Running in minimalist shoes is incredibly benefits on so many levels. For one, it was found to make the Achilles tendon and the foot’s arch a more effectual spring, which was found to improve muscle metabolism. At the same time, the wide, unrestrictive fit makes your foot work independently, which works best for increasing healthy tissues and muscle strength in the foot and ankle.
Research has highlighted in great detail that running barefoot is a more reliable way to help you manage your running form (biomechanics) in a safer, more functional and sustainable way that prevents deficits in balance, coordination and movement control as compared with running in thick cushioned running shoes.
Barefoot running was found to be a very reliable antidote for knee injury because mechanical work was significantly reduced off the knee as compared with running in thick cushioned running shoes, which were found to increase mechanical work beyond pain and injury predisposing levels at the knee.
The only disadvantage of barefoot running is blistering which is attributed to doing too much barefoot running too soon. The best approach to barefoot running is an incremental one, starting off by running barefoot for 1 minute then walking barefoot, and repeating this interval according to your tolerance level. If you do get a blister, the next best alternative to barefoot running is minimalist footwear, which does an equally excellent job at helping you move away from heel strike running, and instead, helps you easily adopt a forefoot strike tied to less over-striding, better upper body posture, higher cadence and less ground-contact time.
When compared to thick cushioned running shoes, barefoot running was found to engage widespread mechanical improvements that did a better job at reducing net impact loads and mechanical demands on the hips that accounted for stark reductions in hip pain.
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