Why Men Should Wear Toe Socks Or Toe Spacers Too!
Toe socks, yoga toes, and toe spacers are all popular products that aim to accomplish one goal, to spread your toes.
Spreading your toes may seem like an insignificant activity, but it is one of the few ways to improve your foot health while sitting on the couch. Toe socks and toe spacers have a ton of benefits but, unfortunately, are generally only marketed toward women.
An unpopular truth in the fitness industry is that gender doesn’t make a difference in programming workouts. Regardless of gender, there are specific protocols for gaining strength, others for building endurance, and some for rehabilitating injuries. In contrast, men and women differ regarding dietary needs, muscle gain rate, and ideal body fat percentages. However, our muscular systems are identical.
So it irks me to see a product like toe socks that has helped so many women be entirely ignored by men because it isn’t popular with bodybuilders or Joe Rogan.
Everyone can benefit from wearing toe socks or a toe spacer; regardless of gender, if you have foot issues, you should grab a pair.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF TOE SOCKS OR TOE SPACERS?
They help prevent toe cramps
Increases blood flow to your feet
Encourages proper foot alignment
Improves balance and proprioception
Can improve hammer toes, bunions, and a host of other common ailments
Are certain toe socks or spacers better for men?
As I mentioned in the intro, men and women have identical muscular systems. So while women will generally hold more fat in their hips and breasts, lose weight, and gain muscle slower than men, we still have the same muscular systems.
Men and women are different in many biological ways, but our feet share the same structures. All toe separating products will benefit your feet in the same way. However, the size of your feet and your budget will determine the best product for you.
When and how should you wear toe socks or toe spacers?
Initially, I recommend popping them on when watching tv or just hanging out on the couch. You may find that you can only wear them for a minute or two when you first try them on, depending on how tight your toes are. If you are a frequent high heels or flip-flop wearer, you will likely be able to last a lot less time than someone who walks around in minimalist shoes.
Most people will be able to wear them for ten to thirty minutes in their first few weeks, but as your foot health improves, you’ll be able to wear them for much longer intervals
You may be tempted to wear them to bed. DON’T. If you manage to fall asleep with them on, you will likely wake up in a lot of pain.
Once you can comfortably spend an hour in the spacers doing nothing, you can wear them around the house or even do yoga in them. The possibilities are endless.
These aren’t a product you’ll need forever. Instead, you’ll likely wear them for a few months and see a huge improvement, and only put them on again if your feet or ankles are bothering you.
BEST TOE SPACING PRODUCTS
Remember, the best product for spacing your toes is the one that is most comfortable for your feet. Toe spacer sizing depends mainly on your foot size, so be sure to get toe spacers that fit. Poorly fitting toe spacers can do more harm than good. However, when it comes to products that separate your toes, there are really only two types of products I would look at.
Silicone Toe Spacers
Silicone toe spacers come in all shapes and sizes. They were made popular by Correct toes and yoga toes, but those do come at a premium price. There are less expensive silicone products available on amazon. But remember, sizing is important!
Better to pay a little more for anatomically correct toe spacers than a cheap knockoff from china.
Toe Socks
These are my go-to. However, toe socks have some distinct advantages and disadvantages. As socks, they are warm and comfortable. With silicone toe spacers, you’ll likely have to wear socks over them to be comfy in wintertime. The disadvantage of toe socks is you must wash them a lot more. As they dirty after usage and when you start, you’ll only be able to wear them for about 30 minutes at a time.
Toe socks are also one size fits all and are best for people with average or larger feet. People with small feet may find the loops of cloth between their toes too big and may benefit more from the small-size silicone toe separator or yoga toes.
Other ways to help your feet:
Well, I cannot write a foot health-related article without mentioning minimalist shoes. Toe spacers are great for undoing the damage traditional dress shoes, and flip-flops do to your body. However, if you can avoid it, don’t do the damage in the first place.
Minimalist shoes have a wide toe box that allows your toes to spread out naturally throughout the day. Like toe spacers, they can help improve your balance and proprioception, increase the blood flow to your feet, and improve your foot alignment.
I always recommend Xero shoes for people new to minimalist shoes because their shoes are comfortable and reasonably priced. However, a lot of people prefer vivobarefoot’s style, or a name-brand minimalist shoe like New Balance Minimus.
There are many options for products for your feet, and more are created all the time. However, the only two you’d need to drastically improve your foot health and function would be a pair of toe spacers and some minimalist shoes.
Remember, most foot-related problems are a result of weak feet. Therefore, building strong and mobile feet is the best way to fix the most common foot-related problems.
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