Barefoot = Foot probs later in life?

My brothers & I loved going barefoot as kids (my dad squawked about it then guess that made him a squawker too)
I still go barefoot about 95% of the time. I have never had planters warts or corns on my toes, my toes ain't all bent up like I've seen in nursing homes & as far as I know my arches are fine. Course I wouldn't wear high heels now if you paid me cuz I have scoliosis and heels made my back & knees hurt so I gave them up years ago.

 

Not all feet are created equally. And not all feet are treated equally. So for people who were inheritied bad feet or for those feet that have been deformed from wearing improper shoes, being barefoot is NOT always the best thing to do.

I have inherited what I call "the family feet" in that the mechanics of our feet are not correct and the large toe turns inward creating a bunion and causing over-pronation of the entire foot. There is tons of info on the web about bunions and pronation. Here is just one sample:
http://www.epodiatry.com/bunion.htm

Fortunately for me, my case is not severe (yet) and I am young so I plan to have my feet surgically corrected someday. I used to wear shoes with professionally-installed arch supports, have used expensive orthotic devices, etc. But, now, I am barefoot 24/7 by choice. I used to get tired feet from being unshod and would wear my support shoes even at home. But, since being barefoot all the time, that discomfort has disappeared.

However, I do recognize that being barefoot cannot possibly improve my inherited condition. It has, of course, strenghened my feet and achilles tendon so that is a good thing. But, I will need surgery to correct my feet. Right now, being barefoot actually CONTRIBUTES to my pronation problem.

Simply, people with severe foot deformaties should continue to use corrective footwear unless and until they get those deformaties professionally corrected. Surgery is not always required in minor cases and some medical website claim that people are only off of their feet for a few days before resuming normal activities.

For people with normal feet, I definitely advocate barefoot living. There is nothing better. It promotes feeling of less stress and a more relaxing persona.

And of course, all you other barefooters already know that being barefoot means no smelly feet, no expensive shoes, no warts, no fungal infections, no blisters. Instead you get strong, rugged feet and toes that can handle just about any rough terrain or ground conditions without injury or harm. Well-conditioned and well-cared-for bare feet are beautiful.

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It may be possible to avoid surgery. Years of shoe abuse can't be undone over night. Letting your feet strengthen and develop properly could take many many months. Why rush into surgery you may never need?

I'm also in upstate NY, this winter has been mild and mostly snow free. I hope we have a white christmas.

 

My bad feet are hereditary. And they will only get worse over time; I have seen what happens if the bunions are ignored. My grandmother, my aunt, and a few other relatives now have extremely and horribly deformed feet because they never had them surgically corrected. My grandmother's feet were so bad that the toes were all bunched up and piled on top of each other and the bunion at the big toe joint was simply huge. I don't plan to let that happen to me.

I am fortunate that my bunions are minor. On a scale of one to ten, I rate my left bunion as 3 and right bunion as only a 1 as far as severity. Also, I am only 34 years old so surgery now will prevent further bunion formation and keep me from ending up like others in my family. Already, my second toes are beggining to suffer and are being pushed aside by the big toe. Because I am barefoot, I get severe over-pronation with each step (despite best efforts to consciously "correct" my walk). Pronation of the foot causes all kinds of troubles, mainly the achilles tendon is not straight.

Surgery for me now would be a GOOD THING and I have no hesitation to proceed with that plan (except for a chronic lack of money). It is the best course of action and it is best done sooner than later. I have read many medical books and medical journal articles on bunions and hereditary foot mechanics. The facts and proof are clear.

Like I said previously, barefooting cannot correct bad foot mechanics and bunions and actually increases pronation of the foot. Because I am a barefooter I don't use any corrective devices even though I know full well that I should. I wish I had perfectly correct feet, but I don't.