Foot mechanics - make sure you know what they do most of the time

This picture may be a bit confronting for some of our female followers (maybe some of the guys too).

The feet are sometimes described as the switch that turns on the rest of the body, particularly in upright function. Often how they operate under ground reaction force is key in determining how successful the rest of the lower limb can be in function.

As we can see high heels position the foot anatomy in an incredibly abnormal position. Not only are metatarsal phalangeal joints put under extreme extension stress, but the talo crural joint is also held in a plantar flexed position limiting its ability to dorsi flex and inhibiting the posterior shank muscles from being able to perform their role in eccentrically decelerating the lower limb in contact with the ground potentiating greater stress up the chain