I'm #autistic. In my 70s. All my life I've suffered from balance problems. Plus feet, ankle and posture problems.
This not a product endorsement. But I bought some zero-drgree shoes that helped. Thought I'd share...
70 years. That's 7 decades of rocking on my feet, toe-walking & toe curling. For bonus points, I tend to roll on the inside and outside of my feet. Calluses and bunions and corns... Oh my.
Plus a lot of tripping and falling...
I just switched to Xero shoes about 4 weeks ago. It's a zero-degree, barefoot runner's shoe.
These style of shoes began with runners. Zero-degree, barefoot or minimalist shoes have no elevated heel, minimal cushioning, and a flexible sole. Your feet move and function more naturally compared to traditional shoes with raised heels and rigid soles.
I'm pretty sure over the past two weeks my posture has improved, my feet muscles and ankle muscles have strengthened. As well as my balance.
I suspect all the corrective shoes and later over-padded shoes were exactly the wrong approach to take. They were cutting off the important sensory information I needed to walk in a more natural way.
Zero degree shoes give me the feeling of walking barefoot... but without pain. I suspect they give me important sensory feedback helping me correct my gait.
I'm seeing improvement in striding confidently without pain or imbalance. And my calluses and bunions appear to be improving as well.
While zero-degree shoes seem to help me, I can't know they will help other autists. Your mileage may vary. Quite literally.
You might want to read up and talk to a medical pro, Before making significant changes to your footwear, like a podiatrist or orthopedist, if you have significant foot or posture problems.
My experience with zero-degree shoes is just MY story. I'm not aware of research that backs up my experience. While some research suggests that minimalist footwear can improve balance and foot function, I'd like to see studies on the autistic population.
Nonetheless, some folks may want to explore for themselves.
I have no connection to the Zero shoe company, not receiving any compensation, and the link below gives info on other similar zero degree shoes for comparison.
I hope this thread helps someone out there.
Here's a Perplexity Page with more detailed information on barefoot shoes and links to popular brands. @XeroShoes is on X. The other brands mentioned by Perplexity also have X accounts to explore.