Should you really be wearing shoes inside the house?

I was watching the TV the other day and saw a medical “expert” tell the viewers that EVERYONE should be wearing shoes at home around the house.

I must say my initial reaction was shock, followed by anger.

I was shocked because I couldn’t understand how this person was deemed an “expert.” I was also shocked that you could make such an outrageous generic claim on TV and get away with it (although I really shouldn’t be shocked at that).

I was angry because I got to thinking how damaging that comment could be to the viewing public. If even 10% of viewers listening to that advice actually followed it, that could be thousands of people who may be set up for future foot pain.

To comment that everyone should be wearing shoes at home is flat out wrong.

I’m not however going to make a comment and just leave it there to linger without providing rationale or reason. Read on as I break this down.

Evolution Of The Human Body:

It is believed that our human evolutionary process began some 55 million years ago. At this time our ancestors were more similar to primates, moving around on all four limbs. Arguably somewhere around 6 million years ago our predecessors transitioned from walking around on four limbs to just two.

So let’s put this into context: Our bodies have been adapted and fine-tuned to walking on two feet for somewhere around 6 million years! We have evolved and refined specific bones, muscles, ligaments, and joints entirely for that purpose of walking on two feet.

So according to this “expert” I’m to believe that over 6 million years of evolution the only places on our bodies that make regular contact with the ground haven’t evolved enough that they somehow need extra support and cushion to handle the load? What?

Evolution Of Footwear:

By contrast it is believed that humans started wearing some form of rigid shoes approximately 40,000 years ago. This very niche area of research has been pioneered by an anthropologist named Erik Trinkaus (https://anthropology.wustl.edu/people/erik-trinkaus?_ga=2.165310525.307364462.1604509443-1205021368.1604509443). According to Dr. Trinkaus’ research he believes that there is a noticeable correlation between the use of shoes and a reduction in bone density of the foot. He believes that anthropological findings of human feet from this time period show a decrease in bone density and bone size of the feet compared to previous periods where shoes were not believed to be used.

Wolff’s Law:

Wolff’s law states that a bone will respond to the load that is placed on it. So if you use your body and do a lot of weightbearing exercise (walking, running, sprinting) your bones will respond and get bigger. If you sit on the couch all day and don’t put any load through your bones, they will get smaller.

It’s pretty simple, muscles work the same way too. If you go to the gym and lift weights your muscles will respond by growing bigger. If you sit on a couch all day your muscles will atrophy. Use it or lose it.

Shoes Act Like A Cast:

Have you ever broken a bone and been in a cast? I have. I still remember what my leg looked like when the cast was removed, skinny and pale. That’s because my calf muscle had atrophied significantly while I was wearing the cast. The fracture in my tibia had also healed, but the density of the bone had decreased.

Shoes act like a cast. They restrict your feet, they give you an arch and they do all the work for you. Your muscles either can’t do as much work or don’t have to. In the same fashion shoes reduce the load that is placed through your feet and as a result the bone density decreases. So your feet become weak.

Practical Advice (Conclusion):

We should all be working towards wearing shoes as little as possible. We should be working towards wearing shoes only when we are outside the house.

If you have good arches and no history of foot problems, get out of your shoes immediately and never put them on inside your house ever again!

If you have been wearing shoes all day long for years or decades and your arches aren’t ready for it, then I would recommend a more calculated transition. You absolutely should work towards getting out of your shoes when you’re in the house but your approach needs to be gradual.

Remember your body will respond to the demands that you put on it.

I would recommend starting by taking off your shoes for 10 minutes longer than normal each day for one week. Then if your feet feel good and you don’t notice any soreness, move on to 20 minutes a day for the next week. Continue this weekly trend until you are spending your time at home completely shoeless.

As you spend more and more time out of your shoes the bones in your feet will become more dense, the muscles in your feet will become stronger and more flexible, and the joints in your feet will become more mobile.

Going shoeless is one of the easiest ways to improve your foot health!