ASHLEIGH MATTERN
Editor-in-Chief
If running shoes were invented in the 1970s, how did humans run comfortably for millions of years before the invention of running shoes?
A group of researchers from Harvard University asked themselves just that, finding that barefoot runners might hold the secret to a better running style.
While the researchers studied the mechanics of the bodies of habitual barefoot runners, the research can be applied to all runners. They found that runners who strike first with the heel create a sudden, large impact, while those who strike with the front of the foot avoid that impact. Habitual barefoot runners naturally land at the top or middle of the foot because it’s more comfortable.
“Consequently,” reads the study’s website, “runners who forefoot or midfoot strike do not need shoes with elevated cushioned heels to cope with these sudden, high transient forces that occur when you land on the ground. Therefore, barefoot runners can run easily on the hardest surfaces in the world without discomfort from landing.”
Some media have interpreted this study to mean running barefoot is better for the body because the runner avoids injuries that may be associated with landing on the heel, but the authors say “that hypothesis remains to be tested.”
Jeremy Lane, a University of Saskatchewan student, has been running in bare feet since last spring, and has become part of a growing movement of runners attracted to the style.
“I always wanted to walk bare foot,” he said. “I always just like having bare feet.” So when he heard from a friend about bare foot running, he was intrigued.
While shopping for shoes last spring, he happened upon Vibram FiveFingers, strange-looking minimal shoes that look like gloves for the feet.
“I was looking for shoes with as much toe room as possible,” he said. “I got (Vibram FiveFingers) and started wearing them all summer, and I just started to run in them, too. I noticed that my running style had to be a lot different.”
The Harvard study, called “Biomechanics of Foot Strikes and Applications for Running Barefoot or in Minimal Footwear,” points out that “humans were running for millions of years, apparently safely, in running flats, in thin sandals or mocassins, or in no shoes at all,” but if you’re used to running in sneakers, it might take time to adjust to a forefoot or midfoot strike.
Their website suggests listening to your body and starting out with minimal footwear — like Vibram FiveFingers or any shoe with no built up heel, a flexible sole and no arch support.
“Land gently on your forefoot and gradually let the heel come down,” reads the website. “Transition slowly… Stretch your calves and Achilles tendon.”
They also caution to avoid anything that causes pain and to consult a doctor.
Lane took the time to figure out these tips on his own, though he admits he “probably would have been better off at first talking to a physiotherapist or joining a running club and getting some instruction.
“I found I instantly noticed with the regular shoes I could kind of run with pounding my heel a little bit and I wouldn’t really notice,” he said. “As soon as I started trying it in bare feet, it was impossible not to notice it right away. It would hurt. You would feel the impact way more. Gradually, I had to feel it out and feel how I could feel the lightest on my feet.”
One of the problems with the bare foot movement is that it isn’t always acceptable. Although Lane wears minimal footwear, Shana McLean, the Physical Activity Complex’s health and fitness coordinator, says it’s not enough for some areas at the gym.
“Currently we ask that people wear appropriate athletic footwear in the gym,” she said. “We don’t allow Dawgs or sandals in the gym…. (Vibram FiveFingers) look exactly like a pair of gloves on feet so I’m not sure how they’re different from sandals.”
  Currently, minimal footwear is allowed on the running track, the stretching area, the fit studio, and the climbing wall, but not on the machines or in the weight area.
McLean said their policies and procedures state that they only allow closed toe running shoes, and one of the complications in allowing minimal footwear is the large number of staff working at the PAC. If they allow Vibram FiveFingers, it might be hard to communicate what minimal footwear is acceptable and what is not.
“We have been contacting other universities to see what their policies are, and some are okay with it,” said McLean, but added that they currently have no plans to change their policies. “I don’t see beyond the track and the stretching area that there’s any need for modification (as long as) it meets the needs of the users and the facility.”
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photo: Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0