Can You Run in Barefoot Sandals?

Running in barefoot sandals was found to be far more safe and better for promoting foot health as compared with thick cushioned running shoes, and here’s why:

If you’ve read Born to Run, you’ll know who the Tarahumara Indians (shown below) are. If you don’t, the Tarahumara Indians are a tribe in Mexico who are endurance runners, who also run in thin minimalist sandals made of old used car tire rubber. These runners have gained world-wide attention because they run long distances in flimsy sandals, and they don’t injure because they don’t land with a heel strike when they run, they land with a forefoot strike (click here to see what a forefoot strike looks like). This is in stark contrast to many recreational runners who wear running shoes with excessive padding under the heel which causes these runners to heel strike, and get lots of injuries!

The secret to why the Tarahumara Indians are perfectly able to run long distances practically injury-free is in their footwear. They run in flat, flimbys, fully flexible minimalist sandals that prevent them from heel-pounding when running, and instead, facilitates a soft and springy forefoot strike that eliminates the burst in collisional impact that underlies most running injuries, and is produced only in heel strike running. More specifically, the sandals worn by the Tarahumara Indians are called ‘huarache sandals’ which have no supportive features or cushioning. Each year the Tarahumara Indians run in teams and cover 75 km while kicking and chasing a small wooden ball in these sandals! They also compete in ultra marathons (races greater than 50 km). The gist is, the Tarahumara Indians do not wear thick cushioned running shoes to run any distance, even long distances, and they rarely get injured. This is why they have caught the attention of many researchers around the world.

One of the many problems with regular running shoes is they have too much cushioning under the heel than the front of the shoe. This giant heel-to-toe offset causes the front of your foot to unintentionally lift up, exposing the heel to the ground, making it easier for the heel to strike the ground first, and in consequence, impact shoots up dramatically.

The higher the heel relative to the front of your running shoe, the greater the chance of heel striking, and therefore, producing many forms of impacts that easily rise beyond pain-and-injury pre-disposing levels.

So, what happens when the Tarahumara Indians go from wearing their minimalist sandals to regular running shoes loaded with cushioning and stability features?

A new study found that regular running shoes negatively altered the natural foot strike, stride length and foot health in Tarahumara Indian endurance runners!

Case in point, a ground-breaking study in the Journal of Sports and Health Science discovered that the Tarahumara Indian endurance runners who habitually wore regular running shoes had different lower leg kinematics than the Tarahumara Indians who habitually wore huarache sandals.

Here are the big conclusive takeaways from the study:

Tarahumara Indian endurance runners who habitually wore huarache sandals were more likely to land with their ankles below their knee when running. Therefore, they did not over-stride when compared to the Tarahumara Indians who habitually wore regular running shoes.
Tarahumara Indians who habitually ran in regular running shoes had reduced arch strength

These shoes contained supportive features that included arch support and were thickly cushioned, especially under the heel.

This data is serious, realistic and credible because it jibes with other work (references below article) showing that thick cushioned running shoes cause rigid heel strike landings, mechanical imbalances such as over-striding, while restricting the proper function of the foot’s arch, leading to weak arches that are unable to act as shock absorbers and motion stabilizers. As mentioned above, the excellent news is minimalist sandals do substantially more to strengthen your feet, while helping you use your forefoot strike safely and efficiently when you run. But, if running in sandals doesn’t interest you, minimalist running shoes are just as effective. In fact, here are all the evidence-backed reasons minimalist shoes work for everyone!

NEW! Jessie sandal for women. Super comfy. Super cute. Super fun.

References:

Lieberman, DE. Strike type variation among Tarahumara Indians in minimalist sandals versus conventional running shoes. J Sport Health Sci, 2014; (3)2:86-94.

Nigg, BM and Wakeling, JM. Impact forces and muscle tuning: a new paradigm. Exerc Sports Sci Rev, 2001; 29(1):37-41.

Nigg, BM., Cole, GK., and Burggemann, GP. Impact forces during heel-toe running. J Appli Biomech, 1995; 11(4):407-432.