We are all forced to wear shoes in today's society. The majority of shoes worn by people are not designed to work with our lower body and feet. Modern shoes have high heels, thick padding and restrictive materials that limit movement. They also have a heavy sole which prevents us feeling the ground. These are all monstrosities, as they cut us off to the world around us, and make it difficult for us to move about without pain. Shoes that mimic the barefoot feeling, on the other hand, offer tangible benefits for your health, wellbeing, athletic performance and overall well-being.

There are nine tangible reasons why you should wear barefoot footwear.

Proprioception is improved.

Proprioception is the awareness of our body as we move around the world. Do we have a sense of where our limbs and the environment are? Do we know intuitively what our shoulders, hips and arms do when we move, run, jump or just walk? All of these factors contribute to the overall feeling of proprioception, which regulates our speed, strength and safety in our interactions with our environment. You will be a more effective athlete if you have a better sense of proprioception. You will be more efficient in all physical capacities. You'll feel more fluid.

Our feet touching the floor is the first, and perhaps most important way to establish proprioceptive consciousness. Our nervous system receives a great deal of information from the simple exposure of millions of nerves in our feet. The textures, slopes, rocks, twigs and slipperiness of the ground, as well as the texture of the surface, gives us a lot of useful information. The best option is to go barefoot if you are in an environment that is tolerant. However, minimalist shoes with thin soles and a barefoot feel can provide nearly as much information. They can also be worn anywhere.

Stability. Stability.

The more rooted you are, the closer you are to your ground. The more you root yourself, the less material there is between you and the earth. By minimizing the amount between your feet and the ground, barefoot shoes allow you to feel the ground better and have more control.

This is what studies on athletes have shown. The athletes who wear the most supportive footwear, especially those with ankle supports, are the ones that have the least balance and stability. Balance and stability are best for those who wear minimalist shoes (or bare feet) or do not have any support. Studies on ankle stability often compare high-top shoes and ankle tapes against barefoot athletes. In these studies, the control group always comes out on top.

Improved foot landing mechanics, fewer injuries.

When you run with a raised shoe heel, you land more on the heel. Running barefoot in zero-heel-drop shoes allows you to land more naturally, on the mid-to-forefoot. This can significantly reduce your risk of repetitive strain injury. Forefoot landings tend to be less stressful on the knee. When you land on your heel, the knee is fully bent, forcing the joint to absorb the shock.

In 2012, a study found that the injury rate for endurance runners was twice as high when they used the heel. Mid/forefoot runners were less likely to suffer injuries. Having a shoe with zero heel drop without a raised heels allows you to land your feet according to their natural mechanics. You become a mid/forefoot striker rather than a heel-striker.

Improve your posture

Just a half-inch of padding on the heel can throw your posture off. To maintain a straight head, you have to bend your knees forward and shorten your ankle angle. It's as if you were standing on a slope. You're not a stack of straight joints and tissues, but more of a wobbly Jenga.

Biofeedback that is more accurate

I will not claim that you can run farther and longer in barefooted shoes. It doesn't. Modern fluffy padded shoes allow you to run longer distances with comfort. However, this is not good for most people. The biofeedback that minimalist shoes provide, which is discomfort, should be experienced by most people. You can tell when your body is tired of running by the discomfort. You can overtrain and damage your joints and tissues if you break that connection with padded footwear.

Barefoot footwear gives you an accurate biofeedback on how much stress your feet - and body as a whole - can handle.

Stronger feet.

The feet are not just a wedge of flesh and bones. The feet are active limbs that have dozens of muscles which require stimulation and engagement. The muscles of your feet will atrophy if you put them in stiff shoes. Wearing minimalist barefooted shoes that provide full range of movement through each foot muscle and toe will make your toes and feet stronger, healthier and more resilient.

Wider toe boxes.

Narrow shoes squeeze the toes, forcing them into an unnatural posture. Toes are splayed in their natural position, allowing for a more even distribution of weight when moving and loading. The more compressed your toes and feet are, the more weight is concentrated in certain areas. This can lead to stress fractures and bunions. The more force is evenly distributed across the foot, the wider the shoe. A wide toe box can also help to make toes more prehensile.

Being the odd one is a good thing.

This is not a small matter. It's important to me that you "let your freak-flag fly", because it is the only way to live a happy, healthy life in this world. Why not be a bit weird if you disagree with the current state of things, how people live, eat, and exercise? I don't mean to be the man with a bearded face screaming at a corner. You should feel comfortable straying from the norm, if that's what you really want and need.

It's easy to get "weird" by wearing shoes that are different from the norm.

It's time to return to our origins.

Barefoot shoes are the best way to get back to our origins.

Walking upright with bare feet is how hominids walked upright 2 million years ago.

Modern humans have spread around the world by walking on their feet, barefoot or with the most flimsy of sandals or moccasins.

We were all born as babies, without shoes.

It is the responsibility of those who wear and sell big, padded protective footwear to prove their footwear's safety. It is assumed that upright bipedalism, the most natural and oldest form of upright bipedalism, is the most safe and effective. You must prove it is not.

Barefoot Shoes: How to Prepare

Be careful when you get your first pair. You could injure yourself if you continue to do your normal activities in the new shoes. Your lower body needs to be accustomed to the new environment.

Spend as much time as possible barefoot. You can go barefoot anywhere: at home, the beach, the park, the yard. You can go barefoot anywhere. At home, in the park, on the beach or even in your yard.

Train your feet. Train your feet.

When walking or running, start taking smaller strides. Try to walk and run quietly.

Start slowly. Start with short walks, then longer walks, faster walks, easy jogs and sprints. Do not skip any steps.

Stop if you feel sore. Stop when you feel sore. Stop immediately and return tomorrow.

Credits: Fifth Planet      &    Us Meds Pharma