Toe Holes in your Shoes
Developing holes at the top of your shoe tells me that your big toe is repetitively pressing up against the mesh. The average big toe extends to about 60 degrees. If your toes bend back super far like mine, it tells me that you’re likely more of a heel striker. This means that when you walk, you hit your heel first on the ground (especially noticeable with jogging). This actually sends a force up through your body. It’s mechanically inefficient aka slows you down because you’re pushing the breaks as you try to speed up.
Your big toe is supposed to push off the ground to propel you forward. If it’s too loosey goosey, we’re inefficient there too 😔. Traditional shoe wear actually exacerbates this pattern. Most tennis shoes have a slight elevation from the toe to your heel. Switching to a zero drop shoe (flat all the way across) has been a life changer for me! The shoes that I wear also have a wide toe box so my mobile toes don’t feel squished.
Zero drop shoes help to strengthen your feet. Keep in mind, this may actually cause foot pain as you adjust to it. I always recommend going to a local shoe store to have them watch you walk before buying a new shoe.
Do you resonate with this?
Sneaker Recommendation - Altra: My Daily Wear
They have a wide toe box which lets my toes wiggle. Haven’t developed toe holes yet in these, they're super comfy, and stable!
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