How to Walk Properly-Barefoot with Todd Martin MD
Channel: Todd Martin MD
Date: 08/08/2020

This video reviews the practice of barefoot walking. I will touch on some research about the nature of barefoot, or minimally clad, walking, how it differs from walking in shoes, and whether there are benefits from it. 


Visit my website: https://www.movementsphere.com/todd-martin-md



Walking in modern footwear is often blamed for people developing pain. I will discuss how that could be true in some senses but not true in other senses. Either way, there is significant evidence that people walk differently in shoes than they do barefoot or in minimalist footwear. I will breakdown all of the details in this video. I will not go into exhaustive detail on the mechanics since I spend a lot of time on mechanics in my other videos. 

Problems with Shoes
1. Padded Heels: The problem with padded heels is not that they cause people to walk incorrectly, but they allow people to walk incorrectly. Many people pitch forward when walking, pushing from the hip, and causing the heel to hit very hard. The problem is not just with the hard impact on the heel. A problem that may be even more important is that this type of gait, when enabled by padded heels, also causes the weight to shift to the insides of the feet, stressing the arches, and also causing excessive stress on the inside of the ankles and knees. When walking barefoot, it is very easy to feel the excessive impact on the heels with every step. Therefore it would be unlikely to develop the leaning forward style of walking while walking barefoot. 

However, I advise caution on recommending people with foot problems try to fix them by switching to barefoot walking. If the abnormal walking pattern is deeply ingrained, it may be difficult to correct even with the increased pain of the impact on the heel. This could make the problem worse, at least temporarily. Walking barefoot also removes the artificial arch support present in shoes. This additional arch support is one of the first treatments for problems like plantar fasciitis. We must recognize the arch support as a type of necessary crutch, required to correct the misalignment, at least giving time for people to correct the way they walk. Eventually, the arch support may not be needed, but if their is pain present, the arch support is almost certainly necessary. 

2. Flip Flops: Flip flops cause problems for a variety of reasons. The first is that they do not stay on the feet properly with a normal gait. They would tend to fly off the feet unless you compensate by pointing your toes down or turning your feet out. If you watch people who walk in flip flops habitually, they very often will be walking with their feet turned out. This causes significant misalignment in the joints since the ankles, knees, and hips are not aligned with the direction of movement. This results in collapsed arches, ankle problems, knee pain, and a variety of other problems. 

I believe that walking barefoot can be an effective practice for improving walking technique, assuming someone is not already having an issue of pain. We also need to recognize the safety aspects of shoes, protecting the feet from sharp objects, extreme temperatures, and other dangers that may be present when walking outdoors. This would favor the use of more minimalist shoes, protecting the feet without the extreme padding, elevated heel, or arch support. 

Please like, share, and subscribe. Leave a commend to help support the channel.

00:00 Introduction
00:46 What Does the Research Say
01:20 Stride Length
01:51 Stride Cadence
02:26 Barefoot Technique
05:08 Are there Benefits

Join the new Walking Code Members Community for access to Live Q&As with Dr. Martin, a community forum, the full original Walking Code Course, and access to members only content. https://www.movementsphere.com/offers/CNqqcxay. The new Walking Code Online Course is now available. This is the best course to learn proper walking and posture mechanics to help prevent poor alignment and wear and tear on your joints. Sign up now and take the first step to better walking technique and better health. https://www.movementsphere.com/the-walking-code-online-course-2