Chapter 14: The Foot That Forgot the Ground
There are 200,000 nerve endings in each foot sole -- more than almost anywhere except your fingertips. The modern shoe is a sensory deprivation chamber for the most sophisticated ground-reading organ you own.
◆ Key Insights
The cushioned running shoe didn't exist before the 1970s -- and injury rates haven't improved since its invention
Barefoot populations show virtually zero rates of plantar fasciitis, bunions, and hammertoes
Falls are the leading cause of injury death in people over 65 -- weakened foot proprioception is a primary driver
The narrow toe box of modern shoes compresses toes into shapes no ancestral foot ever exhibited
70% of foot problems are caused by footwear, not by the feet themselves
Read the full chapter to learn why your feet are failing -- and why the solution may be less shoe, not more.
Want to read the full chapter?
Get all 34 chapters, 200+ scientific sources, and the interactive workbook.
Get Spiral Staircase on AmazonHow aligned is your life with what your body expects?
Take the Mismatch Assessment