Foundation First: Essential Foot Care Tips for Barbers

Last Updated on April 28, 2024 by David Thomas

In 2018, I worked as a full-time barber in a busy shop in Hollywood, CA. I used to work for seven to ten hours every day. As a hungry barber and stylist who thought he could cut everyone in LA, I was on a mission to succeed. I had recently lost a considerable amount of weight and felt better than ever. I was active, played sports, and had started training in martial arts. However, later that year, I began questioning my career choice when my feet started hurting. During one of my flag football games, I had to call it quits early due to a sharp shooting pain jolting through my right heel to toe.

I worried about how I would manage to work with such excruciating pain. I had never experienced this kind of pain before, and the shooting pain made it difficult for me to walk. Eventually, I discovered that I had “Plantar Fasciitis,” which is apparently a common problem for barbers and stylists.

In this blog, I will share what I did to save my feet and discuss some exercises and routines I still use today to keep my feet healthy, strong, and pain-free.

Understanding the Stresses on Barber’s Feet

Working as a barber or hairstylist has its perks but also takes a toll on our health. We grind long hours, sometimes without any breaks, and by the time we reach home, we’re exhausted and want to relax.

We stand all day long, and it’s easy to forget that standing in the correct posture requires some effort. Standing puts pressure on our feet, and if we put too much pressure on weak feet, we’re asking for trouble. It’s like building a house on a weak foundation. A strong foundation is essential for the longevity of any building.

Immediate Relief – Managing Existing Foot Pain

“OK, so how did I fix my feet? I started with the usual protocol of buying comfortable shoes to support my aching (weak) feet. Then, I used the floor mat to add some more cushion. This helped for about a week, and then the aching started again. Then I went to the doctor and got some prescribed insoles designed to help with the pain. This helped for another week, but the pain came back, and this time it was in my lower back. ‘Shit! Not only do my feet hurt, but I’m walking like I’m 90 leaving the shop.'”

Then, during my fitness quest, I stumbled upon this book called “Born to Run .”The story is about the Tarahumara (Rarámuri) tribe on Mexico’s southern border. These people live off the grid and run 200-mile races for fun. And the icing on the cake? They do it on their bare feet, using only a piece of rubber and a string to hold it on their feet. My mind was blown. I went down the rabbit hole of barefoot running and barefoot shoes and came across this company called The Foot Collective. If you follow me on social media, chances are you’ve seen me play around with the balance beam from them.

The simple protocol I used for instant relief was just simply spending more time BAREFOOT.

Playing in the grass
Walking around the house
Training Jiujitsu
Working out in the grass at the park
Jump roping
Playing with the kids
Hackey Sack

My Current Daily Foot Care Routine

Here’s a brief video of my current foot routine. This is NON-NEGOTIABLE for me. I do this every single day, and it only takes about 5 minutes. This is part of my morning movement routine before starting the day. I haven’t had any major foot issues since. I use a lacrosse ball from The Foot Collective in the video, but a golf ball could also work. Please note: Golf balls don’t have much give and could hurt more if you’re not used to massaging your feet.

Check out the FOOT RESTORATION KIT if you need some tools to help you on this journey.

Daily Habits for Pain-free Feet

Before Work

(video above)

During Work

Every 5-10 minutes try pressing your toes into the ground to activate your arches

After Work

Spread toes ( use toe spreader or fingers ) 5 mins each foot

Footwear Recommendations

After searching and trying out the most comfortable shoes I could find, and now working in completely barefoot shoes, I’ve found that you don’t have to go all in on the barefoot movement. However, I would suggest that you find shoes that are:

Flat (stay away from raised heels)
Wider toe box
Flexible

The concept here is to have sufficient space for your feet to move. When you walk around the chair, your feet should be able to flex and activate your arches as needed. Overly comfortable shoes can make our feet a bit lazy and cause us to switch off essential muscles in our feet. It’s true! Our feet have 29 muscles, to be precise. So why not train your feet like the rest of your body?

Extra Exercises and Stretches for Healthy Feet

Wall Calf Stretch

Finger splice / Spread and Pull – 1-5 min each

Free Training Videos from The Foot Collective

Lastly…

Foot health looks different for everyone. But I’ll leave you with this: every professional athlete has a specific sports training program. Basketball players have specific routines, stretches, exercises, and movements that help them perform their best on the court. As someone who stands and uses their body daily, you need to adapt some sort of training program that helps you keep your machine running at its best. Otherwise, your career behind the chair may be a short one. Use these tips to help you have a long-lasting, pain-free career. Below, I’ve listed extra resources to help you along the way. And if you have any questions, feel free to reach out. ‘Til next time.