I was listening to a Russel Brand podcast the other day where he was talking to the man who began VivoBarefoot* shoe company -- shoes that changed my world.
I used to love my pointy-toe cowboy boots and my high heels and for a minute there I had some kickin' little, pointy toe boots made from army green cloth -- they didn't last long, but I loved them!
Somewhere along the line, a body worker suggested my footwear may be playing a part in my hip/spine aches.
So, me being me, always looking for ways to improve my condition, I put my binding and lifting (but so cute!) shoes on the shelf and moved to a shoe with a negative or zero-drop heel and a wide toe box.
Lo and behold, it helped! A lot. I'm never going back.
It wasn’t over night, that’s for sure. It took quite a while to build up those long under-used muscles. When I first began, the ache in my feet, going all the way up the leg was definitely a thing. (If you are going to give this a try, be sure to go slowly — wearing the barefoot shoe for short periods of time and building up to a full day.)
The only problem, though, was that the bulk of these shoes were not cute. I would look down at my feet and think, “I’m wearing clown shoes.” But, I stuck with my unfashionable shoes and my toes can now move around like never before — the way they are supposed to. (Note: overall, comfy shoes are much better looking now than when I began this process.)
There are zero-drop shoes and there are minimalist shoes (like the Vivo Barefoot I mentioned earlier, as well as what I call my “frog feet” shoes — Vibram Five Fingers* — which they now do a nice job of disguising, but when I first started wearing them they were really goofy looking).
The point of minimalist shoes is to allow your feet to use all those muscles that become under-utilized when wearing modern comfy, squishy shoes. There are a lot of muscles in your feet and all those muscles connect to all those other muscles and ligaments and tendons and joints going all the way up the chain -- you know, the foot bone is connected to the ankle bone…. (For a little look at what’s going on down there: (Card and Bordoni 2020).
As we have all experienced, when your feet hurt, everything hurts.
I have written a little bit about plantar fasciitis and heel spurs here.
Without going into specific foot problems, a place to start for sore feet would be my go-to combination for all things joints/muscles: Arnica/Ruta/Rhus. See here and here.
Why Arnica, Ruta and Rhus?
Arnica is the first remedy to think about for trauma/injury. Excellent for bruising and muscle pain, in general.
Ruta is good for connective tissues -- tendons and ligaments as well as stiffness.
Rhus tox is a go-to for joint issues and is highly indicated in the following specific feet issues:
aching feet
sore feet due to exertion
while sitting
in the morning
walking/movement helps
restlessness feet
stiff feet
If you want to get a little more specific, rather than taking a combo remedy, try one of these remedies on for size…
Foot pain that extends upward: Ledum palustre
As if sprained: Arnica or Rhus tox
Toenail injuries: Arnica or Hypericum
Cramps: Mag-phos or Calc carb
Pain while sitting (the pain lessens during continued movement) & feels better in warmth: Rhus tox
Pain while standing: Ruta
Sole pain: Causticum
Shooting pain or tearing pain: Kali-carb
Take a step in the right direction and try some homeopathy and see if you can get a little relief for those sore tootsies.
Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath
#wellnessawaits
* I have no affiliation with any of these companies. I just like their products.