How Do Peluvas Promote Correct Walking and Running Technique?

Peluvas allow the foot to achieve its natural range of motion and functionality for these three most essential functions for walking, running, and all other everyday activities and physical fitness efforts: impact absorption, balancing moving bodyweight, and generating forward propulsion. These are the most beneficial features of Peluvas in contrast to regular shoes:

• Zero-drop: With no change in elevation between heel and toe, the Achilles tendon can achieve its full range of motion and harness elastic energy potential on every stride. Also, zero drop footwear allows your center of gravity to load over the heels for optimal posture. In contrast, shoes with an elevated heel constrain the Achilles to the extent that it cannot fully lengthen, absorb shock, or harness energy effectively. This leads to atrophy, dysfunction, and injury over time. Elevated heels also promote poor posture by loading your center of gravity over the midfoot. In her book, Whole Body Barefoot, biomechanist and best-selling author Katy Bowman, MS, contends that an elevated heel is the most damaging attribute of modern footwear. 
• Flat, flexible sole: A minimalist sole allows the longitudinal arch to lengthen and tighten on every footfall. This is the optimal way for the body to absorb impact and harness elastic energy potential for the next stride. In contrast, wearing shoes with a robust arch support and rigid sole, or using custom orthodics or arch supports, will interrupt the full activation of the arch during the stride pattern. This deactivation and weakening of the arch over time is a primary driver of plantar fasciitis and other inflammatory conditions of the foot. 
• Articulated toes: Peluva’s five individual toe slots enable full and independent dynamic range of motion in both the horizontal and vertical planes for each toe, including the critically important dorsiflexion of the big toe to balance bodyweight and activate the glutes during the running stride. This dorsiflexion to initiate complex kinetic chain activation from foot all the way to glute firing is monumentally important to human locomotion—the glutes are the largest and most powerful muscle in the body. In contrast, when toes are encased in a single box (even a wide toe box touted as a minimalist shoe feature), they are inhibited from achieving their full dynamic range of motion and functionality. When the big toe cannot dorsiflex powerfully and the glutes don’t activate, you have much less force production and stability. 

By removing the protective and restrictive elements found in modern shoes, Peluvas allow your feet to return to their important role in shock absorption, balancing bodyweight, and providing forward propulsion with every step you take. This starts to add up to tremendous benefits when you are walking 5,000 or 10,000 steps a day!