Let's take a survey... how many of you have been told you have 'flat feet' and need to wear orthotics or "supportive" shoes? In my experience, 99% of the patients I see who have been told this do NOT have bad feet at all, but just low arches that need the things we discussed in this video. I'm interested to hear your experience.
I'm flat footed and use orthotics when wearing footwear with minimal to zero cushioning for example vans hi and lo tops otherwise they just will not fit properly. I have also been told that my flat feet were the cause of my knee pains due to underdeveloped leg muscles. This is am amazing video which I wish had existed 30-40 years ago, I love your content
I've always been told that my feet are flat and that I need orthotics. Over time, however, I have developed a small arch in my foot, but if I get myself in a pair of shoes that are wide, I know my feet would improve drastically!
@@Mathilda2zero I reckon your skepticism is a safe approach but based upon the quality of information from Squat University to date I'm going to trust this will yield desirable results.
My case, but I inquired about it and both professionals (podologist and orthopedics) told me that it's not possible to build foot archew with exercise or any other way...
I was told by a orthopedic that I have flat feet, and that's why my feet would hurt after hiking. After 10 years, another orthopedic diagnosed a heel spur, I was in serious pain at that point. My knees also hurt. I had painful treatments and more and more orthopedic stuff were sold to me. And the suggestion I should lose weight. So I went on a diet, lost 15 kilos, and the problems got worse. I was at year 5 of pain. Then I met my a strength training coach, in opposite of the various doctors, she saw what I needed: strength training. After 6 weeks of backsquats, deadlifts etc. EVERY Problem and pain was gone! She also introduced me to your Instagram channel btw. Great coach in Munich, Germany: Lea Peters, she works at Gold's
i've come to believe strength training is what everybody needs but that's an inconvenient truth to most. Even a little bit of motivation and consistency goes such a long way towards bettering your quality of life
@@WadaMalone i don't think it's inconvenient. My experience is that most people think about cardio when they hear gym, training, or fitness. And cardio is just not for everyone.
@@henryjones6957 i dont think cardio should be separated from strength training when talking about gym or training? i understand you can isolate parts to concentrate but its natural and logical and symmetrical and balanced when cardio involves strength and strenght involves cardio? just the natural order of things...... but thats just me and how i view things.... what im trying to say is i dont think you should force your body into doing unatural things or to overcompensate etc.... only if you know what youre doing though i might add
@@antwango the best case scenario is both, yes. But if a coach tells a heavily obese person to go for a run every morning, they just lost a client. Let them use the potential of carrying heavy things around, instead of forcing them to do cardio (at this point)
@@SquatUniversity😊 I did this with a loop band above ankles for squatting, SL RDL’s, Bulgarian Split squats, walking along a battle rope - all barefoot!
@@kodostricks7983 I wear ASICS wide foot running shoes for daily. However, barefoot at home and at the gym for all S&C. I use loop bands around mid or lower shin to enhance medial arch with opening hips. All the best buddy!
@@kodostricks7983 I wear my barefoot shoes more often than normal sneakers and boots (90/10). Fortunately for me, they happen to be the best footwear option in my new line of work. Before that, I’ve put countless hours & miles in steel toe boots and military boots. The current barefoot shoe market has a wide range of styles that are appropriate for casual activities, the outdoors, even date night. Hope this helps.
I am 48 and work outside. This channel has been crucial. My primary care physician seems only to take blood samples. I went to a clinic, and the person looked up stretches on a laptop-useless. The direction in hipwork alone from this channel was a gamechanger and I can actually run again. Sure, it's on a treadmill, but my range of motion and decreased pain - you're doing the Lord's work, my friend. I wish I had a million dollars to give you.
I was wearing orthotics for 5 years and still having pain after long walks. I found online by myself about barefoot and started wearing them. All problems gone since then
Quick tip, when walking or standing you should try pressing your toes into the ground just a bit harder. A lot of people with these problems are hypermobile, a connective tissue disorder that loosens the joints. Their joints don’t support as much as they should and they fall into eachother. For most people their toes are pretty rigid. Mine are really flexible so I wasn’t pushing them into the ground because for most people it’s automatic. When this happened, my arches also lifted up. My knee pain evaporated not even kidding 😭😭 The residuals are the only thing left. I feel like I have more upper body strength too. For some reason I could never be explosive with my movements. Now, I can and it feels great like why wasn’t this taught to me 😭😭😭
This is soooo true! I am hyper mobile but as a 67 year old woman this was an unheard of notion in my younger years. I was told to wear orthotics for decades by podiatrists and all it did was tip my foot over because I didn’t have the strong tendons to hold my foot flat - two knee replacements later I have finally thrown away the orthotics and I am working on building strength in my arch. I only have one foot which over pronates with the big toe ‘popping up’ and making wearing covered hard leather shoes painful but I am making progress and my ‘bad’ foot is starting to look and perform like my ‘good’ foot, Better late than never!
Your videos really helped me transition into barefoot shoes.. I wear them barefoot shoes everywhere nowadays. I had one question to ask, how does duck feet happen? Thanks for reading!
I’m not a doctor but I have flat feet, and I was told I wanted to walk so badly when I was a baby, and my parents held my hands and I kinda forced walked, my mother told me she regrets it because after that my feet got flat. Also I have very bad balance and my doc said it might be correlated to the fact I got “help” while learning walking as well.
I have flat feet and changing to barefoot shoes has been profoundly beneficial to my health, I no longer feel joint pains that I got from wearing insoles. And I also can lift much heavier.
If I were to start wearing barefoot shoes can I just go right ahead and wear them all the time or should I gradually increase the time I wear them until it becomes comfortable??
Here in the canaries 🇮🇨🇪🇸 doctors said that we have to go to the beach and do several walkings on the sand of the beach for a healthy feet. And the logic is to getting stronger, because the sand and the rocks that you get into the walk.
This looks smart and helpfull .. I have a flatt foot . And it takes an effort to run, squat, deadlifts, and long distance walking I have to develope a technique for everything . Definitely will try the heel raise and the shoes
Thank you posting posting this video! I’ve had flat feet my entire life, including some implications. How often should you do the given exercises? Start with once per week and build up from there, or can you do these exercises every day?
Very good explanation doctor Aaron. I very like your job. I like use with my clients this exercises and stimulus in longus peroneal and tibialis as well for stabilization feet.
Anybody with naturally flat feet: squat and deadlift barefoot. Start out with a trainer who can show you the proper foot form. You'll be amazed how quickly your ankles strengthen.
When you say “external hip rotation” and I’m watching your demonstrator, do you mean just like rotating the angle of your foot outwards more during the squat, or do you mean like having your hips facing out/straight like in ballet? I see his body doing both and I wasn’t sure which was the source of the correction and which just ends up in that position (e.g. foot naturally points outward more when you rotate your knee outwards more)
How does this help if one has massive bunions? The foot naturally is narrow because the big toe is inward. It won’t matter if I wear shoes with a wide toe box since the toes are forced inward anyway.
I wear crocs almost everyday and ive seen a major difference in my foot pains however im noticing that my shoulders are uneven so im not sure what to do now
Please, begging, can you make videos for this who have a tricep pain 😭 went to so many doctor "everything seems alright" they sy 🙄 have had it now for 5 years please help
Its like with the bridges. You cant support a bridge just in the middle of bridge's lenght. Same with feet, so whats the point with orthopedic shoes and insoles when they take away our built-in amortization mechanisms, make our feet lazy and dependant on them Told that many times as physiotherapist. Its so logical yet many of my colleagues thought im a madman lol
Please. My autistic daughter 15yo have overpro foot plus hypotonic. Im lost in sea of scams salesmans and doctors without any help. How can i help her? Thank you.
My feet have collapsed arches, so severe that my family was considering surgery at some point. However after visits to multiple Ortho surgeons they decided to take another approach. I remember I was forced to walk on the tips of my toes when at home. Sometimes for hours every day. I considered it torture at the time, but years later my arch muscles have strengthened so much I can function perfectly even with the worst flat foot imaginable. I can't thank them enough.
I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis by an incompetent PT 5 weeks ago and said I needed custom orthotic insoles. She quickly made a referral to the Chiro who was going to charge me 500 bucks s a pair. Through your videos and some online research I found out my toes are misaligned and my glutes weak. I've been working on strengthening my feet and glutes, as well as wearing correct toes. Gonna look into getting some wide toe box shoes. Thanks Doc!
My plantar fasciitis started healing after barefoot shoes, working on mobility, and getting regular adjustments (ankle and heel) at the chiro. My plantar fasciitis was caused by the sole of my shoe ripping off in a jumping lunge.
I had PF too, working on calf mobility helped me a lot. It was funny because I saw a sports med doc about it and he started off by saying that he also had it. The standard protocols for fixing PF don't really work and I'm surprised we aren't adjusting our approach. Everyone focuses on the plantar fascia and nothing else and want thick hokas with mega arch support and that really doesn't do anything but mask symptoms.
@@blobpoop457 It turns out other Physios I consulted were also wrong about the diagnosis. I'm dealing with posterior tibialis tendonopathy, which can be mistaken for plantar fasciitis. I've been working with a new Physio for a few weeks now, doing somewhat different exercises and getting shockwave therapy. I'm slowly improving!
@@caleb7882 it’s definitely one of those lingering issues that doesn’t resolve itself on it’s own. From what I’ve been able to see online it seems like orthotics/ shoes with padding are recommended to be the “solution”. I’d rather not go that route since I’ve only got it on my left foot/ankle. Right foot feels fine in minimalist footwear and whenever I do try to wear conventional shoes now a days I immediately notice my toes getting squeezed together and a lack of proprioception. I think my issue might stem from over pronation on the left foot possibly caused by a hip dysfunction. Currently working with a physiotherapist but might have to drive out to see SquatU in person lol.
I kind of have flat feet too, but really it looks like the ankles are super flexible and role inward. And I think this is why I have pain while running. I would love to be able to run without pain!
Start lifting weights and don't skip legs day. Squats, Romanian deadlifts and calves raises. Actually I suggest doing weighted calves raises daily as the calves are responding to frequent, heavy simulation. They are used daily as we walk and became overtrained. You need to shock them. There is nothing a proper legs day cannot cure
You are talented! Thank you for finding the root cause of things rather than treating symptoms. If only the entire medics community would take your approach!
Arch height is massively tied to the ability of the calcaneus to properly invert and the tibia/femur to externally rotate. If you have flat feet, stand up and rotate your trunk left or right; whichever way your rotate, you will see that same side foot invert, supinate, and increase arch height and the opposite happen on the opposing side
As well as barefoot shoes, I got fabulous results from also wearing toe spreaders all day as I was walking and exercising. I tried them before but was only wearing them passively to very little result. Making sure I was wearing them while active made a huge difference!
I'm glad to hear! That's why I love correct toes so much - the idea is to wear them WHILE you're up and moving and doing so helps align the foot and strengthen it actively!
What was your experience in the beginning? Did you have any pain after 3 hours of wearing toe spacers? Did you gradually increase the time of wearing them, or did you just wear them 24/0 from the beginning, through pain?
@@detelina9365 the only thing I got pain wise, was that one of the curves under one of the spacers stuck out a tiny bit too much and would push into the pad of the ball of my foot and cause a tiny bit of discomfort so I just rounded that off a little with a toenail clippers. Also you just have to wear shoes with enough space in them to accommodate wearing the spacers at the same time so you're not forcing your toes against the inside of a narrow shoe! The other thing you can do is just wear the toe spacers with socks around the house if you don't have barefoot shoes just yet. I'm working from home a lot so I put them on in the morning and build up a lot of hours over the course of a day!
@@SquatUniversity I didn't want to mention a brand specifically but got Correct toes as my second pair, they've worked so quickly that they've been worth every penny. You're totally right about the shoe fit though, they're far more solid than the previous type I tried so if you're wearing shoes that are too narrow, they're definitely going to force your toes up against the wall of the shoes which might be uncomfortable. Thanks for all of the other squat suggestions, I'll definitely add those in! I've also got to start adding in some side to side foot movements too. My default from years of not wearing good shoes is my ankle is slightly to the inside of my foot so I want to work to reset that standard rolled in position if you have any suggestions! A physio suggested to stand on an edge with my foot half on / off and practice rolling on / off the edge to build up the muscles which should pull my ankle a bit more into alignment? Thanks again for the awesome channel!
I wear heavy duty flip flops everywhere I go due to the convenience and I feel like they help immensely with toe grip strength. I can walk about 6 miles in them fairly easily and I'm kind of curious if they would help other people as well.
I have flat feet but was told 20 years ago to wear shoes that fit wide and length,I also wear a supportive insole . I was a rock climber for years and those shoes are brutal , i wore an 9 when i am normally an 11 ouch. I love your channel lots of great info , thank you.
I also have flat feet who boulder and lead climb. What type of climbing shoes do you recommend? I really like evolv, because the shoes are slightly wider.
@@stevem220 I read an article that if someone weighs over 150 lbs . they should use stiffer shoes. This helped with flat feet i think, I liked Scarpa instinct all the versions of these over the years . I would use them then resole with 5.10 , then they would work ! I have a second toe that is longer so had some fit issues as well.,
Doc, it will be so helpful talking of barefoot shoes for training/everyday wear if you didn’t yet. Also talking pros and cons. For example I’m wearing them from almost 3 years but when I jump or skip the rope or run, at the end of my workout I feel pain in my metatarsal.. I have not an appropriate run technique for sure.. any advice on how to solve this problem?
Made the full switch to zero-drop wide-toe-box minimalist shoes just over 3 months ago. Have 2 pairs and I do everything these, every day, from training to walking to running to hiking to rucking. And in 3 months, my feet and my ankles have become much stronger and much more resilient. And having had flat feet for most of my life (I'm in my mid 40s) due to wearing padded and narrow-toe-box shoes, I'm finally starting to get my arch back. Totally rad! Keep on rockin'! 🤘
@@m.taylor I have a couple pairs of Vibrams, a pair of Xero, and a couple pairs of Whitin (which are low cost barefoot shoes found on Amazon that are a great bang for the buck, in my opinion).
I had arch support but not like that. Just had my Arch reconstruction on my foot . I have a lot of plates and screws in it. I have been in a cast for 4 months. Just able to weight bear. Went in to get a walking cast. Was surprised to see extreme flat arch. Only thing I can explain it looks like a Flintstone foot. Should I be concerned?
If you could "fix" my feet you'd win an award. I'm serious. I'm descended out of Africa and like many Africans, my feet look like I'm designed to not sink in sand. The foot store place was impressed with the way my foot spread on the print. I've got a point to my big toe too. My toes do not align. I've dealt with it by using orthotics. Edited to add: I sit in the "Asian squat" anyway because it's less strain on my back. Interesting...
I have a flat foot! I used to squat in super tight heel elevated lifting shoes. But now I dont, my foot was literally trapped in that shoe. Ever since I squatted bare foot with the intention of squatting with a tripod feet - heel, little and big toe over the past 6 months, I've noticed that I can create an arch in my foot as I squat. Im always consciously thinking of all my toes grabbing onto the floor. HOnestly I've also found a significant difference in my squats and less pain in my knees. Barefoot but also connecting mind to your toes. think of it grabbing onto the floor just like your fingers grabbing onto things. I hope this comment helps others.
My physiotherapist has told me to wear stability shoes such as the asics kayano 30, which prevent me from over pronation & has prescribed me to put insoles in my gym shoes along with that i have been also told to do certain exercises on daily basis for getting higher arches. What do you think, is it viable?
I have flat feet and people said I couldn't sprint. But this was after I had finished competing in athletics and football (soccer). I was already one of the fastest sprinters and these people said I can't sprint. 😂
Can you do one on high arches in the future? I have some of the worst curvature on feet you'll ever see - I've tried for 20+ years to fix it with zero success
There aren’t a lot of good shoe options for sports and activities. So even if we were to wear barefoot shoes daily do you have any recommendations for sport cleats/shoes, and should we put orthotics in those?
What kind of socks are people wearing with these barefoot shoes? Are normal socks ok or do you need to be barefoot or wear those toe'd socks to get the benefit?
Not having an medial arch will then lead to the collapse or the other 2 arches . Which will throw proper alignment of the body off being the feet are the main foundation of the body gravity will place force causing shearing on joints/ligaments/tendons/fascia all causing eventual pain with time .
I am experiencing that now. I have extra weight, hyper mobile knees with osteo. My legs/feet/hips/knees are very painful & calfs cramp. Hard to stand for any length of time. Cane no longer supportive enough. Rollator helps.
My daughter is having that now she just turned 21 I had bunion surgery and it was not the best however she is a severe pronator complains of pain all on inner side of foot that continues down the inner side and to the botttom of foot to end aroun the front top back of arch area. She has numbness in her rt foot now and I’m trying to find the best shoe for her but I need the shoe to cover a wide toe box for her bunion, flat feet and the motion control for the severe probation problem she does have scoliosis that doesn’t help in her upper spine as well
I stubbed my big toe on my right foot several years ago going from a headstand into Chaturanga. It hurt a lot, but I just thought it heal naturally without any type of intervention . Now my right toe has less range of motion and my left big toe, but it’s still functional . However, it feels like the metatarsal is bigger than my other one . I’ve been working diligently for the last two years, but still can’t squat on my toes and reach my right knee to the floor was the base of my big toe staying flat to the grounnd. How can I tell if it is just tendons and ligaments that is still restricting full ROM. It also feels like there is chronic swelling or information around the face of my big toe into the metatarsal head.
Hey Iv been having a lot of issues with lat pull downs with my shoulders clicking and popping in that range of motion usually on the part when my arms are extending outwards or at the point of peak contraction. Would you have any exercises that could improve my shoulder mobility over that range of motion? Thank you very much.
Just confirming: so the arch function I gain from these exercises is not just for strength training, its also transferable to everyday movement, right?
Any suggestion where to buy online barefoot shoes for kids? I have a 6 years old kid who’s flat footed, she have issue walking because of that. Really appreciate if you can suggest legit online stores that do ship internationally. We’re currently living in Kuwait. Thank you so much 🙏
I have very flat feet and a year ago tore my ACL I think due to the knee dropping inwards and then rotating. I'm working hard now on strong feet as well as quads, and remembering to push my knees out while squatting
I’m a lifelong athlete. The podiatrist is informing me my right foot is too far gone. That I’ll need surgery to correct it. It’s bad. Is surgery necessary in some cases and no way around it? Thanks.
I never noticed it, but when I started going to the gym, my big brother gave me his old Nike free and they are perfect. They are running shoes but pretty flat and as wide as barefoot shoes.
I get the whole wide shoe thing but what can you realistically do in situations where you need to bite the bullet, like sports that require footwear, let's say snowboarding, soccer, etc. where even the widest options are still fairly narrow
I have flat fleet and people always told me that's was bad and I should do something about it. But turn out that's my feet are extremely healthy the way they are even compare to those who have an arch, so I guess it's just my genetic 🤔
![How To FIX Flat Feet: 16 BEST Home Remedies [Shoes & Arch Insoles]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ITxKADQg_NI/mqdefault.jpg)
Let's take a survey... how many of you have been told you have 'flat feet' and need to wear orthotics or "supportive" shoes? In my experience, 99% of the patients I see who have been told this do NOT have bad feet at all, but just low arches that need the things we discussed in this video. I'm interested to hear your experience.
I'm flat footed and use orthotics when wearing footwear with minimal to zero cushioning for example vans hi and lo tops otherwise they just will not fit properly. I have also been told that my flat feet were the cause of my knee pains due to underdeveloped leg muscles.
This is am amazing video which I wish had existed 30-40 years ago, I love your content
I've always been told that my feet are flat and that I need orthotics. Over time, however, I have developed a small arch in my foot, but if I get myself in a pair of shoes that are wide, I know my feet would improve drastically!
@@Mathilda2zero I reckon your skepticism is a safe approach but based upon the quality of information from Squat University to date I'm going to trust this will yield desirable results.
My case, but I inquired about it and both professionals (podologist and orthopedics) told me that it's not possible to build foot archew with exercise or any other way...
Yes.
Started wearing custom orthotics at 14.
A podiatrist told me my knee pain from jogging was due to flat feet.
I was told by a orthopedic that I have flat feet, and that's why my feet would hurt after hiking.
After 10 years, another orthopedic diagnosed a heel spur, I was in serious pain at that point. My knees also hurt. I had painful treatments and more and more orthopedic stuff were sold to me. And the suggestion I should lose weight. So I went on a diet, lost 15 kilos, and the problems got worse. I was at year 5 of pain.
Then I met my a strength training coach, in opposite of the various doctors, she saw what I needed: strength training. After 6 weeks of backsquats, deadlifts etc. EVERY Problem and pain was gone! She also introduced me to your Instagram channel btw. Great coach in Munich, Germany: Lea Peters, she works at Gold's
I’m so glad to hear you’re doing better! Thanks for sharing your story!
i've come to believe strength training is what everybody needs but that's an inconvenient truth to most. Even a little bit of motivation and consistency goes such a long way towards bettering your quality of life
@@WadaMalone i don't think it's inconvenient. My experience is that most people think about cardio when they hear gym, training, or fitness. And cardio is just not for everyone.
@@henryjones6957 i dont think cardio should be separated from strength training when talking about gym or training? i understand you can isolate parts to concentrate but its natural and logical and symmetrical and balanced when cardio involves strength and strenght involves cardio? just the natural order of things...... but thats just me and how i view things.... what im trying to say is i dont think you should force your body into doing unatural things or to overcompensate etc.... only if you know what youre doing though i might add
@@antwango the best case scenario is both, yes. But if a coach tells a heavily obese person to go for a run every morning, they just lost a client. Let them use the potential of carrying heavy things around, instead of forcing them to do cardio (at this point)
I had flat feet - trained for a year barefoot… I now have a neutral arch in both feet!
That's awesome to hear.
@@SquatUniversity😊 I did this with a loop band above ankles for squatting, SL RDL’s, Bulgarian Split squats, walking along a battle rope - all barefoot!
@@sidrens1047hey man sorry to bother but I was just wandering do you wear bearfoot shoes or normal ones for day to day activities, thanks in advance.
@@kodostricks7983 I wear ASICS wide foot running shoes for daily. However, barefoot at home and at the gym for all S&C. I use loop bands around mid or lower shin to enhance medial arch with opening hips. All the best buddy!
@@kodostricks7983 I wear my barefoot shoes more often than normal sneakers and boots (90/10). Fortunately for me, they happen to be the best footwear option in my new line of work. Before that, I’ve put countless hours & miles in steel toe boots and military boots. The current barefoot shoe market has a wide range of styles that are appropriate for casual activities, the outdoors, even date night. Hope this helps.
I am 48 and work outside. This channel has been crucial. My primary care physician seems only to take blood samples. I went to a clinic, and the person looked up stretches on a laptop-useless. The direction in hipwork alone from this channel was a gamechanger and I can actually run again. Sure, it's on a treadmill, but my range of motion and decreased pain - you're doing the Lord's work, my friend. I wish I had a million dollars to give you.
I was wearing orthotics for 5 years and still having pain after long walks. I found online by myself about barefoot and started wearing them. All problems gone since then
This guy has been my inspiration for many years.
Quick tip, when walking or standing you should try pressing your toes into the ground just a bit harder.
A lot of people with these problems are hypermobile, a connective tissue disorder that loosens the joints. Their joints don’t support as much as they should and they fall into eachother. For most people their toes are pretty rigid. Mine are really flexible so I wasn’t pushing them into the ground because for most people it’s automatic. When this happened, my arches also lifted up. My knee pain evaporated not even kidding 😭😭 The residuals are the only thing left. I feel like I have more upper body strength too. For some reason I could never be explosive with my movements. Now, I can and it feels great like why wasn’t this taught to me 😭😭😭
Heyy im hypermobile. Can you maybe explain this more? I have a lot of ankle problems. How should I stand properly?😊
This is soooo true! I am hyper mobile but as a 67 year old woman this was an unheard of notion in my younger years. I was told to wear orthotics for decades by podiatrists and all it did was tip my foot over because I didn’t have the strong tendons to hold my foot flat - two knee replacements later I have finally thrown away the orthotics and I am working on building strength in my arch. I only have one foot which over pronates with the big toe ‘popping up’ and making wearing covered hard leather shoes painful but I am making progress and my ‘bad’ foot is starting to look and perform like my ‘good’ foot, Better late than never!
Your videos really helped me transition into barefoot shoes.. I wear them barefoot shoes everywhere nowadays.
I had one question to ask, how does duck feet happen? Thanks for reading!
I’m not a doctor but I have flat feet, and I was told I wanted to walk so badly when I was a baby, and my parents held my hands and I kinda forced walked, my mother told me she regrets it because after that my feet got flat. Also I have very bad balance and my doc said it might be correlated to the fact I got “help” while learning walking as well.
And the ongoing battle of finding a workboot that don't destroy feet for people who work in the trades continues... sigh
I have flat feet and changing to barefoot shoes has been profoundly beneficial to my health, I no longer feel joint pains that I got from wearing insoles. And I also can lift much heavier.
If I were to start wearing barefoot shoes can I just go right ahead and wear them all the time or should I gradually increase the time I wear them until it becomes comfortable??
Here in the canaries 🇮🇨🇪🇸 doctors said that we have to go to the beach and do several walkings on the sand of the beach for a healthy feet. And the logic is to getting stronger, because the sand and the rocks that you get into the walk.
This guy is awesome, thanks a lot I was just doing that for 20 so wild I’ll in corporate the squat 🤘🏻
3:00 crazy that he designed these shoes and also cut them up so we can understand this video
This looks smart and helpfull .. I have a flatt foot . And it takes an effort to run, squat, deadlifts, and long distance walking
I have to develope a technique for everything . Definitely will try the heel raise and the shoes
Thank you posting posting this video! I’ve had flat feet my entire life, including some implications. How often should you do the given exercises? Start with once per week and build up from there, or can you do these exercises every day?
I'd say every other day, give your body a day of rest to build new muscle between exercises.
I have flat feet and the arch cramps all the time. I’m very active and fit.
I have pes cavus, the pain that it provokes is huge so i rather have flat feet
You’re doing good work, great information!!
Very good explanation doctor Aaron. I very like your job. I like use with my clients this exercises and stimulus in longus peroneal and tibialis as well for stabilization feet.
Anybody with naturally flat feet: squat and deadlift barefoot. Start out with a trainer who can show you the proper foot form. You'll be amazed how quickly your ankles strengthen.
Shin tattoos. Respect bro.
Good presentation 👍👍
Informative video ♥
Damn those latae muscles... Wait... you say we were talking about flat feet..? I stand by my comment.
I think I prefer the before
I can only squat on my toes, I cant squat on flat feet or I fall backwards. I guess I have the reverse problem of this.
hope you can analyze a child’s flat foot. will practice with my child.
How to strengthen the arch when someone has metatarsal pain and cannot stand on them
NO FLAT FOOT 💯🤡BUT WILL FOLLOW YOUR GUIDE TO IMPROVEMENTS TOP TOP NOTCH CONTENT
What If I've used custom arch supports for 20 years and when I don't use em my arches burn and feel like they ripping
My father is so against flat footed shoes
When you say “external hip rotation” and I’m watching your demonstrator, do you mean just like rotating the angle of your foot outwards more during the squat, or do you mean like having your hips facing out/straight like in ballet? I see his body doing both and I wasn’t sure which was the source of the correction and which just ends up in that position (e.g. foot naturally points outward more when you rotate your knee outwards more)
I'm shocked.
Recommend a wide toe box sneaker, water proof, under $100 just for walking around doing errands/going to work?
What are your recommendations for high arches and possibly plantar fascitis?
How does this help if one has massive bunions? The foot naturally is narrow because the big toe is inward. It won’t matter if I wear shoes with a wide toe box since the toes are forced inward anyway.
I wear crocs almost everyday and ive seen a major difference in my foot pains however im noticing that my shoulders are uneven so im not sure what to do now
So I have absolutely no arch
Por favor traducir al español
Tus explicaciones son geniales y han cambiado mi vida
Pero tengo problemas con el inglés
Gracias
I have flat feet AND narrow feet, what shoes should i wear?
Freaking Quadzilla over here
No studies at all. If you have studies to your claims, please post a link to it.
Please, begging, can you make videos for this who have a tricep pain 😭 went to so many doctor "everything seems alright" they sy 🙄 have had it now for 5 years please help
Как вариант, можно ещё пробовать пальцы будто под себя поджимать, должно добавить устойчивости.
Its like with the bridges. You cant support a bridge just in the middle of bridge's lenght. Same with feet, so whats the point with orthopedic shoes and insoles when they take away our built-in amortization mechanisms, make our feet lazy and dependant on them
Told that many times as physiotherapist. Its so logical yet many of my colleagues thought im a madman lol
Can I use the TYR shoes for running? Also, I’m looking for a vid fixing running pain. On the bad side of my leg above the ankle….
Good suggestion 👌👍🏻
My 13 years old son has flat feet
Can you please suggest shoes .for outside and and school.
Pls reply
I was born with flat feet, is there anything I can use to help me with the pain?😢
What would I do for playing sports? Should I find wide-toe box shoes?
Please. My autistic daughter 15yo have overpro foot plus hypotonic. Im lost in sea of scams salesmans and doctors without any help. How can i help her? Thank you.
What if you have a bunion with limited ROM?
@squatuniversity can you talk about shoes and shoe brands that are good for this aside from just tyre? Cuz can’t wear those every occasion
My feet have collapsed arches, so severe that my family was considering surgery at some point. However after visits to multiple Ortho surgeons they decided to take another approach. I remember I was forced to walk on the tips of my toes when at home. Sometimes for hours every day. I considered it torture at the time, but years later my arch muscles have strengthened so much I can function perfectly even with the worst flat foot imaginable. I can't thank them enough.
Do you now have arches?
question what does walking on the tips of your toes do to help with flat feet ?
Thank you for sharing your experience, im glad you're doing better now
Do you have arches now? I’m desperately looking for answers 😔
I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis by an incompetent PT 5 weeks ago and said I needed custom orthotic insoles. She quickly made a referral to the Chiro who was going to charge me 500 bucks s a pair. Through your videos and some online research I found out my toes are misaligned and my glutes weak. I've been working on strengthening my feet and glutes, as well as wearing correct toes. Gonna look into getting some wide toe box shoes. Thanks Doc!
My plantar fasciitis started healing after barefoot shoes, working on mobility, and getting regular adjustments (ankle and heel) at the chiro. My plantar fasciitis was caused by the sole of my shoe ripping off in a jumping lunge.
I had PF too, working on calf mobility helped me a lot. It was funny because I saw a sports med doc about it and he started off by saying that he also had it. The standard protocols for fixing PF don't really work and I'm surprised we aren't adjusting our approach. Everyone focuses on the plantar fascia and nothing else and want thick hokas with mega arch support and that really doesn't do anything but mask symptoms.
@@squirrel3443any shoe names that you can share
@DCRivs Hey how are you feet doing now after exercise ?
@@blobpoop457 It turns out other Physios I consulted were also wrong about the diagnosis. I'm dealing with posterior tibialis tendonopathy, which can be mistaken for plantar fasciitis. I've been working with a new Physio for a few weeks now, doing somewhat different exercises and getting shockwave therapy. I'm slowly improving!
The quads on this guy!
The everything! He's an athlete, it's obvious.
Tippy toe high is wild
Thank you so much for making the 3D models. It makes the visualization so helpful and helps understanding
I’d appreciate a vid on post tib tendinitis. I’m seeing conflicting views on barefoot minimalist footwear when it comes to treating that.
I'll see what I can put together on that topic.
@@SquatUniversity thank you 🙏🏼
I second this! It’s been keeping me from running and there’s a lack of quality information on treatment out there. Squat U needs to tackle this one!
@@caleb7882 it’s definitely one of those lingering issues that doesn’t resolve itself on it’s own. From what I’ve been able to see online it seems like orthotics/ shoes with padding are recommended to be the “solution”. I’d rather not go that route since I’ve only got it on my left foot/ankle. Right foot feels fine in minimalist footwear and whenever I do try to wear conventional shoes now a days I immediately notice my toes getting squeezed together and a lack of proprioception. I think my issue might stem from over pronation on the left foot possibly caused by a hip dysfunction. Currently working with a physiotherapist but might have to drive out to see SquatU in person lol.
Great topic!
I kind of have flat feet too, but really it looks like the ankles are super flexible and role inward. And I think this is why I have pain while running. I would love to be able to run without pain!
Start lifting weights and don't skip legs day. Squats, Romanian deadlifts and calves raises. Actually I suggest doing weighted calves raises daily as the calves are responding to frequent, heavy simulation. They are used daily as we walk and became overtrained. You need to shock them.
There is nothing a proper legs day cannot cure
You are talented! Thank you for finding the root cause of things rather than treating symptoms. If only the entire medics community would take your approach!
Been doing barefoot for 4 years now and just picked up my DropZero from Tyr. Love them.
Arch height is massively tied to the ability of the calcaneus to properly invert and the tibia/femur to externally rotate. If you have flat feet, stand up and rotate your trunk left or right; whichever way your rotate, you will see that same side foot invert, supinate, and increase arch height and the opposite happen on the opposing side
As well as barefoot shoes, I got fabulous results from also wearing toe spreaders all day as I was walking and exercising. I tried them before but was only wearing them passively to very little result. Making sure I was wearing them while active made a huge difference!
I'm glad to hear! That's why I love correct toes so much - the idea is to wear them WHILE you're up and moving and doing so helps align the foot and strengthen it actively!
What was your experience in the beginning? Did you have any pain after 3 hours of wearing toe spacers?
Did you gradually increase the time of wearing them, or did you just wear them 24/0 from the beginning, through pain?
@@detelina9365 the only thing I got pain wise, was that one of the curves under one of the spacers stuck out a tiny bit too much and would push into the pad of the ball of my foot and cause a tiny bit of discomfort so I just rounded that off a little with a toenail clippers. Also you just have to wear shoes with enough space in them to accommodate wearing the spacers at the same time so you're not forcing your toes against the inside of a narrow shoe! The other thing you can do is just wear the toe spacers with socks around the house if you don't have barefoot shoes just yet. I'm working from home a lot so I put them on in the morning and build up a lot of hours over the course of a day!
@@SquatUniversity I didn't want to mention a brand specifically but got Correct toes as my second pair, they've worked so quickly that they've been worth every penny. You're totally right about the shoe fit though, they're far more solid than the previous type I tried so if you're wearing shoes that are too narrow, they're definitely going to force your toes up against the wall of the shoes which might be uncomfortable. Thanks for all of the other squat suggestions, I'll definitely add those in! I've also got to start adding in some side to side foot movements too. My default from years of not wearing good shoes is my ankle is slightly to the inside of my foot so I want to work to reset that standard rolled in position if you have any suggestions! A physio suggested to stand on an edge with my foot half on / off and practice rolling on / off the edge to build up the muscles which should pull my ankle a bit more into alignment?
Thanks again for the awesome channel!
@SquatUniversity thanks to your suggestion, i purchased them... wore them so much, i need to get a new set! Thanks!
I wear heavy duty flip flops everywhere I go due to the convenience and I feel like they help immensely with toe grip strength. I can walk about 6 miles in them fairly easily and I'm kind of curious if they would help other people as well.
I have flat feet but was told 20 years ago to wear shoes that fit wide and length,I also wear a supportive insole . I was a rock climber for years and those shoes are brutal , i wore an 9 when i am normally an 11 ouch. I love your channel lots of great info , thank you.
Yeah, my long boney toes and climbing shoes don't go together! 😂
I also have flat feet who boulder and lead climb. What type of climbing shoes do you recommend? I really like evolv, because the shoes are slightly wider.
@@stevem220 I read an article that if someone weighs over 150 lbs . they should use stiffer shoes. This helped with flat feet i think, I liked Scarpa instinct all the versions of these over the years . I would use them then resole with 5.10 , then they would work ! I have a second toe that is longer so had some fit issues as well.,
@@stevem220for me ocun ozone HV works great, this is a special variant for wide feet. Never had evolvs on my foot tho
Doc, it will be so helpful talking of barefoot shoes for training/everyday wear if you didn’t yet. Also talking pros and cons. For example I’m wearing them from almost 3 years but when I jump or skip the rope or run, at the end of my workout I feel pain in my metatarsal.. I have not an appropriate run technique for sure.. any advice on how to solve this problem?
Made the full switch to zero-drop wide-toe-box minimalist shoes just over 3 months ago. Have 2 pairs and I do everything these, every day, from training to walking to running to hiking to rucking. And in 3 months, my feet and my ankles have become much stronger and much more resilient. And having had flat feet for most of my life (I'm in my mid 40s) due to wearing padded and narrow-toe-box shoes, I'm finally starting to get my arch back. Totally rad!
Keep on rockin'! 🤘
Which brand of minimalist shoe are you using?
@@m.taylor I have a couple pairs of Vibrams, a pair of Xero, and a couple pairs of Whitin (which are low cost barefoot shoes found on Amazon that are a great bang for the buck, in my opinion).
@@harryv6752 I just ordered mine today! I started doing squats and rebounding both barefoot.
I had arch support but not like that. Just had my Arch reconstruction on my foot . I have a lot of plates and screws in it. I have been in a cast for 4 months. Just able to weight bear. Went in to get a walking cast. Was surprised to see extreme flat arch. Only thing I can explain it looks like a Flintstone foot. Should I be concerned?
If you could "fix" my feet you'd win an award. I'm serious. I'm descended out of Africa and like many Africans, my feet look like I'm designed to not sink in sand. The foot store place was impressed with the way my foot spread on the print. I've got a point to my big toe too. My toes do not align. I've dealt with it by using orthotics.
Edited to add: I sit in the "Asian squat" anyway because it's less strain on my back. Interesting...
I have a flat foot! I used to squat in super tight heel elevated lifting shoes. But now I dont, my foot was literally trapped in that shoe.
Ever since I squatted bare foot with the intention of squatting with a tripod feet - heel, little and big toe over the past 6 months, I've noticed that I can create an arch in my foot as I squat. Im always consciously thinking of all my toes grabbing onto the floor. HOnestly I've also found a significant difference in my squats and less pain in my knees.
Barefoot but also connecting mind to your toes. think of it grabbing onto the floor just like your fingers grabbing onto things.
I hope this comment helps others.
I had a surgery to correct flat feet and it fucked my ankle mobility, is there a way to fix it?
My physiotherapist has told me to wear stability shoes such as the asics kayano 30, which prevent me from over pronation & has prescribed me to put insoles in my gym shoes along with that i have been also told to do certain exercises on daily basis for getting higher arches. What do you think, is it viable?
Waiting on a response to this question as my feet over pronate. Please answer this question ⁉️
Awesome to see the collaboration. Both of you are high calibre
I have flat feet and people said I couldn't sprint. But this was after I had finished competing in athletics and football (soccer). I was already one of the fastest sprinters and these people said I can't sprint. 😂
I've been telling my students this for years. But still the podiatrists win out and sell them something.
Can you also please adress some videos on neck pain and causes? Like McGill big 3 but for the neck?
I’ll see what I can out together
My concern are soccer shoes, what do we do there? They are all narrow and we constantly train in them every day
Ballet bar exercises will definitely improve your feet forever.
Can you do one on high arches in the future? I have some of the worst curvature on feet you'll ever see - I've tried for 20+ years to fix it with zero success
Good question, I think that is an overlooked problem (much more than flat feet).
There aren’t a lot of good shoe options for sports and activities. So even if we were to wear barefoot shoes daily do you have any recommendations for sport cleats/shoes, and should we put orthotics in those?
I have really bad flat feet and it hurts really bad when I run
You have our country flag above that door🙂
What kind of socks are people wearing with these barefoot shoes? Are normal socks ok or do you need to be barefoot or wear those toe'd socks to get the benefit?
Could you do a video on over arched feet
Sure - thanks for the suggestion
I had flat foot and now have a neutral arch on my feet just by watching this video
I've got really hollow feet. Which cause many kind of problems.
I'll be happy to know how to "fix" it 😊
Not having an medial arch will then lead to the collapse or the other 2 arches . Which will throw proper alignment of the body off being the feet are the main foundation of the body gravity will place force causing shearing on joints/ligaments/tendons/fascia all causing eventual pain with time .
I am experiencing that now. I have extra weight, hyper mobile knees with osteo. My legs/feet/hips/knees are very painful & calfs cramp. Hard to stand for any length of time. Cane no longer supportive enough. Rollator helps.
My daughter is having that now she just turned 21 I had bunion surgery and it was not the best however she is a severe pronator complains of pain all on inner side of foot that continues down the inner side and to the botttom of foot to end aroun the front top back of arch area. She has numbness in her rt foot now and I’m trying to find the best shoe for her but I need the shoe to cover a wide toe box for her bunion, flat feet and the motion control for the severe probation problem she does have scoliosis that doesn’t help in her upper spine as well
I stubbed my big toe on my right foot several years ago going from a headstand into Chaturanga.
It hurt a lot, but I just thought it heal naturally without any type of intervention .
Now my right toe has less range of motion and my left big toe, but it’s still functional .
However, it feels like the metatarsal is bigger than my other one .
I’ve been working diligently for the last two years, but still can’t squat on my toes and reach my right knee to the floor was the base of my big toe staying flat to the grounnd.
How can I tell if it is just tendons and ligaments that is still restricting full ROM.
It also feels like there is chronic swelling or information around the face of my big toe into the metatarsal head.
Hey Iv been having a lot of issues with lat pull downs with my shoulders clicking and popping in that range of motion usually on the part when my arms are extending outwards or at the point of peak contraction. Would you have any exercises that could improve my shoulder mobility over that range of motion? Thank you very much.
Hey, I have forefoot varus and have had Latham fasciitis for over a year. Would these concepts still apply to me or would an orthotic be necessary?
Just confirming: so the arch function I gain from these exercises is not just for strength training, its also transferable to everyday movement, right?
WOW! I've never heard this before.
Healthy feet ,here I come
I love the blow by blow info. I'm so glad I found you.
Any suggestion where to buy online barefoot shoes for kids?
I have a 6 years old kid who’s flat footed, she have issue walking because of that.
Really appreciate if you can suggest legit online stores that do ship internationally. We’re currently living in Kuwait.
Thank you so much 🙏
I have very flat feet and a year ago tore my ACL I think due to the knee dropping inwards and then rotating. I'm working hard now on strong feet as well as quads, and remembering to push my knees out while squatting
I’m a lifelong athlete. The podiatrist is informing me my right foot is too far gone. That I’ll need surgery to correct it. It’s bad. Is surgery necessary in some cases and no way around it? Thanks.
Hey! Do you have any experience with chronic compartment syndrome in forearms?
I never noticed it, but when I started going to the gym, my big brother gave me his old Nike free and they are perfect. They are running shoes but pretty flat and as wide as barefoot shoes.
thanks , if you make your videos CC , we can edit and reupload it again with credit and link to your great videos .
I have a flat right foot, been focusing on engaging my arches when i stand and walk, and all of a sudden my hip is sore after engaging my arch.
I get the whole wide shoe thing but what can you realistically do in situations where you need to bite the bullet, like sports that require footwear, let's say snowboarding, soccer, etc. where even the widest options are still fairly narrow
I have flat fleet and people always told me that's was bad and I should do something about it. But turn out that's my feet are extremely healthy the way they are even compare to those who have an arch, so I guess it's just my genetic 🤔
So nice to finally hear someone talk about the Functional Flat Foot. Thank you 👏🏾