Written by Michael Beisty
‘The less we interfere with the natural movements of our feet, the better we are going to perform, so shoes have to be avoided which promise to cushion and control what fits inside them in accordance with what the designers think should happen.’ (Arthur Lydiard, 2000)1
‘It...
Going barefoot has been a human tradition for millions of years, with shoes only becoming commonplace in the past few centuries. However, a recent survey has shown that young boys in different parts of the world have different shoe-wearing habits. While German children and teenagers spend most of their day in shoes, around 90% of their South African counterparts go barefoot.
Recent studies have shown that running shoes may actually be doing us more harm than good. A new review has suggested that wearing shoes changes the way we run, weakening the foot and increasing the likelihood of sports injuries. In fact, between 35 and 50% of runners are injured at any one time, with the most common injuries being to the knees, shins, ankles, and feet.
Going barefoot allows you to feel where your foot lands relative to your center of mass, which muscles are activated, and whether you're maintaining your arch. Short periods of barefoot running can provide enough stimulation to recognize these imbalances and work to correct them.
