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Does barefoot running reduce injury?

niallse

Is there anyone out there who has suffered recurring injury, and has been tempted to try barefoot running/minimalist shoes and had positive results?

I’m a pretty average club runner, running between 20-25 miles per week at about 8 min miles. Over the past year or so I have been experiencing increasing levels of pain in my Achilles, knees and hips when I run. 2 years ago my left Achilles ruptured. I had it repaired and thankfully I don’t seem to have experienced any direct problems with it since. My right Achilles is unfortunately beginning to swell. Urgh!!

By this point, some might be thinking it’s time to give up running and take up walking or something a little gentler on the joints. I do walk about 25 miles each week as part of my commute to work and have noticed that this is pretty much pain free.

Now the connection... I run in Asics Kayano 18 or Asics 2170 shoes, designed for overpronators and to provide maximum support. I walk in flat shoes. I am beginning to think that all this support and protection my feet are getting from these expensive trainers isn’t actually benefiting me (I have to be careful what I say here!!), and that perhaps going back to basics is the answer. I.E. running barefott or in minimalist shoes.

I only took up running to lose weight but now love it and the social side of being in a club. I don’t want to have to stop running, but fear I may have to if I cannot find a solution.

All comments welcome.

Thanks

Mick.

Replies

theberard

I will say, I am not a runner.

I use the Vibram Five Fingers Sprints for Zumba and other training. I also wear them while hiking. I prefer these shoes over anything else however they did take some getting used to. I remember being very sore in my legs and feet after wearing them a couple hours hiking for the first time.

I hope this helps!

WhatsRNutts

I have been wearing Vibrams since late 2009. Before I began wearing them I was plagued with ankle and knee pains when I ran. Yes, there is a little bit of break in time. However, it took less than a month before I was wearing them for a 5k. I did have one set back but it was my own stupidity... I went running through some nature trails in the dusk with 2-3 inches of snow. I managed to misstep and with my heel I landed hard on a golf ball sized pine cone. I had to revert back to regular shoes for 2 months to allow the bone bruise to fully heal. When I was deployed late '10-early '11 I was training for a marathon and was running 35 - 40 miles a week.

alli_baba

I've heard people talk about barefoot running reducing pressure but one thing they never talk about is arch.

For this reason, I would throw in the suggestion of seeing a podiatrist. Especially if you've had injuries before. I'm flatfooted so the idea of barefoot running sounds like MURDER! I need extra arch support from my shoes.

Interesting about the flat foot thing -- I have the opposite problem.

I have chronic achilles tendonitis but have never had any joint problems while running. Additionally, I have super high arches. I tried Vibrams thinking they would be perfect for me (I'm a neutral runner and strike from the forefoot). I found they exacerbated my achilles tendonitis and frankly, were a bit uncomfortable. I'm back to my Mizunos and my achilles tendonitis flare ups are back to being a rare occurrence.

I have heard anecdotally that people with very high arches don't seem to adjust well to barefoot/minimalist running -- maybe arches do play a role?

Anyway, I have also heard that they can do wonders for people who have joint problems while running -- worth looking into if you fall into this category.

lauraniwa

I'm a cross country and track runner. I fractured my left tibia during xc and my right fibula during track due to not having enough support for my flat feet. I am not allowed to wear heels/flip flops/etc for very long and need custom orthopedic insoles to run. I've talked to several doctors about this and have gone through more than enough physical therapy. I have no hope to wear minimalist shoes without corrective surgery to my arches. All I can say is, talk to a doctor and consult a specialist before making the shift in case of problems. Not being able to run/walk and have crutches with a boot isn't fun.

There have actually been a lot of studies that found barefoot running can help fix flat feet. Google it, maybe it can actually help!

Physiotherapist here.

You can't "fix" flat feet. You can make tem stornger, better supported etc. but structure is base on bone, which we were born with and is not going to change.

Personally I wear a flatter shoe (zoots) and I do have a pair of five-fingers that I use for kicking around the house.
BUT
A shoe fix isn't going to magically correct a strength discrepancy or poor form.

To generalize, most of my runners have tight lateral quads and weak medial quads (FYI the quadricep muscle has 4 parts). This tends to cause medial (inside) knee stress, over pronation etc. Also, most of my patients with this issue "over stride" meaning that their foot contacts the ground too far ahead of their body.
Get your form analyzed by a professional, then decide if a new shoe will help you work with what you're doing right/wrong.

ashwarren21

Another minimalist brand to consider is Altra. They have helped alleviate some hip, knee, and ankle pain for me. LOVE them!

MoveTheMountain

From what I understand, running surface makes a lot of difference. Aren't the minimalist shoes designed for grass/trails/etc., and not pavement/tracks/treadmills?

grimsin

I've been wearing VFF's and retraining myself to walk naturally for the past year. I believe that our bodies are not meant to heel strike or throw our foot out in front of our body to walk. after a full year I fully endorse barefoot walking, running, living. you'd be surprised how well nature designed our very own shock absorbers in our feet. my flat feet now have arches. my back injuries, while still there, are distant memories without constant jolting of heel strikes. I'm not saying it's the cure all, but if you have the time and patience to relearn how to walk and run, I'd recommend at least giving the barefoot revolution a go

scythswife

Bump

I'm considering Vibram Five Fingers so I'd be interested to hear others opinions.

MY hubby has a pair of them and loves them. he doesn't run in them though but had back surgery and walking around in them is easier on his back and legs. However we live near a Marine base and a lot of the guys seem to do P.T. in them which includes running and from those hubby talked to about them they loved them.

Sarah_Wins

I have recently started doing my short runs in Fila Skeletoes Amps and like them so far, but I'm not yet convinced they are better than my Adidas and Saucony runners. I still do my long runs in Adidas for now. First time out, I got a blister on my instep, so the second time I used vaseline and it helped.

scythswife

I've been wearing VFF's and retraining myself to walk naturally for the past year. I believe that our bodies are not meant to heel strike or throw our foot out in front of our body to walk. after a full year I fully endorse barefoot walking, running, living. you'd be surprised how well nature designed our very own shock absorbers in our feet. my flat feet now have arches. my back injuries, while still there, are distant memories without constant jolting of heel strikes. I'm not saying it's the cure all, but if you have the time and patience to relearn how to walk and run, I'd recommend at least giving the barefoot revolution a go

i love being barefoot. people think i am crazy because i do my workouts from home using dvds and i am barefoot the entire time. i actually feel weird if i wear shoes to do the workouts.

cunfewzed1

I wanted to reply for FYI of any curious person in the future:

I highly suggest a subtle "step-down" approach to change your running shoe. If you're used to a fully-padded cross-train type shoe, don't go straight to Vibrams. You're just asking for trouble. I did a slow transition over a year's time to a less supportive "minimal" shoe. Padded shoes will have a 10+mm drop. You should transition to something that has a circa 6-8mm drop, then to circa 4mm drop, then to 0/barefoot.

This is just my two cents as I'm not a foot doctor of any sort, but I am a pretty avid/active runner. I've seen many-a-friend go down with stress injuries and be out for months because of a shoe transition. Minimal is all the rage and I enjoy the lighter weight I have now, but it was definitely a process to get there.

kaotik26

This has crossed my mind a few times recently. I have trouble with my right ankle since an injury about 4 years ago. Somedays it's fine, others I can barely put weight on it. Also healing from stress fractures in both tibias. I wondered if shoes were the culprit.

DG_Allen

I run barefoot or in Merrell "barefoot" shoes.

It's all about your running form and technique. Running barefoot helps you learn good technique. Once you do that, you won't need they big, expensive shoes anymore and can run barefoot all the time or in minimals or VFFs.

Chi and Pose are both good methods. I read "Barefoot Running Step-by-Step" and that has helped me a lot. If you take some time to relearn your technique and decrease your mileage for a few weeks, you'll also get some time to heal.

Good luck.

grimsin

I wanted to reply for FYI of any curious person in the future:

I highly suggest a subtle "step-down" approach to change your running shoe. If you're used to a fully-padded cross-train type shoe, don't go straight to Vibrams. You're just asking for trouble. I did a slow transition over a year's time to a less supportive "minimal" shoe. Padded shoes will have a 10+mm drop. You should transition to something that has a circa 6-8mm drop, then to circa 4mm drop, then to 0/barefoot.

This is just my two cents as I'm not a foot doctor of any sort, but I am a pretty avid/active runner. I've seen many-a-friend go down with stress injuries and be out for months because of a shoe transition. Minimal is all the rage and I enjoy the lighter weight I have now, but it was definitely a process to get there.

this can be so true, 99% of these types of injuries are due to improper running form. slow transition is definately the way to go, and research on proper barefoot running form should be mandatory for the transition. gotta build that new muscle memory!!

Show_Stopper

I love barefoot running I feel amazing afterwards and haven't had any injurys knocking on wood now give it a try

pettrypartyof4

Not sure if I can blame the barefoot running on this, but I experienced a horrible case of Plantar Fasciitis after experimenting with a month of slowly incorporating barefoot running into my routine. My PF, left as soon as I returned to my regular regime with my mizunos full time.
I'm not an "athlete", just an "exerciser" with some half marathons under my belt, I don't think my feet could accept this type of dramatic switch after living in supported shoes for 34 years....

DG_Allen

One more thing about naysayers.

There are a lot of vested interests that spread information like "barefooting hasn't been proven to be better." That's false. Studies show huge decreases in impact when running with barefoot technique.

The other side of this coin is there are exactly ZERO studies showing expensive running shoes PREVENT injuries. ZERO. NONE. NADA.

Cuts, glass, nails etc??? I cut my toe once barefoot running. I stopped for 30 seconds to make sure there was nothing in my toe and kept running. A mile later when I was home, the cut was healed. I couldn't find it. You're feet are pretty remarkable once you let them do the job they evolved to do.

Thanks for listening.

LilRedRooster

I have a recurring knee inflammation that hasn't been diagnosed (because they have no idea what causes it, despite numerous exams and MRIs), but I used to have knee pain quite often with running, along with the swelling. Since I switched to minimalist running with Vibrams, I haven't had any more knee pain while running. I still have the inflammatory spells, but the pain has completely disappeared in the 4-5 months that I've been running minimalist. I've also completed several 5 and 10Ks along with a half-marathon in them, and have had no issues with pain or anything else.

Now, you will end up getting MORE injuries switching to barefoot, especially if you already have Achilles issues, if you suddenly switch to barefoot running. One of the things that landing with a more forefoot/midfoot strike will do is put more pressure on your Achilles and calf muscles, because it requires you to push off using those more. One of your problems may be that your Achilles and gastrocnemius aren't flexible enough to handle the added pressures. Try sitting on a chair, with your feet flat and your knees directly over your ankles, and push push your knees forward while trying to keep your heels on the ground. If you can't manage that, your Achilles is probably much too tight to try running minimalist running right away.

If you want to incorporate it into your running, I would start with a very, very short run, once or twice a week (maybe half a mile), with a slow, easy pace. Increase that by 5-10% per week, and be very, very mindful of your previous injuries, especially those Achilles. Also, if you can, incorporate some stretching or cross-training (like yoga) that would help stretch those muscles without doing it statically (just grabbing those muscles and pulling isn't a great idea, so getting them stretched while blood is flowing is best).

I personally love minimalist running, and I've had a great experience with it, but it's definitely something you want to go slowly into, especially with a lot of injuries prior.

olney75

I used to run track barefoot and only wore my cleats for competition..(barefoot running wasnt big then so they wouldnt allow me to run barefoot during a race) but i always had better times running barefoot because i had better form barefoot. you become more aware of what part of the foot ur running on. now i run with brooks pure connect which are amazing!!! i highly recommend them!! they arent quite a "barefoot" shoe but they are amazingly light and only have a sole on a few parts on the shoe. i love them so much that i now wear them as an every day shoe as well because i cant find a shoe that feels that good on now that i tried these!

Roadie2000

I'm a cross country and track runner. I fractured my left tibia during xc and my right fibula during track due to not having enough support for my flat feet. I am not allowed to wear heels/flip flops/etc for very long and need custom orthopedic insoles to run. I've talked to several doctors about this and have gone through more than enough physical therapy. I have no hope to wear minimalist shoes without corrective surgery to my arches. All I can say is, talk to a doctor and consult a specialist before making the shift in case of problems. Not being able to run/walk and have crutches with a boot isn't fun.

There have actually been a lot of studies that found barefoot running can help fix flat feet. Google it, maybe it can actually help!

Physiotherapist here.

You can't "fix" flat feet. You can make tem stornger, better supported etc. but structure is base on bone, which we were born with and is not going to change.

Personally I wear a flatter shoe (zoots) and I do have a pair of five-fingers that I use for kicking around the house.
BUT
A shoe fix isn't going to magically correct a strength discrepancy or poor form.

To generalize, most of my runners have tight lateral quads and weak medial quads (FYI the quadricep muscle has 4 parts). This tends to cause medial (inside) knee stress, over pronation etc. Also, most of my patients with this issue "over stride" meaning that their foot contacts the ground too far ahead of their body.
Get your form analyzed by a professional, then decide if a new shoe will help you work with what you're doing right/wrong.

I didn't understand half of what you wrote, so I'm not gonna argue, I'm just relaying some information I saw online. Do a google search, you'll see a bunch of results for barefoot running claiming to "fix" flat feet or raise arches. I don't know how it works or if there's any validity to it, just pointing it out.

kaotik26

I'm a cross country and track runner. I fractured my left tibia during xc and my right fibula during track due to not having enough support for my flat feet. I am not allowed to wear heels/flip flops/etc for very long and need custom orthopedic insoles to run. I've talked to several doctors about this and have gone through more than enough physical therapy. I have no hope to wear minimalist shoes without corrective surgery to my arches. All I can say is, talk to a doctor and consult a specialist before making the shift in case of problems. Not being able to run/walk and have crutches with a boot isn't fun.

There have actually been a lot of studies that found barefoot running can help fix flat feet. Google it, maybe it can actually help!

Physiotherapist here.

You can't "fix" flat feet. You can make tem stornger, better supported etc. but structure is base on bone, which we were born with and is not going to change.

Personally I wear a flatter shoe (zoots) and I do have a pair of five-fingers that I use for kicking around the house.
BUT
A shoe fix isn't going to magically correct a strength discrepancy or poor form.

To generalize, most of my runners have tight lateral quads and weak medial quads (FYI the quadricep muscle has 4 parts). This tends to cause medial (inside) knee stress, over pronation etc. Also, most of my patients with this issue "over stride" meaning that their foot contacts the ground too far ahead of their body.
Get your form analyzed by a professional, then decide if a new shoe will help you work with what you're doing right/wrong.

I didn't understand
half of what you wrote, so I'm not gonna argue, I'm just relaying some information I saw online. Do a google search, you'll see a bunch of results for barefoot running claiming to "fix" flat feet or raise arches. I don't know how it works or if there's any validity to it, just pointing it out.

Translation: People tend to have weaker muscles on the inside of their thighs and stronger, tighter muscles on the outside of the thighs causing pulling on the knee, which is a main cause of knee injuries; not their shoes. Also people tend to take too long of steps while they run, causing the feet to hit the ground wrong, thus stressing parts of the body that are not going to handle the stress of running as well. I would listen to a medical professional before I would believe a couple of articles on google, personally.

dominicsmith412

Not really recurring problem but I had plantar fasciitis before and I've worn a pair of Vibram Five Fingers. The problem has not totally resolved but it was a big help. The pain gradually subsided until it was tolerable to walk/ run. Vibram Five Fingers works wonder.

Here's a link in case you're interested with this shoes - http://barefootrunningshoes.org/vibram-fivefingers/

fingersmagoo

In my experience, it will cause injury if not done in stages. Start out slow and low mileage. Your calf muscles will light up! The most I would run in them was around 5 miles, but I have seen people doing very long runs with them.

For me, it got to a point that I was sore and had pains, so I switched to Newtons. So far, the Netwons have been great.

Paul

Roadie2000

Translation: People tend to have weaker muscles on the inside of their thighs and stronger, tighter muscles on the outside of the thighs causing pulling on the knee, which is a main cause of knee injuries; not their shoes. Also people tend to take too long of steps while they run, causing the feet to hit the ground wrong, thus stressing parts of the body that are not going to handle the stress of running as well. I would listen to a medical professional before I would believe a couple of articles on google, personally.

So you would listen to one person online that claims to be a medical professional over another person also online who also claims to be a medical professional? First of all, I never said I agreed with either side, I was just pointing it out in case anyone cared to do their own research.

Also, minimalist shoes have actually helped me with my stride by learning to take shorter strides and be lighter on my feet. So I think indirectly they can help a little bit (at the very least).

kaotik26

Translation: People tend to have weaker muscles on the inside of their thighs and stronger, tighter muscles on the outside of the thighs causing pulling on the knee, which is a main cause of knee injuries; not their shoes. Also people tend to take too long of steps while they run, causing the feet to hit the ground wrong, thus stressing parts of the body that are not going to handle the stress of running as well. I would listen to a medical professional before I would believe a couple of articles on google, personally.

So you would listen to one person online that claims to be a medical professional over another person also online who also claims to be a medical professional? First of all, I never said I agreed with either side, I was just pointing it out in case anyone cared to do their own research.

Also, minimalist shoes have actually helped me with my stride by learning to take shorter strides and be lighter on my feet. So I think indirectly they can help a little bit (at the very least).

I'm saying if you really want the right information ask a doctor.

thebigcb

Theres is no evidence

Personally I wear runners, but running barefoot isn;t an option where I live

Give it a go and see if it works

Get_Me_Fit1

My older sister tried running barefoot, and she got really bad shin pain on both legs the next 2 days. She barely could walk. So im never trying it!

Illona88

I once read a science article that said that running with shoes on changes the way you run.

If you run the natural way (i.e. barefoot) you land on your toes and it is less hard on your knees and hips.
If you run with shoes on you land on your heel, creating a far bigger shock for your knees and hips.

Maybe you could try and teach yourself to land on you toes even with shoes on and you would have the same effect?

MoveTheMountain

One more thing about naysayers.

There are a lot of vested interests that spread information like "barefooting hasn't been proven to be better." That's false. Studies show huge decreases in impact when running with barefoot technique.

The other side of this coin is there are exactly ZERO studies showing expensive running shoes PREVENT injuries. ZERO. NONE. NADA.

Cuts, glass, nails etc??? I cut my toe once barefoot running. I stopped for 30 seconds to make sure there was nothing in my toe and kept running. A mile later when I was home, the cut was healed. I couldn't find it. You're feet are pretty remarkable once you let them do the job they evolved to do.

Thanks for listening.

I would imagine the running surface is important to this discussion... Do folks run barefoot on pavement and cement? That seems like it would be h3ll on ankles/fee/knees/etc.