Searching for the perfect pair of jogging shoes is a waste of time –running barefoot is better for you, a study has revealed.
Researchers found that people who run barefoot tend to land on the ball or the middle of the foot and avoid jarring their bones. But those who run in shoes tend to land on the heels, sending painful shockwaves through the body.
The study analysed the running styles of athletes, both shoewearing and barefoot.
It found three-quarters of shoe-wearers ‘heel-strike’, which means that for every mile they run, their heel slams into the ground 1,000 times, creating a ‘very large and sudden collision force’.
But those who go barefoot tend to land with a springy step toward the front of the foot. They point their toes more on landing and have a lighter step.
Earlier this year a study of 68 runners on a treadmill found that suffered 38 per cent more twisting in their knees and ankles when wearing shoes than they did barefoot.
[Source]
Chapter: Health :: 15 March 2010
