How Yoga Toes Help My Arch Pain

Your feet NEED some Yoga Toes.

But really – can we talk about this for a second? Foot pain is so not just something that happens when you get older.

I love shoes. And I love to wear ones that I know are absolutely not doing my body any favors. But I just ignore my arch pain because a woman’s gotta wear shoes and honestly our options are usually either Pain or Ugly.

I do my best to balance out my adoration of high heels by wearing sneakers whenever possible – which was super easy when I was a fitness instructor full time. But that also came with its own problems, because I was on my feet and active all day. So my feet would still come home at the end of the day pretty sore and beat up.

These days, I work on my computer for most of the day, at a standing desk. I have not one but two orthopedic mats stacked up on the floor for cushion, and my feet are still inflamed by the end of the day.

It’s like everything I do irritates my feet.

I don’t think I’m alone in this, either. Most of us totally ignore/abuse our feet daily. Apparently they’re so far away from our brains that they’re easily forgotten.

Plus, most of us are in shoes from childhood and don’t spend much time barefoot, so we don’t develop a strong connection to our feet. That can lead to a whole host of problems.

The result is a lot of us walking around wincing internally with every step.

The good news is that I’ve found an easy way to give my feet some relief with Yoga Toes.

» My first time working as a foot model «

So, quick disclaimer: this isn’t a magic fix. (There is no magic fix.) And if you have arch pain too, I definitely recommend checking in with a doctor when necessary. The foot-stretching method I use isn’t going to solve every potential arch pain issue, but it works for me.

Also — this is not a sponsored post. I just really LOVE these things and I like to talk about feet I guess? But there are affiliate links in this post in case you want to grab yourself a pair of Yoga Toes (and support the blog in the process).

Because seriously, these guys have helped my feet so much.

I use Yoga Toes most nights and it makes all the difference.

(I mean, I’m not perfect – but if I used them every night it would obviously help even more!)

Essentially, they’re a suped-up version of those foam toe separators they use at the salon when you’re getting a pedicure. In fact, if you want to save some cash, you can totally use them instead as a hack. They’re not as effective, but still super helpful if you’re on a budget!

» I love the vegan + 5-free non-toxic nailpolish brand LVX! «

Anyway, Yoga Toes are designed by YogaPro – wearing them is designed to be like doing yoga for your feet.

Here’s what their website says:

YogaToes® can and do help with specific foot problems, conditions like: bunions (and bunionettes), claw toes, hammer toe, and Plantar Fasciitis. Our toe stretchers work at the root level of all foot ailments. They treat causes, not symptoms.

YogaToes® toe spacers brought a whole new concept to the world: preventative foot health. Foot and toe problems can’t be looked at separately. That is why we invented YogaToes®, to exercise and strengthen the entire foot.

Also, apparently Sia uses Yoga Toes on tour so they’re officially cool.

I experience arch pain because I have minor Plantar Fasciitis, mainly due to collapsed arches because my feet got so weak from rarely having to work outside of shoes.

I also overpronate, which means my feet roll in slightly when I walk. This can be due to both genetics and generally weak foot muscles. But overpronation + high heels = high risk for bunions, which are fun! (They’re not fun.)

Thankfully Yoga Toes can help prevent those bunions from forming.

They stretch your toes out and away from the balls of your feet and down from the top of the foot, as if you were walking barefoot correctly. Wear them 10-20 minutes and you’ll feel so much relief.

Have you ever been instructed in a yoga class to lift up and spread your toes, then set them back down one by one? This is often done in Tadasana, or Mountain Pose. You end up feeling like you’re gripping the floor and your arches are engaged. If your foot engagement, or pada bandha, isn’t currently part of your yoga practice, definitely ask your instructor about – and I’ll do a blog post on it soon. Using Yoga Toes will help train and stretch your feet for precisely that action.

A few other tips to help relieve your arch pain:

1 » Massage Ball

I love running my feet over these spiky massage balls before putting on my yoga toes to massage my tired feet muscles and stimulate blood flow.

Blood tends to pool at your feet since they’re below your heart and so blood has to work harder to come back up. Even more so if you’re on your feet all day like me! So after your massage, put your feet up and throw on your Yoga Toes to stretch your feet out now that they’re nice and warm.

2 » Topricin Cream

When I’m all done using my Yoga Toes, I finish off my foot-pampering session by rubbing Topricin Cream into my arches. Topricin is an all-natural pain relief treatment and really soothes sore or bruised muscles. It contains 11 natural Homeopathic Biomedicines and feels slightly cool going on. It’s light and non-greasy and immediately takes the edge off any remaining inflammation pain in my feet.

3 » Frozen Water Bottle

On bad Plantar Fasciitis days, I will pull out a water bottle I keep in the freezer and roll my feet on it. I’m not going to lie, it’s kind of a special type of torture. But the cold and light massage as you roll your foot back and forth over the bottle really calms down my arch pain.

» Song Vibes «

What do you guys use to help foot and arch pain? Share any tips you have with me in the Comments below!

xo,
Amy

This post is not sponsored, but there are affiliate links throughout this post. I genuinely love these products and know you will, too. Thanks for supporting the blog!