It seems like everywhere I look someone is wearing those new “toe shoes”. If you don’t know what I mean, check this out. Kinda odd looking wouldn’t you say? These shoes are designed to mimic the sensation of running barefoot. (Though I think they resemble aqua socks... much like the bright teal pair I was sporting circa 1995.) The thought is that humans were born to run – think cavemen, who had to chase down their food – and born to do it barefoot. Some schools of thought think shoes have altered our anatomy, resulting in higher frequencies of injuries like stress fractures and hip misalignment. However, at a recent meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine that was centered on barefoot running, trained professionals in the field hypothesized that there might be more to this story.
Most of us grew up wearing shoes. Heck, most of us may have been in shoes before we could walk! What we do know is that shoes alter how we move. You put a little kid in shoes, and their stride becomes longer and they land with more force on their heels. All this pounding on the heels generates significant ground reaction forces that travel through the bones of your legs to the joints (ouch!) and cause damage. Barefoot runners, on the other hand, typically land more lightly and closer to the front of their feet – creating less force. Based on this information, one could deduce that running barefoot makes sense for the body, because less force (pounding) means less wear and tear.
However, it’s not as easy as simply slipping off your shoes. Our bodies cling to the familiar, which for most (if not all) of us in this situation is running with shoes on. When we first attempt to run barefoot, most of us will continue to use ‘shoed’ form (landing heavily on our heels), which can actually mean an increase in force moving through your leg – because the amount
of force per stride hasn’t changed, but the amount of cushioning beneath the heel of your foot
has decreased.
Earlier research has shown that high-frequency forces tend to move up the body through a person’s bones. Lower-frequency forces typically move through muscles and soft tissue.
So shifting to a forefoot running style, as people do when running barefoot, may lessen your risk for a stress fracture, but up your chances of developing a muscle strain or tendinitis.
The good news? Most barefoot runners quickly adjust their stride, because landing hard on a bare heel hurts. The professionals warn, however, that during the adjustment period barefoot running may increase injury risk.
Since there is no concrete evidence to support barefoot or shoed running, the best recommendation is to keep doing what you’re doing unless you are experiencing injuries or discomfort from your current program. If you are looking to try barefoot running, whether for pain relief or just plain curiosity, the key is to start slowly. Take off your shoes for the last mile of your run and ease into barefoot running over a period of several weeks. Remember to land lightly and keep strides shorter than if you were running in shoes. It’s also a good idea to wear some type of protection, whether it be a moccasin or the new “toe shoes” to prevent cuts and scrapes. And make sure you look out for those “gifts” the neighborhood animals like to leave on the sidewalk!
Check out more from the article!
What do you think about barefoot running? Have you ever tried it? Would you?
Why or why not?
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