hmmm... this is where we might disagree quite a bit. The reason comes from my own experience. 10 years ago I use to run and suffer from chronic running injuries, you name it, I had it. I then found Chi Running (CR), yoga and barefoot running. Since then, I've been injury free for the past 8 years. I attribute this to my more efficient running technique. Why can I have high volume and not get injured whereas in the past I would have?
I totally agree that body awareness may be the main reason. CR and yoga teach this immensely. But I run so efficiently now and with low impact, I believe this to be a reason why I stay injury free. You may say that I run more efficiently because I am an ultrarunner whereas I think it is vice versa. I am an ultrarunner because I can run efficiently. Chicken or the egg, a question I've asked myself many times.
I do believe barefoot running reduces injuries mainly because it reduces impact via less heel striking, proprioception, you run 'lighter', you engage the correct muscles including 'core' muscles. And maybe most importantly, stride length is decreased and the foot lands closer to underneath the hips, no way out in front which acts like a brake.
Why do Brooks Beast promote a poor running technique in most but not all runners?
1. It encourages a longer stride and the foot lands farther in front of the hips than ideal.
2. It 'turns off' muscles because of a lack of proprioception. Also, 'core' muscles are weakened forcing leg muscles to compensate and become overused.
3. It promotes a 'heavy' footfall. Runners get sloppy when shod which I attribute to 'core' muscles not working actively.
4. It encourages a heel strike which I don't nescessarily believe is harmful.
When I run barefoot for 20-30 miles, guess what is sore the next day. My core! Not my legs. But when running in shoes, my legs get sore. Why? The answer to me is simple, I can feel the difference when I run barefoot vs. shod in how much my core works. Core=glutes, obliques, TA etc.