This mindset–thinking that my feet were inherently flawed and needed to be supported by shoes–had kept me from considering other options. The intention behind minimalist shoes is to allow the foot to function inside of the shoe the same way it would if you were walking or running barefoot.įor the longest time, I bought into the idea that I needed shoes with support because of the way my arches collapsed. Since I wanted to give myself the best chance of fixing my arches, I decided to take the plunge and go minimalist. As I began doing my own research, I came across convincing arguments for the benefits of minimalist shoes as well as the potentially harmful effects of traditional footwear. Looking back, I can’t say I ever noticed any benefit from wearing supportive shoes. I’d been told so often in the past that people with flat feet need to choose supportive shoes with stability and motion control features. I was a little unsure about trying minimalist shoes since it was a big departure from just about everything I’d learned about choosing shoes for flat feet and overpronation. Reading reports about the benefits of using less support was part of what inspired me to attempt to work on my arches in the first place. I had previously been using stability shoes with a lot of built-in support features.Īt the time I started this project, the barefoot running movement was probably nearing its peak in popularity. These shoes offer flexibility and lightweight construction, which delivers minimal interference with how your foot would move naturally when running.During the process of fixing my flat feet, I became a huge fan of minimalist shoes. The small amount of cushioning is the same from the rearfoot to the forefoot. Instead of a heel-to-toe drop in cushioning, barefoot running shoes are flat. They typically have a zero heel-to-toe drop, mimicking how you'd run barefoot. Less cushioning in a running shoe can shift your strike to the forefoot.īarefoot running shoes are a type of minimalist shoe. They contain a low heel-to-toe drop of 4 to 8 millimetres. Minimalist running shoes have minimal cushioning, which explains their name. This type of running shoe can prevent overstriding and may help with overuse injuries like plantar fasciitis. This encourages a rearfoot strike, providing plenty of cushioning for your feet to absorb the shock of hitting the ground. Traditional running shoes or stability shoes have a heel-to-toe drop of 8 to 12 millimetres. Thus, different heel-to-toe drops are suitable for different runners. This style of cushioning can affect foot strike and running gait. The cushioning isn't equal across the base of the shoe it decreases from the heel of the shoe to the toe. The heel-to-toe drop refers to the amount of cushioning running shoes contain. One difference between minimalist running shoes, barefoot running shoes and traditional running shoes is the heel-to-toe drop. Here are some tips to help you decide which type of running shoe is right for you. Minimalist shoes and barefoot running shoes aren't going to be suitable for everyone. A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that barefoot runners report fewer knee injuries and less heel pain, and another study published in the European Journal of Sports Science found that barefoot shoes increase ankle dorsiflexion, which can correct foot strike and help reduce injury risk.īut the jury is out on the barefoot approach-not all runners or feet are built the same. Some argue that, because minimalist shoes encourage midfoot or forefoot striking, they can help prevent injury. These types of running shoe are typically better suited to runners who prefer more support, are overcoming injury or have foot conditions such as flat feet or overpronation. Traditional running shoes, on the other hand, provide more stability and arch support for your feet as you run. In fact, one 2019 study found that wearing minimalist running shoes for six months increased foot strength by 60 percent. A forefoot strike may have several benefits, including helping to reduce ground reaction forces and ground contact time-in other words, better running efficiency.īecause minimalist running shoes have less cushioning to absorb impact, runners who wear them tend to rely more on their foot strength and muscle tissue to aid cushioning instead of on the components of the running shoe. One study published in 2016 in Sports Biomechanics found that runners were 9.2 times more likely to have a forefoot or midfoot strike in minimalist running shoes than in traditional running shoes.
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