Nike has launched the Mind 002 sneaker, the first footwear designed with neuroscience principles, featuring foam nodes that massage the foot and stimulate brain areas related to sensory perception, aiming to enhance athletes' body awareness and mental focus.
The "cricket feet" motion, which involves rubbing your toes together, can help you fall asleep by stimulating acupressure points and nerve endings in your feet that regulate and calm the central nervous system. This self-soothing habit provides relaxation, improves blood circulation, and releases feel-good hormones that alleviate stress. Massaging specific acupressure points, such as LV3 and KD1, can be done manually or by using the cricket feet method as part of a wind-down routine. Studies have shown the positive effects of foot massage on cortisol levels, serotonin and dopamine release, stress reduction, fatigue, and sleep quality.