A small revolution is taking place in the world of running shoes. Rather than wearing cushioned trainers, a modest but influential number of runners are slipping their feet into more flexible, glove-like shoes before hitting their stride, or even dispensing with footwear altogether. Advocates are known as barefoot or minimal runners and they believe they have rediscovered the natural and correct way for feet to land on the ground. In the process they have inspired a range of unusual looking footwear. The question is: should you ditch your conventional running shoes and join them?
Are conventional running shoes necessary?
Although barefoot running is an enthusiasm of a select few, their criticisms of conventional running footwear have been influential. In his provocative book, Born to Run, Christopher McDougall writes, “Every year, anywhere from 65% to 80% of all runners suffer an injury. No matter who you are, no matter how much you run, your odds of getting hurt are the same. It doesn't matter if you're male or female, fast or slow, pudgy or as taut as a racehorse, your feet are still in the danger zone.”
With evangelical zeal, McDougall describes numerous studies to support his thesis that conventional running shoes alter your natural running style and cause injury. He says the reason we wear expensive, highly cushioned running shoes isn’t based on scientific evidence but the substantial advertising budgets at shoe companies.
McDougall suggests we look to the Tarahumara Indians in northern Mexico who run 100km marathons in “thin homemade sandals”. His arguments have been made before. Other pin-ups for the barefoot movement are marathoner Abebe Bikila, who won gold at the 1960 Olympics running barefoot. Zola Budd is also frequently mentioned along with Australia’s Herb Elliott, who famously trained sans shoes. So, what’s the problem with conventional running shoes?
The problems with conventional running shoes
Barefoot runners claim that the gradient, cushioning and weight of modern running shoes make runners land heavily on their heels, causing damaging impact up the leg. Without cushioning under the heel, they claim, runners naturally land on the ball of their foot allowing a better, more shock absorbing, bend of the knees. Advocates also argue that soft shoes switch off your feet’s natural ability to sense and adapt to a surface making you hit the ground more heavily. They also claim modern running shoes make your ankle muscles weak from lack of activation. Barefoot running shoes, by contrast, have thinner soles, less cushioning and less drop between heel and toe.
According to Dr Craig Richards, creator of the first modern barefoot running shoe and co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Barefoot Running, “Anecdotally there are certainly runners, myself included, who have been able to resolve chronic injuries by gradually transitioning to a barefoot shoe and many runners who have improved both their performance and perhaps more importantly, their enjoyment of running.”
Dr Richards was one of the first experts to look for evidence to support the claims of sports shoe manufacturers that a highly cushioned, inflexible shoe is necessary to prevent running injuries. In 2008 he published a paper in the British Journal of Sports Medicine concluding there was no such evidence in the medical literature. However, an article in the Journal of the American Podiatric Association in 2011 found that, similarly, there is no published evidence to support the purported benefits claimed by the barefoot running brigade.
For foot and ankle physiotherapist, Robyn Gant, it’s less about the shoe and more about running style. “Running style and efficiency play a major role in muscle loading, with over-striding and heavy heel impact being less efficient strategies.” She thinks the new style of mobile footwear with less protective cushioning will become more mainstream, adding, “It will be interesting to see how the injury data emerges over the next few years.”
Getting used to barefoot running shoes
If you’re considering making the transition to barefoot running shoes, the advice from exercise physiologists is to slowly ease into wearing them. New users need time to develop different muscles, a process dubbed ‘periodisation’. For the first 2 to 3 weeks, wear your barefoot shoes for no more than 10% of your run, increasing by 10% to 20% every 2 weeks.
It’s common to feel pain in the calf muscle and at the top of the foot. Dr Craig Richards warns, “Don't do it if you aren't prepared to take it slowly and carefully and respond appropriately to soreness. Expect the steepest transition over the first 12 weeks, to be running well by 6 months, and for full adaptation to take up to 2 years.” Physiotherapist Robyn Gant offers this advice: “Learn how to run with a more efficient style with a shorter stride, a forward lean of the body, good core control and a gentle foot placement of the whole foot under the body, with relaxed feet.”
Barefoot running shoe choices
Several options are available, ranging from almost bare to halfway between bare and conventional. “I personally prefer shoes that have no cushioning, but beginners may need a small amount of foam underfoot until the fat pads under the ball of their foot recover,” says Dr Craig Richards. He suggests using a transition shoe, such as the Vibram FiveFingers, before going completely bare.
You must have noticed these distinctive shoes that resemble a lizard’s foot with defined slots or ‘fingers’ for your toes. They have a thin, rubberised sole that contours to the shape of your foot and are available in a range of colours. They require running adjustment.
These are designed to give the feeling of wearing bare feet, and look like a conventional runner but are more pliable and flat. The sole is segmented to offer more flexibility. It’s halfway between a barefoot and full cushioning shoe.
This shoe has a 4mm ‘drop’ between heel and toe height, whereas most conventional shoes average a 12mm drop. The upper is thinner, which reduces weight; inserts are eliminated; and thin, flexible midsoles increase groundfeel. The ambassador for this brand is Anton Krupicka, the ultra-marathon phenomenon who regularly runs for 100 miles on mountain trails in his Minimus.
Off to a running start
Wearers of barefoot running shoes tend to be rhapsodic in their praise for them. However, many experts say if you’re not experiencing pain or injuries with your current shoe then there’s no reason to change. Whether you decide to ditch your cushioned shoes or not, focus on your running form and posture to reduce your risk of injury.
Having problems with your feet? Read more here about how to care for them while you follow your exercise program.