Shoes, Lets get some Shoes

                                             

HELLO!

Whew, who knew first email jitters were a thing? First things first, thanks for being my people and continuing to show me love and support! I truly appreciate each and everyone of you who subscribed to these emails. My goal is to have them bring benefit into your life through increasing your knowledge of the human body. As I continue to learn I’ll continue to share. If you ever have any questions on any topics I decide to discuss through these emails please do not hesitate to ask. I am very open to any brain picking questions you may have. 

I figured for email numero uno I will cover a simple topic that can very easily change any mobility restrictions or pain profiles you may currently be experiencing by just changing the types of shoes you wear. 

The human body is very complex with multiple systems all connected and affecting one another. How you absorb shock at your feet affects everything up the chain. That shoulder mobility restriction you are feeling, constant headaches, or low back pain? Yupp that could be stemming from shoes!

The picture below is a current patients' range of motion measurements, listed in red are the normal values of the ranges. At the top of the column shows what was used to gain those results. This middle aged man came in last week due to being 7 months out from a right side achilles tendon rupture and feeling like he had not fully healed. On our first day I told him to go purchase specific shoes and come back. He did and his ranges significantly improved! I then added in an arch pad to only the right shoe and his numbers again, significantly improved.

                    
 
I decided to focus on this topic and share this patients results because I believe there are a lot of shoewear/fitness fads out right now supporting a flat/barefoot/minamilist shoe. Now I am all for not having to rely on a shoe for support, I too think my body should be strong enough to tackle the terrain I walk on by itself. But that’s just the thing! The premise of a barefoot shoe is to get back to how we primitively were… however, we now live in a flat, concrete filled world. When I put my hyper mobile self in a minimalist shoe for a few months it drove me further into my faulty patterns because the majority of the time I wore them I was on very flat, hard surfaces. Shock was no longer being absorbed throughout my body evenly and I lost proprioception with the ground below me.
 
The human body is internally assymetrical. We have a liver that sits on our right side, 3 lobes of the right lung, and a heart that sits on the left making our mass more shifted to our Right side. Now, I want you to read this next question and close your eyes to think and gain your answer... Which leg if standing or which glute if sitting is most of your weight shifted toward? I will very confidently assume most of you sense your right side holding more of your weight. As you should, since more of our internal weight is held there. So it should come as no surprise why over 90% of the world is right handed and why over 95% of scoliotic curves go toward the right, because we are pushed there! That’s the whole goal of Postural Restoration Institute and the teachings I will continue to share. It’s all about getting into our left side just as comfortably and routinely as we get to our right.

It's also a clue as to why I only put an arch pad into my patients’ right shoe. When we are over lateralized to our right side since this is where our weight is pushing us, we tend to start walking on the outside of our right foot and the inside of our left (look at wear patterns on your shoes). The right arch pad provides my patient a sensory reminder to say “hey, push into me, use your right arch more!” As soon as he does this, he then shifts his pelvis over to his left side, equalizing the amount of weight distribution now. This is why his measurements change after he took a few 20ft laps down the hallway. And yes, it happens that fast with even having effects on shoulder range of motion! 
 
It’s honestly mind-blowing stuff and I hope it resonates with you of just how important shoes can be. Hruska Shoe List is a list of shoes that provide support in all the right places. I suggest going to a local running store and grabbing as many shoes off the wall from this list as possible and trying them all on. When in them close your eyes and try to sense:

1. Where you feel your weight in the shoe and if its being held in midfoot/heels?
2. Do you sense a right arch?
3. How grounded do you feel?

Most running stores have an amazing return policy where you can bring the shoes back, even if they have been well ran in, within 30 days if you are not completely satisfied for a full refund. So, if you are experiencing any pains, mobility issues, or just want to increase your performance its an easy intervention to try switching your shoes and see if it helps.
 
I know this was a long one but I hope it provided a lot of useful information to you that isn’t as mainstream right now. Feel free to reply with any comments, questions, feedback. Have a great week and go try on some new shoes!
 
Best,
Taylor Boryca
Freely Moving CEO