Walking begins with the foot, and Dr. Courtney Conley shows why building strength, mobility, and healthy gait mechanics is essential for lasting wellness.

Dr. Andrew Fix speaks with Dr. Conley, the founder of Gait Happens and a leading authority on foot health, about why our feet are the true foundation of human movement. From her early struggles with pain as a dancer and triathlete to her groundbreaking work helping patients worldwide, Dr. Conley shares how shifting the focus from orthotics and surgeries to natural function and strength creates lasting results. 

Together, Dr. Fix and Dr. Conley explore why toe dexterity and foot strength are vital for balance, fall prevention, and independence, and how something as simple as walking can profoundly impact physical, mental, and emotional health. With strategies, compelling research, and insights into footwear and training, this episode challenges the way we think about gait and reframes walking as one of the most powerful tools we have to protect and enhance our health for life.

Quotes

• “Why are we treating the foot very differently than we treat everywhere else in the human body? We don’t talk about strength, we weren’t talking about mobility. And our feet are the first interface that we have with the ground when we move. We have thousands of sensory receptors on the bottom of our feet that are screaming for information to tell us how to move.” (05:01 | Dr. Courtney Conley)
• “If you do need to have the surgery, we want to make sure that on the other end of that, that you’re doing everything that you can to not have another one of those surgeries, which means the widest part of the foot is our toes, or should be. So whoever’s listening, look down at your foot. Your toes should be splayed, they should be wide, and they should be the widest part of your foot. And there’s a reason for that, because when we’re walking, we push off of our forefoot.” (10:09 | Dr. Courtney Conley)
• “There’s really great research looking at Karen Mickle’s work on the importance of toe strength and fall prediction, the risk of falls. And what they found was that a weakness in toe strength can be a very big predictor of falls as we age.” (22:37 | Dr. Courtney Conley)
• “I firmly believe walking is the most underrated and easily accessible tool we all have to improve not only our physical health, but also our mental and emotional well-being—yet the majority of us, globally, are not taking advantage of it.” (44:48 | Dr. Courtney Conley)

Connect with Dr. Courtney Conley:

Gait Happens

Dr. Courtney Conley is a leading expert in foot and gait health and the founder of Gait Happens, an education platform transforming how people understand and reclaim foot function. With over 25 years of clinical experience, she has worked with patients ranging from everyday movers to professional athletes in the NBA, MLB, and NFL. Dr. Conley holds a Doctorate in Chiropractic Medicine and dual bachelor’s degrees in Kinesiology and Human Biology. Through Gait Happens, the Healthy Feet Alliance, and her global lectures, she is driving a paradigm shift in foot health, empowering individuals and practitioners worldwide to prevent unnecessary surgeries, optimize gait mechanics, and prioritize natural, science-backed approaches to foot care.

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“I’m trying to act brave and inspire other people too,” explains Evan Ritt, Owner and Founder of Tolos. After playing hockey in France and England and experiencing consistent sports-related injuries, Evan became very interested in his health. This passion led him to start a barefoot footwear brand, where his holistic designs enhance both podiatric health and athletic performance.

After a five-year journey, Evan has finally launched Tolos shoes. Highly driven, Evan wants his business to improve people’s lives through their feet. However, he also understands that most barefoot products are unattractive, a barrier to entry into the mass market. With his brand, Evan ensures that his shoes are aesthetically pleasing and something people would realistically wear. Once you switch to barefoot styles, you will be surprised at how comfortable they are and what a difference they make to your daily life. But style matters, which many companies fail to grasp. Understanding his greater mission, Evan strives to make barefoot footwear approachable, hoping to contribute to a healthier world.

We need to make barefoot footwear more desirable. One method for doing so would be to target athletes. If athletes try on this shoe and see its benefits, they will be more inclined to spread the message. Although athletic lifestyle brands like Nike and Adidas will be challenging to beat, Evan will find ways to champion the movement and inspire others to do the same.

Quotes

• “My goal is that the more time you spend in my shoe, it’s going to be the better for you.” (11:54-11:59 | Evan)

• “We can lower as many barriers as possible. And the biggest barrier in the barefoot world right now is the aesthetics of it.” (27:04-27:10 | Evan)

• “If I can make this a company for the people and by the people, I think it will resonate with many more people too, and that just lowers another barrier.” (29:31-29:44 | Evan)

• “If you truly want to maximize your human potential, you need to get yourself in physical, mental, and spiritual alignment. Those are separate boxes, and all encompassed under the laws of nature.” (34:13-34:31 | Evan)

• “If I can get my shoes in as many locker rooms as possible, athletes start to see them, feel the benefits, and preach and spread the message. And once athletes are wearing it, then that’s when the movement happens.” (42:54-43:11 | Evan)

• “I’m trying to act brave and inspire other people too.” (50:18-50:22 | Evan)

Links

Connect with Evan Ritt:

Website | https://weartolos.com/

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/tolos/

TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@evanaritt

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Andrew’s Personal Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/dr.andrewfix/

Andrew’s Personal Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/andrew.fix.9/

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“Human beings have been making footwear and wearing footwear for 99.9% of human history,” explains Steven Sashen, CEO of Xero Shoes. A long-time entrepreneur, Steven has never had a traditional job. After realizing he had a form problem after taking off his shoes, Steven made his own sandals, leading him to start his next venture, Xero Shoes.

For the past fifty years, the footwear industry has misled the public that there’s something wrong with our feet. These businesses are selling false outcomes to their customer base by convincing people they need arch support and cushioning to keep their feet uninjured. Our feet’s job is to gain a sense of the world around us, so natural movement footwear, like Xero shoes, is a more legitimate, performance-driven fit.

Although we’re used to wearing traditional shoes, sometimes it’s better to live life feet first. Learn more about the minimalist barefoot approach, the lies of the footwear industry, and Steven’s entrepreneurial journey.

Quotes

• “Human beings have been making footwear and wearing footwear for 99.9% of human history.” (4:28-4:34 | Steven)

• “There’s a value for just wearing our shoes for everything else you’re doing.” (9:08-9:11 | Steven)

• “There’s no reason to have another shoe company in the world. There’s enough of them unless your shoe changes people’s lives.” (29:36-29:40 | Steven)

• “People put on our shoes, and they have these life-changing experiences and don’t want to go back.” (32:40-32:45 | Steven)

• “Why are you listening to these big footwear brands telling you to need to put your foot in a shoe that doesn’t let it move or bend and flex and feel.” (43:45-43:53 | Steven)

Links

Connect with Steven Sashen:

Website | https://xeroshoes.com/about-us/

Website | https://xeroshoes.com/

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/xeroshoes/

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/xeroshoes

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Andrew’s Personal Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/dr.andrewfix/

Andrew’s Personal Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/andrew.fix.9/

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The post 37. Live Life Feet First with Steven Sashen appeared first on Physio Room.

“The critical measure for foot function is toe flexor strength,” explains Dr. Emily Splichal, Podiatrist and Human Movement Specialist. As a functional podiatrist and lover of fitness, Dr. Emily holistically looks to the feet to improve one’s movement. With her minimalist footwear company Naboso, Dr. Emily strives to enhance sensory nerve function in the foot and improve lives.

According to Dr. Emily, our feet are connected to the deep core of our pelvic floor, which affects our posture, movement, and overall performance. Although traditional podiatry focuses on the mechanical side of the practice, Dr. Emily also promotes sensory solutions. Since our feet contain multiple nerves that get activated every time they touch the ground, finding feasible ways to strengthen this area is vital.

Podiatry is much more than corrective footwear, especially when you focus on functionality. Learn more about Dr. Emily’s perspective on the field, the problems with the medical system, and the benefits of toe spacers.

Quotes

• “I love feet because they connect to movement.” (3:04-3:08 | Emily)

• “Movement is my therapy. If there’s stress, anxiety, a big change in life, if I go to the gym, or the studio or space and I move and I connect to my physical body again, it grounds me.” (8:56-9:10 | Emily)

• “If I have an hour, I’m going to really listen to the patient and what their concerns are.” (18:27-18:34 | Emily)

• “​​Your feet are very fastly connected to your deep core pelvic floor. So from a performance, movement, and posture perspective, we optimize how we control this physical body by connecting our center of mass.” (27:16-27:34 | Emily)

• “The critical measure for foot function is toe flexor strength.” (37:54-37:58 | Emily)

• “Most patients come to me because they’re looking for an out-of-the-box perspective. I can treat almost everything, and people are quite surprised.” (49:27-49:38 | Emily)

Links

Connect with Dr. Emily Splichal:

Website | https://www.naboso.com/pages/founder

Website | https://www.dremilysplichal.com/

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thefunctionalfootdoc/

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/naboso_technology/

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