I left you last week with a few points to think about. Are we designed to walk barefoot or does our survival and health depend on the latest shoe technology? Let’s first look at how the introduction of the common running shoe has affected mankind.

Mainstream advertising would have you believe people can run faster, jump higher, have fewer injuries, and be outright more successful in life if you own the latest and most expensive pair of sneakers. Millions of dollars in national ad campaigns aside, you will see none of these claims are even remotely confirmed by the research. In fact, a recent study showed that runners using shoes costing $95 and up had twice as many injuries as those wearing shoes costing $40 or less. It would seem the approach of adding more technology and “stuff” to shoes would be the wrong way to go. It is however, where the money is.

So what about barefoot running? The human foot has the highest concentration of nerve endings as anywhere in the body (similar to the hand and fingertips). These nerves serve a slightly different purpose than those in the hand though. The nerves in the foot act as sensors that relay millions of information points to the brain with every step. Elevation change, shear stress, traction, firmness of surface, and impact pressure are all measured, analyzed, and responded to hundreds of times per second, allowing us to quickly navigate nearly any terrain on earth with minimal stress or injury. It is truly one of the most magnificent performances of the nervous system.

Running barefoot allows your feet to perform the job they were designed to do. When running sans shoes, we are forced into a forefoot strike (landing on your heel as you do in shoes would quickly prove futile). By staying on the balls of our feet we assume a more efficient gait, and experience about 1/8 of the overall impact forces as running in shoes, reducing injury of our feet, knees, hips, and more.

Next week we’ll look at other benefits of being barefoot and start tying this all together. Your goal for the week is to spend some time every day with no shoes or socks on. Walk around outside or inside and become aware of what you are feeling. Focusing on your feet as you do this will help to awaken the long dormant nerve endings that are crucial to your balance and agility.  Have some fun with this one. Try out different surfaces, terrain, etc. Think of it like a mini massage for your feet!

Dr. J