Tag: Barefoot Running (Or Walking) Research

Below are posts covering emerging research surrounding barefoot running or barefoot walking. For a list of links to relevant past research into barefoot running, walking, or feet, see the wiki Links to research related to shod or barefoot running in the wiki!

Digging into Daniel Lieberman’s Barefoot Running Research

A Kenyan elite runner who grew up running barefoot but now runs shod is taped in slow motion running in running shoes. Screencap from Lieberman research into barefoot running.
A Kenyan elite runner who grew up running barefoot but now runs shod is taped in slow motion running in running shoes. Screencap from Lieberman research into barefoot running.

Do modern running shoes effectively force runners to heel strike? Here we dig into Daniel Lieberman’s barefoot running research, and also poll the Vibram Five Fingers community regarding how to walk or run in shoes versus Vibrams.

Results of Daniel Lieberman Barefoot Running Research

Screencaps from the Nature video, this image shows that initial impact running with a heel-strike registers at around 1.81 x body weight compared to .34 x body weight initial impact running with a forefoot strike. Interestingly, peak bodyweight impact on each curve registers higher with a forefoot strike — around 2.60 x bodyweight running with a forefoot strike compared to 2.30 x body weight with a heel-strike. Note in both running styles here, impact is measured with barefeet.
Screencaps from the Nature video, this image shows that initial impact running with a heel-strike registers at around 1.81 x body weight compared to .34 x body weight initial impact running with a forefoot strike. Interestingly, peak bodyweight impact on each curve registers higher with a forefoot strike — around 2.60 x bodyweight running with a forefoot strike compared to 2.30 x body weight with a heel-strike. Note in both running styles here, impact is measured with barefeet.

Daniel Lieberman’s research into impact forces experienced while forefoot-striking or heel-striking, full round-up coverage of all the press surrounding the research release.

You don’t say! “Running Shoes May Cause Damage to Knees, Hips and Ankles”

A new study that measured and compared stresses on the joints of the leg (knees, hips, and ankles) for women runners in shod and barefoot running indicates that “running shoes exerted more stress on these joints compared to running barefoot or walking in…