People Walked Differently in Medieval Times
30th December 2017
I’ll bet you didn’t know that.
The medieval step was much more toe-focused. Instead of hitting the ground with the heel, medieval European strollers stuck out their feet like ballerinas, touching the ball of the foot down on the ground first before putting their full weight down. This lighter step takes more muscle effort—Warzecha says he’s developed killer calf muscles after doing it for six months—but allows you to feel any potential obstacles before you put your whole body weight on top of them, lessening the chances that you’ll injure yourself on a rock or a piece of wood or even a hidden snake. If you touch your toe to the ground first, you can always lift your leg back up and avoid stepping down harder on that sharp rock/snake, but if you hit the ground with your heel first, it’s harder to jump back.
Walking in high heels has much the same effect.
Down side: It makes you walk like a Gungan.