Barefoot running can cause lower leg pain initially, but over time, running barefoot will likely alleviate many kinds of pain and reduce risk of injury. Harvard University's Skeletal Biology Lab students -- who have studied barefoot running and biomechanics involved -- published their work in "Nature" and they've created a website devoted to running barefoot or with minimal footwear. At least 30 percent of runners today have injuries of their feet or lower legs. While students believe barefoot running will help reduce repetitive stress injuries such as plantar fasciitis, runner's knee and stress fractures in runners, no controlled studies, as of publication, prove this.
History of Barefoot Running
The modern running shoe was developed in the 1970s. For millions of years, people have engaged in endurance running to hunt and for other reasons. Before running shoes were invented, people ran barefoot or in minimal footwear such as moccasins, sandals or other thin and flat shoes. Given the contemporary running shoe's relatively young age in the larger context of running history, some -- including the Harvard students -- believe the human foot has evolved for running barefoot.
Modern Running Shoes and Heel Strikes
Modern running shoes have cushioned and flared heels and stiff soles. They also have built-in arch support and are manufactured in such a way that they prevent the natural rolling in or rolling out of the foot. Most runners with typical running shoes heel-strike; they land on their heels and then roll forward to the forefoot and toes. Typical running shoes cause heel striking because the added shock absorption at the heel makes heel striking more comfortable and more stable, the Harvard students noted. The heel of the footwear's added thickness makes it more likely that the heel will hit the ground first -- no matter what the foot position is. When people accustomed to running barefoot try running shoes, they switch from forefoot striking to mid-foot striking because of this added heel thickness.
Forefoot and Mid-Foot Striking
Humans have engaged in barefoot running with comfort and safety for millions of years because they land on the forefoot or mid-foot sections of their feet. A forefoot strike involves landing on the ball of the foot and then bringing down the heel. A mid-foot strike occurs when a runner lands with a flat foot, where the ball and heel of the foot strike simultaneously.
Impact Differences
When a runner heel-strikes, the foot and lower leg come to a dead stop upon impact while the body continues forward. In forefoot striking, the ankle flexes and the heel and lower leg continue forward. Momentum in heel strikes is absorbed by the vertical part of the body and lower leg. The momentum in forefoot strikes is converted to rotational momentum. The impact of heel strikes can be from one-and-a-half to three times your body weight, the college noted. Forefoot strikes have essentially no impact. Some mid-foot strikes can have more impact than forefoot strikes; this depends on the stiffness of the ankle and knee at the point of impact. Even so, mid-foot strike's forces are distributed along the whole of the foot rather than just the heel.
Starting Out
Minimal footwear includes shoes like Vibram's Five Fingers, which look like stretch rubber gloves for the feet. Minimal footgear doesn't have built-up heels or arch support. These shoes have flexible soles that you can easily twist. You may want to invest in minimal shoes at the outset until your feet begin to develop calluses and can handle barefoot running. When you first try running barefoot, you will probably experience some foot and lower-leg pain; you must change your gait to evolve from a heel strike to a forefoot or mid-foot strike. You may heel-strike in the beginning, but you'll quickly realize that your heels aren't padded enough to endure this kind of force and you'll automatically begin to change your foot striking. As you run more in minimal footwear or barefoot, you'll strengthen your foot and calf muscles, especially the muscles in your arches.
Considerations
Calf pain is common at the outset but you can minimize this by allowing the heel to touch down. If you don't let your heels come down at all, you'll experience severe lower-leg pain. Avoid over-striding -- landing with your foot too far ahead of your hips. This will cause you to point your toe and adds stress to the Achilles tendon, arches and your calves. Start out slowly; always stretch before a run and stop running barefoot if your feet and legs hurt. Massage aching muscles to help them heal. Disadvantages to barefoot running or running in minimal footwear include little protection from rocks, glass and chunks of ice. Never run barefoot if your feet are numb. The loss of sensation means that you won't notice damage occurring. Instead, wear toe socks to complement your minimal footgear.
