The foot is an amazing and complex piece of anatomy. Muscles, ligaments, tendons and bones all work together to absorb the forces of standing, walking, running and jumping. The arches of the foot act like springs as we move and further help to dampen force. When we wear sneakers the impact forces on the feet are significantly decreased. Sounds good, right? Well, not necessarily. Let me explain.
Expensive running shoes do a great job of absorbing force- that’s what they are designed for. The problem is that when the shoes absorb all the force the foot becomes less efficient at doing its job. After years of wearing cushioned sneakers the foot “forgets” how to support itself. I’ve even read one study that suggests the more you pay for your shoes the more likely you are to get injured. Researchers have even shown that runners land on their feet differently when wearing shoes and when unshod. When people wear shoes and run they land on their heel which sends a lot of force up the leg and can damage joints. When people run barefoot they land on the ball of the foot and transfer the force of impact more efficiently in the foot meaning less stress on other joints.
So what does this mean? Throw your shoes out and start running barefoot? While more and more people are doing this everyday, there are some things to consider. If you are used to running with sneakers your foot will not be ready to just start running barefoot. Like other muscles of the body, your feet need time to adapt to the stresses of being barefoot. Sneakers also protect the bottom of the foot from abrasion very well. A good quality if you run on pavement. Shoe manufacturers are starting to make shoes with less support but with all the protection of a normal shoe. These are a good place to start. Here are some options:
Vibram Five Fingers
Vibram Five Fingers
I haven’t tried these yet as the look of them turns me off but from what I’ve read this is as close as it gets to running barefoot but still having some protection for the soles of your feet.
Nike Free
Nike Free
I have a few pairs of these shoes and love them. They do offer more support than the Vibram’s and I think they are a good first shoe to try for barefoot activity.
While these sneakers won’t exactly save you any money (they aren’t cheap) they may help you save your feet. I firmly feel that sneakers are doing more harm than people realize. The research on barefoot running is still in the early stages but I think we will see more come out supporting the benefits of barefoot activity. Here is good blog from a person who has been running barefoot for some time…. check it out.
Barefoot Ted’s Adventures
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