Nike has claimed that its latest athletic footwear can activate the brain, heighten sensory awareness and improve concentration by stimulating the soles of the feet. The company’s chief science officer, Matthew Nurse, said in a press release that the shoes tap into the brain-body connection to make wearers feel more present, focused and resilient. Other brands, such as Naboso, also sell sensory-based footwear and insoles designed to stimulate the nervous system.
The soles of the feet contain thousands of mechanoreceptors that detect pressure, vibration and texture, sending signals to the somatosensory cortex, which maintains a map of the body. Footwear can also affect proprioception – the brain’s sense of body position – which is linked to attention and arousal. However, neurologists argue that influencing movement is not the same as enhancing cognition.
While minimalist shoes may allow more sensory input, the brain filters this information and too much stimulation can increase cognitive load rather than improve focus. There is little evidence that passive underfoot stimulation meaningfully improves concentration in healthy adults. Some studies suggest modest effects in specific populations, such as older adults training balance, but these are context-dependent.
Despite the lack of direct cognitive enhancement, any perceived benefits may stem from belief and expectation – a well-documented placebo effect in neuroscience. The concept of embodied cognition also suggests that bodily states can influence mental processes, meaning that posture and movement may indirectly affect concentration.
