Footloose

When it comes to running shoes, is less more?

By Leigh Savage

Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia ran a world-record 2:15 marathon to win the 1960 Olympics, and he did it without one key piece of equipment - shoes.  Ever since, researchers and runners have been seeking answers to an old question: Is the human foot better off running without the disruption of cushions, arch supports, and the stabilizing devices built into most running shoes?

The 2009 best-seller "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougald has reignited interest in the topic by taking a closer look at runners from around the world who have great endurance and few injuries, and who run either barefoot or in extremely minimal sandals.

While area doctors and running experts say there may be some benefits to running barefoot, they agree that it's not right for many people and should be done in moderation if at all.

Local shoe guru Jeff Milliman, who operates Go Run, part of Go Tri Sports in Greenville, says he has run without shoes, including competing in a few cross country races. "A lot can be said for the efficiency of going barefoot," he says. "We really were born to run." However, he found that his times didn’t improve without shoes, and he prefers training in lightweight racing flats, which protect his feet and legs but allow an efficient, natural gait.

He points out that people in barefoot cultures learned to walk and run without shoes from an early age. “Their muscular structure and gait develop accordingly,” he says. “But most of us didn’t grow up that way.”

Richard Mahaffey, a sophomore at Wade Hampton High School, has run up to 6 miles barefoot, and while he enjoyed it, he doesn’t think it’s something he’ll do very often. “I felt faster,” he says. “Since you don’t bang on your heels, your momentum is going forward.” But since he ran barefoot on concrete and asphalt, he knows a stress injury is possible without any cushioning or foot protection. “It’s something I’ll just do every now and then,” he says.  

 Dr. Michael Tollison, a foot and ankle specialist at Piedmont Orthopaedic Associates in Greenville, agrees that a moderate approach is necessary for those looking to run shoeless. Depending on their feet and other factors, many shouldn’t try it at all.

"If you have the proper fat pad in your foot, and you have the right foot mechanics, and you don’t have high arches, then they could try it on level, grass surfaces first," he says. "But whatever you do, you need to start gradually and increase in only small increments."

 He hasn’t had any patients ask him about it, but if they did, he would first suggest a proper shoe fitting a running store, and perhaps custom orthotics. "I don’t know that I could say there is a benefit to running barefoot," he says. "Probably only a select few would benefit."

 Dr. Scott Murr, training performance director at the Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training, says doing some barefoot running can help improve gait efficiency and “foot fitness.” He suggests that people start with five minutes of running on a grass field such as a track infield.

 He also suggests Vibram Five Fingers (VFF), a glove-like product for the feet that offers the feel of barefoot running along with protection from concrete, glass, rocks and other foot dangers. Murr owns three pairs and does about 15 minutes in them after track workouts. He sees its value for an occasional cool-down run but “I’m not sure I would recommend that someone do all of their running barefoot or in VFF."

Jon Stoehr, store manager at Fleet Feet in Greenville, does barefoot strides a few times a week to strengthen the muscles in the legs. But he too says success with barefoot running depends on foot structure, gait, body type and other factors.

The goal with barefoot running, he says, is to strike the ground closer to the ball of the foot than the heel, “the theory being that injuries come from a heel strike, though that’s pretty debateable.” No shoes, or shoes with a lower heel profile, encourage less of a heel strike, though Stoehr has seen runners around town in Vibram Five Fingers or other minimal shoes who are still heel striking. “So then the likelihood of injury increases, because they are still running the same way and now they don’t have the support they need,” he says.

 Stoehr does full gait analysis to see how runners strike the ground, and then he suggests shoes that fit the foot, the gait and the person. “One doing well for us is the Saucony Kinvara, which is a thinner, lower-profile shoe, with a thinner midsole that is lower to the ground,” he says.

Milliman is glad the barefoot debate is helping people realize they may not need the clunky, bulky shoes they may have been wearing for years. Excessively built shoes may be too stiff or could prevent the foot from its natural pronation, the inward roll that distributes impact. "For two decades, the trend has been, take that foot and don’t let it move," he says “But if the foot doesn’t pronate, it doesn’t absorb shock. Anti-pronation shoes are wonderful for some people, but many don’t need as much of it.”

If a runner comes to him with chronic injuries, he tries a minimalist approach first. "People are often more efficient than they think they are," he says, and simpler shoes, including racing flats, may work best. Many top brands offer lighter, neutral shoes, including Nike Free, Saucony Fastwitch, K-Swiss K-Ruuz, Asics Hyperspeed and Brooks T6 Racer.

"It becomes an art - how much shoe do you give people,"Milliman says. “There is a fine line between too much shoe and not enough.”