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I was out running yesterday, enjoying the warmer weather and trying to rack up my training miles for the Fairfield Half Marathon. I ran past another runner and my eyes were drawn to her fluorescent pink sneakers which, upon closer examination, I noticed were no ordinary sneakers but those with 5 toes! Really just a thin covering of her feet. I noticed how she gingerly ran over a gravel driveway and it got me wondering about the benefits of these skin-like running shoes and why they have become so popular. After much research online, I discovered that, not surprisingly, there are opposing opinions on the merits of barefoot running and minimalist shoes. Those in favor of barefoot running say that it is a much more natural way to run, the way our bodies were designed to run. The barefoot runner tends to land more on the mid-foot than with a heel strike, resulting in less impact on the heel and potentially fewer heel injuries than with running shoes. Podiatrists and the American Podiatric Medical Association on the other hand feel that barefoot running can cause injuries ranging from Achilles tendonitis to severe bruising of the soft tissue of the foot from landing on a rock. The argument from both sides is that there are not enough studies to support the merits of barefoot running or the merits of running in sneakers. Those against barefoot running argue that the few studies that have been conducted were sponsored by Vibram and Nike and are therefore skewed. One thing that both sides agree on is that whether you run barefoot or in sneakers, you should adjust your form accordingly to prevent injuries.
Barefoot running has enjoyed a lot of media coverage in recent years, especially since the launch of the book “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall which chronicals the author’s quest to answer the question “Why does my foot hurt?” In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world's greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong. McDougall points out that 50-80% of runners in running shoes are injured every year.
Dr. Doug Richie, a Sports Podiatrist warns that running barefoot significantly changes your running style and unless you are conditioned and trained to run differently, you are likely to experience injuries.
The debate is likely to continue and heat up again now that running season is in full swing again with the warmer weather. Whatever your choice, it’s always a good idea to consult with a physician before embarking on something new and different!