Editor’s Note: I’ve been in touch with Andrew Turriff for over two years now—we ran this interview with him back in January 2023. I’ve really enjoyed the behind-the-scenes peeks I’ve gotten at his development of Turriff Footwear, which I consider to be a wholly unique product, and will be launching soon.
That said, I don’t view Andrew’s essay below as self-promotional—which is why we chose to publish it. To me, what follows is an outlining of the belief system of a person who’s spent a significant amount of time not cooking up a brand to sell people shoes, but instead incorporating over a decade of experience evaluating, designing and making footwear of all kinds, spanning from functional, to stylish, to (probably most importantly) need-based orthopedic footwear.
The footwear world has become overly focused on aesthetics, and long entrenched industry tradition and convention, very often neglecting the functional needs of the human foot or the shoe’s purpose as a tool. While contemporary footwear can be undeniably beautiful, it frequently prioritizes style over function, hindering natural foot movement and contributing to various foot problems which can contribute to further issues throughout the body and musculoskeletal system.
The mass production of disposable “fast fashion” footwear pollutes our planet and ignores the potential of footwear as a tool for enhancing our lives. We need to shift our focus to creating practical high quality footwear that is truly useful.
We can make footwear that compliments our modern active lifestyle. We can promote healthy feet and bodies by allowing space to spread out in our shoes to promote natural movement. We can also minimize our environmental impact by creating versatile footwear that lasts.
For millennia, footwear served as a simple, practical tool: a shield against harsh terrains and climates. The earliest known footwear was crafted from leather and plant materials, prioritizing function. These primordial shoes were typically minimal and flexible, designed to protect the foot and facilitate movement.
As civilizations evolved, so too did the purpose of footwear. Elite social classes began wearing decorative shoes as a status symbol, flaunting their wealth and power. The ancient Egyptians, as far back as 3500 BCE, adorned their feet with decorative, heeled footwear. Later in the 10th century CE, the Persian cavalry adopted heeled boots to help stay in their stirrups while riding—long before practical use of the heel for riding morphed into a fashion statement at the expense of practicality and function.
Early Persian heeled riding boots
Today, shoes continue to be symbols of status and wealth. Marketing campaigns encourage us to use footwear as a way to express ourselves and project a certain image, even if this comes at the cost of our comfort and health or at the expense of the shoe’s functionality.
Beyond the fashion industry, even the sub-group of medical and podiatry footwear seems to increasingly prioritize form over function. Shoes marketed as “healthy” or “orthopedic” often sacrifice fit, comfort, and natural foot movement for aesthetics.
During my five years working in a podiatry clinic making orthopedic footwear, I observed a growing trend of fashion-focused footwear designs among the footwear intended for people with foot ailments. Brands would rely on marketing and “innovative technology” rather than conventional podiatry principles to sell their products. The result is a market filled with narrow, overly cushioned shoes that offer temporary relief but fail to address underlying foot issues or empower the wearer to heal their foot and overall physical health.
Performance athletic footwear also misses the practical mark. Big-name performance footwear boasts “industry-leading technology” that helps you get faster or stronger. And yet, it’s rare to see a performance shoe designed with the foot’s natural shape or function in mind. This undervaluing of the foot’s shape and function as a complex performance structure can lead to poor biomechanics and injury.
Furthermore, it is almost unheard of for a performance shoe to be made using durable, natural materials or a repairable method of construction. They produce throwaway products, in some cases designed to be worn for just one or two competitions.
On the other end of the footwear spectrum are shoes that were developed as a tool: work boots, hiking boots, and military boots. These are styles that I myself fell in love with. These shoes are often built using premium, durable, long-lasting materials and constructed using methods expressly designed to be repaired. Many of the styles were developed 100 years ago or more, and are still being made the same way. I love seeing traditional techniques meticulously recreated in beautiful modern interpretations of old workwear styles. While I value these traditions, they should not prevent us from building on the craft to create more footwear that is simply more practical for modern life.
One of the issues with heritage footwear is that our understanding of the human body has evolved. Conventional-style heritage workwear boots and shoes were developed as a tool. However, the old-fashioned way of making footwear—still championed and practiced by incredible hand-makers today—ultimately restricts the full potential of our feet and bodies. From a foot-functional perspective, these old styles were designed to protect but also hold the foot rigidly in place to alleviate the discomfort of a long day.
But we now know that feet do not perform at their best when rigidly encased. Your feet are at their best when they are free to splay and grip and stabilize. We now know that if we have strong feet, it helps our overall alignment and posture. Stronger, healthier feet are associated with better balance and strength throughout our entire body. Your feet can be strengthened. We can prepare our bodies better for a long day of work rather than perpetuating the need for overly supportive footwear.
Similar to the heritage work boot, beautifully crafted dress shoes can be amazingly made pieces of art. In terms of a dress shoe and the functionality of the foot, the overall construction often creates something lighter and more flexible than the workwear style boots and shoes. Unfortunately, they are still designed to keep the mid- and rear-foot rigid, and the elegant design of the lasts, while beautiful, is also incredibly stylized and impractical. Think about how you feel after wearing these shoes all day. They can be beautiful objects, but they do not prioritize comfort or human function.
Not only has our understanding of the body and our feet changed, but our lifestyles have as well, and continue to change constantly. We need versatile footwear for our varied lives. Modern consumerism would have us believe that we need 15 pairs of niche footwear. It’s ok to have a few pairs of shoes—in fact letting the materials rest and dry out naturally in between wears will help extend their life. What we need, though, is a few pairs of practical, useful footwear that can come with us wherever our lives take us.
I have become personally interested in the area of “barefoot” footwear and consider this area to have the most potential to create functional, useful shoes. As a consumer I moved through various segments of the footwear industry before settling on barefoot shoes. The most significant contribution barefoot footwear has made to my life is a heightened awareness of my gait, and the impact I was placing on my joints. Rather than use my muscles for support and cushion, I was relying on my shoes and joints to take a lot of my daily impact. This left me feeling stiff and brittle. Barefoot footwear has revitalized my movement, showing me the need to strengthen my intrinsic muscles. Along with smarter training, moving to barefoot-style footwear has restored fluidity and mobility to my life.
Barefoot shoes seem to finally prioritize function. However, like other segments of the footwear world, barefoot shoes are still most often constructed with cost effectiveness in mind. They are generally made using synthetic materials and mass production techniques. These synthetic materials don’t move naturally with our bodies. They trap moisture and sweat, and are prone to premature wear and tear.
Natural materials offer superior breathability, durability, and comfort. I urge barefoot shoe creators to prioritize natural materials. Given their simplistic design, barefoot shoes have the potential for exceptional durability and longevity. Using synthetic materials for the uppers compromises this potential lifespan. While this might not be the most profitable business model, prioritizing longevity may contribute to a more sustainable future.
I also encourage barefoot shoe creators to avoid fear-mongering tactics to attract customers. Instead of scaring people into the barefoot lifestyle, we should focus on showcasing the positive outcomes of proper foot function. By demonstrating how patience and training can restore strength and mobility, we can empower individuals to take control of their body’s movement and well-being. The human body is an incredible tool, capable of remarkable feats with the right training and discipline.
It’s time to reclaim the purpose, functionality, and comfort of footwear. Footwear should enhance our natural movement. I believe we do not need to forego beautiful aesthetics in this quest—however, this alone cannot be prioritized above the primary purpose of footwear to facilitate natural movement.
Footwear should be versatile and adaptive to our ever-changing world and our ever-changing lifestyle. It should be made from real, natural materials that last and move well with your feet. It should be made in a way that can be repaired. By prioritizing function, comfort, materials, sustainability and versatility, shoes can truly be a functional, beautiful tool that enhances our lives and allows us to move freely and comfortably, without compromise.
