Before leading the life of an illustrious online writer, filled with intrigue and mystery (if there’s anything intriguing about using your kitchen table as an office), I used to work at a shoe store. Not any old shoe store mind you, nay, a running shoe store.
Brooks, Asics, New Balance, Saucony — brands like these were my bread and butter. Heck, I even remember when Hoka came out with their first pair of shoes, and you definitely didn’t think they were as cool back then as you do now. Trust me.
What I’m trying to say is, much of my time in running shoe heaven was spent battling an unrelating devil. Nike. Gasp. Yes, that Nike. Oregon, “track town,” goddess of victory — the whole shebang. Now, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that I actually love Nike. I’ve worn their shoes my entire life and have no plans to stop, but when it comes to foot health most Nikes can’t compete.
Thankfully I’m not alone on this one, so before you start sharpening pitch forks and lacing up Jordans, hear me out. TikTok group @ohiofootdocs shares a similar sentiment, and they’re licensed podiatrists, so they might actually know what they’re talking about. In a post that has since gone viral, the account shared a short meme warning users about the impact of wearing Nike shoes.
Nothing goes along with an informative video quite like Fergie, am I right? Mouthing along to the lyrics, this doctor’s quick PSA has set the internet ablaze.
The short version of all of this — as shared in an earlier post by the same account — is that Nikes can struggle to accommodate the wide variety of toesy-woesies we’re all rockin’. Most of the time Nike shoes are a bit too narrow for the general population, which means that they end up catering to an incredibly specific set of athletes. Case in point, I’m the type of runner that needs a ton of ankle support (don’t judge), and because of this I could never wear Nikes — while running that is.
Moreover, Nike isn’t necessarily in the business of foot health. What used to be a running company has since gone on to become an everything company, creating kicks for anything from basketball to skateboarding. While it’s true that Nike basketball shoes are top-tier, the reality is that once you become an everything brand it can be hard to do one thing really well.
Wearing shoes that work directly against the way your feet are made can cause some serious damage in the long run, so if anything just try to keep that in mind the next time you’re looking to buy another pair. Keep repping Nike if you want to, I sure will, but understand that you might not be doing your feet any favors.
And seriously, what’s with all the Hoka hype? They’re cool, cushioned, and fun to look at, but they sure have had a glow-up recently. What I can’t seem to wrap my head around is… Crap, did I start talking about Hoka again? Sorry, I blacked out there for a second. Well, that’s my time. Be good, stay crazy, tell your friends.