Exclusive Tips from Dr. Norbert L. Becker
Development of the Foot
An important step in the development of the foot was bringing the big toe into alignment with the other toes. Although it lost its grasping function as a result, it became important for stability when standing and for dynamic movement when walking. The heel also became more stable and larger. This developmental process was only possible because the foot twisted like a spiral and no longer lay flat on the ground, as it does, for example, in chimpanzees. This is how the arches of the foot developed, which make it unique. We will return to this in a later post. Today, the human foot is designed and specialized for walking upright.
Our feet carry us around the Earth up to 4 times over the course of our lives without needing to be replaced. Shoes, however, do need to be replaced from time to time. When that happens, they should be as well-fitting and comfortable as possible.
Our feet are not only a stable base for standing; they are also rigid, solid levers that help us move. All the muscle and fascial chains that keep us upright and enable us to perform physical work and carry loads begin there. The arches of the foot are particularly important: they absorb and cushion the body’s weight and transfer it to the ground. At the same time, the foot is elastic and flexible. It can adapt to different surfaces and conditions and safely distribute the individual body weight onto the ground over its surface area of approximately 100 cm² per foot. However, learning to use the feet correctly and walk properly takes time. A child’s foot must first develop into a capable adult foot, much like the brain.
Human beings are therefore not born with fully developed feet. The bony framework of a newborn’s foot consists almost entirely of cartilage, which ossifies over the years. As children learn to stand securely and walk, their feet develop throughout childhood and reach their final individual adult form at the end of puberty. During this process, not only the bones and joints develop, but also the ligaments and, in particular, many muscles that tension and maintain the arches of the foot and actively respond and react under load.
Although all feet basically have the same structure, they are as individual as faces. You can recognize a person not only by their face but also by their feet. There are many ways to distinguish them. There are different physiological foot shapes based on toe shape, such as the ‘Egyptian’ foot with a long big toe, the ‘Greek’ foot in which the second toe is the longest, or the Roman foot type with straight toes. Feet can also be classified according to their footprint, such as flat feet, fallen arches, high-arched feet, or the so-called ‘normal foot’. There are also distinctions based on foot shape: the Germanic, Baltic, Anglo-Saxon, and Romance types. All these different shapes underscore the individuality of the foot and have no pathological significance.
Throughout life, the feet are subjected to considerable stress. They also age along with the rest of the body, and their functionality may become limited. This is another important reason to pay attention to your feet and provide them with good footwear.
In recent years, a new ‘awareness of the feet’ has also developed. Particularly in the area of ‘comfort shoes’, the industry now offers attractive footwear that effectively supports the functionality of the foot throughout its individual development.
More on this topic from Dr. Norbert L. Becker can be found at: www.fair2feet.com/
