Footwear: Your Shoes Are Only as Good as Your Foot Mechanics

We live in a world where people talk about shoes the way they talk about phones. New model, new tech, new promise. But here’s the principle I teach over and over about the human foot and its mechanics:

Your shoe is only as good as your foot mechanics.
If your foot mechanics are limited by hypertonic, neurologically “stuck” muscles, you will eventually keep switching shoes until you find the pair that best molds to your limitations.

Shoes can help. Sometimes a lot. But shoes rarely fix the reason you needed help in the first place.

The shoe is not the problem.

The shoe reveals the problem.

Most people don’t wake up thinking, “My posterior chain is slowly losing options.” They just notice that squats feel tight, stairs feel stiff, running feels harsh, and calves always feel “on.”

In my clinical lens, the posterior kinetic chain is often the first place the system shows inhibition from a hypertonic state, especially in the foot and ankle. When that chain loses length and adaptability, the body starts negotiating. The fastest negotiation is usually this:

Raise the heel.

Heel elevation can create immediate relief because it reduces the demand for ankle dorsiflexion and changes the squat and gait strategy. Studies on heel elevation show measurable changes in lower limb mechanics and muscle activation patterns when the heel is raised.

But “relief” is not the same as restoration.

A simple experiment: heel elevation squat test

If you’re an avid gym goer, try this safely.

Step 1: Place a small weight plate under each heel (or at home use two similar sturdy books).
Step 2: Hold onto a rack, countertop, or something stable for balance.
Step 3: Do a slow bodyweight air squat and pay attention to depth, balance, and how your ankles and hips feel.
Step 4: Remove the elevation and repeat.

Many people instantly feel “better” with the heels raised. That is not a coincidence, this is actually feedback. In many cases, it is feedback that the ankle foot calf system is running out of dorsiflexion options.

This experiment and observation shows us why Olympic weightlifting shoes, which are built with an elevated heel, help lifters maintain a more upright torso and access deeper squat positions, especially when ankle mobility is a limiting factor. Heel elevation has been shown to alter squat stability and lower limb mechanics.

Again, that is not bad. It is useful. But it is still an accommodation.

Cushioned shoes vs flat shoes: the real conversation

A lot of people think this debate is about who is “right.” Minimalist crowd vs cushion crowd.

I see it differently. Most of the time, this is what’s really happening:

People pick the shoe that best supports their current limitations.

Some research suggests comfort and perceived cushioning can correlate with lower injury risk in runners, which supports the idea that how a shoe feels to your nervous system matters.
At the same time, broad evidence reviews have found that different running shoe features often make less difference than people expect when it comes to preventing injuries.
And importantly, transitioning too fast into minimalist footwear can raise risk for calf and Achilles related issues.

So rather than “cushion good” or “flat good,” I’d say this:

Your nervous system will choose the shoe that makes your mechanics feel safest.

That is why two people can swear by completely opposite shoes and both be telling the truth.

The Tarahumara lesson: strong feet, simple tools

The Tarahumara (Rarámuri) runners are often discussed because many traditionally run long distances in simple sandals, and their culture is deeply tied to running and land.
There are also important corrections to the mythology and over romanticizing of their injury rates and lifestyle, which is worth respecting.

The takeaway I want is not “everyone should run barefoot.”
The takeaway is this:

Humans adapted to movement first. Footwear came later.

Shoes can be amazing tools. But they should not replace the long game of restoring function.

Arch support: relief now, consequences later if we ignore the root

Arch support can absolutely reduce symptoms for some people, especially with plantar heel pain, in the short to medium term.

But even solid studies show those benefits are often small, and long term differences can disappear compared to sham devices.

So I frame arch support like this:

Arch support can be a temporary strategy that creates breathing room.
But if we treat it like a permanent fix, the body often “solves” the problem by creating a new one somewhere else up the chain.

This is the same reason people keep changing pillows or mattress firmness. They are trying to find comfort around a limitation, instead of restoring the system that created the limitation.

Genetics and bunions: you may inherit the tendency, but you can change the trajectory

We have to be honest about genetics. Bunions (hallux valgus) can have a strong hereditary component, and congenital and juvenile hallux valgus are often linked to underlying structural or genetic factors.

That matters for two reasons:

First, it removes shame. Sometimes it really is in the blueprint.
Second, it gives parents a mission. If you have dealt with bunions, it is worth helping your kids build foot options early so the tendency does not get amplified by lifestyle, footwear, and chronic compensation.

My deeper hypothesis: the calf as the “second heart,” and why I pay attention to it

You will hear the calves referred to as the “second heart” because the calf muscle pump helps return venous blood from the legs back toward the heart.

Here is where my clinical mind goes further, and I want to label this clearly as a hypothesis, not a diagnosis:

If the soleus and gastrocnemius live in a chronically hypertonic, limited state later in life, I suspect that could contribute to broader circulatory stress in some people, especially when combined with sedentary time, inflammation, or other risk factors.

We do know that impaired calf pump function is associated with venous problems, and research has linked calf muscle pump dysfunction with higher DVT risk and even mortality signals in certain populations.

So even if you never squat heavy and never run far, your calves still matter. Your feet still matter.

HAM and the feet: being a step ahead

In HAM, the feet are not an isolated “foot problem.” They are a foundational input system.

When the foot loses options, the brain reorganizes the chain. Ankles, knees, hips, pelvis, spine. That is why foot issues show up as:

knee irritation
hip tightness
low back pain
even ribcage and breathing strategy changes

This is why I tell people we can be a step ahead of foot injuries, not by hunting the perfect shoe, but by restoring the mechanics the shoe is currently protecting.

Practical takeaways you can use this week

Awareness: Notice if you feel dramatically better with heels elevated during squats. That is data.
Balance: Use supportive shoes when you need them, but keep working on the system underneath.
Consistency: Short, frequent foot and calf restoration beats occasional “big fixes.”
Development: If bunions run in your family, help your kids build strong foot habits early.