Below identifies the affects of heel strike and forefoot running on arch health and function as well as how certain footwear can either strengthen or weaken the arch.
Minimalist shoes are better for your feet benergy return to better your performance.
Emerging research raises new questions and concerns about the efficacy of orthotics as findings show that runners actually suffer under wearing orthotics. Orthotics were found to do nothing to reduce foot strain or impact, and failed to keep the foot steady. Instead, orthotics were found to force the feet into extreme positions, especially in heel strike runners, which over-strained the plantar fascia and arch, The good news is however, changing your foot strike from heel strike to forefoot strike is the best, sustainable solution in maintaining foot step stability and low impact production!
The hard impact from heel striking was found to overload the arch, resulting in forces acting on the arch that are stronger than the forces acting on the arch in forefoot running. At the same time, the burst in high impact that always occurs at heel strike forces the foot into extreme positions (hyper-pronation), resulting in more bending and twisting strain rippling onto the leg and into the knee! What’s worse, there’s little indication that shoe cushioning is a quick fix for this. The best course of action is to adopt a forefoot strike landing because it was also proven to make it easier for the arch to store more energy-saving elastic power, which is what the arch was designed for.
Barefoot running was found to make multiple aspects of the foot more effective at storing and releasing more elastic energy as compared with traditional running shoes.
Research shows that runners with high arches do not produce more impact if they land with a forefoot strike, but running will always be rough and tumble if they heel strike.
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