I’m trying out Vibram’s Five Finger shoes.  Yes, they may make me look like a doofus but I’m loving them so far.  

The idea is that the shoes provide no heel or arch support and therefore your body is encouraged to strike the ground with the forefront of your foot and not your heel.  

Barefoot running really came into vogue with Daniel E. Lieberman’s recent paper.  The shoes, and therefore the new stride, are an attempt to avoid a ‘heel shock’ with each stride of running and therefore reduce injuries and pain.  At this point such miracles would just be an added benefit because I am finding the shoes to be extremely comfortable and providing a wonderful barefoot-type feel (I’m a bit of a barefoot person as is - whenever I can).

Due to possible confusion on the nature of the paper even though it specifically states “controlled prospective studies are needed to test the hypothesis that individuals who do not predominantly RFS either barefoot or in minimal footwear, as the foot apparently evolved to do, have reduced injury rates”, Harvard set up a full website devoted to the topic Biomechanics of Foot Strikes.  Also, a good blog that has covered this paper and barefoot running can be found at Sport Scientists.

Modern day sneakers weren’t established until the 1970’s and people born after that period have become dependent on those footwear developments.  One can still have a forefoot strike in a modern sneaker, but one must learn how to first.  I’m excited to give it a try and I will post my review a few months down the road.