Is Barefoot Running Safe? YES!

The confirmed reasons barefoot running is safer than running in thick cushioned running shoes is that running barefoot is the only way to fully activate the high density of sensory nerves in the bottom of the feet, which in turn, activate key reflexes in both the leg and feet. These reflexes are responsible for engaging significantly low impact mechanics in the form of a forefoot strike (see here what a proper forefoot strike looks like), a shorter stride, higher cadence and more controlled foot step stability.

Is Barefoot Running Safe? YES!
The biggest and fastest improvements in running form reportedly comes from the excessive sensory input when running barefoot, which not only automatically makes you most mindful of how hard you land, but naturally allows for more effective mechanical corrections at the reflexive and neuromuscular level, while producing a capable, more durable foot over the long-term.


On the flip side, sensory problems at the feet are known to affect movement behavior (Smith et al. 2015) whereby the complete lack of ground-feel in a thick cushioned running shoe can lead to sensory processing impairments which translates into misaligned, rigid and force-intensive movement behaviors during running.

Are Cushioned Running Shoes Bad?
They may look comfortable but they are well on record for causing inappropriate joint loading when running because the lack of ground-feel from the thick underfoot cushioning causes your stride mechanics to fall out of neutral line, resulting in a high impact heel strike, a high impact over-stride and low cadence, while pushing the foot into extreme, over-straining positions. This is why these shoes, to date, have never been able to prevent even one injury!

Evidently, thick cushioned running shoes with more cushioning under the heel than the toe-box unintentionally causes a runner to land high up on the heel (shown below), whereas barefoot runners land with a forefoot strike. The big distinctions between these two foot strike patterns are forefoot running produces less net impact, joint torque and braking and there’s less forces acting across the foot.

Are Cushioned Running Shoes Bad for You?
Thick cushioned heeled running shoes cause substantial mechanical errors that lead to a heavy heel strike and a locked out, hyper-extended knee-joint at landing, all of which facilitate a long over-stride tied to uneven stress everywhere on the leg.

kids_prio

But, when you run barefoot, the surplus in sensory cues alone keeps you from heel-pounding, and instead, encourages a forefoot strike which also encourages safer, more functional use of the knee, enabling it to bend properly at landing. This directly facilitates a shorter stride and a higher cadence, which taken together, are the only proven ways to reliably prevent impact from exceeding normal.

Is Barefoot Running Safe? YES!
Barefoot running works best for the purpose of improving running form because the limitless sensory feedback makes it easier to avoid heel strike, and helps you accurately pin down a stable forefoot strike, which works best for reducing the explosive impact stress responsible for injury. At the same time, running barefoot makes more widespread use of the foot of which the health and function of the foot depend closely on.

TerraFlex trail running shoe

The Take Home Message

For some, its hard to believe that running without shoes is actually significantly safer than running in the most cushy, comfortable running shoes. This is because cushioned running shoes prevent certain neuromotor commands that actually enables us to land safely.

What we do know is nothing seems to improve sensory motor performance during running then when the bottoms of the feet are greatly stimulated by directly connecting with the ground, like when you’re barefoot. We need to understand that barefoot running leads to enhanced sensations in the feet that elicit the strongest functional adaptive responses (i.e. a forefoot strike landing) that always leads to less impact.

Need more convincing that cushioned running shoes cause more harm than good? Here are all the evidence-backed reasons cushioned running shoes can be a major source of injury!

If you’ve enjoyed my post, you’ll also love my YouTube channel, here, where I show why forefoot running works and why heel strike running hurts!


References:

Smith et al. A systematic review of sensory processing interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders. Autism, 2015; 19(2):133-148.


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P.S. Don't forget to check out the Run Forefoot Facebook Page, it's a terrific place to ask questions about forefoot running, barefoot running and injury. I'm always happy to help!