Why the pros say to stretch your toes to protect your feet…
By contributor Arden Andrews.
Stretching is, in fact, a head-to-toe beneficial practice.
“The majority of footwear these days features a narrower toe box which constricts the forefoot,” Dr. Leah Howard tells me when I ask what the transparent set of Half Moon Joy-a-Toes spacers might really do in the long run. “When used properly, toe spreaders can help strengthen the intrinsic muscles of the feet as well as help prevent other painful injuries,” she says.
A board-certified chiropractor, Dr. Howard is part of BIÂN, an airy members-only space in Chicago that combines holistic and Eastern wellness with straightforward modern medicine — and looks like the fanciest private club yet. “We lead with the idea of holistic health here at BI N and our feet are no exception,” she says, noting that our feet form the foundation of the entire body.
Stretching is, in fact, a head-to-toe beneficial practice.
“The majority of footwear these days features a narrower toe box which constricts the forefoot,” Dr. Leah Howard tells me when I ask what the transparent set of Half Moon Joy-a-Toes spacers might really do in the long run. “When used properly, toe spreaders can help strengthen the intrinsic muscles of the feet as well as help prevent other painful injuries,” she says.
A board-certified chiropractor, Dr. Howard is part of BIÂN, an airy members-only space in Chicago that combines holistic and Eastern wellness with straightforward modern medicine — and looks like the fanciest private club yet. “We lead with the idea of holistic health here at BI N and our feet are no exception,” she says, noting that our feet form the foundation of the entire body.
It’s About More Than Just Toes
“Squeezed into a narrow shoe over and over again, our big toe can deviate towards the other toes,” Dr. Howard explains. “This structural instability of the foot can not only lead to foot pain, but could also translate to knee and or back pain.” As she’s telling me this, I have the little blue spacers tucked between my toes as if to prepare for a pedicure (which makes me think these are kind of dual-purpose) and they feel fine. After about 20 minutes I’ve had enough stretching. Also, with a 10-and-a-half-ish shoe size since my teens, what Dr. Howard is saying sounds kind of familiar.
Once, during a fashion internship where my superiors sent me all over London running errands like delivering sunglasses to a friend they’d seen at the club or mailing personal letters, my foot fractured. I’d been wearing a half-size-too-small pair of ballet flats for about six weeks — the first day I switched to boots, a bone inside just cracked. I got a $0 brace (universal healthcare!), packed up, peaced out, and flew home. A podiatrist later took a look at my feet and said something along the lines of “awww, it isn’t your fault.” I did, however, stop tempting fate with size 10s and moved all the way to a roomy 11 penthouse. Now, gazing at Half Moon’s DIY stretching tools, I can see how this kind of exercise would be useful.
“Squeezed into a narrow shoe over and over again, our big toe can deviate towards the other toes,” Dr. Howard explains. “This structural instability of the foot can not only lead to foot pain, but could also translate to knee and or back pain.” As she’s telling me this, I have the little blue spacers tucked between my toes as if to prepare for a pedicure (which makes me think these are kind of dual-purpose) and they feel fine. After about 20 minutes I’ve had enough stretching. Also, with a 10-and-a-half-ish shoe size since my teens, what Dr. Howard is saying sounds kind of familiar.
Once, during a fashion internship where my superiors sent me all over London running errands like delivering sunglasses to a friend they’d seen at the club or mailing personal letters, my foot fractured. I’d been wearing a half-size-too-small pair of ballet flats for about six weeks — the first day I switched to boots, a bone inside just cracked. I got a $0 brace (universal healthcare!), packed up, peaced out, and flew home. A podiatrist later took a look at my feet and said something along the lines of “awww, it isn’t your fault.” I did, however, stop tempting fate with size 10s and moved all the way to a roomy 11 penthouse. Now, gazing at Half Moon’s DIY stretching tools, I can see how this kind of exercise would be useful.
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Everyone should do their best to make their feet a top priority!”
Still, I’m not messing around with the tiniest bones in my body without a foot doctor’s perspective. I call up Dr. Brad Schaeffer, a board-certified foot and ankle surgeon with a swanky New York office and a regular spot on TLC’s My Feet Are Killing Me. “Being a podiatrist, I am a huge advocate for proper foot health,” he says. “I feel that everyone should do their best to make their feet a top priority!”
I’m kind of expecting him to turn his nose up at a holistic remedy, but instead, he’s into the product. “I feel Half Moon’s Joy-a-Toes is a great tool to have in someone’s back pocket,” he says, noting that they aren’t meant to reposition our toes or correct major structural issues. “But they should help alleviate some forms of pain when a person wears them,” he says.
And for people that don’t experience pain, there’s still a sensation to the experience that’s kind of like spending a few minutes on a pilates reformer. I piddle around with the spacers hidden in a pair of slippers before popping them back into their drawstring carrying case and congratulating myself on increasing my flexibility in lazy new ways.
I’m kind of expecting him to turn his nose up at a holistic remedy, but instead, he’s into the product. “I feel Half Moon’s Joy-a-Toes is a great tool to have in someone’s back pocket,” he says, noting that they aren’t meant to reposition our toes or correct major structural issues. “But they should help alleviate some forms of pain when a person wears them,” he says.
And for people that don’t experience pain, there’s still a sensation to the experience that’s kind of like spending a few minutes on a pilates reformer. I piddle around with the spacers hidden in a pair of slippers before popping them back into their drawstring carrying case and congratulating myself on increasing my flexibility in lazy new ways.
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