Does Heel Striking Cause Injury to the Shin? YES!
Heel strike running was found to be a big risk factor for shin splints and fracture by causing a functional loss of impact absorption in the knee, while causing too much force-intensive stop and go (i.e. too much intense braking) as compared with forefoot running, which was found to do a better job at improving knee flexion, thereby reducing dangerous loads to the shins.