Softening your footstep

Do you know what a proper footstep looks like as it hits the ground? It should be gentle. You shouldn’t land hard but instead ideally place your entire foot flat as your step. Of course, this depends on the slope of the terrain, your walking speed, and several other factors.

Be careful: Walking on your tiptoes, which is often mentioned in connection with barefoot walking, is not physiologically correct. Similar to hard impacts on the heel, it can be very dangerous. 

The foot must be able to “read” the ground under your feet and adapt to the information, activate the correct contact of the sole, and create the perfect base for the next bounce. 

Once you have taken a full step, you will smoothly advance forward and gradually push off your toes. You should not passively roll on your foot — instead, it should actively carry you forward. Your step doesn’t need to go forward far, it’s sufficient to place your foot under your body or slightly in front of it. 

Over the following week, simply try to feel each step and the contact of your foot with the ground. 

For more help, check out this video we made with the renowned physiotherapists Clara Lewitova: