Are Barefoot Trainers Just Another Gym Fad?

For my final year project at SBU in the UK 8 years ago, I conducted a piece of research into the efficiency differences of running in barefoot compared to shod (normal trainers). I found some very interesting results that suggested that a barefoot gait is more efficient and could actually reduce the occurrence of injuries in the lower extremities.

Running in barefoot stops you decelerating through the heel strike, forcing you to land on your forefoot. By landing this way you reduce the shock absorbed through the lower extremity. When you run, you put up to six times your own body weight in ground reaction force through your foot. By changing where you make contact with the floor, barefoot trainers help you convert some of this energy to help propel you forward.

Check out this great video and article that illustrates this theory. Barefoot trainers are here to stay!

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