A recent Washington Post article notes that while we have heard much about the trend in minimalist shoe wear for runners, we have heard less in the media about how non-runners are also extolling the physical benefits of minimalist shoe wear
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/minimalist-shoes-are-not-just-for-running/2011/09/09/gIQAzkNKPK_story.html). And it is not because they are fashionable! According to the article: "It was Morton's neuroma, an excruciating nerve condition, that had stopped Susan-Marie Stedman of Burtonsville [who couldn't] manage to hike without hurting, no matter what shoes she'd tried. Until she bought Vibram FiveFingers a year ago"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/minimalist-shoes-are-not-just-for-running/2011/09/09/gIQAzkNKPK_story.html). Morton's neuroma should not be confused with another condition called Morton's Toe; however, the two can be linked, argues Panama City podiatrist, Dr. Burton S. Schuler
http://www.footcare4u.com/category/neuroma/).
The woman suffering from Morton's Neuroma, which is "a painful condition that affects the ball of your foot, most commonly the area between your third and fourth toes" is just one example of the types of people choosing minimalist shoe wear—although they are not runners. According to the Mayo Clinic website, "Morton's Neuroma may feel as if you are standing on a pebble in your shoe or on a fold in your sock"
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mortons-neuroma/DS00468). The website includes changing footwear as one way to treat your problem. Dr. Schuler's website states that "a neuroma causes a burning pain which is localized around the ball of the foot, and this burning sensation may eventually turn to pins and needles or a shooting type pain may travel into the toes (most commonly the 3rd and 4th toes, and the 2nd and 3rd toes) or through the rest of the foot. A neuroma may also cause numbness, tingling or cramping into the toes or feet"
http://www.footcare4u.com/category/neuroma/)...
The two conditions reference two different "Mortons". "Morton's Toe" is a short first metatarsal bone that causes overpronation in the foot leading to many potential physical problems; just one of these problems includes Morton's Neuroma—the pain in the ball of your foot. Schuler writes that changing to shoes that are more comfortable and less restrictive of the toes, heel and arch of the foot is a common response to pain engendered by both Morton's Neuroma and Morton's Toe. If the Washington Post is correct in noting that minimalist shoe wear is expanding to non-runners, this may be due in part to the numbers of people who have been silently suffering from Morton's Toe and/or Morton's Neuroma while still attempting to stay physically active.