Science of Running_ Why Running Shoes Do Not Work_ Looking at Pronation, Cushioning, Motion Control and Barefoot Running

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The running shoe model needs to be fixed. Pronation, Motion Control, Cushioning, and Stabilityshoes? Get rid of them all.

Its not just barefoot running and minimalism versus running shoes, the either/or situation many

portray it to be. Its much deeper than that. Its not even that running shoe companies are evil and out to

make a profit. Shoe companies may be accomplishing the goals they set out for, but maybe the goals

their aiming for are not what need to be done. The paradigm that running shoes are built upon is the

problem.

Running shoes are built upon two central premises, impact forces and pronation. Their goals are

simple, limit impact forces and prevent overprontation. This has led to a classification system based on

cushioning, stability, and motion control. The problem is that this system may not have any ground to

stand on. Have we been focused on the wrong things for 40+years?

Ill start with the customary statistic of 33-56% of runners get injured every year (Bruggerman,

2007). That is kind of mind blowing when you think about it. Since there are a ton of injuries going on,

lets look at what shoes are supposed to do.

Pronation:

As said earlier, shoes are built upon the premise that impact forces and pronation are what cause

injuries. Pronation, in particular has been constructed as the bane of all runners. We have become

inundated with limiting pronation via motion control shoes. The central idea behind pronation is that

overpronating causes rotation of the lower leg(i.e. ankle,tibia, knee) putting stress on the joints and

therefore leading to injuries. Running shoes are therefore designed to limit this pronation. Essentially,

running shoes are developed and designed to put the body in proper alignment. But do we really need

proper alignment?

This paradigm on pronation relies on two main things: (1)over pronation causes injuries and (2)

running shoes can alter pronation.

Looking at the first premise, we can see several studies that do not show a link between

pronation and injuries. In an epidemiological study by Wen et al. (1997), he found that lower extremitlyalignment was not a major risk factor for marathon runners. In another study by Wen et al. (1998), this

time a prospective study, he concluded that Minor variations in lower extremity alignment do not

appear conclusively to be major risk factors for overuse injuries in runners. Other studies have

reached similar conclusions. One by Nigg et al. (2000) showed that foot and ankle movement did not

predict injuries in a large group of runners.

If foot movement/pronation does not predict injuries or is not a risk factor for injuries, then one

has to question whether the concept is sound or working...

Looking at the second premise, do shoes even modify pronation? Motion control shoes are

designed to decrease pronation through a variety of mechanisms. Most choose to insert a medial post

or a similar device. In a study by Stacoff (2001), they tested several motion control shoe devices and

found that they did not alter pronation and did not change the kinematics of the tibia or calcaneus bones

either. Similarly, another study by Butler (2007) found that motion control shoes showed no difference in

peak pronation when compared to cushioning shoes. Lastly, Dixon (2007) found similar results showing

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that motion control shoes did not reduce peak eversion (pronation) and didnt change the concentration

of pressure.

This is sort of a double whammy on motion control shoes. If excessive pronation does not cause

injuries to the degree that everyone thinks, and if motion control shoes dont even alter pronation, whats

the point of a motion control shoe?

Cushioning:

Impact forces are the other major scoundrel of running injuries. The thinking goes like this, the greater

the impact force on the lower the leg, the greater stress the foot/leg takes, which could potentially lead

to injuries. To combat this fear, running shoes, particular cushioning ones, are to the rescue. Lets take

a look.

The first question is, do cushioning shoes do their job?

Wegener(2008) tested out the Asics Gel-Nimbus and the Brooks Glycerin to see if they reduced plantar

pressure. They found that the shoes did their job!....But where it reduced pressure varied highly.

Meaning that pressure reduction varied between forefoot/rearfoot/etc. This led to the interesting

conclusion that their should be a shift in prescribing shoes to one based on where plantar pressure is

highest for that individual person. It should be noted that this reduction in pressure was based on a

comparison to another shoe, a tennis shoe. Im not sure that this is a good control. Basically, this study

tells us that cushioned running shoes decrease peak pressure when compared to a Tennis shoe.

In a review on the subject, Nigg (2000) found that both external and internal impact force peaks were

not or barely influenced by the running shoes midsole. This means that the cushioning type does not

change impact forces much, if at all. But how can this be? I mean its common sense if you jumped on

concrete vs. jumped on a shoe foam like surface, the shoe surface is softer right? Well come back to

this question in a minute.

Impact Forces: The picture gets cloudier:

But its not as simple as described above.

In an interesting study by Scott (1990) they looked at peak loads on the various sites of likely injury for

runners (Achilles, knee, etc.). All peak loads occurred during mid-stance and push off. This led to an

important finding that the impact force at heel contact was estimated to have no effect on the peak

force seen at the chronic injury sites, and led to speculation that impact force did not relate injury

development.

Further complicating the impact force idea is that when looking at injury rates of those running on hard

surfaces or soft surfaces, there appears to be no protective benefit of running on soft surfaces. Why isthis? Because of something called pre-activation and muscle tuning which will be discussed below.

Supporting this data, other studies have shown that people who have a low peak impact have the same

likelihood of getting injured as those with a high peak impact force (Nigg, 1997). If you want to

complicate things even further, impact seems to be the driving force between increased bone density.

As a coach or trainer this should make sense. The bone responds to the stimulus by becoming more

resistant to it, IF the stimulus is not too large and there is enough recovery.

Underestimating our Body: Impact forces as feedback:

Back to the question I asked earlier: How can impact forces not change based on shoe sole softness

and why isnt running on hard surfaces lead to more injuries?

The problem is, once again, we underestimate the human body! Its an amazing thing, and we never

give it the credit it deserves. The body adapts to the surface that its going to strike, if you give it a

chance. The body adapts to both shoe and surface adjusting impact forces via changes joint stiffness,

the way the foot strikes, and a concept called muscle tuning.

An example of this can be seen with barefoot running, the diminished proprioception (sensory

feedback) of wearing a shoe negates the cushioning of the shoe. Studies using minimal shoes/barefoot

have shown that the body seems to adapt the impact forces/landing based on feedback and

feedforward data. When running or landing from a jump, the body takes in all the sensory info, plus prior

experiences, and adjusts to protect itself/land optimally As mentioned above, it does this through a

variety of mechanisms. Thus, you stick some cushioned running shoe on the bottom of your foot and

the body goes Oh, were okay, we dont need to worry about impact as much, weve got this soft piece

of junk on our foot

One concept that needs to be further discussed is muscle tuning. Its a concept recently proposed

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by Nigg et al. in 2000. He sees impact force as a signal or a source of feedback, as I stated earlier. The

body then uses this information and adjusts accordingly to minimize soft tissue vibration and/or bone

vibration. His contention is that impact force is not the problem, but rather the signal. Muscle tuning is

essentially controlling these vibrations via a variety of methods. One potential mechanism is pre-

activation. Pre-activation is activation of the muscles prior to impact. In this case it serves as a way of

muscle tuning to prepare for impact and in addition can alter muscle stiffness, which is another way to

prepare for impact. Pre-activation has been established with multiple EMG studies.

Shoes not only impact this, but surface type does too. As mentioned previously, the change in

running surface did not impact injury rates. Why? Probably because the body adapts to running

surface. In an interesting study measuring muscle activity, OFlynn(1996) found that pre-activation

changed based on surface. To prepare for impact, and presumably to minimize muscle/bone vibration,

when running on concrete pre-activation was very high, when running on a soft track, not so much.

What all of this means is that the body adapts via sensory input. It has several different adaptation

methods. A shoe influences how it adapts. The shoe is not doing anything to alter cushioning, it is

simply altering how the body responds to impact. Its a significant mindset jump if you think about it.

Heres the summary:

The type of shoe and material of the shoe changes impact NOT because of alignment of the

lower leg or because of changes in cushioning. Instead it changes impact characteristics

because it alters the sensory feedback

In conclusion on the cushioning concept. Well, what are we trying to cushion? Heel impact forces have

not been shown to relate to injuries, in fact in one study low impact runners had a 30% injury rate

compared to a 20% injury rate in high impact runners. Shoe midsoles do not change, or marginally

change impact forces anyway. So, not only may cushioning not be the answer, the shoes might not

even be doing their job. But what about those shoe cushioning studies showing improved cushioning

with their new midsole?! Well, the majority of that testing is done by using a machine to simulate the

impact forces that you experience during running. That means, yes it may cushion an impact more, but

it doesnt take into account the role of the body adjusting impact based on feedback.

The reason cushioning doesnt work? Because the body adapts based on feedback and feedforward

information. These results prompted one notable researcher(Nigg,2000) to call for the reconsideration

of the cushioning paradigm for running shoes.

Barefoot running?

Quickly, this topic could not be complete without a brief mention of barefoot running. An interesting thing

to note is that the initial peak impact force is absent in barefoot running when compared to running with

shoes. What this means is that, the impact forces look like (A) for shoes and (B) for barefoot. That

initial little blip in A is the initial impact force. There is a hypothesis that this initial impact force is related

to injuries.

A recent study by Squadrone et al.(2009) compared running shoes, barefoot running, and running in

Vibram Five Fingers. They demonstrated reduced impact forces, shorter ground contact and stride

length, but increased stride frequency while running barefoot (and in Vibrams) as compared to running

with shoes. This is not unexpected, but shows that running shoes do in fact alter our normal strides. An

interesting point is the reduction in stride length but increase in stride frequency. Shoes tend to promote

this longer stride at a consequence of ground contact times and frequency. This happens because of

changes in feedback signaling, increased likelihood to land on heel stretched out, increased weight, all

of which lead to longer times on the ground. Its interesting to note that elite runners all have short

ground contacts and high frequencies (as demonstrated by the often quoted Daniels study of 180strides per minute).

Tying this to the discussion above on the body controlling things based on sensory information, when

running barefoot, there is a higher degree of stiffness in the lower leg. Increased stiffness can result in

an increased SSC (stretch shortening cycle) response, resulting in greater force on the subsequent

push off (2001). Dalleau et al. demonstrated that pre-activation causing increased stiffness improved

Running Economy. In his study, the energy cost of running was related to the stiffness of the lower leg

(1998)

Another recent study found that knee flexion torque, knee varus torque, and hip internal rotation torque

all were significantly greater in shoes compared to barefoot. What does all of this mean? Potentially,

this means more stress on the joints in this area. Jay Dicharry put it best when he said:

The soft materials in modern running shoes allow a contact style that you would not use barefoot. The

foot no longer gets the proprioceptive cues that it gets unshod. The foot naturally accommodates to

surfaces rapidly, but a midsole can impair the foots ability to react to the ground. This can mute or alter

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4/21

feedback the body gets while running. These factors allow a runner to adopt a gait that causes the

elevated forces observed above.

The one thing that non-barefoot/heel strike proponents use to dismiss midfoot striking/barefoot running

is the Achilles tendon. They say, correctly, that the load on the Achilles is higher in midfoot striking

runners. The Achilles is meant to take a large load. The problem is weve weakened the Achilles

through years of wearing shoes with their elevated heels. Essentially, weve created the Achilles

problem with the shoes meant to prevent it. The Achilles is designed to operate in a rubber band like

fashion. . During impact such as the braking or contact phase of running, the achilles tendon stores

energy and then subsequent releases that energy via recoil during the take off phase of running. The

Achilles, can store and return approximately 35% of its kinetic energy (Ker, 1987). Without this elastic

storage and return, the oxygen uptake required would be 30-40% higher! So, in terms of performancewhy are we trying to minimize the tendonous contribution? Its like giving away free energy.

Running shoes do not utilize the elastic storage and return as well as barefoot or minimal shoes. More

energy is lost with shoes than with barefoot running (Alexander and Bennett, 1989). In addition, in some

models of shoes, the arch is not allowed to function like a spring. The arch of the foot can store around

17% of kinetic energy (Ker, 1987). Given these results, its not surprising that running barefoot when

compared to running with shoes is more efficient. Several studies have shown a decreased VO2 at the

same pace with barefoot running, even when weight is taken into account. This should be no surprise

as I mentioned above, without elastic recoil VO2 requirement would be 30-40% higher. Running in a

minimal shoe allows for better utilization of this system.

So, the take away message is that shoes change natural mechanics to one that creates mechanical

changes that are not optimal for running fast (decreased stride frequency, increased ground contact,

decreased stiffness of the system, decreased elastic contribution, and on and on).

Tying it together with elites:

Looking at elite athletes, when racing and training, they generally have higher turnover, minimal ground

contact time, and a landing that occurs closer to their Center of Gravity. Since the majority of elites

exhibit these same characteristics while racing, it makes sense that this is the optimal way to run fast.

So, why are we wearing footwear that is designed to increase ground contact, decrease turnover, and

promote footstrike out in front of the center of gravity? I have no idea.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Im not some fanatic saying everyone ditch shoes now. Chances are youve been running

in shoes for 20+ years. Your bodies done some adapting during that time. Youve got to gradually

change if you want to undue some of the changes.

The purpose of this article wasnt to talk about the benefits of barefoot running. Instead it was to point

out the problems with Running Shoe classification. Its based on a cushioning/pronation paradigm that

simply is not as true as they want us to believe. That paradigm needs to be reevaluated. Its not founded

on good science but rather initial ideas that made sense with no science behind them, but upon further

review may not stand up to testing. A recent study found that using the good old shoe classification

system that everyone uses, had little influence on injury prevention in a large group of Army Basic

Training participants (Knapik, 2009). They concluded that selecting shoes based on arch height (like all

major running magazines suggest) is not necessary if injury prevention is the goal. I guess that means

the systems broken

Where do we go and how do we fix it? I have no idea. Sorry, no genius answers here. My inclination is

that we aim for letting the foot function how it is meant to function, or at least come up with some shoe

that may alter foot mechanics but while still allowing feedback/functionality of the body. The first s tep is

looking at the foundation on which running shoes are built upon, the motion control, stability, and

cushioning paradigm. My take is that it needs to be reevaluated. Im going to end with something Ive

already said, but its an important concept to get across:

The body is more complicated and smarter than we give it credit.

The type of shoe and material of the shoe changes impact or stride characteristics NOT

because of alignment of the lower leg or because of changes in cushioning. Instead it changes

impact and stride characteristics because it alters the sensory feedback. The brain is a

wonderful thing.'

If you found this article to be informative, I'd appreciate it If you passed it along. The goal is to get

research based data out there so people can be well informed.


5/21

The Running Shoe

Industry Part 2:

Contest winners

announced ...

THE first big study

on barefoot

running in Nature :

Death ...

Running form and

the Shoe Industry:

where do we go

from ...

The Sole of the

Shoe: Looking at

inside the midsole

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74 comments:

Jim 9:09 AM

Very Interesting article!

Makes you think. I guess the problem is we started out with a running shoe classification system

before figuring out what running shoes actually needed to do. Then we just built and built upon it.

Reply

DumpRunner Matt 11:37 AM

Has anyone looked at to what degree sensory feedback is diminished in shoes? I believe this is

the case but I am still well aware of variation of surface no matter what shoe I wearing. Grass is

different than concrete or dirt. I am also aware of the differences in impact. (granted not to the

degree of sensitivity that a lab study can offer)

About elites, perhaps the idea that sensory feedback is lessened at higher speeds might provide a

clue.

Reply

Anonymous 10:13 AM

You consciously may know what variation of surface you are running on. The question is

how can your body react through dulled senses. Consciously is good, but your body

must be able to react in its own way. It's like if you touched a burning pan without any

nerve receptors. Yes you know it should be hot, and you also know that your skin is

burning. On the other hand with nerve receptors you will have an immediate physical

reaction faster than your thought process will allow you to retract your hand. If minimal

running is something you're interested in slowly let your feet adapt and reteach your

body to react on its own.

Anonymous 12:48 PM

Reply

Tuck 2:19 PM

Excellent overview. Thanks a lot!

Reply

Jacob Brower 2:34 PM

Steve,
http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1264451665070#c6364816219050993808http://www.allfuelwillburn.wordpress.com/http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1264450761796#c1599968549902432862http://www.blogger.com/profile/09455436946187786398http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1264445296700#c7327311959466880663http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1341933189772#c4467561183239310012http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1264441075594#c5307180138046920577http://www.blogger.com/profile/05433305654435368458http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1264432177454#c7627241702185614023http://www.scienceofrunning.com/search/label/barefoot%20runninghttp://www.blogger.com/email-post.g?blogID=32129670&postID=4840924586646226112http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.htmlhttp://www.linkwithin.com/learn?ref=widgethttps://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=32129670&postID=4840924586646226112&isPopup=truehttp://www.scienceofrunning.com/2011/11/sole-of-shoe-looking-at-inside-midsole.htmlhttp://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/09/running-form-and-shoe-industry-where-do.htmlhttp://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/first-big-study-on-barefoot-running-in.htmlhttp://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/09/running-shoe-industry-part-2-contest.html


6/21

Thanks for writing this! It was one of the few shoe/barefoot/economy types of pieces I'd seen that

actually had any convincing and reasonable scientific discussion (although in mostly layman's

terms, which is appreciated).

I wonder about the application in my own running though. I have long suspected many of the

points you made about what is wrong with shoes (though i lack the scientific background to

coherently discuss it) but I also had a lot of leg problems in high school and have been running

with orthotics for something like 4 years now.

I incorporated barefoot running into my schedule a little bit...mostly with strides, hills, and minimal

grass running, but have yet to ever do much volume barefoot and I still run with my orthotics. I

have a very high arch and now even when I run in normal shoes without my insoles I notice a

difference.

I wondered what can I do? Is the only logical thing to VERY slowly work my way into doing more

barefoot/minimal running? Obviously I must have a severe deficient achilles/other parts of foot and

lower leg, given that even a neutral cushioned shoe without orthotics is enough to give me

problems.

Obviously I don't want to get hurt, but I want to strengthen these areas and improve my economy.

Should I just very gradually build up volume using vibrams/barefoot/etc.?

Sorry if that was vague and rambling.

-Jacob

Reply

Rich 3:38 PM

I know this wasn't really the point but I have to ask what you're running in?

Reply

Drs. Cynthia and David 6:27 PM

Thanks for this thorough and unbiased treatment! McDougall talks about this too in his book "Born

to Run." The whole shoe problem reminds me of the idea that dietary cholesterol/saturated fat

causes heart disease. At first blush, the idea made sense (if you ignored a bunch of data like

Ancel Keys did in his Seven Countries Study), though more and more evidence is coming out

finally that it is not causal. But because of that (still) prevalent belief, you have advertisers telling

people to eat this or that to get their cholesterol down, to avoid butter and other saturated fats and

cholesterol, and substitute some franken-oil butter substitute, etc. There is a big market for

running shoes, just like for these dietary alternatives, and sometimes I think the industry acts in its

own interest- that is, it promotes misconceptions in order to sell more products- at the expense of

the public's health and wellbeing.

That said, I think you are very wise to point out that we can't all just go out and start training hard

barefoot or with drastically different shoes and expect no transitional difficulties. I wonder how long

does it take to retrain tendons and ligaments to a modified stride length and impact forces. Any

idea? And how would you recommend people try to improve foot mechanics and strength- any

particular drills or exercises that might make the transition go easier?

Thanks again,

Cynthia

Reply

Anonymous 8:35 PM

I'm interested in the conclusions about soft/hard surface running and impact forces and

subsequent injury rates.

The overwhelming sense I've gleaned from my experience as a runner and teammate is running

on soft surfaces prevents injuries. Informal observations are that more of my teammates get

injured to various degrees in the winter when running on roads, than when running on trails in

better seasons. Also, I feel fewer achy sessions when off the roads. It seems to me that the

increased pre-activation, which was identified as the opposite of the problem (cushioning shoes

causing problems via low activation) is caused by hard surface running. However, I would imagine

this increase lends itself towards more overuse during hard surface running.

I am wondering at what point does an increase in activation rates (from hard surfaces) wear on the

muscles more than they can recover, resulting in injuries typical of sub-elite and elite college

runners?

Reply
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Giancarlo 8:47 PM

Very, very good post.

We've talked about this in our shop. It is not a right/wrong issue. We do tend to pick polar

opposites when discussing almost anything, and this is no different. The "shod" v. the "unshod."

But the real issue is that the shoe companies are behind the curve. Form, in running specialty

footwear, does not follow function.

They all have minimalist designs on the boards, but can't introduce them without the proper

marketing to push the numbers.

And really, when we look at the shoe wall, which innovations lately (other than VFF and Free, etc.)

have been in support of injury reduction. None. They are all to make the shoe feel better first try.

It is a good argument because it makes us think about it, from whatever side of the road we're on.

Reply

5-10Kguy 6:39 AM

Great insight,

I see patients daily who present with foot pain limiting any ability to train. In fact, several present

with motion control shoes (usually 2 different types) and clinical exam reveals no need for them.

They exhibit no overpronation while walking or running. It is important to realize that pronation is

needed. It is not static but dynamic. The foot needs to pronate as a mobile adaptor and unlock the

midtarsal joint for shock absorbtion and then resupinate to become the rigid level to propel uswhile running. This often gets overlooked. It is important to allow proper function in the gait cycle.

Limitation of function can have serious results. Great post!

Reply

Steve Magness 7:15 AM

First off, Thank all! Glad you liked the article. Hopefully it made you think a bit.

DumpRunner- No one has looked at that to my knowledge. There was one study that Iced the

bottom of parts of the foot to lessen feedback from the foot that was interesting, but not much else.

Its a subject that needs more attention.

Jacob Brower- As a runner who also wore orthotics for years, I sympathize. Id work very slowly and

Id make small transitions. My suggestion is to come at it from a couple different ways. On the

barefoot front start with walking and some short 100m strides after runs. Progress where you do

some short jogging. Start with maybe once a week and gradually increase in frequency. On theother side, Id start wearing a more minimal shoe on some runs. Start with minimal shoes maybe

once per week on a faster workout.

In your case, Id make sure that every day spent minimalist/barefoot is followed by 1 or 2 days in

regular shoes/orthotics to let your feet rest and adapt. Its just like training, stress the feet, then

give them a break.

Rich- Fair question. I run in all sorts of shoes. As I said above, I wore orthotics since the age of 15.

The variety of shoes I run in:

-Asics Gel Speedstar

-Asics Piranha

-Vibram Five Fingers

-Asics Gel Nimbus

The one that sticks out there is the Nimbus. Its my break shoe to give my Achilles a break (the

reason I wore orthotics). Im on a slow transition. Right now I wear the speedstar probably 3x perweek, the piranhas 1-2x, and the Vibrams on all runs 5 miles or less.

Reply


Cynthia,

Nice connection there with Heart disease. I agree completely. Im not sure on how long it would

take to retrain and modify tendons and ligaments. I suspect its highly individual.

I havent looked into it, but we could get some sort of answer from studies on eccentric Achilles

tendon training. Remodeling of the tendon has been shown in studies using eccentric calf lowering

exercises. Im going to take a look at those and that might give a general framework on the time

course of change in tendons.

Not sure on particular drills. I think starting slow with just walking barefoot would start. Probably

some walking in sand might aid in strengthening at first. If we look at where most peoples weak link
http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1264511736089#c6846550969019484409http://www.blogger.com/profile/06921650222316541771http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1264511702891#c4513145357622117611http://www.blogger.com/profile/06921650222316541771http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1264509594658#c6100962130502903727http://healthyrunningtumblr.com/http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1264474056328#c1008333287336506596


8/21

is, its going to be the Achilles tendon. So, Id start with strengthening that tendon before going into

barefoot/minimal running/training. For that, Id suggest the eccentric calf exercises mentioned

above. Basically, calf raises focusing on the lowering part. Stand on a step with one leg, lower

slowly all the way to the bottom, then use both feet to come back up.

Reply


Anonymous- The research on hard vs. soft surface is an interesting one. Its a difficult thing to

study since runners have a preconceived idea that hard surfaces are bad. Thus, whenever

someone gets injured its automatically attributed to running on hard surfaces. Youve got to

remember that running strengthens bone. The impact is a stimulus for bone creation AS long as

there is enough recovery. Its like any other aspect of training, the stimulus cant overwhelm the

body and enough recovery needs to be taken after, and the sources of bone building must be

present (i.e. calcium,etc.). If thats the case, then running strengthens bones.

There hasnt been as much data on hard vs. soft running though. In your experience is it possible

that other mechanisms are at play?

For instance, you point out that hard running is done in the winter season while you can run on

trails in other seasons. Is it not possible that this might explain the rise in injuries/aches. Your

running in much colder weather and the muscles sometimes never really warm up. Your stride is

altered b/c of this and the fact that youre training in more clothes. You could go on and on.

On pre-activation. I dont think its a problem UNLESS you are under heavy fatigue. So, your

theory could be true in situations like long runs. Where pre-activation would start to diminish

because of fatigue. When pre-activation diminishes, the body cant modify and control the impact

as well. Essentially, it cant adjust to the hard surfaces as well. This could lead to injury, fatigue,

muscle soreness, etc. So, its not the pre-activation thats the problem, its probably maintaining it

during heavy fatigue that is.

Reply

Cody 5:51 PM

Great article, been following your blog for years and your research really coincides with other

peoples opinions of how running shoes are the problem when it comes to injuries. If anyone wants

anymore info, they should read Born to Run...great book on the same topic

Reply

Haselsmasher (Jim Haselmaier) 8:03 PM

Excellent article. This topic has totally captivated me for the last 3-4 months. I've struggled with

Plantar Fasciitis for over a year. I finally stopped trying to run - in an effort to let the tissues heal.

Now that that has happened I'm adopting the Pose method and, just last week, I not only got out of

my huge orthotics, I'm wearing minimalist shoes full time. It's astonishing to me. I'm out of the

hardware AND the PF pain is gone.

Reply

Anonymous 10:43 PM

Hi Steve, very interesting post, and lots of food for thought. I'm not sure where the evidence is

going to lead on this issue, but I can imagine that there might be a role for some barefoot running

for mmost people, and mostly bare foot running for some people. In your article you stated that

"Several studies have shown a decreased VO2 at the same pace with barefoot running, even

when weight is taken into account. This should be no surprise as I mentioned above, without

elastic recoil VO2 requirement would be 30-40% higher. Running in a minimal shoe allows for

better utilization of this system." Could you possible gibve me these references? It's a key issue for

many people, and I'd love to get a more balanced perspective...

Thanks,

William

www.endurancescience.com/blog

Reply

Jay 10:19 AM

Fantastic article Steve. Thanks so much for taking the time to put it together.

If you have time, can you bug Coach Tellez and get his thoughts and what shoe(s) he'd

recommend for young athletes and athletes? In Boulder we see all of the Japanese runners in

what look like racing flats. Curious what he has to say on this.
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9/21

Thanks again.

Reply

jgore ham 10:28 AM

Great blog post. I found this through Jim Haselmaier's blog BTW. I've facebooked it so my running

friends can all read it too.

Reply


Thanks for the comments.

Jay- I'll talk to him this weekend and get his thoughts!

William- I don't have full citations with me at the moment, but the 30-40% vame from a review by

Saunders 2004.

The studies on VO2 and barefoot are from:

Squadrone, R. & Gallozi, C. Biomechanical and physiological comparison of

barefoot and two shod conditions in experienced barefoot runners. J. Sports Med.

Phys. Fitness 49, 6-13 (2009).

Divert, C. et al. Barefoot-shod running differences: shoe or mass effect. Int. J.

Sports Med. 29, 512-518 (2008).

Reply

Allan 6:35 PM

While rehabbing from ankle surgery I spent a lot of time on balance pads to regain proprioception

and strengthen the muscles supporting the ankle. When Born to Run came out the similarity

between the shoe's cushioning and those balance pads sprung to mind. It seems to me that the

need for medial posts, etc. is a result of the fact that the foot is running on an unstable platform

that doesn't allow the foot to firmly sense where the ground is.

I was starting to have some foot pain under the ball of my foot as I ramped up mileage after the

injury. It seems counterintuitive, but as I started running in Vibram Five Fingers the pain went away

and only showed up when running in regular shoes. Not what I expected, but it made this lingering

pain go away.

Reply

Anonymous 1:04 AM

What a great resource!

Reply

PaulYS 4:33 AM

Excellent even-handed article. Most runners look to running footwear (or lack thereof) for two

things: (1) protection from injury and (2) increased performance.

This article is a great contribution to the critical mass of evidence that shows most current running

shoes decrease performance when compared to footwear that gives more accurate body feedback

and allows 2 million years of evolution to better accommodate running surfaces and terrain.

Shouldn't that be sufficient to get the full attention of the running shoe industry? It's likely only a

matter of time before research would directly tie current shoe designs to increased injury. Must we

repeat the class action lawsuits as suffered by the tobacco industry?

I know the industry has been paying attention. More to the point, I hope the shoe buying public

demands the shoe industry's attention and actions!

I am not against comfortable shoes, but they should be sold with a warning of possible injuries

arising from their use.

To increase the credibility of this article to that high standard of your website, please include the

list of references that you cited within your article.

Thanks.

Reply
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10/21

Anonymous 9:52 AM

What a great resource!

Reply

Anonymous 10:59 PM

[ ... ] link is being shared on Twitter right now. @zenx, an influential author, said RT @1ndus:

Xtreme [ ... ]

Reply

Aaron 8:58 AM

Very well done article!

I have made a transition completely out of cushioned running shoes over the past 6 months and

my body and running ability have reaped HUGE reward and benefit from it.

My personal experience has validated for me all of the points made in your article.

Thanks for sharing.

Reply

I must eat, slee p and run. The road to my soul.10:42 AM

Excellent article. Sensory perception seems like the logical issue.

Harry

Reply

Anonymous 8:29 PM

Running barefoot ---the latest running fad---granted the shoe companies have been selling us a

lot of needless "extras" with their shoes for yrs. but you don't throw out the baby with the

bathwater--simply pick a basic light weight minimalist shoe and you'll be fine---we are seeing and

will continue to see more people injured because they thought barefoot running was the answer.

Reply

Rob Katz 9:05 AMFad: a custom, style, etc. that many people are interested in for a short time; passing fashion;

craze.

Sure, minimalist running is the latest fad. Isn't everything 'new' a fad until enough time has passed

and it either fades from existence or is accepted by the mainstream?

Anon basically has it r ight about picking a minimalist shoe and being fine. He's also right about the

increase in injuries due to people who went 'barefoot' and came back injured. Common sense is

required when incorporating a change to your exercise routine. However, if the human body is

capable of adapting so well, then the extreme caution may also be overstated. Put some minimalist

time in to your existing routine. Set some out and back loops with a change of shoes factored in. If

it's about getting 'time' in without the artificial support of 'traditional' shoes, then wear your

minimalist shoes when you commute, or grocery shop, etc.

Set yourself a target and then build a plan. There are lots of Couch-to-5k routines, or 16 weeks to

your first marathon programs. take the structure of your favorite routine and target certain days ofthe week to include minimalist time. If you've never run a race longer than a 5K, or are only putting

in


11/21

Go slow, but not too slowly. Go get a pair of minimalist shoes and try them out for a few months.

You may discover something. Then again you may not!

Fantastic Article! Filled in a lot of 'blanks' from BTR.

Reply

Pete 4:27 PM

Steve,

Awesome article, and nice to see one that is well cited for once! Wish I had come across this

sooner.

Pete

Reply

Anonymous 12:28 PM

This article speaks to the conclusions I have come to in the past 6 months of studying and

researching running shoes and form/technique. I completely agree that the primary disservice of a

over-built and cushioned traditional running shoe is the lack of feedback. This effects new runners

even more than experienced ones. My recomendation to new runners is to start with a lightweight,

neutral, flexible and low-profile shoe. In most cases, starting slow and being patient will yeild the

best results. Barefoot running and VFF running should be undertaken even more conservetively

and if someone finds it useful it can promote proper form and strenghten feet and legs.....hopefully

the jist of your article will find traction and people will benefit from changing the current running

shoe paradigm. TLV

Reply

Anonymous 10:57 AM

On a different topic, what do you think about what Vern Gambetta said, "Need to revisit the whole

ice after Wk Out if healthy. Can it do more harm than good? No research to substantiate use of ice

unless injury". I thought inflammation may not always be a bad thing, and thus, reducing

inflammation via ice tubs may not necessarily be a good thing. I'm also interested in to what effects

submerging half of the body may have on the entire body. And, for the many athletes, is that extra

15 or so minutes it takes to ice tub worth the extra time? I also do understand that it may not be an

all or nothing thing, perhaps it's good if one has another heat/race the next day, but perhaps it's

not justifiable after an easy run.

Reply

I must eat, slee p and run. The road to my soul.11:28 AM

That was excellent. Thanks!!!!! I've been in the midst of dealing with this personally for 2+yrs. Now

I run and race primarily in Terra Plana Evo's without the insole . . . only 4mm of protection and no

support (3 yrs. ago I ran in 11 oz. motion control shoes). I use barefoot as a weekly training tool.

No question my stride changes as I migrate up with more cushion as my feedback to the brain

must be delayed.

Harry

Reply

Anonymous 10:33 AM

thanks for the great info.

I have been researching the topic & have started to run on vibrum minimal shoes ( keen makes a

water shoe that appears identical to the foot glove but without the separation of toes which I, 1-

didn't want to invest in yet 2- worried that encased toes would bug me.) I've only run about 6 times

for 30mins on a treadmill and was quite impressed. The one day I told someone about this new

revelation I jinxed myself & developed a pain on the outside of both ankles (or more accurately,

just below the ankles)They are still sore & I am trying to figure out what happened & what to.

I chose the minimal running approach to see if I could still run as I get older (58) without the

recurring joint/muscle injuries. Any suggestions?

Reply

Anonymous 12:32 AM

So in the end, what shoes would you recommend, brand or features, for someone with chronic

Achilles tendon issues?
http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1284701578692#c7404811615443586618http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1280331220058#c2888572945691195103http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1279643285879#c7128058816717416302http://www.blogger.com/profile/07806815513746934744http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1279209451147#c64865645781762313http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1276536480721#c5111342326099798824http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1275859628644#c7012402757909458751http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806143351580304179


12/21

Reply

Paul Fiolkowski 9:26 AM

Those were some good points. The motions in the foot affect the entire lower extremity. The kinetic

chain is interlinked, forces transmit all the way through the skeleton. Malalignment of the forefoot-

rearfoot is not just the cause of overpronation (and I use that term cautiously)can cause shin

splints, knee pain and even low back pain.

regards

Paul

http://independent.academia.edu/PaulFiolkowski

Reply

Anonymous 5:32 AM

Working in a running store and getting normal non-elite, 8/9/10min mile runners coming in with

injuries, especially knee pain. Analysing them on the treadmill taking into account the footwear

they currently use, then sending them away with a stabilty shoe to suit them. Then often they

return saying how great it has been and how their knee pain has gone.

Would that have been the crossroads where they could've gone down the re-learn how to

run/minimalist running route?

The problem with studies is they would find it impossible to give the correct stability shoe to each

subject. It becomes just random tests then the overall conclusion is suddenly motion control shoes

offer no support!

We can put people who appear to need more support in say 3 high stability shoes, 1 motion

control shoe and 1 neutral shoe and get different results on what the best shoe is for every single

person that runs in them. Often the stability shoe is better than the motion control shoe.

e.g. chances are a motion control shoe won't work as well if you have very slim feet!

I'm not against the minimal running etc but I hate it every time studies are done or information is

provided and elite or fast runners are mentioned as the subjects as they tend to have better

running form (forefoot) regardless of what is on their feet.

Interesting stuff though!

Chris

Reply

Marin Running Company 7:55 PM

just posted this on my blog over at Marinrunningco.blogspot.com

An Open Letter to Steve Magness:

Dear Steve -

Unlike so many of the people posting about barefoot running and minimalism, you do a wonderful

job of actually making a credible case. You actually cite studies and try to present a credible

argument by discussing both the design of the running shoes and what that particular design is

trying to accomplish. You cite numbers and scientists who have tried to create actual control

groups so that proper use of the empirical method and modern testing equipment can be brought

into play. From all this, you form a thesis and arrive at a conclusion.

So how did you get it wrong?

http://marinrunningco.blogspot.com/2010/11/open-letter-to-steve-magness.html

Reply

Running in the Family 8:27 AM

Well written and rational article. Thanks for the in-depth analysis. I completely agree that shoes

can cause a myriad of problems, and this article explains why. But it's not just running shoes - it's

your everyday shoes as well. You spend much more time in those than you do in your running

shoes. Check out my post on this topic here. And for the record, I'm not a barefoot runner - but I

do like my running shoes to be very light and flexible.

Reply

hmm 10:21 PM
http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1290658871943#c6176171056157285987http://runninginthefamily.com/blog/training/dont-blame-your-running-shoeshttp://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1290608841463#c7286918295437167898http://runninginthefamily.com/http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1290563710905#c5587229265055127457http://www.blogger.com/profile/13142047609859757119http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1290166327094#c3437091956285259846http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1287498407517#c8179524364799155053http://independent.academia.edu/PaulFiolkowski


13/21

the article is great but the part where it talks about elites kills some of its credibility. sorry but it

does that for me. it is way too unscientific there. there is too many confounding factors here. firstly,

elites are running at 5min/mile pace, how am I supposed to run the exact same way at 8-

10min/mile pace, huh?

and just because I go barefoot I'm not going to be able to run 5min/mile for a long time!! in fact,

when I tried barefoot running, my oxygen uptake INCREASED. my running form was totally

beautiful barefoot but my heart rate went way too high at an incredibly slow pace. so, it's not a

quick fix to become faster. nah, to become faster, you have to increase your aerobic capabilities

by training. simply by changing from shoes to barefoot you won't suddenly become elite. I know

you weren't suggesting that, but... it's just not a quick fix.

oh and my stride rate is already up at 180, it's just the way it is, and I run in normal shoes with

some shock absorption abilities. and I found that if the shoe gets too old (i.e. decreased impact

reducing ability), my lower leg starts hurting everywhere, until I get a new pair of shoes. so looks

like my shoes do absorb some impact keeping my lower leg happy. so uh, I don't care what the

stupid studies say... I care more about my own and real experiences.

btw, about the shoes, motion control shoes were no good for me (changed my running form too

much, for the worse), neutral shoes had too much cushioning for my liking, but I love light stability

shoes (light meaning there is not too much control built in the shoe).

Reply

hmm 10:41 PM

while I'm waiting for my comment to appear, I remembered one more interesting thing about impact

forces. when I started out with running, I did not have running shoes... I just ran in some other

shoes with a thin sole. I started by running 10 minutes on a road that was a hard surface

(concrete-hard). after I finished, my stomach started hurting really bad and I was in great pain for

about half an hour. next time I did 10 minutes on the same surface with the same shoes, and same

pain afterwards. after this, I tried running at the side of this hard road, the side was more like a

trail, a bit softer than the road. I ran the same time and same pace. now, the pain did not come up.

if I went on the hard road, it did. and I could feel that the surface was harder, I could feel some

impact. I have no idea about what my running form was like back then, but it definitely did not

adjust enough to the hard surface... :( I did not have pain in my legs though...I just felt the extra

impact in them.

well, a few weeks later, I bought proper running shoes with proper impact absorbing abilities and I

was able to run on the hard road again and no problem since then.

to me this seems like the impact forces were decreased on a softer surface, also decreased in

good running shoes. I don't know of a better explanation right now.

but it could be that ANY shoe (even minimalist ones!!?) is a bad idea, because when I ran barefoot

on hard surface, I had no such problems.

Reply

Mens Trainers 5:14 AM

Good writing, and I very much agree with your thoughts and insights. Hope that more could write

such a good word, I said, to continue coming to visit, thank you for sharing.i love these shoes very

much .

Reply

Anonymous 7:44 AM

I Just posted this article as my first post in my blog http://runnersblogx.blogspot.com/2010/12/why-

running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html. Thanks

Reply

Anonymous 4:43 PM

My sister broke her foot running barefoot on concrete, and two years after healing up, is going to

go at it (barfoot on concrete) again. She pointed me to your website.

I have not yet read all your stuff, but if you promote running long distances barefoot on hard

surfaces, would behove you to rethink things. There are probably more people like her injuring

themselves, maybe with your encouragement.

:-(

Mitch, concerned brother of "Susie"

Reply
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14/21

Allan 4:59 PM

So did you read the article? Did you know that runners break their feet while running in running

shoes? Deena Kastor (olympic marathoner) broke her foot in the opening miles of the olympic

marathon. As far as I know she isn't a barefoot runner. By your reasoning should her family be

concerned if she returns to training in running shoes?

I think studies are currently lacking but will be forthcoming. But based on advice from the barefoot

running community I've very slowly and progressively incorporated barefoot and minimalist running

into my training over the last year and now do all of my running either barefoot or minimalist. I'm

250 pounds and my mileage is pretty modest at about 20 miles a week and longest runs of 10

miles but my feet, ankles, and lower legs have never been better.

As long as your sister doesn't do too much too soon she'll be fine. In fact, I'd guess she's probablymore likely to do too much too if she isn't barefoot and get injured because the shoes provide too

much protection and make it easier to push further. When you're barefoot all those nerves let you

know if you're doing too much pretty quickly.

Reply

Anonymous 10:22 AM

I'm 66 years old and have been running since 1958. Also, I've been wearing shoes all my life. My

feet have weakened accordingly throughout the years so that my feet expect a heel and a sole

and a support structure. So the muscles in my feet have adapted to my shod(dy, LOL) habits. Any

radical change to barefoot running at this point means injury. My approach has been to wear

minimalist shoes such as the 3.5 ounce Mizuno Universe Wave 3 combined with a Powerstep

Pinnacle insole. I believe that the insole is actually more important that the shoe itself because it

has a more direct bearing on foot plant. I use that combo for races and some training while

alternating to a slightly heavier shoe for the rest of my training. "Everyone's different"

Reply

Anonymous 2:28 AM

I've spent a considerable amount of time studying the barefoot/minimalist 'movement' and the

reasons behind it. This belief that there is only one 'perfect' running form seems to be a constant

theme. As a running coach I am surprised by this concept. When I start each cross country season

and have new runners come out for the team I am reminded (vividly) that we are all made

differently. There is no way on earth all of us can (or should) have the same running form. Thank

goodness we have shoe types to help runners who have flat feet, high arches, over pronation, etc!

With that said, are there some basic form similarities? Of course. But to try and overhaul

someone's natural running form to match that of some preconceived idea of what a 'perfect' form

might be, to me, is begging for injury.

Reply

Chocolate Fish 10:07 AM

My podiatrist and my trainer both blame modern footbeds that force feet into an unnatural position

and weaken the muscles. They believe this is the root cause of all sorts of problems - achilles -

shin splints - you name it.

They both advise a flat footbed when not possible to go barefoot. Unfortunately bad orthopaedic

surgery wrecked my feet (don't trust UK Orthopaedic surgeons folks!) so I can't go barefoot now.

But at least my podiatrist has now made me custom orthotic supports that mean I can walk properly

again.

Reply

Unknown 1:17 AM

Barefoot running sounds painful to me. My concern is that some companies have started

bandwagoning on these light weight running shoes and I think it compromises overall feet

protection. Happened to me and my podiatrists said that my running shoe was defective.

Reply

Anonymous 4:55 PM

Good article (even if it needs some editing).

One important point is missing, however, concerning the impact curves that you show. The issue is

the speed of the impact (or the rate of increase). With a heelstrike, the increase of the curve is

almost straight up ("the blip"), meaning that the impact is going from 0 to 2+ G's almost

immediately. In the forefoot-strike curve, the force increase is more gradual over time.

The time component is crucial here, because the final height (total force) of the curve is about the
http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1321224912926#c616182336114038770http://www.mayfairfootcare.com/http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1314857840541#c8919182045170777069http://www.blogger.com/profile/09754730253968408405http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1309878459119#c221837583796960120http://www.blogger.com/profile/17133581007422532960http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1308986910850#c4739618753946741067http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1307028125702#c6166407630241356136http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html?showComment=1300917586083#c8317825299325096520http://www.blogger.com/profile/03331999771800710301


15/21

same (approaching 3 G's).

Reply

heel pain treatment 11:27 PM

I think running shoes have progressed far. Today's rubber shoes are lighter and are designed for

comfort and foot protection.

Reply

Anonymous 3:56 PM

Sorry, but I found it hard to read with grammatical errors in the first paragraph.

Reply

Brickpig 9:13 AM

I like the article, but agree more research with different age and fitness level subjects need to be

pursued. Overall I think injury and shoe selection comes down to looking at an individual's need

and training pattern. It is difficult to blame a "shoe" for injury alone. Training schedules, back,hip,

knee, and ankle alignment should be looked at. Many training schedules could be improved with

cross training vs running everyday. Injury prevention and cure should take into account many

factors, not just the shoe. Bottom line, see an expert, pedorthist or other certified shoe fitter and

get "fit" for a shoe. A barefoot or minimalist shoe may be a good mix into your routine but may also

take some retraining to work correctly. Also a good conversation between you Doctor, PT, athlectic

trainer, coach, and or shoe fitter will help.

As for myself, I am 40 yrs old and I am training for a 10 miler and do suffer from plantar fascitis

which at this point I keep at bay. Stability shoes do help my knees, and I do have flexible arches

that overpronate when walking barefoot. I also have a stiff back and more right sided pain in the

knees and feet. I am going to try some barefoot running shoes for my own research, but not

everyday at first, if they do not work well in my running routine, they will work great in my kayak. I

also know I need to cross train more and stretch and strengthen my core and back. Wish me luck!

Reply

Anonymous 11:26 PM

I don't like this, reason it away!

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/21/making-the-case-for-running-shoes/

Reply

Shoe care Ottawa 4:30 AM

Running in old or worn-out shoes is one of the most common causes of running injuries.I bought a

pair of Vibram FiveFingers shoes. I have been running in them now .I love these shoes. Asics has

always been my go to running shoes

Reply

Vince Beaurivage 1:34 PM

Awesome article! Thanks! I am sharing it right now with my running clients! :)

-Personal Trainer from Montreal

Reply

cCarter8020 1:24 AM

Excellent article. My issue with the running shoe industry is the concept of needing a shoe to

correct the way you strike.

Oh you are a overpronator! Here use these motion control shoes so you pronate less!

Oh you are a supinator, here use these shoes to cushion your landing more!

I am a fan of the minimalist movement, and have corrected my form. Anecdotally, I used to

heelstrike during college and began running often second semester (I had begun getting the

freshman 15, and was like oh hell no.)

Kneepain resulted!

This is the issue for me with a heelstrike vs midfoot, with a heelstrike the force goes straight up

and the brunt of the blow is taken by your knees and joints. With a midfoot to forefoot strike, your
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16/21

achilles heel and calf muscles take the blow. Muscles recover, they are meant to absorb this shock

and as our bodies are complex adaptive systems, eventually adapt to be able to do this without

significant recovery time. Muscles recover over time relatively quickly, joints (cartilage) on the

other hand do not recover quickly, or much at all.

After learning how to "walk" properly by practicing barefoot and in Vibrams, I ALWAYS walk and

run the same way even in modern running shoes or any shoes, basing my stride on the sensory

information collected barefoot. Unsurprisingly, I once had very FLAT feet, I now have arches,

better foot control, my feet do not tire quickly, and due to the arch taking up more space in its

curve, my shoe size has gone down by a half size.

Reply

Mike 11:00 PM

Steve, thought this was a great article that more people need to read. I was hoping you'd have the

name, if not the full reference article of the:

-nigg et al. 2000 (looking at foot and ankle movement in large groups of runners)

-butler et al 2007- motion control shoes and pronation

-dixon et al 2007- motion control shoes and peak pronation

-nigg et a. 2000 review on external and internal impact forces

my apologies, I wasn't able to find the articles I thought you were referencing and wanted to read

the entire thing. Thanks.

Reply

Anonymous 2:54 PM

Nobody has given attention to the weird upward curvature they all now have, curling the toes, up.

I noticed it right away the first time I bought one of the new fangled running shoes, about 10 years

ago. I can't wear them. Even just sitting at a desk. To me it is the most unnatural thing - the foot -

after 10 million years or more of evolution into the amazing structure it is - sits perfectly flat - or

even concave. To me the most unnatural thing imaginable - is warping the underneath of a foot -

up - convex. While you are sitting comfortably at a desk, or just standing anywhere admiring the

scenery - do this exercise. Flex your toes - up - and hold it. All the muscles up and down the legs

seize up in a most uncomfortable, and unnatural feeling discomfort. These shoes, enforce this

positioning, full-time, permanently. Why?

Is there some proven mechanics showing that during all the dynamics of full out running, that the

same muscle train resonates focalizes or something, to the extent that curving your toes - up -

during all of this, is actually good? Okay, I'd like to see or hear the argument. Maybe the

roundness of the underneath of the shoe helps the foot "roll" through a running motion. I find this

most unnatural, and definitely not in sync with what I feel are the natural structural advantages of a

foot. I can feel a shock wave, focusing perfectly right at the knee joint, does no one else notice

this? Throwing the shoes away, and putting on normal sneakers, it seems that the toes want to

burrow down, into the ground, like a scoop. Like a fin, going into water, but encountering earth

instead, give an extra forward push. But also every other muscle seems to be in sync with the

motion. Every toe, bone, muscle, and sinew, add to this. With these shoes - you take away ALL

those dynamics and make the front part of the foot a mute bystander as it's all leg motion. And, my

argument will be, that the curving - up - of the toes - tightens up the entire leg muscle train in such

a way that strains, or injuries, are actually more likely. I can't wear these shoes for more than a bit,

then I take them off and put on a regular pair of shoes. With the flat or semi-flat soles. At least they

may have the usual orthotic like underneath, but that mercifully leave the front part of the foot -

flat.

But it just seems an instinctive abomination, to take the wonderful flexibility of the foot, and just

like, turn it all off. Rigidly. It seems so perfectly, Corporate.

A perfect metaphor for the taking over completely of our lives by unseen hidden forces that are

supposed to be smart, but in reality, are quite dumb and don't give a damn about anything at all as

though they are secretly just faces carved out of stone, that we all worship.

In taking away the entire flexibility of the foot, flexing as it contacts the ground, I think is the

dumbest and stupidest thing I have ever seen big corporate stupidity do - some dough head made

a picture - and everyone since has followed it like lemmings falling off a cliff. I don't wear them. I

bought one pair, then had to buy another thinking it was some flaw - then discovered - they're all

like that now.

One thing is for sure - if some diabolical Ernst Blofeld type somewhere in the Austrian alps in his

castle, wanted to brazenly ruin the walking ability of millions of people, as part of some kind of

SMERSHian type plot, strategically, carefully, insidiously, invisibly, subtly - this - would be perfectly

it. And getting rich, at the same time, as all the cash registers at the chiropractors offices go ching.

Some day the aliens will land, look around, and shake their heads...
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7/30/2019 Science of Running_ Why Running Shoes Do Not Work_ Looking at Pronation, Cushioning

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Science of Running_ Why Running Shoes Do Not Work_ Looking at Pronation, Cushioning, Motion Control and Barefoot Running