By: Dr. Robert A. KornfeldBarefoot running shoes are designed to re-create a "natural," barefoot running dynamic on "unnatural" surfaces like concrete, asphalt, red top, black top, etc. How can we have a barefoot running shoe? Doesn't barefoot denote without shoes?
Choosing to run on non-yielding surfaces without the protection afforded by proper running shoes can be harmful to the foot and ankle and cause even more problems downstream from compensation patterns. So what really are these pedal marvels and why is everyone running to take their shoes off?
Barefoot running shoe manufacturers believe that the human foot, unimpeded by synthetic surfaces and restrictive running shoes, should function at its best. That is a correct assumption, save for the fact that the human foot was designed long before the paving of roads. In fact, uneven, grassy surfaces are the most natural surface for the human foot because it helps the body navigate and respond to uneven terrain, while at the same time absorbs shock, stabilizes weight and propels the body forward. In order for this to occur successfully, most of us are born with a flexible forefoot and a rigid or stable rearfoot. In other words, at heel strike -- when your heel hits the ground -- your leg from the hip down is aligned for optimal function and is stabilized during normal walking.
So who should be using barefoot running shoes? The answer is very few people should. Only those people with stable (not flexible) first metatarsals will do well with these shoes, as well as those with very powerful lower leg musculature (although even those with powerful lower leg function will ultimately go on to some type of pathology).
