Could such a simple act of changing your shoes to sandals be enough to dramatically increase your ankle mobility?
Where this question came from
As an ex rugby player I had multiple right ankle sprains and it never used to affect my performance on the field once I recovered. However, now that I focus primarily on olympic lifting where excellent mobility is mandatory, my lack of ankle dorsiflexion affects me every day.
Where this comes into play most is with squatting of course. In order to compensate I have to go a little wider in my stance as well as point my toes out a bit. This compensation forces you into a less powerful position, which is definitely something you don’t want in weightlifting.
So I naturally research and implement everything I can on improving ankle dorsiflexion and all to no avail. My knee still will not move far past my toes. I of course follow all of the required steps to improve my ankle but I started looking for something to help fix it while I go through daily life.
That is when a certain simple action jumped out to me that could be the answer to my problem.
I’m at the gym waiting for my lifting partner when I see her walk in wearing sandals and then our other friend walks in wearing sandals as well. It may seem odd that I took note of this but both of these people have incredible ankle mobility and they wear sandals practically everyday.
Then I go on Youtube and see professional weightlifter Ritvars Suharevs also wearing them before and after training (below)
I start to think that there’s gotta be something to this sandals thing so I start researching and I find…
Why wearing sandals can increase your ankle mobility
Lower Arches
Wearing sandals = lower foot arches and lower foot arches = better ankle mobility. This is described below.
“With high arches, or pes cavus, the foot rests naturally in a position of supination with a high arch and heel occasionally rocked in. While helpful for pushing off with walking and jumping, this foot position doesn’t allow for the absorption of our body weight with landing from a jump. It also limits our ability to squat that extra distance that the subtalar joint normally allows. In essence, people with pes cavus (high arches) have naturally terrible mobility in the foot.”
https://www.athleteprx.com/squatting-with-high-arches/
As stated in the quote above high arches are not ideal for squatting and that’s where sandals can prove to be a helpful tool. Since sandals are flat with very little cushioning, they have the ability to beat down your arches.
The less cushioned the sandals, the better. Try and stay away from the Nike slides that all the high school athletes wear.
Related: Do Olympic Lifts Increase Your Vertical Jump?
Constantly Barefoot
Another benefit of wearing sandals is that you are practically barefoot. When you walk around barefoot the bottom of your foot has to adjust to every little change in the ground by itself without having tight socks or shoes restricting it.
Benefits of walking around barefoot
- better control of your foot position when it strikes the ground
- improvements in balance, proprioception, and body awareness
- better foot mechanics, which can lead to improved mechanics of the hips, knees, and core
- maintaining appropriate range of motion in your foot and ankle joints as well as adequate strength and stability within your muscles and ligaments
- relief from improperly fitting shoes, which may cause bunions, hammertoes, or other foot deformities
- stronger leg muscles, which support the lower back region
Every one of those bullet points listed above can help the average and elite weightlifter alike.
Related: How Strong Are The Crossfit Games Champions Compared To Pro Olympic Weightlifters?
If you are a weightlifter that struggles with ankle mobility or simply someone that wants to squat or move better overall it looks like you should start wearing sandals.
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