Best Trekking Shoes: And What’s Wrong With Them

There are two major companies in India today that sell trekking shoes- Decathlon and Wildcraft.
If you look at the design of shoes that they offer, here are a few features you will see -

Stiff soles, thick soles, sharp edges on soles, complete anchoring of the ankle.

Now while these features are what you may buy them for, it is time to reconsider.

Our feet are one of the most adaptable parts of our body. Their ability to tackle new terrains is unparalleled and that comes from our feet’s ability to flex, to grab according to the surface it is on.

While a regular trekking shoe may protect you from a rock falling on your foot, it actually increases your chances of being injured.

A stiff sole means you do not have the ability to dorsiflex your foot properly and gain traction on the surface.
A thick sole means your nervous system cannot make a judgment on the kind of you are on and your reaction time increases.

The sharp edges of the sole means your ankles don’t roll over, they go from 0 degrees to 90 degrees in a moment which increases your chances of a broken or sprained ankle.

Complete covering and anchoring of the ankle means you can’t use it anymore to adjust your gait, to adjust your orientation. This increases load on other body parts like your knees and hips causing undue strain on those joints and muscles. 

Now that we know the problem, here is the solution - 
Get shoes that have enough thickness to prevent you from injuring yourself from sharp rocks. Shoes that have a rounded edge on the sole, that do not cover the entire ankle but are well fastened.
A lot of companies like VivoBarefoot, Xero Shoes specialize in making barefoot trekking shoes.