Barefoot Running Technique

Those that use the shoes to transition to barefoot running have been able to discover the joys of strengthening their body in a positive feedback loop that reduces the chances of injury while simultaneously reducing energy expenditure. While most of us in the modern age are not capable of taking off our shoes and running a 5k without being injured, we can still retrain our bodies to arrive at that point and beyond. Our bodies are built for running. From the arches of our foot to the stabilizing muscles in our neck, we have numerous energy saving anatomical features that keep us upright, straightforward and light on our feet. One of the most significant features are our medial arches. The arch of the foot works as a spring and a natural shock absorber. Whenever we land on our foot while running or jumping, the soft tissues within are stretched and loaded. The moment we push off the ground behind us, that energy is released again, providing elastic energy. If you ever watch a barefoot child run, their form will be superb. This is because they are still "fresh," and their natural movement patterns have not yet been altered by years of improper footwear and sitting in chairs. Even children in the present day, who are more inclined than ever to sit and play video games or watch Netflix, will demonstrate an upright posture, midfoot or forefoot strike and a relatively high cadence when inspired to run and play without shoes. In order to retrain this natural ability, we first must return to the barefoot condition. The thicker the shoe is that we wear, the less aware of the ground reaction forces we are placing on our joints. The higher the drop, the bigger the toe spring and the more prominent the arch support, the less elasticity and natural shock recycling our foot is able to provide. The moment we are in a shoe that is flat, thin, flexible, wide and light, our foot experiences less constraints while our ankle, knee, hip and back are able to regulate their energy output more efficiently.

Disclaimer

Transitioning to barefoot running before getting used to day to day use of barefoot shoes substantially increases the chance of injury occurring. If you are not used to walking with barefoot shoes or are shod in shoes with a heel drop, arch support or toe spring, the chance of injury from barefoot running becomes a lot higher. Daily use of shoes that do not alter the foot’s anatomy are paramount for maintaining foot health. If you don’t already own barefoot shoes, we offer many different models that can easily be meshed with day to day use as well as be used as active wear.

Why transition to barefoot running?

More energy efficiency due to greater elastic range in the tissues of the ankle and foot

Greater shock distribution between the joints, keeping them healthy and durable

Better proprioceptive feedback, letting us know if we are landing safely with each step

Better postural positioning for greater breathing efficiency

Equilibrium

Equilibrium consists of two things:

Cadence: The number of steps you take per minute. The most optimal range for most people lies between 170 - 180 steps per minute, depending on a number of factors like height, weight or running speed. Once proper cadence is achieved, a number of great things begin to happen. For one, our body angle will remain much straighter, as our legs will be less tempted to reach out in front of us, causing a bend at the hip and change in posture. It also keeps our centre of gravity from falling too far down, which would only require us to push it back up.

Relaxation: How energy efficient you are can depend on how well you let ground reaction forces move up and down through your body. If you are stiff and robotic, energy can get “stuck” in your bones and joints causing insufficiencies. On the other hand, if you are too loose, your soft tissues will have to work much harder to hold you up, also causing a waste of energy. Relaxation is a place between the two, and is usually found when proper cadence is utilized.

Upper Body

Eyes on the horizon: By keeping our eyes forward, it prevents the head from tilting forward and creating greater moment forces on our neck. It also ensures our head stays in line with our shoulders and hips.

Straight line between the ears, shoulders and hips: When in a straight line, the transmission of forces from the ground to the head and back have less of a chance of getting "caught" in the hips, back or neck, creating greater energy efficiency.

Elbows: 60 degrees or less at all times in order to shorten the moment arms that our body has to resist against. Hands: Always in the vicinity of the pectoralis chest muscles in order to ensure a consistent angle in the elbows Upper arms: Always angled backwards or at least never angling past the torso

Leg cycle

Landing: The foot should land on the ground in either a mid foot or forefoot stance. If landing forefoot, the heel should reach the ground immediately after. Under no circumstances should the heel stay elevated for the whole run. This is a very easy way to get stress fractures in the arch of the foot or an inflamed Achilles tendon.

Push off: The thigh should create a slight angle behind the line created between the head to the top of the femur. This signifies that the strong hip muscles called the glutes are being properly utilized for propulsion.

Leg Bend: Immediately after push off, the knee should begin to bend forward and the heel should make a straight line towards the hip. By quickly shortening the length of the leg, there are less moment forces acting on the hip flexors. Moreover, by stretching the rectus femoris, the leg is pulled back to the front of the body by the elasticity of the muscle and it's tendon, saving energy in the process.

Pre-strike: Before the leg reaches the ground, it must already be in a down and backward motion. If everything else in running form is perfect, but the foot is contacting the ground while traveling forward, there will be a braking action that the body experiences. If the leg is already on its way backwards when we contact the ground, the muscles on the back of the leg will already be in action and will propel the hips forward upon ground contact. This will guarantee forward propulsion as well as help keep the hips in line with the shoulders and head.

Benefits of Barefoot Shoes

Being barefoot is akin to a gloveless hand. Although in both conditions our limbs are exposed to the elements, the nimbleness and sensitivity to stimuli are unhindered, leaving our fine motor skills unabashed and able to provide their full range of advantages.

Joint Care

Foot Care

Learn how to mobilize, coordinate and strengthen your feet to regain their proper functionality.

Detriments of Modern Shoes

Shoes as they are made in the market today are essentially casts. They limit range of motion in various ways while locking our foot into a compromised position. Here are some of the main issues that shoes present to our feet:

Image Sources

barefoot - Pure male feet, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

foot - Public Domain

muscles - Laboratoires Servier, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

feet - Public Domain

soft tissues - Cancer Research UK, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

joints - Laboratoires Servier, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

flexible - GuillemMedina, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

ankle - OpenStax College, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

heel drop - HLHJ, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

proprioceptive - Onearmer, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

bones - Mikael Häggström, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

moment forces - Zoiros, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Achilles tendon - J. Gordon Betts, Kelly A. Young, James A. Wise, Eddie Johnson, Brandon Poe, Dean H. Kruse, Oksana Korol, Jody E. Johnson, Mark Womble, Peter DeSaix, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

hip flexors - InjuryMap, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

muscle - Laboratoires Servier, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Barefoot Running Technique

Disclaimer

Why transition to barefoot running?

Equilibrium

Upper Body

Leg cycle

More to Read

Benefits of Barefoot Shoes

Joint Care

Foot Care

Detriments of Modern Shoes

Image Sources

Barefoot Running Technique

Disclaimer

Why transition to barefoot running?

Equilibrium

Upper Body

Leg cycle

More to Read

Benefits of Barefoot Shoes

Joint Care

Foot Care

Detriments of Modern Shoes

Image Sources