Are Cushioned Shoes Harming Your Feet? | Hoka, On, Skechers Explained

Here's why soft shoes aren't always good shoes. By the end of this video, you'll

shoes. By the end of this video, you'll know whether soft shoes are really the most comfortable option for your foot type, and if not, what shoes you should wear instead. The number one mistake

wear instead. The number one mistake that I see in clinic that causes foot pain is wearing overly soft shoes.

Brands like Sketchers, Hoker, and On have built their success on what I call the first feel effect. They feel amazing when you try them on in the shop, but

over time, soft shoes are by far the number one reason my patients foot pain actually worsens. I'm Paul McCauley, a

actually worsens. I'm Paul McCauley, a British trained podiatrist based in Singapore, specializing in foot and ankle pain. Every day in clinic, I see

ankle pain. Every day in clinic, I see people struggling with foot pain because they're wearing the wrong shoes. On this

channel, I share advice to help you avoid pain, move better, and find shoes that actually work for your feet.

[Music] We're going to dive into the first feel effect. When your foot hurts, it is very

effect. When your foot hurts, it is very natural to think you need cushioning.

You need to protect it like bubble wrap for your feet. But just like getting a soft mattress when you have back pain can actually cause more pain, so can a soft shoe for your feet. Here's why.

Walking in a soft shoe is like walking on a cushion. We think that because it's soft that it's going to push us on. It's

going to propel us. It's going to make it easier. But really, the foam just

it easier. But really, the foam just compresses. Remember that our feet move

compresses. Remember that our feet move in a trip plane of motion. They move

forwards, they move backwards, and they move side to side. And when the foam compresses, it doesn't necessarily push us forwards. The foam may compress and

us forwards. The foam may compress and push us to the side. So the more that our foot rolls in, the more muscles and strain on our tendons that it puts. And

the more it rolls out, the more strain it puts on the outside of the ankle as well. So when we get to the end of the

well. So when we get to the end of the day, we may feel fatigue in our calves.

We may feel some soreness on the inside or the outside of our ankle. And we may want to soo our feet. Put them in warm water, ice our feet to make them feel

that bit better. The truth is your feet shouldn't feel that way. And you're

actually overstraining your feet and potentially it's because you're wearing that soft shoe which is causing excessive strain to your feet that you cannot handle or tolerate. I can tell you that it's not normal to feel that

way. At the end of the day, I'm a barely

way. At the end of the day, I'm a barely active person. I wouldn't say I'm an

active person. I wouldn't say I'm an athlete or an Olympic athlete and I don't feel that tightness or fatigue at the end of the day because I think I potentially can choose the right shoe

for my foot type and that particular day. And if you know that you have a

day. And if you know that you have a very flexible foot, then putting your flexible unstable foot on a unstable foundation is going to make the beat

even more movement and that's going to tire everything out and that's going to affect your knee, your hip, and even potentially your lower back. So often

these soft shoes can affect further up the chain as well. So number two, some people have the wrong foot type for soft shoes. The people that can wear soft

shoes. The people that can wear soft shoes are definitely those people with a high rigid arch. And if you're not sure whether you have a high rigid arch, you can actually have a look at your foot

yourself. So don't look at it. Don't

yourself. So don't look at it. Don't

just look down. Look at your foot because everyone's will look like they've got some sort of arch. What I

want you to do is put your phone against a water bottle on the floor. Put it on video mode and then stand on one leg with your arch facing the camera. And if

your arch stays tall, say strong, then it probably means that you've got that high rigid arch. If you notice that the arch gets smaller, gets lower, it probably means that you've either got a

pronated or a flatter foot. So the

reason people with that high rigid arch can wear softer shoes is because if it's a high rigid arch, they're very stiff, then they need the cushioning to absorb the force. If they don't, then the force

the force. If they don't, then the force will go up to their knees, their hips, their lower back, and they'll feel every step very stiffly through their lower limb. But for people that should think

limb. But for people that should think twice about wearing a very soft shoe are those people who have a very flexible pronated foot that rolls in a lot. If

you're feeling fatigue, tiredness, or pain at the end of the day, then the soft shoes could be the cause. As our

foot rolls in or pronates, the foam compresses and our foot will roll in further. Putting excessive strain on the

further. Putting excessive strain on the inside of the ankle, putting strain on our planter fascia can put strain on our Achilles tendon and also can cause compressive pain on the outside of our ankle as well. That can also lead

further up the chain to some knee pain because of that excessive movement in as well. The foam collapses, your arch

well. The foam collapses, your arch collapses with it, and the tendons that support your arch pull harder, earlier, and more often. That's why I see patients with arch pain, heel pain, and

ankle pain after buying a max cushioning shoe that felt amazing in the shop.

Think of it like building a house on jelly. It feels soft to start with, but

jelly. It feels soft to start with, but it's a completely unstable foundation.

So, number three, we're going to talk through the right way. We're going to talk through why firmer shoes may be suitable for your foot type. So instead

of those soft shoes that allow your foot to move side to side, a firmer shoe, as your foot rolls in, the foam doesn't compress and it pushes back. It reduces

the motion from rolling in. As your foot rolls out, it will not compress as much and it'll push back, stopping that side to side motion, giving you more stability and a firmer foundation. So if

you do know that you have very flexible feet, then going for that firmer soul shoe is going to be great. If you know that you have conditions like posterior tibial tendon or plantto fascitis, then

these are going to reduce the amount of movement in your foot, letting those structures relax, not putting as much fatigue through those structures, meaning at the end of the day they're not as tired and the next morning they

don't feel as painful as well. Stiff

sold shoes don't mean that they're going to be rock hard because modern walking and running shoes these days are firm but still have a thick midsole. Still

offering a lot of cushion especially for example the A6 Kananos underneath the heel it has this gel component injected in and it feels nice and soft as you put your heel down. So I wouldn't worry too

much. They're not going to be rock hard

much. They're not going to be rock hard like a work leather shoe or something like that. So, now we've gone over what

like that. So, now we've gone over what is good for those flexible, unstable feet. I'm going to share with you my top

feet. I'm going to share with you my top three shoes that I recommend to my patients that are firmer and more stable. And I'm going to talk you

stable. And I'm going to talk you through exactly what conditions they're more suitable to. So, number one, we've got the A6 Kayano 32. The conditions

that I recommend these for are plantto fascitis, my favorite shoe for plantto fascitis, and number two, posterior tibial tendinopathy. Plantto fascitis is

tibial tendinopathy. Plantto fascitis is heel pain which you may feel in the morning. The kayano reduces the amount

morning. The kayano reduces the amount of movement that happens in your foot reducing the amount of pronation which will reduce the amount of strain on your plantto fascia and therefore you'll feel

less pain the next morning. And for

posterior tibial tendon that tendon runs down the inside of your ankle. The more

your arch collapses the more it pulls on that tendon. So if you're wearing those

that tendon. So if you're wearing those softer shoes and your foot rolls in excessively in them it's going to pull a lot. The A6 Kayano has a very wide

lot. The A6 Kayano has a very wide midsole. So basically, as your foot

midsole. So basically, as your foot collapses, there's firm foam underneath.

It's going to push back, reducing the amount of collapse, which is going to reduce the amount of stretch on the tendon. And that is going to lead to

tendon. And that is going to lead to less pain as you walk for longer distances, less pain afterwards, and less pain the next day as well. The

second shoe that I recommend to my patients is the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 24. This is a fantastic shoe for

24. This is a fantastic shoe for Achilles tendonopathy and bunions. For

Achilles tendonopathy is very good because it's got a 12 mil heel totoe drop. That means it's got a 12 mil heel.

drop. That means it's got a 12 mil heel.

It's going to reduce the strain and pulling on the Achilles tendon every step that you take, which is therefore going to allow the Achilles to heal that bit quicker without being overloaded.

Hopefully making your Achilles tendon feel less stiff the next day. And for

bunions, it's a great option because it has a more rectangular toe box compared to the A6 Kanos, giving more width. It

also comes in a 2E in women's and a 4E in men's. And if you are a lady with a

in men's. And if you are a lady with a very wide foot and a very large bunion, you can wear the men's 4E. And they come in very neutral colors. So that could be

an option. If you are being like, Paul,

an option. If you are being like, Paul, I'm not wearing a men's shoe. I can tell you that there are lots of ladies I see for bunyions and other conditions like Morton's neuroma that wear men's shoes

and you can't tell the difference these days because everything is unisex and realistically no one's the walking around staring at feet apart from a podiatrist like myself. And the third shoe that I recommend in clinic to my

patients are the Brooks Beast GTS 24.

These shoes are often recommended to someone who's that bit heavier, whose feet collapse in, who's had previous a lot of ankle sprains, maybe has ankle chronic ankle instability, and needs a

lot of support. They are very firm.

They're going to reduce that collapse, and they're going to support the foot a lot. They also come in a 2E and a 4E, so

lot. They also come in a 2E and a 4E, so they offer for that bigger, wider foot, which needs a lot more volume. It is a fantastic option, and patients are always so happy with it. Now you know

when not to wear a soft shoe and what to wear instead. If you're still wondering

wear instead. If you're still wondering what type of shoe is best for you, you can check out my video, the top picks for city walking. And if you want personalized advice, you can book a

session with me either in person here in Singapore or online if you're elsewhere in the world. The bottom line is that soft shoes feel good at the start but could be causing your foot pain at the

end of the day. Thanks a lot for watching and I'll see you in the next video.