What is footwear?

Simply put, shoes are clothing for our feet. Humans wear clothing as a tool to protect them from the external environment. It might be physical protection from sharp objects that could cut or puncture skin. It might be used as a protection from temperature extremes like winter cold or from overdosing on UV rays of the sun. Shoes are a very specialized form of clothing that we wear on our feet. Our feet are loaded with sensory nerves, muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons. They're super complex because they serve two essential functions:

1. They are a primary sensor for the physical world around us
2. They are the literal foundation of our physical bodies

Feet are important and we should definitely protect them. Footwear is the tool humans use to do that.

Humans wear shoes for a variety of reasons but none of them includes wearing them to cause pain. Nobody says: “I wear shoes to deform my feet and cause myself foot pain and suffering”.

Unfortunately, vast majority of people are unintentionally wearing unnatural shoes that damage their feet and eventually create problems at their ankles, knees, hips and low back.

Ideally, shoes are a tool that protect the sole of the foot from damage and wearing footwear should accomplish that with as little impact on foot function and ground feel as possible.

At ANSSO, it is our goal to inform people so they can make wise choices and to shed light on the issues that come from wearing unnatural footwear.