barefoot running shoes

Here’s your delicious A-list of barefoot running shoes. Remember going barefoot as a child? It’s the way you first discovered and conquered your world—without the constraint of shoes. Or the sense of duty you acquired later on.

Barefoot shoes? Isn’t that an oxymoron? In recent years, there are lots of information out there on barefoot running or shoes. It took 4 million years to develop our unique human foot and our consequent distinctive form of walk, a remarkable feat of bioengineering.

Yet, in only a few thousand years, and with one carelessly designed instrument, our shoes, we have warped the pure anatomical form of human walk, obstructing its engineering efficiency, afflicting it with strains and stresses and denying it its natural grace of form and ease of movement head to foot.

barefoot running shoes

Barefoot shoes give you all the health benefits of running or walking barefoot without the actual physical risks of going barefoot in a modern environment.

• Not the best name for these types of shoes. How can one be both barefoot and have shoes on? But really when we say “Barefoot shoes” we mean shoes that embrace the benefits and philosophy of barefoot walking and running. Some people call these types of shoes minimalist footwear. There are so many features in our bodies from our heads to our toes that make us good at running. Many people have reported an increase in sense of balance, improved agility, relief from past running injuries, and an improvement in overall posture after switching from traditional athletic shoes to barefoot running shoes. So if we’re born to run, why are runners so often injured? A combination of factors is likely to play a role, experts say. Exercise early in life can affect the development of tendons and muscles, but many people don’t start running until adulthood, so their bodies may not be as well developed for distance.
• Playful and sensitive, yet purposeful and confident. The typical human foot is an anatomical marvel of evolution with 26 bones, 33 joints, 20 muscles, and hundreds of sensory receptors, tendons and ligaments. Like the rest of the body, to keep our feet healthy, they need to be stimulated and exercised. Many experts believe the shoes we wear not only cast the foot in a protective form, but also weaken our foot and leg muscles, leaving them underdeveloped and more prone to injury. And while there are many occasions where traditional footwear is essential for protection, safety, and security, it is equally important to stimulate and exercise the foot in a more natural state on a regular basis. That’s why it is recommended to wear barefoot shoes for exercise, for play, and for fun. Stimulating muscles in your feet and lower legs will not only make you stronger and healthier, it improves your balance, agility and proprioception.
• Your movements become the movements of a child. In a 1905 a group of doctors studied the feet of native people in the Philippines and Central Africa. The study, which was published in the American Journal of Orthopedic Surgery, compared the feet of these natural barefoot populations with the feet of 1905 “modern” shoe wearers. The doctors noted that on the naturally barefoot person’s foot that a line could be drawn to pass through the big toe, ball of the foot, and heel. They also noted that their toes naturally spread out which would allow for a wider base for stranding, walking, and running. Doctors observed that the foot seemed to form to the shape of the shoe that was worn. The toes did not fan out like those of the barefoot populations and that a line no longer could be drawn directly from the big toe to heel. The overall foot was more narrow which when compared to the barefoot people offered a less stable support base.

barefoot running shoes review

Should you be running barefoot? Problems or flaws in the feet often can cause problems in other parts of the body. In addition to providing tremendous support and shock absorption the foot is surprisingly malleable. Running on only artificial surfaces and in high-tech shoes can change the bio mechanics of running, increasing the risks of injury. It’s commonly believed by barefoot runners that running barefoot may have benefits such as better proprioception. Almost all elite runners run in this manner for better efficiency.

By walking and running barefoot we allow our body to move how it was initially designed. By wearing shoes, however, we change the natural way we walk and run which can lead to sprains, shin splints, and other common foot injuries. Running or walking around barefoot 24/7 in a modern society is not realistic. As with any new innovative health story or running technique, we no need to run barefoot anymore. Many of the injuries caused by restriction of movement from shoes are eliminated. The benefits of running barefoot have long been supported by scientific research, coaches, and athletes who’ve offered ample evidence that training without shoes allows you to run faster and further with fewer injuries.

Motion studies demonstrate that when running barefoot, one naturally lands on the forefoot, directly below your center of gravity. This results in optimum balance, increased stability, less impact, and greater propulsion. Running with barefoot running shoes improves agility, strength, and equilibrium, plus it delivers sensory feedback that allows runners to make immediate corrections in their form. This greatly improves running efficiency. No footwear comes closer to recreating the experience and natural sensation of running barefoot than Vibram Five Fingers shoes. It delivers all the health and performance benefits of barefoot running, with less the risk of injury. MBT shoes or Skechers Shape Up shoes also have the similar concept.

barefoot running shoes