Sunday 17 November 2013

Running Shoes - An Injury Waiting to Happen?

Running shoes have been around for a long time, with the claim that they will help prevent injury.  And supposedly you have to replace them every 3 months to ensure the health of your body.  But what if your $150 running shoes are actually causing injury?

Hear me out.  When you run, what kind of method do you use?  Do you run landing hard on your heels and then rolling to the balls of your feet, or do you land lightly on the balls of your feet and push off slightly forward?  What about when you run barefoot along the beach?

Running shoes are rigid by design to "support" the foot.  But because they are rigid, it tends to make people land hard on the heels of their feet rather than lightly on the balls of their feet.  This rigidity found in almost all footwear these days can also lead to foot problems in some individuals.




Or at least, that is the claim made by barefoot shoe manufacturers.  It seems that not enough research has been done yet on the topic to either prove or disprove barefoot running as the healthier or less injury-prone method, but I'm willing to give it a whirl.

I have a pair of Vibram Fivefingers barefoot runners, and I like them so far.  But I have not used them for much more than short jogs or sprints.  I look forward to seeing some more research done on the topic.

Food for thought, anyways.


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