Barefoot Running Research Paper

Words: 918
Pages: 4

Introduction: Have you ever seen those crazy people running around town and through trails not wearing any shoes? Well if you have, you have seen the newest trend growing around the running community. Barefoot running is a style of running in which participants wear little to no shoes while exercising. To find out whether this new craze is causing or preventing injuries, my kinesiology class debated this controversial topic. Many people and companies advertise that barefoot running will strengthen the feet and bring us back to our ancestors before proper shoes were invented. While on the other hand, several people believe this technique of running causes more injuries and is worse for the overall health of your body. There are many factors …show more content…
For example, running in minimalist footwear decreases the impact forces on your legs due to the lack of cushioning causing you to land on your forefoot and allow the foot to absorb more shock. In addition, a person who performs all of their activities barefoot, on a daily basis, will save money since they will never have to purchase shoes. A man named, Dr. Nick Campitelli, performed a two year long case study which demonstrated an increase in arch height from running in minimalist shoes. He observed a 34 year old woman who had flexible flat feet, a valgus position of the calcaneus ( the heel bone angles inward when observing from behind), and a valgus knee deformity (knock knees). Her symptoms consisted of knee pain as well as frequent lower back pain and she used custom orthotics in her shoes to try to realign her arch and heel bone. After 6-8 weeks of transitioning into minimalist shoes, she was able to comfortably run in the minimalist shoes. And two years later, Dr. Campitelli reported that she was able to strengthen the postural muscles of the foot, specifically the abductor hallucis muscle(_______________). This is just one example of the many case studies that have been performed and produced successful results that minimalist running can be