Bare foot running - good or bad?
Careful readjustment is vital for anyone taking up barefoot running, sports scientists have warned.
An overview of research was presented at the British Science Festival in Newcastle.
Claims that running without footwear might improve technique and result in fewer injuries have led to many runners taking it up.
Dr Mick Wilkinson, from Northumbria University, also claimed that it was best to start off on hard surfaces.
He told a press conference that when he made the transition
to barefoot running, he started on soft surfaces and gradually moved to
harder ones such as concrete, but that if he could do it again, he would
start off on hard concrete.
Dr Wilkinson was one of the first people to run the Great
North Run completely barefoot, which he did in 2011. But he believes
that those using thin-soled shoes which claim to emulate barefoot
running may be missing out on the potential benefits from running
without footwear.
Running shoes have got much more hi-tech over the last few
decades, but levels of running injuries have not changed over that time.
It is thought that this is due to the built-up cushioned heels of
modern shoes causing runners to hit the ground heel-first.
Researchers who have investigated people who habitually run
barefoot noticed that they land further forward on their feet, in the
mid- or fore-foot area. Elite athletes also more often run in this style
too.
Contact sport
Dr Wilkinson said he would advise anyone taking up running for
the first time to run barefoot, or with very lightweight flat-soled
flexible footwear. However, he cautioned against going from conventional
running shoes to either thin-soled shoes or barefoot without careful
adjustment.
BBC News
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