Your big toe is perhaps the single most important body part for efficient human locomotion. It is unique—it must operate independently from the other toes, and dynamically through multiple planes of motion, in order to absorb impact, balance moving bodyweight and initiate complex kinetic chain activity to generate forward propulsion. Wedging the big toe against the other toes in a compressed toe box nullifies its important role in the gait pattern. In particular, the big toe is the primary trigger for glute activation during the running stride, and to a lesser extent the walking stride.
A constricted big toe will impede the glutes from firing, and also inappropriately disperse impact load to other muscles and joints. Even when standing still, the big toe and its finely tuned receptors have a strong influence on static balance. Stand barefoot with your feet pointing forward and then close your eyes. Pay attention to the incredible sensitivity and nuanced movements of the big toe (as well as the other toes and the arch) to help keep you balanced.
Another little-known issue is how big toe functionality influences pronation. Pronation—the natural inward and downward rotation of the foot and flattening of the arch during the walking or running stride—is often referred to in a negative context as a leading cause of overuse injury. In truth, pronation is a necessary and efficient way to absorb impact and generate energy. However, many people with weak, poorly adapted feet will irritate and overstress the arch and/or Achilles tendon in the course of normal pronation. This can lead to inflammation, microtrauma, and overuse injury. The traditional running shoe marketing dogma labels this over-pronation and attempts to solve the problem with expensive shoes with buffed-up heel and arch support, aka “pronation control” shoes, but this is a complete farce:
Even the most rigid and supportive shoes don’t really control pronation—the foot finds a way to pronate inside those fancy shoes.
Pronation has never been shown by any research to be a driving cause of injury. Some research even suggests those who pronate in a pronounced manner are less likely to get injured! Even what might be considered “over-pronation” is natural and functional. Google images of elite runners Eliud Kipchoge or Joshua Cheptegei and you will see examples of extreme pronation—where the foot is bending toward the ground, almost outside of the confines of the shoe, when fully pronated. Crazy!
“Over-pronation” is essentially a made-up word in the course of marketing more expensive, more rigid shoes to desperate runners who have been brainwashed to believe that their pronation is causing injuries.
The real question to explore: how can we humans get better at the natural and important act of pronation?
Let’s start with improving big toe functionality. You see, the big toe plays an important role in controlling pronation. Lee Saxby, a leading biomechanist, claimed that the, “Big toe provides 85% of stability in your foot.” An international study of 500,000 runners revealed that nearly two-thirds of them had a dysfunctional big toe, known as “runner’s hallux”—a misshapening of the toe to the point where the bone protrudes out the side of the foot, instead of pointing forward.
Researchers asserted that when the big toe is unstable during the propulsive phase of the running stride, runners exhibit, “alternative movement patterns, such as overpronation or supination.”
60% of runners are considered to be either ‘overpronators’ or ‘supinators,’ which means they are either collapsing through the big toe, because it is weak and unstable, or they are avoiding loading the big toe, “because it is stiff and painful,” explains Lee Saxby.
I found this information from a British footwear company that is dedicated to optimizing big toe function by equipping running shoes with a slightly wider toe box and high-tech, carbon fiber reinforcement strips purported to allow the big toe to generate more power during the running stride. Decent effort and awareness, but there is another way for big toe to thrive, which is barefoot-inspired footwear and lifestyle, including getting yourself a pair of Peluvas with my great 15% discount code “BRADPODCAST”. Try to go barefoot as much as possible indoors and in other safe areas and wear your Peluvas in everyday life. Soon, you can progress to more challenging fitness activities in a barefoot style shoe, but the starting point is to just get you walking in Peluvas. By embracing a more natural approach to footwear and movement, you can restore the strength and functionality of your big toes, paving the way for healthier, more efficient pronation and ultimately enhancing your overall performance and well-being.
