Yes, another one. But this one is very refreshing. From the San Diego Running Institute...posted on their website.
Minimalist Running/Barefoot Running Do running shoes cause running injuries? Should I run barefoot? What do you think of Vibram Five Finger shoes? Is a minimalist running shoe better for me? Will running barefoot or in a minimal shoe help my running form? These are all questions I hear from patients and customers every day. Because of the popularity of the book Born to Run many runners are looking at running shoes in a new light. At the San Diego Running Institute we could not be happier! I have long known that running shoe companies are actually marketing companies that are trying to sell shoes to the masses. Years ago they began their current and deceitful marketing efforts by promising runners that their shoes would prevent injury. They also insisted that runners need “Stability” or “Motion Control”. Both runners and doctors believed this marketing campaign and were tricked into believing that a running shoe was similar to a medical device and could be used to treat their plantar fasciits or knee pain for example. Others were led to believe that the proper running shoe could prevent injuries from occurring. Nothing could be farther from the truth. This is the truth and it is coming from a doctor, running shoe store owner and ultra marathoner. Running shoes ARE NOT A MEDICAL DEVICE, DO NOT TREAT INJURIES AND CAN NOT PREVENT INJURIES!
Since the beginning of time humans have run. They have also sought to wear something under their feet for protection. The argument that humans around the globe run barefoot is not factual. While some cultures may others do not. Even the Tarahumara featured in the Born to Run book wear a sandal made from leather. Both the Greeks and Romans wore sandals as do the Massai warriors of Africa. Why? To protect their feet from injury. They did not wear them to prevent over-pronation, under-pronation, supination or change them from a heel-striker to foreoot runner. They wore them simply to protect their feet from the ground and any ground hazards such as sharp rocks. Think of this analogy. Football players wear helmets to protect their heads. They can play without the helmet but their risk of getting injured is greater. Runners wear shoes. If you don’t will you get hurt? Not necessarily but your risk is higher.
When a runner seeks to address their form by running in a specific shoe like a Newton shoe or by running barefoot this is usually a cause for concern. Consider this analogy. A turtle runs barefoot and is slow. A gazelle runs barefoot but is fast with beautiful form. The turtle will never be as fast as the gazelle regardless of the footwear or lack of footwear. A turtle is just slow. So the best way to change your form is by changing your speed, not your shoe. Believing that a shoe or running barefoot will somehow make you faster and have more efficient form is not factual. It may change your form but how will you know if it is better? Even elite runners all have different form.
One of the major problems is that runners were duped into believing that they over-pronate. That over-pronation is bad and leads to injury. That running shoes could prevent over-pronation and therefore prevent injury. That if they were already injured it was due to over-pronation and therefore needed more stability to prevent the pronation. ALL NONSENSE! Fact. How do you know you over-pronate? Did the running shoe store employee watch you run and tell you that? Seriously? Even biomechanics scientists can not agree how much pronation is excessive! How on earth would the kid at the running store know it? What research shows is that pronation is normal, running shoes can not stop pronation and in fact can cause it and that over-pronation DOES NOT LEAD TO INJURY!
So if a shoe is nothing more than protection, can not prevent injury or pronation, can not change form and is not a medical device then it is plain to see how you should choose a running shoe. For protection. A shoe should be comfortable and protect you from ground hazards. This can be accomplished with a “minimalist” shoe.
Minimalist shoes are shoes that have “less stuff”. They have less cushioning than traditional shoes, less stability, less support and are lower to the ground. The idea is to let your foot work more naturally. Some of my favorite minimalist shoes are the Saucony A3, Nike Free and Innovate F-light. If you are currently running in a traditional shoe try this. Purchase a minimalist shoe and start to rotate it with your traditional shoe using the lighter weight minimalist shoe on your shorter runs. Gradually increase your distance with the minimal shoe week by week adding about 1 mile per week to your longer runs. See how you feel. The mistake most runners make is that they run to far in a shoe that is dramatically different from what they previously ran in and cause them-self an injury.
So here are the facts.
1. Running shoes can not prevent injury.
2. Over-pronation is a “myth”. It is specific to each one of us and can not be universally quantified. Especially by a kid at a shoe store. Running shoes designed to prevent pronation often cause a runner to pronate more!
3. There is nothing inherently wrong with running barefoot. But you should ask yourself “Why am I doing it”;. If it is to prevent injury or improve your form you are doing it for the wrong reasons. Injury occurs due to running to far or fast without proper training or recovery time. If you run far enough barefoot or with your shoes you will get hurt. If you want to change your form run faster or slower but do not rely on Gimmick shoes like a Newton or a Vibram. If you are a turtle, shoes or running barefoot will not change that.
4. Minimalist running shoes are shoes that protect you from the ground and do not interfere with your foots natural mechanics. These shoes should not purport to prevent injury although I suspect that the running shoe companies will begin to market them this way.
5. Running should be fun. Whether you want to run in shoes, run in Vibrams, minimalist shoes or actually run barefoot. It should be fun and pain-free to the extent that long distance running can be.
Minimalist Running/Barefoot Running Do running shoes cause running injuries? Should I run barefoot? What do you think of Vibram Five Finger shoes? Is a minimalist running shoe better for me? Will running barefoot or in a minimal shoe help my running form? These are all questions I hear from patients and customers every day. Because of the popularity of the book Born to Run many runners are looking at running shoes in a new light. At the San Diego Running Institute we could not be happier! I have long known that running shoe companies are actually marketing companies that are trying to sell shoes to the masses. Years ago they began their current and deceitful marketing efforts by promising runners that their shoes would prevent injury. They also insisted that runners need “Stability” or “Motion Control”. Both runners and doctors believed this marketing campaign and were tricked into believing that a running shoe was similar to a medical device and could be used to treat their plantar fasciits or knee pain for example. Others were led to believe that the proper running shoe could prevent injuries from occurring. Nothing could be farther from the truth. This is the truth and it is coming from a doctor, running shoe store owner and ultra marathoner. Running shoes ARE NOT A MEDICAL DEVICE, DO NOT TREAT INJURIES AND CAN NOT PREVENT INJURIES!
Since the beginning of time humans have run. They have also sought to wear something under their feet for protection. The argument that humans around the globe run barefoot is not factual. While some cultures may others do not. Even the Tarahumara featured in the Born to Run book wear a sandal made from leather. Both the Greeks and Romans wore sandals as do the Massai warriors of Africa. Why? To protect their feet from injury. They did not wear them to prevent over-pronation, under-pronation, supination or change them from a heel-striker to foreoot runner. They wore them simply to protect their feet from the ground and any ground hazards such as sharp rocks. Think of this analogy. Football players wear helmets to protect their heads. They can play without the helmet but their risk of getting injured is greater. Runners wear shoes. If you don’t will you get hurt? Not necessarily but your risk is higher.
When a runner seeks to address their form by running in a specific shoe like a Newton shoe or by running barefoot this is usually a cause for concern. Consider this analogy. A turtle runs barefoot and is slow. A gazelle runs barefoot but is fast with beautiful form. The turtle will never be as fast as the gazelle regardless of the footwear or lack of footwear. A turtle is just slow. So the best way to change your form is by changing your speed, not your shoe. Believing that a shoe or running barefoot will somehow make you faster and have more efficient form is not factual. It may change your form but how will you know if it is better? Even elite runners all have different form.
One of the major problems is that runners were duped into believing that they over-pronate. That over-pronation is bad and leads to injury. That running shoes could prevent over-pronation and therefore prevent injury. That if they were already injured it was due to over-pronation and therefore needed more stability to prevent the pronation. ALL NONSENSE! Fact. How do you know you over-pronate? Did the running shoe store employee watch you run and tell you that? Seriously? Even biomechanics scientists can not agree how much pronation is excessive! How on earth would the kid at the running store know it? What research shows is that pronation is normal, running shoes can not stop pronation and in fact can cause it and that over-pronation DOES NOT LEAD TO INJURY!
So if a shoe is nothing more than protection, can not prevent injury or pronation, can not change form and is not a medical device then it is plain to see how you should choose a running shoe. For protection. A shoe should be comfortable and protect you from ground hazards. This can be accomplished with a “minimalist” shoe.
Minimalist shoes are shoes that have “less stuff”. They have less cushioning than traditional shoes, less stability, less support and are lower to the ground. The idea is to let your foot work more naturally. Some of my favorite minimalist shoes are the Saucony A3, Nike Free and Innovate F-light. If you are currently running in a traditional shoe try this. Purchase a minimalist shoe and start to rotate it with your traditional shoe using the lighter weight minimalist shoe on your shorter runs. Gradually increase your distance with the minimal shoe week by week adding about 1 mile per week to your longer runs. See how you feel. The mistake most runners make is that they run to far in a shoe that is dramatically different from what they previously ran in and cause them-self an injury.
So here are the facts.
1. Running shoes can not prevent injury.
2. Over-pronation is a “myth”. It is specific to each one of us and can not be universally quantified. Especially by a kid at a shoe store. Running shoes designed to prevent pronation often cause a runner to pronate more!
3. There is nothing inherently wrong with running barefoot. But you should ask yourself “Why am I doing it”;. If it is to prevent injury or improve your form you are doing it for the wrong reasons. Injury occurs due to running to far or fast without proper training or recovery time. If you run far enough barefoot or with your shoes you will get hurt. If you want to change your form run faster or slower but do not rely on Gimmick shoes like a Newton or a Vibram. If you are a turtle, shoes or running barefoot will not change that.
4. Minimalist running shoes are shoes that protect you from the ground and do not interfere with your foots natural mechanics. These shoes should not purport to prevent injury although I suspect that the running shoe companies will begin to market them this way.
5. Running should be fun. Whether you want to run in shoes, run in Vibrams, minimalist shoes or actually run barefoot. It should be fun and pain-free to the extent that long distance running can be.
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