Since millennia ago, our cavemen ancestors already tried to protect their feet from jagged rocks and thorns. Earliest shoes were made from dried animal skin and tree barks. Unfortunately, modern people tend to do the opposite. Their stylish shoes actually hurt their feet and it is actually better for them to walk barefooted instead. Many people suffer from foot injuries due to improper shoes design that has poor ergonomic values. It should be noted that our feet are weaker than our ancestors, because we tend to walk on smooth tiles and thick carpet. In addition, we tend to choose various transportation vehicles instead of walking. It means that the skin on our feet is thinner and more vulnerable to injuries. The bones in our feet are also vulnerable to injuries due to the oddly shaped shoes. Our foot is a complex structure, consisted of 120 small muscles, 33 joints and 26 bones. Our feet are not only necessary to support our weight, they are also used to absorb shock and work as a lever to propel our body forward and backward at various speeds.
It is clear that our feet are already working hard enough without being restricted by poorly-designed shoes. Even when modern people tend to watch TV and sit in front of the computer, instead of hunting for food, they could take more than 5000 steps each day. The impact of each step could be quite hard, especially when we are running or using the stair. In total, our feet could need to absorb more than a few tons of impact each day. It’s true that shoes could protect us from terrible scrapes and cuts, but many progressive and chronic foot conditions are caused by improper shoes designs. The most common type of foot pain is known as ephemeral and it’s caused by excessive walking and standing. In this case, women are more likely to suffer from foot pain, because their decorative footwear is actually could be painful to wear for an extended period of time. Women themselves want to wear high heels, because they could look more stylish and taller. After a period of usages, high heels could cause bunions, corns and blisters.
So, it is a good idea for us to find a proper pair. There are many thousands of different shoes designs in the market and they have different ergonomic values. The situation is made even more complicated by the fact that people have different feet sizes and shapes. Regardless of what shoes we choose, we should prioritize on their main purpose, that’s to protect our feet from sharp, rough external objects. Our shoes should also be able to absorb impact when we are walking or running. In fact, elite athletes find that a proper pair of shoes could boost their performance, because they are comfortable to wear and absorb much of the shock. Bad shoes could be indicated by the fact that they press some parts of our feet and they force our feet to remain at a fixed, uncomfortable posture.
