Because it offers a more natural connection with the ground, running in barefoot shoes does a better job at improving the coordination of a proper forefoot strike, while discouraging a high impact heel strike. However, always make sure you never heel strike when you run, not just in a barefoot shoe, but even in a cushioned shoes as this landing pattern increases the risk of a boney fracture in the foot.
Long-term reliance on running shoes with excessive underfoot cushioning was found to reduce nerve supply in the feet, which contributes to frail, functionally weak feet as well as poor balance as compared with barefoot-inspired shoes, which were found to improve nerve communication efficiency. This in turn lead to greater muscle tone which promotes stronger muscles and soft tissues in the foot.
Contrary to popular belief that the thicker the cushioning of your running shoe, the less chance you have of getting injured, pioneering studies have discovered the standard running shoe with a large cushioned heel was an inadequate shock absorbent, reducing impact by only 10% in a heel strike landing. However, not all cushioned running shoes causes injury, only running shoes with more padding under the heel relative to the front of the shoe was found to push the heel too far in front of the hips at landing, causing a heel strike that is tied to a burst of collisional impact implicated in severe injuries, like long bone fractrure, knee ligament problems and even lower back disc degeneration as compared with zero-drop running shoes (running shoes with equal padding under the heel and the toe-box).
Running in barefoot sandals was found to do a better job at promoting foot health, especially strengthening the foot’s arch, while preventing a force-intensive heel strike and over-striding during, and instead, facilitated a low-impact, more stable forefoot strike landing.
The best foot strike technique for running is the forefoot strike because it reduces nearly all the forms of impact linked to injury, even if you run barefoot on the hardest surface, you will not produce any more impact if you land forefoot-first. Conversly, landing heel-first sets off a shockwave that damages the shins, knees and even lower back!
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