There are countless long-term payoffs to running in minimalist shoes. For one, the flat sole of a minimalist shoe teaches you to avoid heel strike, and forces you to land with a forefoot strike that unburdens the entire body, especially the shins, knees and lower back, while at the same time, doing more to strengthen your feet and balance than thick cushioned running shoes. For another, running in minimalist shoes makes your stride more energy efficient, particularly resulting in less lactate acid build up during speed work.
It turns out, running shoes with more cushioning under the heel than the front of shoe (shown below) isn’t the greatest for running economy by causing poor energy storage in the elastic structures of lower leg, namely the Achilles tendon.
Comparatively, running in minimalist shoes, which are zero-drop because there’s no padding under the heel, improves energy economy as per a landmark study by Buchhiet at el., in the journal, Science & Sports.
- The study found that smaller heeled running shoes was associated with less lactic acid build-up in runners who performed repeated sprints.
- The researches believe that the reduction in blood lactate accumulation was a result of improved elastic energy storage in the arch and the Achilles tendon.
Their data jives with previous reports which found that foot position in flatter running shoes, where the heel and forefoot are almost level or is level, allows for a position of the foot that enhances the eccentric phase, thereby allowing greater elastic energy storage in the Achilles tendon (1).
Essentially, the study suggests minimalist shoes provides a more secure, functional base from which there’s more optimal elastic energy usage coming from the arch and especially the Achilles tendon, but in conventional running shoes, the Achilles can no longer contribute elastic energy efficiently, which led to a measurable reduction in overall running economy!
The Take Home Message
The energy-saving elastic properties of the Achilles tendon are most optimized when running in minimalist shoes, but is significantly impeded in conventional running shoes. This is because the ergonomic, ‘heeless’ construction of a minimalist shoe keeps the foot in the most neutral, natural posture with the ground, which also allows the Achilles to compress and extend naturally, an action aligned with enhanced spring properties in the tendon.
In contrast, when the heel is constantly elevated from the ground like it is in a conventional running shoe with a large wedged heel, the Achilles unnaturally shortens and is prevented from elongating properly, so there’s less elastic power to draw from the tendon. In consequence, more energy requirements of the muscles are needed to thrust the body up and over into the next step.
Last but not least, the Achilles tendon isn’t the only part of the body that minimalist shoes strengthens functionally and long-term, here are all the evidence-based benefits to minimalist shoes that cannot happen with conventional running shoes.
References:
Asmussen E, Bonde-Petersen F. Apparent efficiency and storage of elastic energy in human muscles during exercise. Acta Physiol Scand 1974;92:537—45.
Buchheit et al. Effect of dorsiflexion shoes on the energy cost of running. Sci & Sports, 2010; 25, 81-87.
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