Should I wear shoes on mini steppers for exercise?

You must have a question like if it’s necessary to put on sport shoes while stepping on mini steppers for exercise? How about barefoot or sandals?

As published by Medical University of South Carolina, barefoot training has been proved to increase muscle strength and endurance, stability, proprioception, and coordination.

However, can we really do all kind of exercise without shoes?

Why people step barefoot on mini steppers for exercise?

People sometimes choose to step barefoot on mini steppers for exercise due to several reasons:

• Convenience: For home fitness, going barefoot is simply more convenient and comfortable.
• Massage pedals: Many mini steppers equipped with massage pedals in order provide extra features, for example, improve blood circulation in the feet and lower legs and stress relief to enhance user’s exercise experience.
• Increased comfort: The textured surfaces of those foot pedals stimulate the soles of the feet. This can increase comfort during the workout, especially if used barefoot.

Can I step barefoot on mini steppers for exercise?

For the following reasons, we do not recommend using a mini stepper machine barefooted:

• Increased injury risk: Without shoes, your feet are more vulnerable to cuts, bruises, and impact injuries.
• Lack of support: Shoes provide essential arch support and cushioning, which help protect against joint and muscle strain during exercising.
• Hygiene concerns: You are not familiar with the materials used in ministepper and how they are manufactured, plus only few people clean it thoroughly after workout. Therefore, avoiding direct skin contact with the machine can eliminate hygiene concerns.

Exercising without sports shoes increases the risk of injuries

The primary reason you must wear sports shoes is to avoid joint injuries. Not wearing sports shoes can lead to increased joint stress due to excessive impact, which can cause serious sport injuries. Therefore, whether running or jumping, it’s necessary to wear sports shoes with shock absorption.

Wearing casual sandals for exercise can easily lead to injuries as well due to insufficient foot coverage, making it easy to twist an ankle or get cut by sharp objects. Wearing sports shoes helps prevent injuries caused by collisions.

Exercising only in flip-flops can be worrisome as the shoes may slip off, requiring extra effort to keep them on, which decreases stability and increases the risk of accidents.

If the shoes were seamlessly integrated with the feet, these concerns wouldn’t exist. Additionally, during exercise, the body twists and turns, and only well-constructed sports shoes can provide the necessary protection for the feet.

When can I exercise without shoes?

You don’t have to wear shoes when participate in low impact workouts such as strength training, Pilates, barre, and yoga. However, specialized sports shoes are definitely required for running and other high-impact activities.

Conclusion

During exercise, the feet must withstand significant stress, impact, and reaction force. Without proper protection, it’s easy to sustain sports injuries.

Therefore, it is best to wear specialized sports shoes while exercising. If that’s not possible, at least choose a pair of shoes that offer good shock absorption, coverage, stability, and flexibility. Doing so not only ensures comfort but also helps prevent injuries.