Functional footwear should have a wide toe box, be flat with no heel-to-toe drop, and be thin and flexible to allow the foot to strengthen naturally.

“My non-negotiable is the wide toe box. The toes have to be able to play. When you think of all the diagnoses that we talked about, bunyions, nuromomas, hammer toes, when the forefoot can spllay, the foot's going to function better. So that's number one.”

A wide toe box is essential for proper foot function, and relying on performance footwear without foundational foot strength training is likely to lead to injury.

“You have to earn your right to get into that shoe because it does change things for example because it's going to propel you it might cause you to stride longer with longer strides you have to consider hamstring and achilles possible or potential injuries”