Is it the shoes? It's gotta be the shoes.

[tehcucumber]

Love the part where he's got no control over the cursor

"Excuse me "

[CrashCougarBandicoot]

What about speed? Doesnt spreed affect the landing position?

[jackbartrem]

Audio is awful!! 

[midcitygym]

v interested in BFR, so I'm assuming by this vid bare foot does not need to be taught it is instinctively picked up?

[resqjason2]

@midcitygym essentialy it is. when you start running either barefoot or minimalist shoes you will immediately realize youve been doing it wrong all along. the first step your heel will hurt and you will start landing on the ball of the foot. go slow and take it easy and youll love it

[MrBozo88]

Also please remember that on a treadmill runners tend to raise their toes and because of the weight of heels on running shoes that tendency is made worse but looking at this video you can see that this athlete is placing her foot down very flat when barefoot and that creates more problems than having a slight heel strike with shoes built to take away the shock of a heel strike. The truth is there is a reason why absolutely none of the major athletes want to run in "barefoot runners"

[pumitaproductions]

@MrBozo88 Why is landing flatfooted worse than landing with a heel strike?

[MrBozo88]

Ok. First of all, any good runner know's that a treadmill is not the place to check your stride, foot placing etc etc because of the spring in the treadmill and the fact that you are not actually moving. Now I don't want to discredit you but you as a doctor should know this. As well as you can see this runner is placing their feet too far forward. This can cause an injury when running irrespective if their using shoes or not.

[luvmonkey666]

Idk why but I've always ran on my toes and with long strides since elementary, my friends would always make fun of me but I was able to run faster and longer than them now and not get as tired.

[luckysk81980]

Does anibody wondered that the modern shoes would only work if the human knees woud bend on the opposite direction?

[pumitaproductions]

@luckysk81980 Hahahaha, it's true :P

[Elantry]

Is it the microphone? It must be the microphone!

[olie353]

This is one of the greatest video about why barefoot running is the way to run if one wants to avoid any injuries or knee or back pain.

Because of back pain I stopped running for 2 years. this was very frustrating to me.

Until after reading Christopher McDougall's Born to Run book I started to run barefoot. I realised how natural and smooth it is to run barefoot and most of it: no more back pain at all!

[Marine052191]

I run in Asics, but I usually run barefoot on the beach I live near, and well. I can't always run on the beach, so I finally got around to buying VFFs KSO. Its been a couple of days, just getting used to them. Maybe after a week of getting used to them, I'll start to run a bit in them. I don't want to over do it, Iast week I ended up over training... This is like a mini vacation I supposes.

[lasunbird86]

I don't quite understand the relevance of deepnutritionkauai's response? This video is a direct comparison of regular shoes vs vibram five fingers...and she post a video about nutrition and connective tissue? Regardless of either of those things, running PROPERLY, as demonstrated by the left video (vibrams) will help from hurting your body while running...

[burninmunkeys]

I agree that running barefoot is thousands of times better, and I own a pair of vibrams and wear them a lot, but it's in your mind, I still go running in shoes occasionally, and you can train yourself to land on your forefoot rather than your heel, I know, I do it. It feels kind of goofy for a bit, but you can train yourself to break bad habits.

[Elantry]

@burninmunkeys You are right, but some shoes make it very difficult. I had a pair of Asics 2090 and the way they were constructed it was almost impossible not to heelstrike. When I landed forefoot the heel slammed down because of the gap between the front and back part of the sole, killing my knees. For a while I ran in All Stars, and the knee was fine again. I have better shoes now, though.

[burninmunkeys]

@Elantry Well, before I got Vibrams, I just ran in my all-purpose New Balance tennis shoes. Nothing special or fancy, the sole on the heal is a little thicker than under your toes though. It is very awkward when you first start running on your toes, but if you just force yourself to land on your toes (and even only your toes and never let your heel touch the ground [for a little while at least]) you will eventually get to running correctly. I use to heel strike with my NB (partially).

[Elantry]

@burninmunkeys I just came home from a 5km run practicing forefoot running., hence my enthusiasm and triple posting. The old shoes are now only for hiking. I'm just thinking that a lighter tennis shoe is probably better than an over-padded running shoe, if only the sole is flexible enough, and it fits well. Regarding the joke: sorry, it was just too obvious...

[burninmunkeys]

@Elantry Yeah, a thin soled shoe wouldn't be too bad. but vibrams have thin soles are very flexible and fit well XD

[DudeitsLandon]

her legs look stronger in the left picture

[questions117]

I loove running barefoot :)

[ratliff2006]

The heel strike puts the pressure right on the knee. 

[shag813]

THANK YOU!!!! I can now run for a week straight with ZERO soreness.

[vaponte8541]

Very good analysis.

[lynnguist]

I quit running because it was too painful for my knees. A friend suggested that the pain was caused by heel strike, he was right. I taught myself to run on my forefoot and not only are my knees pain free, I never get shin splints anymore. Running is a beautiful thing, enjoy!

[raficsulejmanovic]

how can we conclude it's the shoe? it's just how the runner runs. i learn POSE and CHIRUNNING on my own. i wear asics gel-nimbus 9. my natural running is between mid-foot to ball-feet, more on the latter, but never on the heel. anyway, tks for the video, if we BORN to RUN, we run on ball of feet but shoes not an issue/factor.

[RichBailey7777]

@raficsulejmanovic I think the key was that there was no instruction. It is natural to run correctly without shoes so why learn to compensate for something added to your foot that you do not need?

[Captainskier]

So - I have been having iliotibial band issues and after months of cutting back the running ( and stopping running completely for a time) the pain has subsided. Would this be something that I should give a try (the Vibram Five fingers for example)?

[njsportsmed]

@Captainskier strengthen your gluteus medius/minimus muscles

[j69d]

@Captainskier Best option i found is run bare footed on a incline at 2.0 or 3.0... PLENTY of stretching (introduce it slowly like as if you were just begining running for the first time) but if you look throughtout youtube you should find this one video which is helpfull and it involves you 'standing' on a raised surface with the effected leg hanging off it .. and then in that moment in time you dip your hip or down whilst keeping both legs straight. It stretchs the iliotibial band

[orrev]

@Captainskier I had iliotibial band issues after a very muddy cross country run (uneven, lots of slipping). Down by my knee I'd get pain after 1-2km. After doing stretching exercises for a while (which seemed to place too much strain on the knee joint) I took a friend's advice and used a rolling pin on my outer thigh to stretch the band. It hurt but got me running again. Its a DIY version of the physio technique of lying on your side and rolling your thigh on a hard foam pipe (kinda)

[MTBCharlotte]

@Captainskier You can also look up an MAT specialist in your area. They have a detailed system which looks for muscle weaknesses through specific testing before prescribing a strengthening routine. Your ITB may be giving your grief because your CNS senses an instability due to muscle weakness somewhere else in the joint. Your body may be tightening up the ITB as a protective mechanism. The Vibrams may be an option, I would strongly recommend that you SLOWLY progress into the VFF's.

[burninmunkeys]

@Captainskier Vibramfivefingers are a shoe to live by regardless of the price, they will do you more good than a 10,000 dollar pair of shoes ever could. Try to run equal distance as you normally do in them at first and the next day your calves will feel like hell, your thighs, your glutes, every muscle you thought you've developped will be in loads of agony, I know, I did it the first time I had mine, HUGE mistake. But they will toughen all your muscles up, quick, fast, and in a hurry.

[Rayvids75]

HA! Being a sprinter back in the day, even on longer warm-up runs(1-2miles), I'd be a very "bouncy" runner, always striking forefoot. People would often double-take and mention I looked funny. I've tried the "heel-to-toe" technique and never felt comfortable with it. I regularly do 4-5mi. runs and still "bounce."

Got the Vibram 5-fingers the other day, without knowing this was the reason they're supposed to be better for you. Can't wait to try them out!

[WUCXEclecticChair]

I knew there was a reason I've been doing my Wii free run sans slippers!

[imreallyjin]

FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKK DA SHOES (or wife)

- One flew over shoe(or cuckoo)'s nest.

[LeeBills]

you've got to be hurting every joint in your legs. Listen to how hard your feet are thumping. You shouldn't make that much noise when you are running. Be light. be soft.

[oliverjre]

I'm doing my honors thesis on this. Evidence shows that subjects will land forefoot with no shoes. I changed my technique and can run for over an hour now with no hip pain, previous to this lasted about 15 min at most. Still more studies need to be performed as far as its showing that its 'better for you'.

[druday999]

coz though they do not provide the best cushioning they do not provide more (and unwanted - as nj suggests) cushioning at the heel. It helps especially to avoid shin splints (i have personally experienced shin splints on more than one occasion trying to run with a heel strike for longer than 20 minutes and have seen and felt the difference made by running with your ankle in a more neutral position throughout the run - its certainly better.

[druday999]

pretty good analysis...just wonder if the right way going forward would be to have more cushioning in the forefoot region of the shoe than the heel....well...with that not happening in the real world i guess the ' fivefingers vibram ' or some support system of that kind would be more appropriate (but still not ideal) for most beginners (there definitely are exceptions) to learn the right technique -

[TheKrypteian]

Wow guys, really. His point isn't about shoes; it's about the running form.

You can run with shoes just heel-striking may pose some problems.

[crusher1427]

Nature didn't intend us to wear shoes ? Well nature made our minds, which spontaneously gave rise to shoes because it had to be done. yes we were intended to wear shoes, but the purpose is protection from the surface of the road rather than power. you use more force without shoes but you can't work in a construction zone without them !

[CornsilkSW]

good demonstration, but with some editing it would be a smooth little tutorial. You could chop this down to a minute.

[jeffmefun]

Any thoughts on impact of toes pointing up even when running barefoot? I've been using VFF and have been getting blisters, but believe I may be pointing toes up when landing and exaggerating the force on footpads when landing....

[jokergd]

@jeffmefun slow down a bit and shorten your stride and and increase cadence... also bend your knees and slightly bend at the hips/lean forward

[shamrock84922]

5 fingers

[Danthemanlyman7]

If God wanted us stomping around with nikes he would have put them on us in the womb. I'm pretty sure our feet are fine without 2 inch heel pads.

[Danthemanlyman7]

For most of human history, people having been wearing either sandals, mocassins, or some similar form of minimalist footwear. Only in the last few decades have we seen giant foam-soled shoes. Yet some arrogant consumerists think they know better than thousands of years of experience.

[btotheruns06]

The power of the subconscious mind!

[burntonion05]

Since I have stopped running heel to toe my running has improved a lot. I used to get pains in the knees, shins, and even tingling sensations in my arms which made me afraid that I was straining my back discs. Now I run pain free and concentrate on landing on my toes. I wish I knew this 25 years ago. Thanks

[zDSpider]

Oh, please ! Whisper into the microphone. :| Can't hear shit. Why bother doing videos you can barely hear anything ?

[Freedish911]

I can't argue with this evidence. It's more natural and more healthy to run barefoot. Unfortunately most of us don't know how to run correctly barefoot because we've been trained to run with shoes our whole life. But it's not irreversible. Even an average person like this can take off their shoes and naturally have better form.

[elhnad]

Some real knowledge around here, finally thank you njsportsmed!

[Hal2pointooh]

I had plantar fasciitis last fall, and after some useless treatments, I still could not run. After buying ASIC $100.00 GT 2140's, I still could not run well. I took off my shoes in frustration and ran a good mile before I got acorns in my soles LOL. It is more than just your mind, these shoes do change your run physiology! I now run in crappy Wal-Mart no support shoes that let me land right, and keep acorns outta my toes!! Just a thought! Easy to try yourself!

[cbr1100xxrules]

The key is learning to run on your midfoot even with shoes rather than your heel. That means finding a running shoe (unless you go the Vibram route) without as big a heel the encourage mid-foot strike (i.e the new NB 801)

[LarryDean6987]

How in HECk would someone rate this video a thumbs down? It's a perfect comparison, with great points and distinctions made. It was made on the same day even!

A related issue is that many people don't let their hips swivel and their shoulders counter-swivel. Don't "brace yourself" w/ a tensed torso. Let yourself twist by keeping that stomach free. Not doing so contributes to bad form. Overcompensating for a shorter limited stride, by reaching out and heel striking for instance.

[hostilityy]

why are you whispering ?

[mrrrxxxxx]

This comment has been removed by me

[wiremanart]

@tycoil, so what your really saying is that we haven't adapted to running on concrete, yet somehow we managed to turn from an entirely different species into the one we are now? Magical.

Vibrams are too expensive to be truly viable for runners. Plus look at Haile, WR's galore and he wears shoes. I think I will follow what works for people setting WR's which is train, train, and train some more.

[shardakar]

Vibrams too expensive?? Don't those cost like US$80ish?

I'm sure I can point you to a dozen or more nikes/adidas/name your brand, that easily cost in excess of US$100.

[wiremanart]

The cost per mile is what I'm referring to.

[mrrrxxxxx]

I can't call them shoes, sorry. More like socks with rubber on the soles because they wear like socks! I'm getting holes in mine after 2 months, the seams around the toes are becoming loose too. And that's for $100???! What a joke

[TheseApples]

I had the same problem with mine after a few weeks, but I took them back to the store and they replaced them for free, and my new pair are just fine after almost a year of wear. I would try the same with yours.

[angelbe88]

why are the alternative footwear like the 5 toes so expensive? Isn't there some sort of rubber foot cover we can buy that will be similar to barefoot but will offer protection?

[tyciol]

Sneakers may be the tools of satan

[CalebTheGuitarist]

I concur.

[mcgmark]

Yes, but will an airplane take off?

[tyciol]

The truth is: due to the wheels still possessing some friction, it would take off the back of the treadmill. I always thought that meme should be tethered.

[retrotheband]

Sherlock Holmes used to say "never ignore the obvious" and if our feet are structured with arches its because the human body is naturally equipped to deal with impact. The billion dollar a year sneaker industry will try to sell you its product of the day and while it may feel "cushioned" it will have impact on other parts of your body. It is important to note the source and a sports medicine doctor has decided TO TELL THE TRUTH here instead of hawking some product.

[tyciol]

Our body's evolved to deal with natural terrain's impacts. Due to being wading apes, this could be on soft ground like mud which conforms to the sole, as opposed to say, constant level flat concrete.

[Disturbed071]

It should be obvious to anyone that barefoot running is healthier and better than with shoes. The only reason our feet are so weak is because we have been making shoes for years and we have the weakest feet of any mammal. Barefoot is faster and more efficient. That's why the Vibrams are the best shoe to exist thus far.

[tyciol]

But wait, Vibrams are also shoes, so clearly there are advantages to shoes, just not the altered gait or weakened musculature we get from overusing them when not necessary.

[Disturbed071]

You are correct, but if we were not used to shoes then out feet and ankles would be strong enough to do most things outside of working with sharp or heavy objects. When it come to athletics however I do believe Vibram is the superior choice of footwear.

[tyciol]

It does look pretty tops in terms of protecting us while keeping good form. I wonder what you think of certain sorts of training footwear, like reverse heels (elevated under the ball of the foot to enhance stretch of the calves) or those strange rolly shoes where the bottoms are convex semi-sphericals where you must engage the ankle stabilizers, kinda like walking on a bosu.

[Disturbed071]

I still think they are bad for form unless they simulate barefoot. The only other shoes I have seen that would be pretty good would be the Nike Free, but it still has a heel strike shape, and I find it difficult to run with the ball of my foot in shoes. It may actually be worse to do that because you have to been your ankle quit a bit to hit the heel.

[tyciol]

Well the idea with the rolly ones is apparently that it tilts the foot in the direction where your weight is placed. It's to mimick walking in soft surfaces where you would sink into the terrain, like walking through mud or something. You don't get this with concrete. As the foot flexes (dorsi or plantar) the bottom would just stay horizantal with the shin moving, whereas with soft terrtain, the shin would stay more vertical as the foot tilts more.

[Disturbed071]

Well I agree that it is way better than conventional shoes, but a heel strike regardless is still bad.

[jwilliam10]

This is a bunch of huey. I wear trail shoes on the trails, flats in my road races and trainers for workouts. Anyone can teach themself to run with a front foot strike with or without shoes. If you want calususes on your feet the size of Mt. Rushmore, then go ahead and run shoeless.

[GloryHolesRule]

yea ive noticed that when i run barefoot my calves get more of a workout

[NaturallyBeautifulQ]

@GloryHolesRule Seriously? Your name is gloryHolesRules?? WTF!?

[cuauhtemoc14]

Don't be so EMO metaZen... Either way we weren't designed to wear running shoes... The Vibram 5 fingers are GRRRRReat!!

[iamwatchingyourvideo]

We weren't created to wear shoes? Then why did god create footlocker on the seventh day?

[metaZen]

we weren't "created" at all....we evolved...god doesn't exist...it's a fairy tale...upgrade your brain matter, cuz one day it may matter..and yes I know you're joking....but still...

[taltezy]

LOL!!!!!

[IBeScubaSteve]

@iamwatchingyourvideo This suppose to b funny?

[stud002]

@iamwatchingyourvideo god didn't create footlocker. people did.

[burninmunkeys]

@stud002 You had to be a cock sucker and come and ruin a perfectly good joke, didn't you?...

[stud002]

@burninmunkeys haha yup



[burninmunkeys]

@stud002 lol XD

[dapherlydoo]

We weren't really created to wear shoes. In fact I watched this whole thing one time on how shoes have actually caused the severe under development of our feet. I never wore shoes growing up, and still don't a lot of the time. I've never had any pain or problems with my feet, but it wasn't something I ever thought about either til I saw that documentary.

[armstrongw5]

dude, i ran barefoot and my legs were still destroyed because i still dorsiflexed. just hang loose brah.

[egoscueg]

was it pain or just muscles working for the first time?

[armstrongw5]

pain. shin splints. POSE method helped this more than the shoes.

[lapsang2]

Running with running-shoes breaks the natural movement/angle of the runner's feet, the left one seems more relaxed for me, too.

[cuauhtemoc14]

vibram fivefingers here we go...!!

[egoscueg]

exactly!

[faithesperanza]

Just figured this out today while running

[kklebicki]

BRODA,

widzisz te cuda?

Move from PL to Cali and you too can run barefoot!

KSK

[pumasheen]

i've been looking for a video that shows exactly this comparison between barefoot and shod running. thanks for posting this!

[Keahso]

I've read a lot of the responses below and it made me ask myself...would the Tarahumaras ask all these questions and analyze all this material and have all these comments? Probably not. Because they don't need to. Because they just run...and the key is they run barefooted or with the simplest of sandals and they adapt to the most natural form of running. They don't get technical, they listen to their bodies...and they just RUN.

[CorbettJ12]

lol wrong. You said World Track Championships, not middle school meets, right? Because if you had really ever seen a world championhip 800 or mile, you would know that you're completely wrong. When it comes to racing, you can't afford to waste time coming down with the whole foot, it's simply more efficient to strike with the forefoot. If you want proof, really watch one of those races. They'll all over youtube

[topformfitness]

Incorrect.

[viraltoad]

sound quality sucks

[capricosi]

Thanks so much for these informative and well-illustrated videos. I just finished reading Christopher MacDougall's "Born to Run", which makes some of the same points. Any thoughts on the book and his claims about injuries caused by the running shoe industry?

[bentnutz929]

I recently read an article comparing barefoot running to running with the new imitation shoe the "nike free". The article concludes that they are very similar but when you read the results you see "the runners with the shoe are slightly more dorsiflexed while they strike".

I'm troubled by this "slightly" if you could find time to maybe look at this in a similar situation as the above that would be awesome!

[brodybear83]

Yes but landing heel first causes much more breaking. To see this point for yourself try purposely sprinting with a heel strike. You would then see just how incredibly inefficient a heel strike is.

[rundadinella]

she purposely runs with toes on left and with heels on right. i can run with toes first when using shoes and heel oriented when barefoot. the whole system ain´t that easy: you must run both ways and many more different ways, but not only without runnning shoes. barefoot is not the only solution to the problems.

[njsportsmed]

Agree. Nobody has perfect form. If everything else is done correctly (more videos to come), the foot lands where it is supposed to.

[write2david2]

@njsportsmed So, the runner in the video did indeed *purposely* run differently in the two videos?

[jokergd]

@write2david2 no, rundadinella is just on crack.

[bentnutz929]

Your response is so far from scientific its comical. If you would read the actual scientific studies you would find that the amount of ankle eversion and inversion is increased exponentially while wearing the current sport shoe.

Anyone who is actually interested in discussing this from your point of view not only has to argue with no scientific support but you have to argue against science with opinion.

[TimWeis75]

Barefoot running is not the only solution, you're correct. You can make the effort to run on your forefoot in high-heeled running shoes (like my New Balance trail runners), but it seems "easier" to heel strike in those shoes. I tend to regress.

I tried barefoot running for the first time this week, and you stop heel-striking after two hits. It hurts. You feel it all the way up and down your spine. It rings in your ears.

[rtmccarthy]

with all due respect i think you are lying. Go out and try to do a hell impact on significantly solid ground, you wont do it more than once. After giving up running after years of ITBS i heard about barefoot running ( and no details about heel strike). I was amazed how my form changed instantly( just like the vid above). You wernt born with shoes on!

[CorbettJ12]

congrats on having by far posted the dumbest thing on this video so far.

"you must run many more different ways?" Are we talking backwards, with your eyes closed, something like that?

Try again, and use these videos to LEARN, not to assert your ignorance

[LarryDean6987]

@rundadinella : "purposely" almost implies that the videographer is dishonest. The poster clearly states this was the same day with no instruction given.

His point IS "that easy" - there are clear differences in injury risk and efficiency (ability to run faster for the same energy output) between the two techniques.

Some people can run fast inefficiently, and others still run slow efficiently, but that people DO run different ways doesn't mean that "you must run both ways."

[Jouwl]

@rundadinella

You're forgetting that the shoes have soles and more importantly the soles are a lot thicker at the heel. You can't run in shoes like you'd run barefoot, not really.

[mark95427]

@rundadinella

i'm 15...

The shoes I bought from road runners make my upper-calves/behind-knee area feel terrible.

Note: I got "Stability" shoes that have huge heel support. With such a large amount of support on the heels and less support on the forefoot, my midfoot touches the ground when running. It's usually a flat landing (not heel strike). The exceptions are uphills (forefoot). In my converse shoes, playing b-ball, I feel great.

I'm in cross country and on the high school basketball team

[IronWolf28]

That's the point

[agilman]

wtf, get a better camera, I can count the frames per second.

[aliciaon]

very interesting

[somuchfortheafter]

rickbowker, you sir, are an ass.

[rickbowker]

iNFACT D-FLEXING IS THE BEST WAY TO RUN, REDUCING CALF STRAIN AND INCREASING ENERGY RETURN, CHECK OUT COACH MARK EVENS !

[inezkoiru]

Interesting:

1) This examination really shows and confirms the fact why some athletics when training barefoot are so unbeatabe

2) It also shows why "the air locs" inside shoes are necessary to "push" runner forward. Without locs runner will brake in each step compared with running barefoot.

3) Once I found Feelmax -shoes which really imitates barefoot physiology, I incresed my speed and got "long lasting effeft" in my run - I really recommend Feelmax. I hope you could test those too!!!

[bumblesbounce54321]

if you have ever worn rock climbing shoes, its very similar right?

[relaxedchong]

actually, the way she is running is incorrect although she is using her toes, the way she is running uses more quad muscles with feet pointing slightly downward causes breaking action. the video with nike free as title is much better form.

[zzhao00]

(Continues)

She is using pretty much the bone and ligaments of the ankle and foot joints to handle the shock with the help of the shoes. I do not know her gastric muscle would be more relaxed on strike when running without the shoes because it will contract eccentrically when the toes touch the ground. With the shoes, however, she just needs to use the tibialis anterior muscle to control the ankle dorsal flection which is more energy efficient.

[valeriepdx12]

The gastric muscle is in the stomach. Perhaps you mean gastrocnemius.

[zzhao00]

I do not think the running leg is more relaxed when running with bare foot. Actually I believe the running using two different shock-absorption technique to reduce the body weight on landing. One is the eccentric contraction of the gastric and foot-arch with toes downward when she is running without shoes (dynamic muscular shock absorption). However she is using the inertia skeletal shock absorption strategy to reduce the shock when running with the shoes.

[kineticmb]

Brilliant informative video. If only people who wear MBT;s could see this and realise the damage they are doing to their bodies.

[rockbodyfitness]

very informative!

[Stebilios]

You're bouncing too much. Focus on going straight forward. Running barefoot on grass, sand, asphalt and rocks will teach you that.

[buisonduy]

I wear custom orthopedic arch supports for my flat feet, but the main problem is that if the sides of the shoe can't support my fallen arches, the arch supports won't be as, if at all, effective. Even straight last shoes that are made for over-pronators will break in on the inside-side of the shoe making it less effective for me. Because of this, running has been a problem for me since I stop due to pain in the fallen arch "muscles," and by not fatigue. How do I solve this problem?

[njsportsmed]

There are many causes for foot pain: muscle strain, ligament sprain, bone stress fracture, joint sprain or arthritis, etc.

Pes planus or flat feet refers to your arch in stance. Pronation or overpronation refers to action of your foot/ankle with gait motion. Not all people with flat feet 'overpronate'.

You need to see video of you running taken from behind. Your feet should be the last focus of the exam.

Make sure you get your foot off the ground quickly.

Try to see a sports medicine M.D.

[zzhao00]

Did you check if you have excessive internal rotation of the tibia during heal strike to midstance? If so, try to correct it and it may help your running problem.

[Kirilltraceur]

yea...people weren't exactly made to run in shoes.

[Cry0Tek88]

I've ran barefoot on a treadmill a few weeks ago and really felt better in my overall stride. Problem is, I have a over-pronation problem. Nothing major has gone wrong with anything do to this yet, as I'm 20 years of age, but is running barefoot or ala FiveFingers advisable for something with pronation issues? I would really like to do so and plan on purchasing a pair of FiveFingers, but whats your take on this, njsportsmed?

Many Thanks

[njsportsmed]

I used to wear orthotics, I have no problems anymore, I can't run in anything but racing/training flats. Have you seen video of you pronating, posterior view? Often the overpronation seen in the foot/ankle, comes from prolong contact with the ground, slow cadence, weak lower leg muscles, weak hip/core/proximal leg strength causing hips and knees to go inward, tibia to rotate, ankle to roll in. Give them a try, it beats blisters and dirty feet from barefoot treadmill running. Hope this helps.

[Cry0Tek88]

I've never seen myself on video running. Thats a good idea. I've been working on some quad muscle exercises to possibly level out any strength differences. I'm probably going to try the Five Fingers shoes and if nothing else theyll do good in strengthening my feet/ankles. I used some NikeFree's a few years ago and found them to do so, but I cant run in them anymore as I find the show to be too wobbly.

Thanks NJ :)

[pphillbbert1]

@Cry0Tek88 I agree Fivefingers are the way to go, but nothing beats running completely barefoot. Modern running shoes have been around for only 30 years or so, the human foot has been with us since we evolved or God created us. Which ever you prefer. Why do we think that humans can some how create something better (Modern running shoe) than what nature has already provided. pronation issue no longer matter when you release your foot from the prison of shoes. try it what have you got to lose?

[barefootted]

I added this video to my blog and think that it is an excellent demonstration of barefoot vs. shod running.

Looking forward to more video coming from you.

BFT

[njsportsmed]

1. Recommend some barefoot running, even on treadmill; should be your own, not at a gym; you will get blisters at first and some black coloring as well which washes off

2. Run with incline of at last 2-3 degrees always, it helps simulate running outdoors with lean

Romanov at Pose Running website has a good little video on how to run on a treadmill

Dirt roads are always preferred surface of running of course.

Thanks for comments. Marc

[medliberty]

So, should we run barefoot on the treadmill rather than wear shoes? Also, it looks like there is no incline. Is that OK?