Barefoot running: form and mechanics

This article is a continuation to the previous article ‘How to start running barefoot.’  It begins by examining the physical differences between running barefoot and in shoes.

1. The landing: heel striking versus the midfoot

bareefoot running asphaltThe most fundamental difference between running in shoes and running barefoot is the way your foot strikes the ground.  The vast majority of shodden runners are ‘heel strikers’ – that is, the first point of contact with the ground is the heel.  To most of us this seems only natural: how else could we possible run?  What we fail to consider, though, is that it is the design of shoes themselves which force the foot into heel striking. Continue reading Barefoot running: form and mechanics