Podiatrist · Specialist in Biomechanics · Founder of VOLKAN
"The shape of the foot can attract attention. Its function is what really matters."
"I have a flat foot… is that bad?"
It is one of the most frequently asked questions I hear in consultation.
Sometimes it is asked by a runner.
Other times by concerned parents because their child "doesn't have an arch."
And, in many cases, someone who has been convinced for years that the shape of their foot explains all their pain.
The reality is usually quite different.
For a long time we have classified feet almost as if they were labels.
Flat foot.
Cavus foot.
Pronator.
Supinator.
As if the shape of the foot were enough to predict how a person moves.
Today we know that it is not that simple.
Two identical feet can function completely differently.
Imagine two people with a very similar arch.
At first glance they seem to have exactly the same type of foot.
However, one runs marathons without discomfort and the other feels pain after walking for half an hour.
What has changed?
Not the shape.
The function.
Biomechanics does not only study how a structure is.
It studies how it works.
How it adapts.
How it responds to loads.
How it collaborates with the rest of the body.
Because a foot never works alone.
It is part of a much more complex system.
The obsession with correcting
For years, there has been a search to correct any foot that deviated from what was considered "normal."
But before attempting to modify a structure, it is wise to ask a question.
Is it functioning correctly?
If a person has a flat foot and performs their activity without pain, with good functional capacity and without limitations, perhaps that foot does not need to be corrected.
It needs to keep functioning.
The shape, by itself, rarely justifies an intervention.
The important thing is to understand if there is a functional problem.
And that difference completely changes the way to approach biomechanics.
What does this have to do with barefoot?
A lot.
When we talk about barefoot footwear, many people think it is for "creating an arch" or "correcting the foot."
That should not be the goal.
A good minimalist shoe does not change a person's anatomy.
What it can do is provide an environment where the foot has more freedom to express its function.
If that function is well preserved, it will probably participate more actively.
If there is a significant limitation, it will be necessary to evaluate each case individually.
That is why I never recommend a type of footwear by only looking at the shape of the foot.
First, I observe how it moves.
Then we decide which tool can help the most.
What I see every day in consultation
I have explored people with extraordinarily functional flat feet.
And also feet with an apparently perfect arch that presented significant movement limitations.
Over time I have learned that the shape of the foot attracts a lot of attention.
Function is what really determines how a person lives.
When the patient understands this, they stop obsessing over the appearance of their feet and start to be interested in how to use them better.
And that change in mindset is often the first step towards a smarter recovery.
What you can do starting today
The next time you look at your feet, try changing the question.
Instead of thinking:
"Do I have a pretty or ugly foot?"
Ask yourself:
"How does it function?"
Does it adapt to the terrain?
Does it participate when you walk?
Can you move your toes easily?
Does it fatigue quickly?
The answers to those questions say much more about your health than the shape of the arch.
🔬 In a sentence
The shape can describe a foot. The function explains how it lives.
The most important idea
In biomechanics, we do not seek the perfect foot.
We seek a foot capable of adapting to the needs of each person.
Because nature never designed two identical feet.
And, probably, it didn't need to.
A question to reflect on
If you had never seen the shape of your foot…
Would you think that there is a problem solely based on how you move or how you feel?
In the next article…
When we talk about walking naturally, many people imagine a completely bare foot.
But there is another question that is much more interesting.
What does a foot really do during a single step?
In the next article we will go through the complete cycle of the step to discover that walking is not a single movement, but a succession of extraordinarily precise adaptations.