Wait – what? Who’s rocking heels in the gym? Pretty much anyone wearing ‘normal’ workout shoes. Take a good look at your Nike Air Max – spotting that heel to toe drop?
You see, ‘barefoot’ goes way beyond feet. It’s a total body thing. And guess what? Women’s feet get much more abuse than men’s.
If you’re looking for the best training shoes for women (and men) let’s dig into 5 reasons to embrace barefoot – and ditch those heels.
1. WHAT HAPPENS IN YOUR FEET DOESN’T STAY IN YOUR FEET.
It’s not Vegas. Whatever happens in your workout routine, doesn’t stay in your workout routine – heeled training shoes impact your ankles, knees, hips, pelvis and spine. Over-stressed hip flexors, damaged tendons and collapsed ankles are just a few examples.
Elevated heels put your whole body out of alignment. All Vivo’s are ‘zero drop’. That means there’s zero elevation of the heel. Your body can function naturally.
2. GROW A PAIR!
Let’s talk balls. When we’ve raised our heels, even just a little, more of our body weight is thrown forward onto the balls of our feet.
Very high heels can put as much as 75% of our body weight straight into our balls. Ouch. And get this, some women have turned to surgery – having dermal fillers in their forefeet to increase the padding to lessen foot pain. Madness, much?
Your body isn’t built to work like that. Instead, grow a pair of beautiful, strong, healthy feet. Wearing Vivo’s has been shown to increase foot strength by almost 60% in six months.
3. AWARD WINNING BALANCE AND STABILITY
Women’s Health editors know a thing or two about what’s great for your body, right? That might be why they awarded their prestigious Sneaker Award to the Geo Racer Knit earlier in 2022.
We reckon it looked pretty sweet already, but it’s even prettier now they’ve stuck an award on it.
A panel of personal trainers and health experts selected it in the Womens Cross-fit shoes category for best barely-there feel. They called out balance, stability and the combo of natural function through minimalist design.
4. MORE CORE
With heels on the floor your joints are aligned. Added bonus? Your core will be naturally engaged. Your balance develops and with more foot-brain chatter (because there’s a whole heap of nerves down there) you’ll be more aware and responsive.
5. GET THE LIBERATION MOVEMENT IN YOUR FEET
Society tells us that women’s feet are more disposable than men’s. The demands of accepted fashion mean high heels and pointed toes deform women’s feet far more than men’s.
A 2019 study* found that women’s foot deformities are associated with high heeled shoes. 59% of women in industrialised countries wear high heels between 1-8 hours per day. High heels contribute to bunion making. Why take this into the gym as well?
Max out your movement. The Geo Racer Knit is our lightest trainer yet – studio workouts, or simply styling out heatwaves, this one’s for you.
There you have it. 5 reasons to rethink your gym shoes and fire up your natural self.
