Barefoot Running: A Natural Step of the Endurance Athlete
“The human foot is a work of art and a masterpiece of engineering.”
Leonardo Da Vinci
In August 2003 Dennis Driscoll gave a ground breaking presentation to the USA Track and Field Coaching Education seminar which deserves a serious revisit. Titled “Barefoot Running: A Natural Step for the Endurance Athlete” he goes through the then current (and accurate) science of barefoot running compared to shod running. By comparing biomechanics, propulsion phases, injury rates, etc all while quoting 26 research studies and articles, Dennis shows that integrating barefoot running into your running will greatly enhance your experience.
What I found particularly interesting, especially since becoming converted to the Zero Drop Concept, is his beef with shod running which he indicates, like Lieberman, is due mostly to an elevated heel. Well worth the read, Dennis gives a very accurate and compelling dissertation on the benefits of barefoot running especially considering it was given in 2003! These benefits are not new, it’s just recently that we the public have become aware of the truth. To read Dennis’s full article, click here.
Below are several of my favorite quotes:
“The purpose of this paper is to investigate some of the scientific studies that have been done in the area of running both barefoot and with footwear. Is there an advantage to training, or racing, barefoot? Or, is the modern running shoe a technological marvel that helps reduce injury and makes us more efficient runners?”
“Sensory feedback is greatly diminished by the insulating sole of the shoe. The result is a more rigid foot which disables the deflection of the medial longitudinal arch reducing the foot’s ability to moderate impact shock. Arch supports built into most shoes further reduce the ability of the arch to deflect. 6 Unfortunately the tapered toe box found in most shoes constricts the toes and prevents their natural spacing.”
“Footwear modifies some of the characteristics of the propulsion phase in other ways. Several of these changes are related to the aforementioned elevated heel of the shoe. One byproduct of heel elevation is a shortening of the Achilles tendon and calf muscles. Three of the calf muscles – the posterior tibial, flexor hallucis longus and flexor digitorum longus – play important roles in the function of the arch. As these muscles become shorter, they fail to pull properly on the back of the heel thereby increasing the flattening of the arch. Pronation occurs at a time when the foot should be in a neutral position. The unnatural position of the elevated heel also disrupts the work of some tendons connected to the toes. These tendons, which originate in the lower leg, apply their pull around ankle bones above the heel to hold the toes against the ground while the body passes over them during propulsion. The raised heel leads to an imbalance in the tug of these tendons thereby interfering with efficient propulsion.”
“Perhaps the greatest hindering effect of the elevated heel is the loss of the involuntary stretch reflex of the Achilles and posterior lower leg muscles. This stretch reflex is designed to aid the forefoot with propulsion, yet it can only be activated if the heel comes close to the ground. The elevated heels of most available footwear, including athletic shoes, prevent this stretch reflex from occurring.”
“Modern running footwear is well endowed with cushioning purportedly to reduce impact forces absorbed by the body. However, there exists no scientific study providing evidence that cushioning has a significant effect on in-vivo impact forces. On the other hand, there is evidence that an increase in impact forces is associated with softer shoes.22,23 Combine this evidence with the previously mentioned sensory deprivation aspect of shoe cushioning and the role of athletic footwear as a protective device must be questioned.”
“The solution to the problem of running-related injuries could be as simple as promoting barefoot activity.”
