I recently switched to the Vibram Fivefingers Trek, which is somewhere between a sock and a sandal. It encourages the barefoot running style while protecting your feet from sharp objects.
I can attest that there is an adjustment period to strengthen your ankles and calf muscles. As an experiment it's going well so far. It totally changed my gait.
Barefoot running techniques are becoming very popular. The recent book _Born to Run_ is partly responsible for this phenomenon.
But within the running community, there is not yet a consensus on the barefoot style (or the related Chi Running style), mostly due to the lack of data. Hopefully this study and others will finally shed some light on comparative injury rates.
The basic idea is this: The arch in your foot is quite strong and flexible, and it is all the cushion you really need when running or walking. Running barefoot forces you to use this natural springiness of your foot by landing on your mid- or fore-foot. Running in shoes, on the other hand, encourages you to lengthen your stride and land on your heel. The heel-strike is the source of much injury (plantar fasciitis, knee problems, etc) according to the barefoot advocates. It's simply impossible to run barefoot and land on your heel-- it hurts too much.
In the book _Born to Run_, the author goes to a gait analysis lab. They compared the impact of him running on a force plate in shoes and while barefoot. To his surprise, there was less impact while barefoot than while in his Nike running shoes; the theory was the massive heel cushioning takes the edge off an impact that would otherwise cause sharp foot pain but doesn't lessen the total impact on your ankles, shins and knees.
There was change in the air at the Zombie Runner store in Palo Alto where I bought the Vibrams last week. They could barely keep any of these models in stock. Born to Run was on display in front of the shoe wall as if it were now required reading before buying a shoe.
> I can attest that there is an adjustment period to strengthen your ankles and calf muscles.
My recommendation would actually be to start by toe-stepping through your daily activities (whether with barefoot shoes, socks or whatever) two weeks or so before going all-out running. Starts the process of strengthening the muscles and, importantly, the ligaments around the ankle and in the foot.
Toe-stepping should be maintained thereafter, too. It always surprises me that there are people who do barefoot running but revert to heel-stepping when walking. On the other extreme, some people do not put their heels down when standing still, which should also be avoided. Move on the toes, rest on the heel.
I love my vibrams. It took 3 or 4 runs to get my calf muscles up to any kind of strength to be able to run in them, but it completely vanished the knee problems I'd been having, simply by forcing me to change the way I ran.
I wouldn't wear them every day -- they are, as others have pointed out, not as warm as ordinary shoes. But if you're running or hiking, they feel great and are better for you.
I don't doubt that landing on the balls of your feet can cause less stress, but the heel striking example is almost doing a lunge on every step which isn't how most people run.
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/products_kso_trek_...
I can attest that there is an adjustment period to strengthen your ankles and calf muscles. As an experiment it's going well so far. It totally changed my gait.
Barefoot running techniques are becoming very popular. The recent book _Born to Run_ is partly responsible for this phenomenon.
But within the running community, there is not yet a consensus on the barefoot style (or the related Chi Running style), mostly due to the lack of data. Hopefully this study and others will finally shed some light on comparative injury rates.
The basic idea is this: The arch in your foot is quite strong and flexible, and it is all the cushion you really need when running or walking. Running barefoot forces you to use this natural springiness of your foot by landing on your mid- or fore-foot. Running in shoes, on the other hand, encourages you to lengthen your stride and land on your heel. The heel-strike is the source of much injury (plantar fasciitis, knee problems, etc) according to the barefoot advocates. It's simply impossible to run barefoot and land on your heel-- it hurts too much.
In the book _Born to Run_, the author goes to a gait analysis lab. They compared the impact of him running on a force plate in shoes and while barefoot. To his surprise, there was less impact while barefoot than while in his Nike running shoes; the theory was the massive heel cushioning takes the edge off an impact that would otherwise cause sharp foot pain but doesn't lessen the total impact on your ankles, shins and knees.
There was change in the air at the Zombie Runner store in Palo Alto where I bought the Vibrams last week. They could barely keep any of these models in stock. Born to Run was on display in front of the shoe wall as if it were now required reading before buying a shoe.