Barefoot running is good!
The weight of the scientific evidence which supports barefoot running has reached such an elevated level that no one can seriously dispute it any longer: Barefoot running is better in many measurable ways to allow the individual to run with reduced pain and risk of injury. It’s no longer an opinion or a hypothesis. It’s been proven to be a fact!
Our Footwear Troubles Start As Children
Our propensity to certain foot problems begins at a very early age. A German study (1) determined that inadequate shoes worn as children is correlated to the increased prevalence of bunions and flat feet in today’s adults. The findings point to barefoot as the style of walking which, when applied to children, avoids those problems later in life.
A study conducted by the Italian Olympic National Committee (2) determined that barefoot runners were subjected to a lesser degree of impact forces on their feet. They also naturally adopted shorter but faster strides which kept their feet off the ground for a greater amount of time than the running shoe wearers.
Protect Your Feet From 1,000 Impacts Per Mile
The average runner strikes the ground one thousand times per mile, thus they are highly susceptible to repetitive stress injuries (3). The greatest possibility for injury in a running foot occurs when it strikes the ground: An abrupt collision force which can equal up to three times the weight of the body of the runner. One of the luminaries in foot research, Dr. Daniel E. Lieberman, recently stated in the science journal Nature (4) that his research has proven that barefoot runners generate smaller collision forces than shod runners. The differences in these impact loads are surprising: Some forms of impact on the foot can be three times higher if using athletic shoes and running with the heel striking first, than barefoot with the front of the foot striking first.
Athletic Shoes Have Been Proven To Weaken Foot Muscles & Lead To Injury
Dr. Lieberman’s research showed that since many running shoes on the market today feature stiffened soles and arch supports these lead to a reduction in arch strength due to the weakening of the muscles of the foot. As the foot muscles weaken, they are not able to keep the foot in a consistently healthy position during running. As a result, greater pronation force is placed on the tissues which support the heel and arch of the foot: As this tissue is named the plantar fascia, when it becomes inflamed and injured, it is called plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is a painful ailment that occurs in runners (and others), but anecdotal reports of those runners who suffered with it and switched to barefoot running often report they are no longer plagued with this condition. These reports support the prior post on this site where I discussed how science has shown that less bare foot pronation occurs with runners who are already moderate to severe pronators.
A notable Canadian study (5) stated that when a runner’s foot is shod in an athletic shoe, the sensations of running are minimized. Modern running shoes tend to isolate the foot from “sensing” the conditions and thus are responsible for the elevated frequency of injuries suffered by runners.
Barefoot Arthritic Knee Sufferers Reduce Impact Loads By 12%
Runners are not the only ones to benefit from ditching shoes. A 2006 study (6) established that individuals with arthritic knees could reduce the impact loads on their hips and knees by nearly 12% by doing nothing else but simply taking off their shoes.
The overwhelming medical evidence of these studies is more than sufficient to take the blinders off those who truly want to see and open their eyes to the reality that the preferred way to run is with bare feet. The diminished shock, strain, and impact on your entire body will allow you to run longer, faster, and healthier. Of course, as always, if you are going to run bare, start very slowly and build up gradually.
Hopefully, it’s now clear that you have nothing to lose running barefoot… except your pain, injury, and expensive running shoes!
Key To References
1) Wolf S, Simon J, Patikas D, et al. Foot motion in children’s shoes: a comparison of barefoot walking with shod walking in conventional and flexible shoes. Gait Posture. 2008;27:51-9
2) Squadrone R, Gallozzi C. Biomechanical and physiological comparison of barefoot and two shod conditions in experienced barefoot runners. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2009;49:6-13
3) van Gent RN, et al. Incidence and determinants of lower extremity running injuries in long distance runners: a systematic review. Br J Sports Med. 2007;41:469-480
4) Lieberman DE, Venkadesan M, Werbel WA, et al. Foot strike patterns and collision forces in habitually barefoot versus shod runners. Nature. 2010;doi:10.1038
5) Robbins SE, Hanna AM, Running-related injury prevention through barefoot adaptations. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1987;19:2:148-156
6) Shakoor N, Block JA. Walking barefoot decreases loading on the lower extremity joints in knee osteoarthritis. Arthr Rheum. 2006;54:9:2923-2927
Related Posts
- Neuroanthropologist Comments on the Benefits of Barefoot Running
- Is Running Barefoot the Answer to Runners’ Foot, Ankle and Knee Problems?
- Want to Pronate Less? Maybe You Should Run Barefoot
- Original Research: Running Barefoot May Be Safer for Your Hip, Knee, and Ankle Joints
- The Canadian Medical Association Examines Barefoot Running: Worthwhile Reading!
- Dr. Oz Promotes Running Barefoot, But Not Everyone is Happy
- Could Improperly Fitted Running Shoes be the Cause of Runners’ Foot, Ankle, and Knee Problems? Is Correct Shoe Fit EVEN Possible?
