In a world where flashy shoes and trendy tools dominate the fitness scene, it turns out the most overlooked piece of equipment in your training arsenal… might be your own feet.
Foot pain affects up to 30% of the general population, and that number jumps to over 80% in obese individuals. Yet despite our feet containing 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments, they’re often forgotten when it comes to strength, mobility, and injury prevention training.
Dr. Kevin Le, DPT and APEX PWR’s in-house endurance and rehab specialist, has a strong opinion:
“I’m 100% pro-foot. People should be spending time barefoot, wearing barefoot shoes, or doing something barefoot at least some of the time.”
It’s a simple statement with big implications. Training your feet isn’t just about avoiding pain — it’s about building balance, improving proprioception, and reducing injury risk from the ground up.
But where should you start with training your feet? Does this mean heading to the beach and doing a “sand workout” that you might see NFL players doing on Instagram as part of their offseason regimen? Does it mean exotic exercises on things like BOSU balls? Kevin adds more insight and shares a conversation with APEX CEO & former NFL Tight End, Jeron Mastrud.
When we neglect the feet, it creates a ripple effect through the entire kinetic chain. Compensations can travel up into the knees, hips, and even spine. For runners and endurance athletes, that means slower times, greater injury risk, and stalled progress.
“It baffles me how so many people are willing to stick their feet into what looks good without thinking about how it affects their body,” Kevin added.
Toe weakness, for example, is a major predictor of falls in older adults. And for athletes, unstable or weak feet can lead to faulty mechanics that magnify under fatigue.
While the minimalist shoe movement brought some awareness to foot health, Kevin emphasizes that it’s not as simple as tossing your Hokas in favor of barefoot sprints.
“I don’t think people should strive to do a lot of running barefoot since we grow up in shoes and live in a world of concrete/asphalt. A small amount of barefoot training (VERY gradual, progressive) is good to strengthen the feet, but it takes a very very very long time to adapt to barefoot running for most people.”
So what to do next? Here’s a quick quote and the short hand of his advice:
“Protect your feet (wear suitable running shoes) during high-stress activities (running) to maximize your training. Expose your feet during lower-stress activities (walking, daily chores) to build strength/mobility in the feet.”
It’s about balance. A smart training plan should be performance-focused and foundational.
Preparing for a long season in cleats and the strain on the feet, Jeron, one of APEX PWR’s co-owners and a former NFL tight end, asked Kevin:
“So up and doing ‘beach training’ might not be a wise idea? I know a lot of NFL guys that do that in the offseason — aka footwork drills on the beach (or just in sand).”
While you’re bound to find a trainer on Instagram working with NFL players in the sand during the offseason, does that mean it’s great for you? Does it translate? Here’s Kevin’s take & what the science shows:
“Beach training is good if you want to play sports on the beach (beach volleyball).”
He continued:
“I think sand training is a bit controversial. Some will say it’s not great if you want to improve your agility/speed on the field. Practice on the surface you want to play on. It’s similar to squatting on a BOSU ball with lower weight and thinking that’ll improve your 1 RM. I’m generally anti-sand unless your sport involves sand.”
The takeaway? If you want to run, lift, or compete at a high level, start by getting grounded. Literally. Don’t worry about hitting the beach to prepare for a sport that doesn’t take place on sand. Spend your time training your body on the surface you will play on!
At APEX PWR, we help athletes and active adults get more out of life through a comprehensive approach that includes:
If you’re struggling with foot pain or are curious how your foundation may be affecting your endurance goals, don’t skip the most important piece of the puzzle.
Explore our full range of programs or book a DEXA Scan to get a better picture of how your body is adapting.
Because at APEX, we believe strong feet = strong foundation.
Foot health is foundational.
Feet First
Prioritizing superficial muscles, exercisers are overlooking the basics, with up to 30% of the general population reporting foot pain — rising to 81% in obese Americans.
Home to hundreds of thousands of sensory receptors, the feet and ankles are composed of 26 bones, 33 joints, and 100+ muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
Impatient or ignorant, many skip training this group, creating downstream compensations in the kinetic chain.
Foot-Brain Connection
A red flag, toe weakness is the biggest predictor of falls among aging adults.
Sending signals about the body’s position in space, healthy nerve function in the feet is key to balance, coordination, and reduced injury risk.
But living in closed-toed shoes, Americans rarely feel their feet on the ground — putting them at higher risk of deformities and biomechanical shifts starting from childhood.
Patching chronic problems with orthotics may exacerbate the issue, never addressing a common root cause: poor proprioception.
From Jeron to Kevin regarding things he liked in the newsletter:
I’ve always liked this newsletter for a variety of reasons, but thought the beginning was interesting about the foot (down to the “tools” part).
I thought about the “downstream issue” or any ways that you could correlate foot pain, training the foot, etc. to getting into running. Or, if there’s things you do at a higher level of running.
Let me know if you have any thoughts or angles on anything or don’t care – no sweat either way!
From Kevin answer Jeron:
I’m 100% pro-foot. People should be spending time barefoot, wearing barefoot shoes, or doing something barefoot at least some of the time.
Baffles me how so many people are willing to stick their feet into what looks good without thinking about how it affects their body.
I don’t think people should strive to do a lot of running barefoot since we grow up in shoes and live in a world of concrete/asphalt. A small amount of barefoot training (VERY gradual, progressive) is good to strengthen the feet, but it takes a very very very long time to adapt to barefoot running for most people, so it’s not practical to try to do a huge amount of running barefoot.
My current philosophy for max practicality is: protect your feet (wear suitable running shoes) during high-stress activities (running) to maximize your training. Expose your feet during lower-stress activities (walking, daily chores) to build strength/mobility in the feet.
Jeron responded to part of Kevin’s statement, reflecting on how peers of his from his time in the NFL, especially while playing for the Miami Dolphins:
So up and doing “beach training” might not be a wise idea, lol? I know a lot of NFL guys that do that in the offseason – aka footwork drills on the beach (or just in sand).
Kevin responded to Jeron, highlighted and likening “gimmicky” things like BOSU squats and sand training:
Beach training is good if you want to play sports on the beach (beach volleyball). You need to adjust gradually, as it is way harder on your calves/achilles.
I think sand training is a bit controversial. Some will say it’s not great if you want to improve your agility/speed on the field. Practice on the surface you want to play on. It’s similar to squatting on a bosu ball with lower weight and thinking that’ll improve your 1 RM. I’m generally anti-sand unless your sport involves sand.
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