Can your shoes be impacting your spine?

Like most, you’re probably overlooking a crucial factor to supporting a healthy spine: your choice of footwear.

Just as a solid foundation is essential for constructing a sturdy building, a proper alignment of the spine forms the basis of good posture and a healthy spine. You balance from the ground up, this starts with your feet.

They support your entire body weight and absorb the impact when you walk, run, or jump. The foot and ankle complex includes 28 bones, 33 joints, 112 ligaments and 34 muscles.

Shoes with inadequate support or too much cushioning (we're looking at you, Hokas 👀) places unnatural force and stress on our muscles and joints. This causes an imbalance in our kinetic chain, leading to over-rolling of the foot in or outward. Take a glance at the kinetic chain picture:

Notice how over- pronation (rolling inward) or supination (rolling outward) of the ankle leads to imbalances at the knee, hip and even the shoulders. For these reasons, it’s important to choose shoes that will not only support your feet, but also protect your spine.

How to choose the right footwear

When selecting footwear, it's important to consider the specific needs of your feet and body. Different activities require different shoes due to the demand on the body. Prioritize quality, comfort, and support when making footwear choices for different activities. Looking for shoe recommendations? Check out minimalist footwear or Barefoot shoes that allow your feet to bend and flex naturally. @anyasreviews on Instagram is a great place to start!

Even pregnant mamas love Barefoot. Here's a podcast episode about how a mom switched to barefoot shoes and dramatically improved her family’s life: