Barefoot Running Shoes Better for Achilles Tendon than Cushioned Running Shoes
The ergonomic benefits of a barefoot shoe is the sole’s flatness, which specifically lacks thick padding under the heel, makes it easier to leverage a forefoot strike (landing on the balls of the foot) which is the only method to prevent harmful impacts from rising to injury-predisposing levels. At the same time, the lack of under-heel padding allows the Achilles to be better at storing elastic energy that accounts for reduced muscle effort.