The reason I allude to the book is because of its place in the "minimalist" movement. The book goes a long way in making the argument that our bodies - and feet for that matter - are naturally fit to run, and that the advent of well-supported running shoes in the 1970's has actually contributed to an increase in running injuries. Before reading the book, I had heard about this new philosophy, had read a few articles, and figured that there might be a little bit of truth to the idea. However, I was not convinced completely. I figured - as I do with many issues - that there might be something valuable we can gain from researching the argument, but I didn't think it would dramatically change the way I look at running, shoes, or injury prevention.
Fast forward to last night. I read two chapters in Born to Run, inserted into the middle of the author's story, that summarize the history of running shoes, and their involvement in competitive running. I was almost instantly mesmerized by the reality of this situation. Among many anecdotes from doctors, coaches, and other running related specialists, I found a couple that painted a convincing picture for me of why we are actually better off running closer to barefoot. One individual who seems to really understand the science behind this movement is Dr. Gerard Hartmann, Ph.D., an Irish physical therapist. He says, among other things, "Your foot's centerpiece is the arch, the greatest weight-bearing design ever created. The beauty of any arch is the way it gets stronger under stress; the harder you push down, the tighter it's parts mesh...Buttressing the foot's arch from all sides is a high-tensile web of twenty six bones, thirty-three joints, twelve rubbery tendons, and eighteen muscles, all stretching and flexing like an earthquake-resistant suspension bridge." Hartmann goes on to say "Putting your feet in shoes is similar to putting them in a plaster cast...we'll find forty to sixty percent atrophy of the musculature within six weeks. Something similar happens to your feet when they're encased in shoes." Famous New Zealand coach Arthur Lydiard summarizes it in less words: "You support an area, it gets weaker. Use it extensively, it gets stronger." Essentially, what the two men are trying to say is that our feet are naturally designed (or have evolved) to handle the stress of running, and that by allowing them to do what they do, they will become even stronger, and be able to handle more running. On the contrary, when we put a handicap on our feet - running shoes - the process of them becoming weaker and less able to adapt begins. In other words, by trying to fix a problem with shoes that control the motion of our foot, and provide artificial cushioning and support, we have created a new one - weaker and less resilient feet, leading to an increase in injuries. The book cites all kinds of studies and statistics that show the rise in running injuries, especially to the achilles, knee, and plantar fascia. Personally, I am more convinced by the explanation of what our foot can do if we allow it to then I am by the data that denigrates shoes. Nevertheless, much of my frustration is that the running-shoe industry has essentially ignored the data and science that supports the minimalist movement. However, that may be changing.
After the man behind Nike's shoe-boom in the 1970's, Bill Bowerman, passed away in 2002, the data team at Nike decided to test this minimalist philosophy out for themselves. They assembled twenty runners on a grassy field and filmed them running barefoot. The results allowed them to see that "instead of each foot chomping down as it would in a shoe, it behaved like an animal with a mind of it's own - stretching, grasping, seeking the ground with splayed toes, gliding in for a landing like a lake-bound swan." They concluded that when your feet "flex, spread, splay, and grip the surface, (you) have less pronation and more distribution of pressure." As a runner, I've done a fair amount of barefoot striding on the grass, and this explanation really hit home with me. I know that when I run barefoot, I find myself clawing for the ground, running light and tall, and landing on my forefoot just briefly, before springing off again. I also feel the extra strength of my tendons and joints supporting my landing, as opposed to the lazy flopping and pounding I experience when running in trainers. As a coach, I also have witnessed the transformation in a young runner's stride when you throw them on a grass field and have them run barefoot. They often look like a completely different runner.
On the heels of this study, Nike did pony up, and release a new shoe, the Free, and marketed it as an experience of running barefoot again, and running "free."
However, besides the release of this ultra-flexible, thin, and responsive shoe by Nike, the running-shoe industry has done very little to respond to the minimalist movement. Why? Because they feel threatened by it. Specialty running stores have made a living off of the ability to watch you run, videotape your gait, and prescribe a specially designed shoe that will fix all of your problems, and help you run pain-free. The problem is, the data suggests that their magical formula isn't working. In fact, it suggests that it is hurting.
The reasoning behind this movement makes complete sense to me. And short of proclaiming that I will begin running barefoot tomorrow, I am convinced. However, I also feel trapped. There are not a lot of options out there for shoes that allow for more autonomy of the foot, and living in a suburb, getting up and heading out the door barefoot is not an immediate option. However, there are a few steps you can begin to take to transform your stride, strengthen your feet, and begin the conversion to minimalist running (meaning barefoot when possible, and shoes that allow for more freedom of the foot):
1. Do barefoot strides on grass, or run loops/workouts on a grass field barefoot.
2. Buy a pair of Nike Free's or other minimalist shoes that you can find.
3. Go for walks barefoot when possible.
4. Encourage your local running store to purchase minimalist shoes.
What do you think? Does this movement have clout? or will it fade away?
