, doing somewhat different exercises and getting shockwave therapy. I'm slowly improving!
My feet have collapsed arches, so severe that my family was considering surgery at some point. However after visits to multiple Ortho surgeons they decided to take another approach. I remember I was forced to walk on the tips of my toes when at home. Sometimes for hours every day. I considered it torture at the time, but years later my arch muscles have strengthened so much I can function perfectly even with the worst flat foot imaginable. I can't thank them enough.
Do you now have arches?
question what does walking on the tips of your toes do to help with flat feet ?
Thank you for sharing your experience, im glad you're doing better now
Do you have arches now? I’m desperately looking for answers 😔
Walking like that probably caused other problems, walking with the forefoot is not good... @@reneekumar
The quads on this guy!
The everything! He's an athlete, it's obvious.
Tippy toe high is wild
You are talented! Thank you for finding the root cause of things rather than treating symptoms. If only the entire medics community would take your approach!
Been doing barefoot for 4 years now and just picked up my DropZero from Tyr. Love them.
Thank you so much for making the 3D models. It makes the visualization so helpful and helps understanding
As well as barefoot shoes, I got fabulous results from also wearing toe spreaders all day as I was walking and exercising. I tried them before but was only wearing them passively to very little result. Making sure I was wearing them while active made a huge difference!
I'm glad to hear! That's why I love correct toes so much - the idea is to wear them WHILE you're up and moving and doing so helps align the foot and strengthen it actively!
What was your experience in the beginning? Did you have any pain after 3 hours of wearing toe spacers?
Did you gradually increase the time of wearing them, or did you just wear them 24/0 from the beginning, through pain?
@@detelina9365 the only thing I got pain wise, was that one of the curves under one of the spacers stuck out a tiny bit too much and would push into the pad of the ball of my foot and cause a tiny bit of discomfort so I just rounded that off a little with a toenail clippers. Also you just have to wear shoes with enough space in them to accommodate wearing the spacers at the same time so you're not forcing your toes against the inside of a narrow shoe! The other thing you can do is just wear the toe spacers with socks around the house if you don't have barefoot shoes just yet. I'm working from home a lot so I put them on in the morning and build up a lot of hours over the course of a day!
@@SquatUniversity I didn't want to mention a brand specifically but got Correct toes as my second pair, they've worked so quickly that they've been worth every penny. You're totally right about the shoe fit though, they're far more solid than the previous type I tried so if you're wearing shoes that are too narrow, they're definitely going to force your toes up against the wall of the shoes which might be uncomfortable. Thanks for all of the other squat suggestions, I'll definitely add those in! I've also got to start adding in some side to side foot movements too. My default from years of not wearing good shoes is my ankle is slightly to the inside of my foot so I want to work to reset that standard rolled in position if you have any suggestions! A physio suggested to stand on an edge with my foot half on / off and practice rolling on / off the edge to build up the muscles which should pull my ankle a bit more into alignment?
Thanks again for the awesome channel!
@SquatUniversity thanks to your suggestion, i purchased them... wore them so much, i need to get a new set! Thanks!
Arch height is massively tied to the ability of the calcaneus to properly invert and the tibia/femur to externally rotate. If you have flat feet, stand up and rotate your trunk left or right; whichever way your rotate, you will see that same side foot invert, supinate, and increase arch height and the opposite happen on the opposing side
I am 48 and work outside. This channel has been crucial. My primary care physician seems only to take blood samples. I went to a clinic, and the person looked up stretches on a laptop-useless. The direction in hipwork alone from this channel was a gamechanger and I can actually run again. Sure, it's on a treadmill, but my range of motion and decreased pain - you're doing the Lord's work, my friend. I wish I had a million dollars to give you.
Made the full switch to zero-drop wide-toe-box minimalist shoes just over 3 months ago. Have 2 pairs and I do everything these, every day, from training to walking to running to hiking to rucking. And in 3 months, my feet and my ankles have become much stronger and much more resilient. And having had flat feet for most of my life (I'm in my mid 40s) due to wearing padded and narrow-toe-box shoes, I'm finally starting to get my arch back. Totally rad!
Keep on rockin'! 🤘
Which brand of minimalist shoe are you using?
@@m.taylor I have a couple pairs of Vibrams, a pair of Xero, and a couple pairs of Whitin (which are low cost barefoot shoes found on Amazon that are a great bang for the buck, in my opinion).
@@harryv6752 I just ordered mine today! I started doing squats and rebounding both barefoot.
What shoes you rock for rucks? Thinking of investing in a pair for work (do rucks with work)
I was wearing orthotics for 5 years and still having pain after long walks. I found online by myself about barefoot and started wearing them. All problems gone since then
Awesome to see the collaboration. Both of you are high calibre
Quick tip, when walking or standing you should try pressing your toes into the ground just a bit harder.
A lot of people with these problems are hypermobile, a connective tissue disorder that loosens the joints. Their joints don’t support as much as they should and they fall into eachother. For most people their toes are pretty rigid. Mine are really flexible so I wasn’t pushing them into the ground because for most people it’s automatic. When this happened, my arches also lifted up. My knee pain evaporated not even kidding 😭😭 The residuals are the only thing left. I feel like I have more upper body strength too. For some reason I could never be explosive with my movements. Now, I can and it feels great like why wasn’t this taught to me 😭😭😭
Heyy im hypermobile. Can you maybe explain this more? I have a lot of ankle problems. How should I stand properly?😊
This is soooo true! I am hyper mobile but as a 67 year old woman this was an unheard of notion in my younger years. I was told to wear orthotics for decades by podiatrists and all it did was tip my foot over because I didn’t have the strong tendons to hold my foot flat - two knee replacements later I have finally thrown away the orthotics and I am working on building strength in my arch. I only have one foot which over pronates with the big toe ‘popping up’ and making wearing covered hard leather shoes painful but I am making progress and my ‘bad’ foot is starting to look and perform like my ‘good’ foot, Better late than never!
I have flat feet but was told 20 years ago to wear shoes that fit wide and length,I also wear a supportive insole . I was a rock climber for years and those shoes are brutal , i wore an 9 when i am normally an 11 ouch. I love your channel lots of great info , thank you.
Yeah, my long boney toes and climbing shoes don't go together! 😂
I also have flat feet who boulder and lead climb. What type of climbing shoes do you recommend? I really like evolv, because the shoes are slightly wider.
@@stevem220 I read an article that if someone weighs over 150 lbs . they should use stiffer shoes. This helped with flat feet i think, I liked Scarpa instinct all the versions of these over the years . I would use them then resole with 5.10 , then they would work ! I have a second toe that is longer so had some fit issues as well.,
@@stevem220for me ocun ozone HV works great, this is a special variant for wide feet. Never had evolvs on my foot tho
I kind of have flat feet too, but really it looks like the ankles are super flexible and role inward. And I think this is why I have pain while running. I would love to be able to run without pain!
Start lifting weights and don't skip legs day. Squats, Romanian deadlifts and calves raises. Actually I suggest doing weighted calves raises daily as the calves are responding to frequent, heavy simulation. They are used daily as we walk and became overtrained. You need to shock them.
There is nothing a proper legs day cannot cure
So nice to finally hear someone talk about the Functional Flat Foot. Thank you 👏🏾
Your videos really helped me transition into barefoot shoes.. I wear them barefoot shoes everywhere nowadays.
I had one question to ask, how does duck feet happen? Thanks for reading!
I’m not a doctor but I have flat feet, and I was told I wanted to walk so badly when I was a baby, and my parents held my hands and I kinda forced walked, my mother told me she regrets it because after that my feet got flat. Also I have very bad balance and my doc said it might be correlated to the fact I got “help” while learning walking as well.
I have flat feet and changing to barefoot shoes has been profoundly beneficial to my health, I no longer feel joint pains that I got from wearing insoles. And I also can lift much heavier.
If I were to start wearing barefoot shoes can I just go right ahead and wear them all the time or should I gradually increase the time I wear them until it becomes comfortable??
This guy has been my inspiration for many years.
Amen. I switched to Xero shoes and Altra shoes long ago. Game changer.
WOW! I've never heard this before.
Healthy feet ,here I come
I love the blow by blow info. I'm so glad I found you.
I have a flat foot! I used to squat in super tight heel elevated lifting shoes. But now I dont, my foot was literally trapped in that shoe.
Ever since I squatted bare foot with the intention of squatting with a tripod feet - heel, little and big toe over the past 6 months, I've noticed that I can create an arch in my foot as I squat. Im always consciously thinking of all my toes grabbing onto the floor. HOnestly I've also found a significant difference in my squats and less pain in my knees.
Barefoot but also connecting mind to your toes. think of it grabbing onto the floor just like your fingers grabbing onto things.
I hope this comment helps others.
Thanks ellla ,i was doing the same
I’d appreciate a vid on post tib tendinitis. I’m seeing conflicting views on barefoot minimalist footwear when it comes to treating that.
I'll see what I can put together on that topic.
@@SquatUniversity thank you 🙏🏼
I second this! It’s been keeping me from running and there’s a lack of quality information on treatment out there. Squat U needs to tackle this one!
@@caleb7882 it’s definitely one of those lingering issues that doesn’t resolve itself on it’s own. From what I’ve been able to see online it seems like orthotics/ shoes with padding are recommended to be the “solution”. I’d rather not go that route since I’ve only got it on my left foot/ankle. Right foot feels fine in minimalist footwear and whenever I do try to wear conventional shoes now a days I immediately notice my toes getting squeezed together and a lack of proprioception. I think my issue might stem from over pronation on the left foot possibly caused by a hip dysfunction. Currently working with a physiotherapist but might have to drive out to see SquatU in person lol.
Great topic!
Doc, it will be so helpful talking of barefoot shoes for training/everyday wear if you didn’t yet. Also talking pros and cons. For example I’m wearing them from almost 3 years but when I jump or skip the rope or run, at the end of my workout I feel pain in my metatarsal.. I have not an appropriate run technique for sure.. any advice on how to solve this problem?
This is the first time i’ve ever said it, but I can’t wait til leg day. My lifting shoes have a narrow toe box and every time I did squats, i was limping on my left ankle for a week. Thanks for the tip
Holy cow this video was incredibly helpful. Very well explained. Subbed.
I wear heavy duty flip flops everywhere I go due to the convenience and I feel like they help immensely with toe grip strength. I can walk about 6 miles in them fairly easily and I'm kind of curious if they would help other people as well.
I've had pair of xero's for a month after wearing stable cross trainers for years with orthotics. I immediately started gaining strenght back in my foot. game changer
Ballet bar exercises will definitely improve your feet forever.
It took me about 3 to 4 months each to fix both feet. I went from walking on my arch to actually using heel, outside of foot and ball and toes of sole correctly without caving the arch in.
What helped me was wide zero drop shoes/ barefoot shoes and walking with weights using correct foot planting.
Could you explain a bit more on correct foot planting? Thanks :)
@@14moti Its basically making sure when you step with one foot that you shift the weight to the outside of your foot away from your arch so it lifts off the ground.
The hard part is making sure your Heels, outside of foot and ball and toes are all still on the ground when doing so.
Before i fixed it i was only able to use my heel and outside of foot. My big toe and above my arch wasnt really on the ground like they should have been.
An even easier explanation is looking at a footprint 👣 everything is on the ground except for the arch
@@Weda_Bretajune Ah gotcha, I have tried this randomly-- it isn't easy but I'll work on it along with the tips from this video. I really appreciate the explanation though-- thank you :)
I started wearing wide shoes and it makes a huge difference
I've got really hollow feet. Which cause many kind of problems.
I'll be happy to know how to "fix" it 😊
I have flat feet, you've just explained so much my life in this short video
I can do 30 bodyweight squats in a row, I just do them as regular exercise, I'll focus more on those squats now
thank you so much for this
If you could "fix" my feet you'd win an award. I'm serious. I'm descended out of Africa and like many Africans, my feet look like I'm designed to not sink in sand. The foot store place was impressed with the way my foot spread on the print. I've got a point to my big toe too. My toes do not align. I've dealt with it by using orthotics.
Edited to add: I sit in the "Asian squat" anyway because it's less strain on my back. Interesting...
Thank you posting posting this video! I’ve had flat feet my entire life, including some implications. How often should you do the given exercises? Start with once per week and build up from there, or can you do these exercises every day?
I'd say every other day, give your body a day of rest to build new muscle between exercises.
Can you do one on high arches in the future? I have some of the worst curvature on feet you'll ever see - I've tried for 20+ years to fix it with zero success
Good question, I think that is an overlooked problem (much more than flat feet).
Here in the canaries 🇮🇨🇪🇸 doctors said that we have to go to the beach and do several walkings on the sand of the beach for a healthy feet. And the logic is to getting stronger, because the sand and the rocks that you get into the walk.
I never noticed it, but when I started going to the gym, my big brother gave me his old Nike free and they are perfect. They are running shoes but pretty flat and as wide as barefoot shoes.
Thank you so much for this video! I feel hopeful after watching this. I have flat feet and some related flat feet issues such as knee pain, anterior pelvic tilt and toe numbness. I will definitely try out the suggest squat exercise to strengthen my foot arch!
Can you also please adress some videos on neck pain and causes? Like McGill big 3 but for the neck?
I’ll see what I can out together
Sometimes if your feet are flat but have a small arch it’s ok because runners and athletes train flexibility and perform great with low arches
This guy is awesome, thanks a lot I was just doing that for 20 so wild I’ll in corporate the squat 🤘🏻
I had flat foot and now have a neutral arch on my feet just by watching this video
Love you man for giving me this knowledge 🙏🏻how can I show gratitude towards you dear.
3:00 crazy that he designed these shoes and also cut them up so we can understand this video
Thank you. I'm forty seven, and I'm not able to wear shoes because of flat feet, which I was told recently, and also because of widely placed fingers. It's been 6 years since I wore any kind of shoe. Now, I know what to do. Also I developed pain in the foot because of wearing the wrong shoes.
Anybody with naturally flat feet: squat and deadlift barefoot. Start out with a trainer who can show you the proper foot form. You'll be amazed how quickly your ankles strengthen.
This is easily solved on narrow shoes by going up 0.5 to 1 size. Most people use too small sizes anyways.
Really useful content. I have learned so much watching your videos!
Yo Dre, your kettlebell videos are dope!
My son needs this info and definitely these shoes! Thanks for sharing!
I got all the information i needed on flat feet from this one video of yours.
It’s curious and funny how that third movement (toe+squat) I’ve been doing it every morning and night for a while now, since it really feels good for me. I have flat foot and unconsciously I’ve been doing what you just said. I rather be bare foot whenever I can, i always do squats as you said. It’s just that we need to listen to our bodies and understand that not every product, shoe, gym posture, is for everyone.
Thanks for tue video (and I’ll be looking for those shoes for sure)
Switched to Treks Airo barefoot shoes and feet have never felt better, my arches came back and feet are wider and look proper.
VERY NICE VIDEO!HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Happy new year! Thanks for watching!
Not having an medial arch will then lead to the collapse or the other 2 arches . Which will throw proper alignment of the body off being the feet are the main foundation of the body gravity will place force causing shearing on joints/ligaments/tendons/fascia all causing eventual pain with time .
I am experiencing that now. I have extra weight, hyper mobile knees with osteo. My legs/feet/hips/knees are very painful & calfs cramp. Hard to stand for any length of time. Cane no longer supportive enough. Rollator helps.
My daughter is having that now she just turned 21 I had bunion surgery and it was not the best however she is a severe pronator complains of pain all on inner side of foot that continues down the inner side and to the botttom of foot to end aroun the front top back of arch area. She has numbness in her rt foot now and I’m trying to find the best shoe for her but I need the shoe to cover a wide toe box for her bunion, flat feet and the motion control for the severe probation problem she does have scoliosis that doesn’t help in her upper spine as well
Like 13-14 years ago in high school I got really bad lower back/hip/knee pain, basically the whole posterior chain.
I was told by my chiropractor to use orthotics as I had flat feet.
It definitely helped somewhat but I'd still get knee pain.
Fast forward to 2023 I made the switch to only wearing barefoot shoes for everything (mostly went with vivo shoes, but birchbury has great barefoot dress shoes)
I have arches now and my feet are stronger than ever. I have no knee pain, or posterior chain pain. I've learned to walk and run correctly as well and my calves grew immensely. I always had small calves even tho I'm 6'4" 265lb (need to lose probably 20 pounds of fat).
My entire life wearing cushioned shoes caused me to overstride and basically never activate my foot muscles or my calves fully to walk or run. I'm so much more athletic and strong in my leg lifts now from making the switch (and stretching)
Makes me upset I didn't know this as it would've made me better at football, basketball and track in high school
And the ongoing battle of finding a workboot that don't destroy feet for people who work in the trades continues... sigh
Very good explanation doctor Aaron. I very like your job. I like use with my clients this exercises and stimulus in longus peroneal and tibialis as well for stabilization feet.
Omg you are incredible and doing the Lord’s work! This would have saved me from injury if I had this information years ago.
I used to squat in converses with all the weight on my heels & none on the big toe 🤦🏿♀️ I’ve been dealing with knee pain for 2 years now because of it. I just assumed squatting wasn’t for me and I’d never be able to do it again.
This gives me so much hope!
I've been telling my students this for years. But still the podiatrists win out and sell them something.
This looks smart and helpfull .. I have a flatt foot . And it takes an effort to run, squat, deadlifts, and long distance walking
I have to develope a technique for everything . Definitely will try the heel raise and the shoes
I have very flat feet and a year ago tore my ACL I think due to the knee dropping inwards and then rotating. I'm working hard now on strong feet as well as quads, and remembering to push my knees out while squatting
You’re doing good work, great information!!
Could you do a video on over arched feet
Sure - thanks for the suggestion
This is very awesome and informative. However, what is very good pertaining to children who are flat foot who run track & field and what shoes/sneakers are best.
Great lesson. Thank you.
i don’t have actually a flat feet but it kinda disfunktional. just realising that i have propper muscles and can activate it instantly changed kinda all of my body. it’s just new life starting thanks to your information. now im shure i will be strong and pain free soon
His quads are amazing
Great video. If you can’t get wide box shoes would it be better to squat barefoot in the gym as an alternative ?
U can squat barefoot in your gym? Lucky you...😢
Good presentation 👍👍
Informative video ♥
I have flat feet and people said I couldn't sprint. But this was after I had finished competing in athletics and football (soccer). I was already one of the fastest sprinters and these people said I can't sprint. 😂
I’ve recently bought the Tyr weightlifting shoes and I have to say that I’ve never experienced a better shoe.
What kind of shoes would you recommend for someone with flat feet who walks a lot during the day?
I have flexible, flat feet due to miss alignment of my subtly joint which causes overpronation which caused posterior tibial tendinitis that was insidious and nature. I had to wear an AFO and go through physiotherapy and I’m now wearing extremely uncomfortable orthotics that burn the bottom of my feet. But it’s a double edge sword and I wear these orthotics, so I don’t strain my posterior tibial tendons to the point of injury because if they rupture, then we all know what happens after that! However, I don’t wear my custom orthotics all the time and give my feet a break because I can’t handle wearing them.
Shin tattoos. Respect bro.
Pronation on left foot , after a long period given insert from mould of my feet, in the beginning helped but now does not and hear so many confusing different ideas , yours sound more genuine
Thanks for the explanation doctor ❤🙏👍
I trained barefoot or with Fivefingers shoes and both work well.
My flat feet improved as I reduced anterior pelvic tilt.... im sure it linked with weak glutes and hamstrings. See what happens to femur, knees and arches when pelvis tilts under with strong glute activation.
My physiotherapist has told me to wear stability shoes such as the asics kayano 30, which prevent me from over pronation & has prescribed me to put insoles in my gym shoes along with that i have been also told to do certain exercises on daily basis for getting higher arches. What do you think, is it viable?
Waiting on a response to this question as my feet over pronate. Please answer this question ⁉️
I have pes cavus, the pain that it provokes is huge so i rather have flat feet
There aren’t a lot of good shoe options for sports and activities. So even if we were to wear barefoot shoes daily do you have any recommendations for sport cleats/shoes, and should we put orthotics in those?
I knew I had these finger toes for a reason. Beast.
When I was young I could have followed what you are saying, but I have developed hallux rigidus over the years. I don't think I could wear that barefoot shoe because the sole looks too flexible. Any flex of my big toe in walking or running or lunging is murder since that toe has no cartilage. I can't stand up on my toes unless I do it on the outside of my foot so there is no pressure on my toe. At this point it is hard to find any shoe that works and allows me to walk for hours or run. I've tried all the Hokas.
This was so helpful!
I have flat feet and the arch cramps all the time. I’m very active and fit.
I’ve recently re injured a foot fracture I had a few months back and wanna go correctly with physically therapy this go around. Do you have tips on how I can work on my strength in my feet?
Excellent video! This could be useful for my immediate future, as I'm about to start playing football (soccer). Although I'm in an amateur category, it's an activity I'll be engaging in consistently with training sessions and matches throughout the week and weekly.
So, I wanted to ask you a quick question: What can I do to adapt the functionality of my flat foot to the efforts and activities involved in football?
I have this doubt because you mentioned that "practitioners nowadays are more concerned about the functionality of the feet," so I would greatly appreciate it if you could help me with this. Thanks once again!
Note: It's known that football boots inherently have a design with a narrow toe box, so there isn't much I can do on that front. Do you recommend using orthopedic insoles with football boots?
I wish there was a decent skate shoe that has some of these shoe specs with some impact protection…
There is nothing out there.
Btw, this channel is awesome 👍
this help my son a LOT☺
I love the idea of a barefoot shoe. But, as I age, I find myself wanting more cushion in the heel area - for less fatigue and discomfort in my heal, foot, ankle, and even lower back. Is that something I would adjust to, or is it just normal aging? (I'm age 46).
Usually that is a sign the feet are becoming weaker and would benefit from more strength/stability work.
@@SquatUniversity thanks. And thanks for the great videos. And my husband says Rebuilding Millo is great too. We just found you last week :)
You will adjust and not look back!
Could you make a video to should wear for flat feet shoes
Hello from Ukraine, I’m training in the gym. I have cramps and spasms in the abdominal area during abdominal training, but at rest it’s as if the abdominal area is under tension and discomfort in the oblique muscles. What could be the reason, what can cause this and how to get rid of it, what exercises do you recommend (you can make a video on this problem) Thank you.
Thanks for this!!
I used to wear arch supports in my shoes on/off based on recommendation of PTs and chiropractor years ago. Then I started wearing shoes with large toe box some considered barefoot shoes and toe spacers like Correct Toes the last few years especially during exercise, walking/hiking. All the while my bunions continue to worsen and now have some pain. My heels have always hurt if I stood in the same place for a while for many years and now have plantar fascitis. I don't know if wearing barefoot shoes and with overpronation (no orthotics) have caused the plantar fascitis. I was exercising with hiking, cardio boxing, Zumba, and yoga and plenty of squats but recently have added more weightlifting to my routine to combat muscle loss, but am re-thinking some of the weightlifting due to plantar fascitis. Now I have added arch supports back into my shoes which do help with the plantar fascitis pain. Thoughts?
Recommend a wide toe box sneaker, water proof, under $100 just for walking around doing errands/going to work?
I had a surgery to correct flat feet and it fucked my ankle mobility, is there a way to fix it?