Your overall health and quality of life are primarily dependent on the condition of your feet. I know elders who choose not to participate in family activities because it’s too difficult to get around. They may even be forced to move into single-level homes or assisted living centers because they can no longer climb stairs or they lack stability from tight, immobile feet affected by bunions, neuromas, and hammer toes. They may depend on walkers, wheelchairs, or scooters because of pain and/or fear of falling. Walking is the fundamental natural movement that supports every central system and cell in the body, keeping us alive and thriving. The arterial, venous, lymphatic, digestive, hormonal, and nervous systems all benefit from walking. So, yeah, healthy feet are pretty important!
Here are just a few examples of how walking contributes to our well-being:
Lymphatic system: Lymph depends on muscles to “milk” the lymph up against gravity to the lymphatic drainage areas. Walking is the best form of lymphatic drainage. A restriction in lymphatic flow allows pathological debris to accumulate, leading to acidity, pain, swelling, and inflammation.
Pelvic floor health: When you walk in alignment, you naturally “work” the pelvic floor with every step you take.
Bone density: Walking in alignment allows you to load your bones with the appropriate amount of squish to maintain optimal bone density. Walking in alignment is the ultimate weight-bearing exercise.
Reproductive Health: Walking and other movements cause the uterus to move with you passively. “This promotes the natural and healthy mobility of the uterus. Simple inactivity, even without a structural problem, can reduce mobility and thereby predispose parts of the uterus to inflammation or other disorders.”- Dr. Jean-Pierre Barral, D.O.
Mental health– Has anyone ever gone for a walk and felt worse afterward? Walking clears the mind, improves circulation, and brings you into the present moment. Don’t miss out on all that life offers because you didn’t take care of your feet! Think of foot care as a way to ensure your independence and vitality later in life.
Well, what does all of this have to do with socks? It’s well known that tapered shoes smoosh your toes together and negatively affect foot health and gait pattern, but have you thought about how traditional socks affect the foot? I’ve been wearing regular old socks for years, even after I transitioned to minimalist shoes with a wide toebox. I didn’t consider the impact socks have on my toes because I figured socks wouldn’t compress my toes as shoes do. But, they do in fact squeeze my little piggies into a tiny holding pen. Sure, I can actively force my toes to spread while wearing socks, but I don’t want to walk around all day actively spreading my toes against the resistance of socks.
In the diagram below, I’ve outlined my foot, both with and without a sock, to demonstrate the difference in toe spread.
I’ve recently become addicted to toeless socks that set my toes free. Below, I’ve demonstrated the difference in toes spread while wearing traditional socks, toeless socks, and Correct Toes™. Don’t get me wrong, I think barefoot is best, but sometimes feet get a little stinky in shoes without socks. I’m also not a fan of walking on the cold tile without socks.
This demonstrates how much my toes are compressed by socks!
Demonstrating the difference in toe spread between traditional socks, toe-socks, and Correct Toes™
The nice thing about toeless socks is that the Correct Toes™ fit nicely with them. And I can feel the air circulate my toes when I wear the toeless toe socks with my Lems Primal 2 minimalist shoes.
Toeless Socks with and without Correct Toes™
You can also get toe socks that fully cover each toe if you are worried about your toes getting cold.
Set your little piggies free! Here are some of the toe socks I own and like:
Do my feet look less like gorilla feet in the strappy ones? These were actually a pretty good deal.
Recommended book (Amazon link):
Whole Body Barefoot: Transitioning Well to Minimal Footwear