Dr. Courtney Conley — A chiropractor and world-renowned foot specialist, and former ballet dancer and triathlete who battled bunions, neuromas and heel pain herself. She has spent over 20 years treating foot dysfunction and advocating for foot strength as a key to whole-body health.
The gist
Dr. Courtney Conley argues that the foot is a neglected foundation for overall health, mobility and longevity, and that most footwear actively deforms and weakens it. She walks Steven Bartlett through the problems with narrow toe boxes, heel-to-toe drop, heavy cushioning and 'super shoes', explaining how foot weakness ripples up the kinetic chain to the ankles, knees, hips and back. She makes a strong case for walking as the most underutilized health activity, citing step-count research linking it to reduced mortality, depression and dementia risk. The conversation includes hands-on demonstrations of foot assessments and strengthening exercises using toe spacers, bands and balls, plus practical guidance on transitioning to barefoot-style shoes without injury.
Big reveals
- Conley reveals movement was a literal 'mode of survival' through personal demons in her teens and 20s, and losing it to foot pain sent her to dark places.
- A 1,000-step daily increase can reduce all-cause mortality risk by 15%.
- A 27-year-old patient was told by a prior doctor to limit himself to 2,500 steps a day, leaving him depressed and living in his father's basement before she reversed the advice.
- She discloses Vivobarefoot is a sponsor of hers, while still championing wide-toe-box shoes on the merits.
- Bartlett admits he bought his Nike Alphafly running shoes mainly 'because it looks great' despite tearing ankle ligaments.
- Conley says the classic towel-scrunch and marble-pickup foot exercises are essentially useless because that motion never happens in the gait cycle.
- She calls a hiking boot a 'neurological hug' that feels protective but does not actually stabilize the ankle and can transfer load to the knee.
Things worth remembering
- 9,800 steps a day can reduce the risk of dementia, and around 70% of children wear shoes that are too narrow.
- One in three people, especially over 45, will experience foot pain - a rate matched only by low back pain.
- When walking, the foot can handle four to six times your body weight.
- 5,000 steps a day reduces depression symptoms; 7,500 steps reduces the prevalence of diagnosed depression.
- Just 3,800 steps a day delivers 50% of the maximal dementia-risk benefit.
- Liverpool University research found wearing Vivobarefoot shoes for six months can increase foot strength by up to 60%.
- Without enough big-toe extension (about 40-45 degrees) you compensate with shorter strides and lost hip extension.
- The soleus calf muscle can drive eight times body weight through the forefoot, yet the seated calf raise machine is almost always empty.
- Overstriding is 'the enemy' of running - the foot should land close to your center of mass.
- Asked her likely 10-year regret, Conley says it would be working so much she missed her daughter's soccer games.
Recommended in this episode
Books, products and media the guest or host genuinely endorsed here — with the buy link.
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Foot Health Kit (toe spacers, toe strengtheners, band and ball)
Dr. Courtney Conley
“Foot health kit. Yes, that's what it says on the front of the box... It's like my little like bag of treats” — Dr. Courtney Conley 00:46:17Find it on Amazon