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

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Uploaded by on Feb 24, 2009

Same runner, same day, with no instruction given in between videos. On the left, correct nice SHOE LESS forefoot strike. On the right, incorrect, with SHOES, heel strike, braking, straining. Sneakers are designed to affect the way our foot strikes the ground, yet in this video you see it affects what we do in the air. Try this experiment yourself. Video that was inspiration for Harvard Study.

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Uploader Comments (njsportsmed)

  • 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)?

  • @Captainskier strengthen your gluteus medius/minimus muscles

Top Comments

  • 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!

  • 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!

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All Comments (155)

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

    "Excuse me "

  • What about speed? Doesnt spreed affect the landing position?

  • @luckysk81980 Hahahaha, it's true :P

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

  • Audio is awful!!

  • @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

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

  • 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"

  • 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.

  • 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.

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