The recent popularity of running barefoot has taken many people by surprise and ignited quite the debate in running circles and also in the research community. Although some people think that barefoot running is a new phenomenon, in reality the use of padded and supported running shoes is a recent development - in the 1970s! So in fact maybe we are getting back to basics and to the way the foot evolved...

Here are a couple of videos of the foot during barefoot running. The first video shows the foot from just behind the landing point. The landing is a heel strike - the kind of landing that is common when you use running shoes. You can see the impact forces going through the foot when the heel strikes the ground. It is these forces that running shoes are designed to dissipate.

Now the proponents of barefoot running suggest that when people run barefoot, the tendency is to actually land on the balls of the feet and the mid foot. When this happens the arch of the foot absorbs the impact, not the heel bone, and as a result the impact forces are not transferred up the body but are absorbed by the muscles of the foot and lower leg. Supporters of the barefoot running philosophy argue that barefoot running is healthier for feet and reduces risk of chronic injuries - although the research is not conclusive either in support or against this idea. But is is interesting given that studies suggest that at least 30% of runners get injured every year, and many of these injuries stem from problems that arise in the foot or lower leg (van Gent et al., 2007). When you look at this video of barefoot running from the side, you can see that in fact, the heel never touches the ground. And people argue that this is why barefoot running is healthier than running with shoes. Check it out below: