I had a running related injury a couple years back, and as part of the attempted healing process.. and, with the unfortunate help of a few quack doctors, I have not walked barefoot in years to avoid pain and discomfort…. Oofos indoors, and generally Hokas when out and about. I am realizing now that walking barefoot for at least a portion of the day would be beneficial. Wanted to get some thoughts on this and/or resources if y'all had any.

My understanding more from a weight lifting perspective is that your feet are your foundation. Weak feet will often lead to other injuries (knee, hip, etc). Strong feet can be very beneficial. If your feet are constantly operating in an overly cushioned and contoured environment I don't see where they will be strengthened over time. I personally am barefoot as much as possible, or in shoes that are minimal support with wide toe boxes. Those are my thoughts, mostly formed from some folks whom I follow in the weight lifting scene anyway.

The feet are plenty strong whether they are in shoes or not. I think what being barefoot does is provide good sensory feedback to your environment that you don't get as much in shoes especially in a very cushioned running shoe. But i find heavy weight lifting one of the best ways to prepare the lower body for the forces encountered with running.

I should clarify that I have been solely in hokas with and without corrective orthotics, and oofos. My feet might be strong but my left foot arch is so weak it completely collapses when I walk.

I agree with this.

OP, I had the same questions and wondered the same things a couple of years ago. So I went ahead and bought a pair of Xero shoes. I figured I'd start off just wearing them around the house or on errands, then moved on to walks. I use them for lifting and running now. Now they're basically all I wear, whenever I have the choice.

I have also been lifting a lot in that same window, so it's hard to say if the improvements I see in balance and what not are the shoes or the weights (I'm sure it's both).

I would say, why not try a pair and start with a short window of time in your day and slowly increase the time? I don't see what harm can come from it, but I'm not a fancy doctor.

When I'm in the house I'm barefoot, even outdoors when it makes sense. I've worked out in zero-drop shoes for over a decade because they feel more stable to me. I started with New Balance Minimus back in the day and my current shoes are Inov8 barefoot shoes. I don't know if they do anything that prevents injuries but I do think there's value in having your fee with as little padding as possible from time to time. You might want to grab some zero-drop/barefoot shoes to try out.

Those are arch supports with no correction in the rearfoot or forefoot so they are just expensive custom arch supports.

A true custom orthotic makes account for rearfoot and forefoot correction if needed. People can strengthen their feet and still their arch wont correct. Thats why it is advised for some to get orthotics and work on the muscles of the arch but there a very valid reasons for someone to get orthotics.

I'm a proponent of barefoot activity. In 2009 I developed plantar fasciitis that was pretty bad, and didn't improve with new shoes, OTC orthotics, stretches, or foot strengthening exercises. Out of desperation I tried some Five Finger shoes, and 6 months of pain went away within 2 weeks.

I no longer run in 5fingers (mainly because my last pair started to fall apart and I need to find a store I can try them on in person), but I still do a lot of barefoot, or near barefoot activity. I lift in Xero shoes and spend a lot of time on my feet in them as well at work. Running is usually in a pair of somewhat cushioned cheap Saucony shoes, however I often end each run with at least 1/4 mile on the treadmill in only socks.

All that being said, your doctors may not have been quacks. For example, if you break a bone, you will need to splint/cast it to heal as using it constantly will result in malunion and a lot of pain. However, leaving the cast on too long will result in shielding the bone and muscle from stress, which will make it weaker over time. They key is the right balance. Your docs may have given you only half the solution to your problem (speaking without knowing what exactly was going on).

Can't say I've addressed the root cause so I do not know how much I actually need an orthotic.

bigtruckguy3500 said:

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All that being said, your doctors may not have been quacks. For example, if you break a bone, you will need to splint/cast it to heal as using it constantly will result in malunion and a lot of pain. However, leaving the cast on too long will result in shielding the bone and muscle from stress, which will make it weaker over time. They key is the right balance. Your docs may have given you only half the solution to your problem (speaking without knowing what exactly was going on).

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One doctor is poor, the second podiatrist I've tried is better but again I do not believe I am fully addressing the root causes. Hence the post here.

I'd be glad to help you figure that out. Where are you located? This kind of thing can be addressed via telehealth as well.