Barefoot Running

Human evolution is based on uncountable centuries that have led us to our current state of physique and intelligence. In the last few decades, ever since Industrial Revolution, there has been an emphasis on consumer products that can be used as alternatives to manual work or help to improve or speed-up the process. Shoes are no exception to this phenomenon.

Since the 1970s, the focus on running shoes has increased dramatically and new designs with better shapes are claimed to improve athletes' performances and reduce injury rates. One can see a great variety of running shoes available from nearly every brand that manufactures shoes. Recent research, however, have something else to say.

Daniel Lieberman and Reed Ferber are experts who argue that running shoes have done little to prevent injuries such as ankle sprain and plantar fasciitis. In fact, the cheaper running shoes cause less injuries compared to expensive trainer shoes. Michael Warburton in his research “Barefoot Running” published in December 2001 gave detailed insight to human anatomy and the effects of running shoes on the skeletal system.

Running shoes provide cushion underneath the foot and an arch that comforts it, keeping the foot covered and held strongly in one position. The sensory receptors in the foot, called Plantar cutaneous mechanoreceptors, that are supposed to stay in contact with ground and provide feedback to the brain go dormant. The sense of foot adjustment while running remains under-developed, increasing the chance of injury. The cushion beneath and fixed position of the foot in the shoe lets the runner to lengthen his/her stride and the foot repeatedly lands on the heels which is damaging to human skeletal system.

Human legs are designed such that when running, the foot should land on toes and the shock is absorbed that travels up to leg muscles to absorb the shock, store it and release it when body moves forward. 70% of the shock is used to move the body forward when the foot makes contact with the land surface. The foot at landing adjusts itself with the help of Plantar cutaneous mechanoreceptors and risk of injury is minimized. With running shoes the scenario is different.

In shoes the runner lands on the heels of the feet and the resulting shock travels up the skeletal system all the way to hips. Repeated running steps leads to body ache and can cause injuries including ankle sprains and partial or complete rapture of talofibular and/or calcaneofibular ligaments. One reason is the decreasing awareness of foot position from the receptors in the feet where the runner is unable to adjust on landing. With increasing use of comfortable running shoes the risk of injuries increases as well.

The phenomenon of barefoot running developed to counter the effects of shoes and now it has become a culture. Top athletes train barefooted to improve performance and increase muscle strength. Barefoot running culture has seen people jogging barefooted at beaches, parks, tracks and sidewalks. For such people, the main cause of worry is getting injured due to objects in the way such as glass, thorns, rocks, etc. rather than inability to land foot properly. They need protection against such dangerous objects without losing their natural stride and feel of barefoot running.

To satisfy their needs, Nike developed Nike Free that has minimum cushioning and allows the runner to gain the advantages of barefoot running. Use of seams and internal layers is minimal, allowing the foot to have natural movement. Priced at $76, this shoe has all the protection a barefoot runner needs.

Another great shoe for such athletes/runners is Newton Running Motion. An award winning trainer designed to keep foot in its natural stride and motion. It has certain features for foot comfort and anatomical support, leaving the rest for foot itself to work out to have the feel of Barefoot Running. Priced at $175, this is a great shoe for enthusiasts of Barefoot Running.

A great option for more natural feel is Vibram Five Fingers that look exactly like human foot and make you feel like you're running barefoot. It provides protection without reducing the advantages gained by running bare feet, a great asset to barefoot runners.