Running in a minimalist and lightweight shoe is not the same as running barefoot: a biomechanical st

[Barefoot Gentile]

Interesting study.

http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2013/01/10/bjsports-2012-091837.short?rss=1

 

[ThomDavid]

Couldn't read the full study since I'm not a member (and cheap as well), but the abstract's conclusion seems to confirm what we all have known at least on an anecdotal level. There is absolutely no question in my mind that in even the most minimal of minimal footwear, the running experience is significantly different. From an energy-use standpoint, I know that I "feel" as if I'm working harder in any type of footwear, and my cadence and breathing reflect that extra workload. Thanks for posting the link, BG.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I've moved this to the new Studies & Articles About Studies forum with a redirect that will expire in one day.

 

[Pes Planus]

Posted the same: http://www.thebarefootrunners.org/t...orts-medicine-minimal-shoe-vs-barefoot.12949/
Maybe someone could combine the 2 threads?

As I already mentioned in my other post that study had a few flaws:
a) the "minimal" running shoe was a Nike Free
b) all the runners were normally running shod
c) all had a definite heel strike in all shoes (but not barefoot)

Unlike in the barefoot condition, although runners adopted shorter stride lengths when running in the minimalist and racing flat shoes compared with the regular shoe, they did not alter their ankle angle at contact. Perhaps the cushioning, elevated heel and lack of proprioception afforded by the shoes used in our study still encourages runners to adopt a rearfoot footstrike pattern.

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There are limitations to this study that must be considered. First, we studied the impact of running barefoot on habitually shod runners’ gait. We do not propose that our results are reflective of the running mechanics of habitual barefoot populations, as others have shown that differences in barefoot running mechanics exist between these populations. Second, the minimalist shoe used in the current study has cushioning and an elevated heel therefore care must be taken when extrapolating our results to different types of minimalist shoes, especially those without cushioning or an elevated heel.

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