The question that you should wear shoes or not at all is still hotly debated all across the internet. There is a particular group of people who claim to be the barefoot champions and prefer going barefoot over wearing shoes and then the opposition claims that barefoot isn’t healthy.
This article covers this agenda from a PRO-SHOE perspective. We all know that wearing shoes protects us from many things while we are out and about. It also provides us comfort and we do not necessarily need to go through the fear that how a terrain would impact our feet. All in all, there is not just one (1) benefit to wearing shoes and I am going to cover the top 3 reasons on why you should be wearing shoes every day and almost for every outdoor activity.
SHOES PROTECT YOU FROM GERMS
With a raise of hand, who knew that your shoes transmit more viruses than a toilet seat? I bet none of you knew about it. A recent study by a university in the U.S. revealed that there are as much as 9 different types of bacteria on the shoes of randomly selected people. As much as 440,000 units of different bacteria were found out on a single pair of shoe in the 2 weeks of analysis done. And the most shocking bit is that almost 90 per cent of the time when these shoes are brought into the house, they then get transmitted to clean surfaces. And we all know what that means now, isn’t it!
These microorganisms, commonly known as “GERMS” bring in a host of diseases. Here at WalkOnFoam.com we are encouraging you to always wear clean shoes every time you go out and I would like to stress on the fact that this study conducted proves that if you are BAREFOOT, then imagine this number of 440,000 units may multiply infinite number of times and you may end up being severely sick. I am not expert on this subject, but after doing in-depth research on how germs can impact you and your body and the overall well-being, it is vital that you always wear shoes to protect yourself from germs.
SHOES HELP CORRECT YOUR POSTURE
Do you know that an average human exerts almost five (5) times their body weight onto each foot when they walk? Talk about the dynamics of nature! Imagine having no shoes beneath your feet and all of this force can massively injure your bones and muscles walking on an uneven terrain barefoot. Like myself, if you too are prone to poor posture and have lower back pains, then going without out without comfortable shoes is a big NO! It greatly depends on how your feet are designed and what is the curve level they have. Knowing that can greatly help you pick up the right pair for yourself.
The natural curve of your feet in actuality supports the curve of your spine and helps maintain a healthy posture and balance when you walk. So it is equally important to pick up shoes that are well adjusted to your feet so that they can provide enough support to your back and spine and keep it in a perfect comfortable state while you are walking. To make you understand a lot more easily, I have jotted down the three (3) different types of arches for your knowledge:
- High arches
- Low arches (FLAT FEET)
- Medium arches (the most common amongst people)
Once you know which type of arch you have, this would greatly assist you in finding the right pair of shoe for yourself. Almost nobody wants to pick up a pair of shoes that isn’t comfortable. Unless you are one of the few who claim “NO PAIN NO GAIN” and always tend to absorb the pain to showcase their newest foot jewellery. Yes, I refer shoes as the foot jewellery. I am old school! A common problem amongst the people I have come across is that they claim their footwear is comfortable enough, but in reality they themselves complain of bad posture. This is because they are not aware of what their arch height is and thus end up picking up any shoe from the market that the marketers want them to buy.
FEW ADDITIONAL TIPS TO ASSIST IN KEEPING UP WITH YOUR BODY ALIGNMENT
- Do not ever sacrifice your support for style.
- Always look for the arch support when buying your next piece of gear.
- Always look for a pair with heel and sole cushioning.
SHOES PROTECT YOUR FEET FROM INJURY
I can go on for ages on this particular point. But to list a few which are found to be the most crucial are
- Areas where sharp needles or objects are present, require you to have some kind of footwear available to protect your feet from injury. This is also mandatory when it comes down to work environments where heavy objects are being lifted, etc.
- Working in an environment surrounded by hot liquids or bio-hazard chemicals require you to wear protective footwear. This is mandatory by OSHAS as well.
- It is a must requirement in the military all over the world to have shoes worn to withstand the terrain. Soldiers are often asked to run on ground littered with glass, jagged or sharp debris just to give them a feel of the actual war zone so that they are prepared in the field itself.
- You just can’t go out barefoot in Antarctica. Well, that was a bit of an extreme, isn’t it? But realistically your feet will not be able to withstand the minus 50-degree temperatures prevailing in some parts of the world without having proper protective shoes on.
- Diabetic shoes are on their own a whole different topic. A diabetic should never think about walking around out and about barefoot. This is because their foot bruise easily causing great health risks. Due to the poor blood circulation in their body’s, once bruised; they tend to heal a lot slower than any other person. For these very reasons, a diabetic patient should never walk barefoot.
- Specially constructed shoes are used for belly-dancing and pointe work.
- Cyclists use special footwear that gets clipped onto the pedals. Thus allowing them complete control over the cycle.
- Soccer players use cleats to grip the turf they are sprinting and playing on.
Conclusion
So if you are looking for a reason not to wear shoes when you go out the next time, re-read this article and keep on reminding yourself of the importance of shoes in your daily life. Health is something that should not be taken for granted and it is essential that you do every bit of an effort to last a complete day with safety and utmost comfort.
If you liked reading this article and found it informative, please leave a comment below and I would be happy to get back to you.
Happy shoe hunting!