You talk about a potential
You talk about a potential rash of injuries associated with minimal shoes. Potential is not the word, IMO. We have been seeing this trend mostly for the past two years, and with more and more people jumping on the bandwagon, and more and more shoe companies making minimalist footwear, we're going to see an epidemic of sorts unfold before our very eyes. And of course, at first, they will blame barefoot running, for some reason, they can't differentiate the two. And although it does happen to new barefoot runners as well, it doesn't seem to happen as often as it does to new minimalist runners. I believe the reason for this is because barefooted runners do not have a perceived barrier of protection, a "comfort zone," as the shod runners do. Instinctly, we step lighter, and as well, most of us stop heel striking when barefoot. Barefoot runners receive instant feedback from their movements and the terrain. Barefoot runners feel their steps, and that feeling limits (not prevents) their ability to do too much too soon.
Can you explain a bit more how this would happen, and why... This happens because people are over zealous and excited to learn that it's possible to run without the pain and injuries they have been dealing with that are associated with the types of footwear they have been running in. (For those of you who switched to BFR after dealing with injuries, you remember how you felt early on when you began to run without the pain from shoes, when your reocurring pain never seemed to want to go away but went away when you shed the shoes, for some of you, immediately. These new minimalist runners will be just as enthusiastic as we were/are.)
(I think this is a corollary) it's not so likely to happen with true barefoot running? Of course it can happen in barefoot running. Just because we are barefoot doesn't mean that we are immune to injuries; rather, our injuries are just not caused by the shoes we run in. We can't put a warning pamphlet on bare feet, because they are free, but we can put pamphlets on shoes.
What's the mechanism by which all these injuries would occur? Ignorance. The BRS is doing its best to educate new barefoot and minimalist runners on the risks associated with too much too soon.
I think there is a possible risk to runners here too, but I think it might be useful to spell out as clearly as possible the way these negative effects might occur. If there really was a warning pamphlet, what would it say???
Is this it?
Dear Runner:
1) If you are accustomed to traditional running shoes, please work these minimal running shoes into your routine slowly.
2) Minimal running shoes may provide pleasing new sensations and contact with the ground, but they still limit feedback. They may not limit activity the way that sensitive bare soles do. For some people they may limit sensitivity enough that you may retain some bad habits, like heel striking.
3) If you do lots of miles in these shoes too soon, you may get new overuse injuries because your body has not yet adapted to your new posture, the lack of padded heels, etc.
Sincerely, your barefoot friends.
This is exactly what I am talking about. A warning inserted into each box of minimalist and reduced running shoes advising the consumer to take it slow and easy, to not expect to be able to jump into a different type of footwear (or barefoot, for that matter), and expect to be able to run the same distances, the same number of days per week, the same speed, etc., right off the bat without also expecting some type of injury to come along with it.
Can you guys improve on this? You're always very good at this sort of stuff Stomper. I think the shoe manufacturers should also add some resources for the new minimalist runners to go to that would offer info on proper form, info on a beginner's program (a.k.a., Jason's or similar), such as Ken Bob's site, this site, and Ted's sites, advise them to walk around barefoot or in their new minimal shoes for a few weeks prior to beginning to run in them (since we all know that it's not just the plantar skin that has to be conditioned, but also the musculoskeletal system as well; since these people have been running in shoes with 1 to 1-1/2 inch heels, etc., and their connective tissue has shrunk by that same amount, and it takes time to relengthen it safely).