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Health & Fitness

My kids shoes suck!

My kids shoes suck! I can't find good shoes for my daughters. That is to say, I can't find healthy shoes. They are are only 4 and 7, so what is the concern? Every shoe I have found for them has a heel differential, a.k.a. a heel. Even the sneakers have a height difference between the heel and the toe. For every one degree that you raise the heel above the height of the toes, there is a one degree compensation in the knees, hips, back. A one-inch heel, equals a 20 degree compensation in the joints above the ankle. What's the big deal? How are your knees, hips, and/or back feeling today? That's 30-50 years in crappy shoes with heels. It doesn't end with the heels, all the shoes have arch support and a ton of cushioning. Kids, and most people, don't need that "technology" either. If fact, "supporting" a non-pathological foot is harmful. What happens to a broken wrist after it has been casted for six weeks? Two things primarily, the muscles atrophy and the motion becomes limited. The same thing happens to the foot after it has been jammed into shoes that are filled with "support" or any technology for that matter. There are exceptions of course, some people need support and cushioning, generally diabetics or people that have been wearing bad shoes all of their life. My solution? My kids don't wear shoes in the house. This shoeless time increases the strength of the intrinsic muscle of the foot and allows their bodies to unwind, reverse any compensation from wearing less that optimal shoes. As for what type of shoes they should be wearing, I prefer as little technology as possible. No arch support, no heel what so ever, and a bit of cushioning as they run around on hard surfaces outside. The problem is, this type of shoe doesn't exist for kids.

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