“The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art.” Leonardo da Vinci
The human foot is one of the most masterfully-designed parts of the body. It is often ignored and mistreated, but it is literally the foundation of the body, the base upon which we stand. It is also the only part of the body (when bare) that is in constant contact with our environment. In honor of this humble organ called the foot, I will embark on a series of blog posts on foot form and function. In this first post of the series, I’d like to take a look at the foot arches.
The Human Foot ArchesThe foot arches are the centerpieces of the foot. There are three arches as defined by the skeleton of the foot: the medial longitudinal arch, the lateral longitudinal arch and the transverse arch. Each arch is defined by a curvature of bones secured in position by a “keystone” bone. Many people think of the arches as rigid structures, but they are actually quite flexible and change shape considerably when unrestricted.
When standing and walking the arches are crucial for proper distribution of body weight. As you walk, the bones of the arches guide your weight from your heel along the outer edge of your foot and then across the ball of your foot to the base of your big toe. (From there, your big toe is used to propel you into your next step). During this process the arches “collapse,” especially the medial longitudinal arch. This collapsing is a normal and natural process for shock absorption. Also, the elastic soft-tissue structures of the arch stretch and retain some of the load energy they experience (up to 20%) and then snap back when you lift off, helping to propel you forward.
Of course, none the above really works that well in a shoe, which immobilizes the natural flexing, twisting and stretching movements of the arch.
Arch “supports” are detrimental to foot arches. Consider this: What other part of the body needs support? We don’t wear neck supports for our neck, or arm supports for our arms. For a time, some factory and construction workers wore back supports, but it was quickly discovered that those supports actually weakened the back and increased injuries. The same logic holds true for arch supports. When a supporting structure is placed under the arch it can no longer stretch, flex, collapse or spring the way it’s supposed to. The result is weakened arches… and flat foot. As discussed in The Barefoot Book, several studies have been done now comparing the feet of barefooters to shoe-wearers. Guess what? The shoe-wearing people have 3x higher incidence of fallen arches and flat foot.
I hope you enjoyed this quick summary of your foot arches. Give your arches a break today; kick off your shoes and walk barefoot!
The human foot is one of the most masterfully-designed parts of the body. It is often ignored and mistreated, but it is literally the foundation of the body, the base upon which we stand. It is also the only part of the body (when bare) that is in constant contact with our environment. In honor of this humble organ called the foot, I will embark on a series of blog posts on foot form and function. In this first post of the series, I’d like to take a look at the foot arches.
The Human Foot ArchesThe foot arches are the centerpieces of the foot. There are three arches as defined by the skeleton of the foot: the medial longitudinal arch, the lateral longitudinal arch and the transverse arch. Each arch is defined by a curvature of bones secured in position by a “keystone” bone. Many people think of the arches as rigid structures, but they are actually quite flexible and change shape considerably when unrestricted.
When standing and walking the arches are crucial for proper distribution of body weight. As you walk, the bones of the arches guide your weight from your heel along the outer edge of your foot and then across the ball of your foot to the base of your big toe. (From there, your big toe is used to propel you into your next step). During this process the arches “collapse,” especially the medial longitudinal arch. This collapsing is a normal and natural process for shock absorption. Also, the elastic soft-tissue structures of the arch stretch and retain some of the load energy they experience (up to 20%) and then snap back when you lift off, helping to propel you forward.
Of course, none the above really works that well in a shoe, which immobilizes the natural flexing, twisting and stretching movements of the arch.
Arch “supports” are detrimental to foot arches. Consider this: What other part of the body needs support? We don’t wear neck supports for our neck, or arm supports for our arms. For a time, some factory and construction workers wore back supports, but it was quickly discovered that those supports actually weakened the back and increased injuries. The same logic holds true for arch supports. When a supporting structure is placed under the arch it can no longer stretch, flex, collapse or spring the way it’s supposed to. The result is weakened arches… and flat foot. As discussed in The Barefoot Book, several studies have been done now comparing the feet of barefooters to shoe-wearers. Guess what? The shoe-wearing people have 3x higher incidence of fallen arches and flat foot.
I hope you enjoyed this quick summary of your foot arches. Give your arches a break today; kick off your shoes and walk barefoot!
