Thread: List of foot problems that can happen from dancing barefoot?

I want to compile a list of all the possible problems that can happen if you don't wear shoes when dancing. Things like viruses (all the different ones), athlete's foot, toenail fungus and other fungi issues, any disease type of problem like that. Obviously stepping on beads and coins that fall off costumes, broken glass in restaurants, food you could slip on in restaurants, anything else you can step on is a problem. Are there ways that shoes stabilize your feet or something like that? For example, do shoes keep the little bones in your feet from getting stressed? I don't know all the possibilities so I'm hoping you guys can help me compile a good list.

Originally Posted by Darbla

For example, do shoes keep the little bones in your feet from getting stressed?

Actually the evidence is mounting up that shoes make your feet weaker (assuming you don't need orthodics). Here they are training athletes at least 50% bare foot to build up muscles and improve gait.

I have to agree with Kashmir.
I have bunions: partly caused by genetics and partly caused from footwear (thong sandals, heels, etc). Dancing can aggravate them BUT since I started doing Barkan Style hot yoga (4-7 x a week since September) my bunions don't ache anymore. Like ever, even with lots of dancing. Yoga is done barefoot and it seems to have strengthened my overall foot muscles with wonderful results.

Another thing to research is all those barefoot runners out there. Check out Barefoot Ted.

I think shoes are a must for restaurant performances and other venues where the flooring is questionable.

Unless you are wearing a full, supportive shoe, you will not get much orthopedic benefit from dance footwear, but how much benefit you get depends on the issue. If you have a discrepancy in leg length or plantar fasciitis/heel pain, then being able to add to your shoes is helpful. If you have arch or ankle instabilities, dance slippers are better than nothing, but not fully supportive. (Think about the improvement you'd see by duct-taping an orthotic to your bare foot or wearing a light, elastic ankle brace--better than nothing, but not the stable, substantive correction a doctor wants to see.)

It is important to note that wearing the wrong footwear is hazardous, so there can be a downside to wearing shoes, too. Obviously, it is foolish to wear shoes that don't fit properly, especially if they slip around or rub blisters. Floor surface is a factor, too. Soles that are too slippery or too grabby can lead to injury, so if you want to dance in shoes, make sure you have shoes for the different occasions you may encounter (sturdy sole for outdoors, suede sole for smooth floors, a semi-smooth sole for carpet, etc.).

That sounds interesting Darbla, I'd love to see your list when you finish it-

Originally Posted by Darbla

I want to compile a list of all the possible problems that can happen if you don't wear shoes when dancing. Things like viruses (all the different ones), athlete's foot, toenail fungus and other fungi issues, any disease type of problem like that. Obviously stepping on beads and coins that fall off costumes, broken glass in restaurants, food you could slip on in restaurants, anything else you can step on is a problem. Are there ways that shoes stabilize your feet or something like that? For example, do shoes keep the little bones in your feet from getting stressed? I don't know all the possibilities so I'm hoping you guys can help me compile a good list.

I think a truthful, fair, and balanced list would include both pros AND cons

Pros: keep feet clean, protect from sharp objects, also if you are doing a dance style with alot of pivoting and spinning, some kind of dance shoe or slipper can reduce the friction on the ball of the foot. I prefer ballet slippers because it makes pivots and spins feel more or less the same no matter what surface I'm dancing on.

Cons: as Kashmir mentioned, there is some evidence that going barefoot is a good thing. At my crossfit gym, I was specifically instructed to get flat soled cross-training shoes (with no arch support and little shock absorbance) for both lifting and running. Some people there lift, run, and train barefoot or wearing those skellytoes things.

I think that the traditional orthodox recommendations that you would still get from most podiatrists is that good, supportive shoes are good for your feet, and going barefoot is bad. While this may be true for people recovering from foot injuries or conditions, I think that mentality is shifting with respect to healthy, fit people.

Originally Posted by ssipes

I think that the traditional orthodox recommendations that you would still get from most podiatrists is that good, supportive shoes are good for your feet, and going barefoot is bad. While this may be true for people recovering from foot injuries or conditions, I think that mentality is shifting with respect to healthy, fit people.

The recommendations are very dependent on age and situation. If you're on safe surfaces (indoors or outdoors without danger of sharp debris, hot asphalt, etc.), they do say to go barefoot now. Going barefoot as much as possible is strongly recommend for most children. Once you're past puberty, if you don't have foot issues, go barefoot, wear sensible, properly fitted shoes, or wear un-sensible shoes (e.g., high heels) in moderation. The problem is if you're past puberty and you're dealing with a structural problem in your feet. Then they decide whether to recommend shoes or barefoot on a case-by-case basis.

If you've got the sort of foot where a lack of arch causes bunions or hammer toes (me), shoes may be better than barefoot. On one hand, barefoot strengthens the foot and it relieves the pressure pain that wearing shoes causes. On the other hand, the kind of foot that is prone to bunions or hammer toes is often the kind of foot that has an underlying skeletal abnormality, and all the barefoot in the world won't change the shape of genetically misproportioned, fully formed bones. Not wearing shoes may feel better foot-wise in the short term, but when a lack of arch ripples up the body, knocking other joints out of line, the shoes serve a purpose. It really depends on the particular pair of feet.

Our bodies were designed to function properly while barefoot. If a person makes bare feet a lifestyle, and goes barefoot outdoors a lot, the soles of the feet will build up HEALTHY callouses that offer excellent protection against the many hazards listed in the original post of this thread.

As a child, I used to live barefoot the whole summer long, as soon as school ended in the spring, until it resumed in the fall. The ONLY time I'd wear shoes would be when going somewhere that shoes were considered essential, such as church. By the end of summer, I could run barefoot across a gravel surface without feeling any discomfort at all. I remember stepping on a nail once. The callous was thick enough to intercept it before it could penetrate deep enough to do harm. The nail did not go deep enough to cause pain or bleeding. I just plucked it out, and I was fine. The same thing happened with broken glass once.

Our bodies know how to take care of us, but only if our lifestyles enable them to implement those defenses.

That said, I recommend that belly dancers wear shoes for class and performing because most people do not live a barefoot lifestyle, and therefore their feet have not created the callouses needed to protect them against hazards.

Are there any shoes that allow dancers to dance like they're barefoot, while protecting them from floor-borne infections? Ballet slippers keep my toes from spreading out.

In a perfect world, those shoes would be machine-washable, too. I have a feeling there's no perfect hygienic/orthopedic solution.

Originally Posted by sarahshimmies

Are there any shoes that allow dancers to dance like they're barefoot, while protecting them from floor-borne infections? Ballet slippers keep my toes from spreading out.

I like the ones from Aruba's Oasis. Aruba's Oasis Sandals: Leather Lace-up Belly Dance Sandals

sorry luv im in the barefoot camp too...i try to be barefoot all day everyday as often as possible when im not out and about whereit would be frowned on lol. socks are amongst my worst enemies

i also have gotten injuries from trying to dance in shoes and they bother my knee injury personally.

just my tiny two cents.

also if someone reading this knows a good deal about foot callousus can you PM me please? i dnt wanna highjack the thread w my question. :)

For those of us who can't go barefoot for various reasons (I will develop callouses, but I have been known to the get blisters UNDER my callouses! And these can easily become infected, which is not good!) I have found Ghilles work well, as do turning soles. (I was a ballerina. Ballet slippers work for me except that they have a thick sole which I find uncomfortable.) Many people for practice like foot under ez. I wear ballroom shoes for performance and am looking into getting a pair of jazz sneakers for workshops in places where the floor is questionable.

{{{HUGS}}}

Originally Posted by tahiradancer

am looking into getting a pair of jazz sneakers for workshops in places where the floor is questionable.

Choose carefully if you shop for jazz sneakers - be sure to get the type with smooth soles that will pivot freely. I made the mistake of not checking for that, and ended up with a pair that was too "grippy". After one day of a Mahmoud Reda workshop, with all its pivoting, my knees were quite sore, and it took a month for that pain to go away.

Originally Posted by sarahshimmies

Are there any shoes that allow dancers to dance like they're barefoot, while protecting them from floor-borne infections? Ballet slippers keep my toes from spreading out.

Have you looked at gymnastic slippers? I've never owned any, but I think they have stretch-knit uppers. Since you have to be able to pivot on a balance beam in them, I assume the soles aren't too grabby or slick.

In a perfect world, those shoes would be machine-washable, too.

I've thrown leather ballet slippers in a washer already. I wouldn't do it too often, but they'll survive it, and it didn't take too long to air dry them. The leather wasn't too stiff afterward, and the sole lining (which was already shifting) had to be realigned, but otherwise, the only downside was that the soles were squeaky on the studio floor at first. The next time I did it, I scuffed the suede back up before class, and they were fine.

The real question might be HEELS. Ballet slippers, dance sandals, etc, are protective and help turns and spins under many conditions; imo, some kind of shoe is a must if you're steady in restaurants and/or working outside, I have learned this the hard way. This is a simple matter of not getting hurt, getting your feet burned on asphalt, etc.

Heels on the other hand look gorgeous and may help with certain movements, however, they shorten leg muscles and can cause other injuries. I think they're the more critical question to ask, do I need these? On the other hand they are also protective of the sole of the feet, so....

A point about support: as we get older we start needing some. The muscles and ligaments of the arch aren't as strong. So, this becomes an issue not so much maybe when we're dancing but it's critical when we are not.

I wear really good shoes when I am not dancing and recently, stopped wearing my Minnetonkas for serious walking in the snow because they have exactly zero support. I got boots with real arch support.

That in turn has cut down on problems with my feet which were bugging me when I teach and perform.

It's probably something to think about even if you're young. Take care of your feet!

For class and practice I got a pair of split sole sneakers Tahira, similar to the ones Carolynn use to wear to class. They aren't cheap and they are ugly as can be but they do help. As for performing, I've been wearing open toe dance shoes with a small heel (under 2 inches). I can slip a arch support from Good Feet into them and pad the area where the ball of my foot rest. I injured my foot dancing bare foot 2 1/2 years and can no longer go up on my toes w/o it hurting. I'm now dancing more flat footed and the heels give the illusion of the height I need for certain moves.

Originally Posted by tahiradancer

For those of us who can't go barefoot for various reasons (I will develop callouses, but I have been known to the get blisters UNDER my callouses! And these can easily become infected, which is not good!) I have found Ghilles work well, as do turning soles. (I was a ballerina. Ballet slippers work for me except that they have a thick sole which I find uncomfortable.) Many people for practice like foot under ez. I wear ballroom shoes for performance and am looking into getting a pair of jazz sneakers for workshops in places where the floor is questionable.

{{{HUGS}}}