Why Do We Wear Shoes?

The original function of shoes is to protect the feet from harm and weather. We learned in the previous episodes that the bigger and broader your base, the stronger and more grounded your stance will be. If your toes are squashed together and not allowed to spread out as they are designed to do, to give maximum balance, then the weight of your body is being shifted backwards onto the heels alone. This means that when you are walking or standing you are prone to being very easily knocked over. It therefore stands to reason that the shoes we wear should not interfere in this endeavour. Not even for the sake of fashion. Don’t squash your feet into tight shoes or you will be more likely to lose your balance.

If you really want to know how bad shoes are for your feet and are looking for foot wear made for walking, then look no further. Most shoes are not made for walking but for fashion. Shoes can cause serious damage to adults' and children's feet. Having danced on pointe shoes as a professional ballet dancer for over two decades, it has taken me several years of intense research and practice to get my own damaged feet back to near-normal again. My findings are worth sharing with anyone who suffers from bunions, hammer toes, flat feet, or any other damage caused by shoes (or hereditary factors). I shall also try to clear up certain myths about shoe wear and explain why high heels are the worst shoes to wear with the reservation that it's quite OK to dress up once in a while.