Running is the most accessible sport available. With very little equipment needed and the ability to participate just about anywhere, many people have been drawn to it. To get started all you need is a good pair of shoes. Or do you…?

A not-so-new trend has swept through running circles in recent years that forces the average runner to look at their feet and wonder what they are capable of. Many runners are tossing their shoes in the closet and heading out to run without them. The concept - and experience - of barefoot running has many running enthusiasts even going as far as to say they will never return to running with shoes on. Most report to enjoy the experience of barefoot running more than the experience with shoes. And lastly, most barefoot runners believe it is better for them - and their feet - to run without shoes.

When first introduced to the idea of barefoot running a majority cringe at the idea of slamming their feet into the pavement or stepping on a rock or piece of glass. Others can’t fathom walking to their mailbox without shoes on - much less running.

The idea of needing shoes to protect our feet has been so successfully ingrained into our culture that running without shoes carries stigmatic luggage with visions of crazy, unsanitary, or sadistic individuals. Many believe that barefoot running is bad for your feet - that we must need the cushion of the shoe to run without harm.

All opinions aside, what does science have to say? Is barefoot running better for you? Or are those who partake in this activity going to regrettably have accumulative injuries from the jarring of not having a thick cushion under their heels?

Science is beginning to lean in the favor of barefoot runners. The vast majority of runners in conventional running shoes do what is known in running circles as “heel striking”. During the stride the runner lands on the heel of the foot and as the stride progresses, rolls through the forefoot and through the toes. To land on the heel of the foot the runner must increase stride length and allow their foot to strike in front of their hips. This causes tremendous collision force through the heel - “equivalent to two to three times [the persons] body weight”, says the Harvard Gazette, in an article printed in January of 2010. And since the heel has no ligaments or tendons that act as the bodies’ natural shock absorbers, the joints of the body must absorb the force. Heel striking also causes a rapid deceleration during the runners’ stride, which is highly inefficient.

Daniel Lieberman, professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University, says that “people who don’t wear shoes when they run have an astonishingly different strike…by landing on the middle or front of the foot, barefoot runners have almost no impact collision, much less than most shod runners generate when they heel strike.”

Shod runners beware, running without shoes is very strenuous on the muscles and ligaments of the feet and lower leg. Many of these muscles are very weak from years of being in shoes. If one wants to make the transition to barefoot running, make sure that it is done in a very slow and methodical manner. You must give the under-trained muscles in your feet and lower legs time to acclimate to the new demands. Science may have proved that running without shoes produces less impact but the workload on the muscles, tendons, and ligaments does increase. While making the transition be sure to respect the new demands you are making on your body. Give your body time to adjust before logging anywhere near your normal mileage. And, most importantly, always listen to your body.

Whichever side of the proverbial fence you are on when it comes to barefoot running, a few things are clear. Barefoot running has lower collision forces associated with it than shod running. Barefoot running also places an increased demand on the muscles, ligaments, and tendons of the feet and lower legs—which enables them to serve their natural function as the body’s shock absorbers. Whether or not barefoot runners are "crazy", is not something that can be empirically proven, and is outside the scope of this blog. You will need to make your own decision in this matter.

by Matthew Lister