The saying goes that in life you should spend your money on a good bed and a good pair of shoes, because if you’re not in one, you’re in the other. And while that is true, I sometimes think we should extend the sentiment to looking after our feet, rather than just the shoes we put them in.

Postural problems are normally talked about in terms of shoulders and pelvises, but we stack up from the ground from our feet – so it makes sense to pay attention to them.

Here’s a bit more information about the structure of a good pair of feet.

The ankle is made up of a holding made of the two shin bones; each one forming a knobbly malleolus on both sides. Into this fits the talus bone, which connects to the heel bone and other tarsal bones. These small bones are similar to those in the wrist, a jumble of small bones making up the rear part of the arch of the foot. The descending, forward part of the arch is formed of the metatarsal bones, made famous by footballing fractures, and each of the five of those joining to the phalanges bones of the toes.

The arch is supported by strong ligaments and the plantar fascia, which deform slightly when weight is put down through the foot. These operate like a spring to conserve energy and help to propel us when we’re walking. In particular the plantar fascia can become tight and inflamed when it is stressed by flat feet, tight calves or inappropriate footwear.

The ligaments of the foot also have amazing proprioceptive properties; this means there are special nerve endings that relay information to the brain so that you know where your feet are, and what they\’re doing, without you having to look at them. This ability can be reduced if we damage the ligaments – which is one of the reasons why people who sprain their ankles can be vulnerable to repeated sprains. Good and consistent rehab is the only way around this!

There are lots of small muscles in the foot, most of which are rudimentary hangovers from when we were using our feet to grip earlier on in our evolutionary journey. Good control of these muscles however is encouraged for healthy feet; seen in the increase in bare foot or minimal support training and running shoes.