FULL MOON BLESSING // Our Radical Foot Care Rituals

Often ignored and too frequently snubbed; our feet are our foundation, the graceful servants of our mobile lifestyles serving to support and transport us through our day.

Originally developed as a range of practical flats to wear on the hop between Yoga and the design studio, Radical Yes! shoes have always been developed not only with aesthetic considerations top of mind, but also for optimum comfort and support and is one of the reason we only make flat shoes. 

As a frequently prevalent theme in our Yoga practice, we’re often considering methods to thank our feet for all they do in facilitating our active lifestyles. So we offer you some of our favourite foot exercises and daily practices that will help you move and be moved!

Words by Alex Birch 

TO REDUCE SWELLING, VARICOSE VEINS AND CRAMPING, trace the letters of the alphabet on the floor with your toes.

TO STRENGTHEN YOUR FEET (and reduce the likelihood of ankle problems), practice picking up marbles and putting them in a cup on the floor with your toes (8 – 12 times) or barefoot, rise onto the balls of your feet and try walking (repeat). 

We also love walking (or running) on sand or smooth rocks to work the various, often neglected, muscles in our feet.

TO RELIEVE ACHING ARCHES, sit in a chair with your sore foot resting on the opposite knee. With one hand pull the heel of your foot towards your body and with the other, pull your toes back to stretch the muscles along the bottom of the foot. Hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds and repeat 4 times.

TO MASSAGE (because we could all do with a little more self-love), sit down with your foot on a water bottle (or any firm cylindrical object) and roll back and forth for 2 to 5 minutes. Additionally, after washing your feet in warm water and rubbing with lavender oil, treat your toes to some individual attention by gently rubbing and pulling at each one, relieving stress.

TO SUPPORT YOUR ARCHES make sure you always wear insoles when wearing flat shoes! Our signature athletic insoles have been developed for optimum comfort and durability and you’ll find the removable foot bed in all our toe tappers!

TO COUNTER HIGH-HEEL AGONY never wear a heel of more that four inches and when you do, make sure to switch heel heights every four hours or so for calf and ankle relief! If you must wear a heel, we recommend carrying a pair of comfortable flats in your bag for those hours spent sitting behind a desk.

Or better still, read Leave the ‘spare pair' of shoes at home: How to Look Good in Shoes You Can Actually Walk In