Why Ballet Flats Are Bad For You
8/6/2021
We get why ballet flats may be in your shoe collection. They’re easy to style, take no time to slip on, and heck, they can even roll up into your bag for a night out. You may not know it, but your super-flexible, soft, flat ballet flat is doing more harm than good.
We tend to take the complexity of our feet for granted. When we walk, our feet do their job in keeping us upright and help move us forward.
When we start feeling foot pain, our knees or lower back start to give us grief, and we begin to look at what could be the cause of our discomfort.
When assessing their patients, one of the first things podiatrists look at is the footwear they are wearing. The super-flat ballet flat is high on their ‘no wonder’ shoe list.
Typically, you’ll find ballet flats are:
Completely flat: Straining your plantar fascia, Achilles tendon and calf muscles.
Thin soled with no cushioning: Providing no shock absorption.
Super flexible: Encouraging incorrect foot flex.
Floppy heel counter: Forcing your foot over the middle of the shoe.
Slip-on: Your toes do all the work in holding the shoe on your foot.
Shallow and narrow: Squishing your poor toes!
Rather than aiding function, your ballet flats are likely inhibiting it. If you're unsure if your flats support you, we recommend bend and push testing your shoes.
If you can bend your flat in half, you're encouraging incorrect foot flex. If you can push down the heel counter, there's nothing supporting your rear foot.
Never fear! Comfortable ballet flats are kinda’ our thing, and we’ll never create shoes that aren’t good for you.
