Running Shoes May Cause Damage to Knees, Hips and Ankles

Sixty-eight healthy young adult runners (37 women), who run in typical, currently available running shoes, were selected from the general population. None had any history of musculoskeletal injury and each ran at least 15 miles per week. A running shoe, selected for its neutral classification and design characteristics typical of most running footwear, was provided to all runners. Using a treadmill and a motion analysis system, each subject was observed running barefoot and with shoes. Data were collected at each runner's comfortable running pace after a warm-up period. The researchers observed increased joint torques at the hip, knee and ankle with running shoes compared with running barefoot. Disproportionately large increases were observed in the hip internal rotation torque and in the knee flexion and knee varus torques. An average 54% increase in the hip internal rotation torque, a 36% increase in knee flexion torque, and a 38% increase in knee varus torque were measured when running in running shoes compared with barefoot.

http://www.scienceda...00104122310.htm

Well that may be one reason why my hips and knees are such a mess.

Unfortunately, good places to run barefoot are few and far between.

Maybe one solution is the vibram foot fingers. Or, somehow develop a shoe that somehow duplicates the benefits of running barefoot.

http://www.eatmoveim...y-dysfunctions/

Here's another great article, its quite a read and if you can slog through it you'll learn alot.

I would love to see video of the two side by side.

My guess is that, with shoes, people bounce up and down thing while running, instead of pulling themselves forward. This would probably hurt in bare feet so runners may auto-correct some of this bad technique. It would be interesting to see if the problems still exist in those that do not bounce in running shoes. /speculation

The way that most people run makes me cringe watching it. This is especially true when I see overweight runners or top heavy women. Their joints and back must kill them after a run.

In running shoes, you lengthen your stride, increasing impact, and the flex of the foot arch doesn't cushion impact; the forces are transmitted to the knee and hips. It's a little like running in high heels.
http://www.popularme...ts/4314401.html

I would love to see video of the two side by side.

Here's an interesting video:

http://www.imminst.o...&...st&p=350586

It's not so much the shoe, but running itself that is the problem. Ideal workout is probably swimming.

-HM

It's not so much the shoe, but running itself that is the problem. Ideal workout is probably swimming.

-HM

Swimming does little to maintain bone mass.

It's not so much the shoe, but running itself that is the problem. Ideal workout is probably swimming.

-HM

Swimming does little to maintain bone mass.

What maintains bone mass? How about swimming + weightlifting?

Edited by Ghostrider, 28 January 2010 - 07:42 AM.

I wonder if I should start running in my casual shoes (Onitsuka Tigers) instead of joggers

I wonder if I should start running in my casual shoes (Onitsuka Tigers) instead of joggers

I've been on this train for about 6 months now, try to go barefoot as much as possible and do all resistance and aerobic (on grass or sand) exercise in my Vibram Five Fingers...

This just aired last night on [the most reputable] Australian news show:
http://player.sbs.co...bate-takes-off/

^ Low on science but great for convincing the sceptics

I wonder if I should start running in my casual shoes (Onitsuka Tigers) instead of joggers

I've been on this train for about 6 months now, try to go barefoot as much as possible and do all resistance and aerobic (on grass or sand) exercise in my Vibram Five Fingers...

This just aired last night on [the most reputable] Australian news show:
http://player.sbs.co...bate-takes-off/

^ Low on science but great for convincing the sceptics

I've never seen shoes like the Vibram Five Fingers before. I'm going to find some reviews Do you have the Sprint model? I wouldn't mind giving them a go for jogging if they work well on roads and footpaths?

http://www.fivefinge...t.php?id_PRO=42

Edited by Steve_86, 29 January 2010 - 05:20 AM.

I've never seen shoes like the Vibram Five Fingers before. I'm going to find some reviews Do you have the Sprint model? I wouldn't mind giving them a go for jogging if they work well on roads and footpaths?

http://www.fivefinge...t.php?id_PRO=42

I have the sprint, and yes, it works fine on hard surfaces.
You'll feel more of the texture of the footpath/road, though.
Also, be prepared for the possibility of foot/calf pain in the beginning.
(I didn't get any, but I used to be barefoot all the time as a child).

Edited by rwac, 29 January 2010 - 07:20 AM.

From the front cover of Nature! (Published online 27 January 2010)

Biomechanics: Barefoot running strikes back
http://www.nature.co...3/n7280/covers/
Detailed analyses of foot kinematics and kinetics in barefoot and shod runners offer a refined understanding of bipedalism in human evolution. This research will also prompt fresh studies of running injuries. A commitment to walking and running on two legs distinguishes humans from apes, and has long been the defining adaptation of the hominins — the lineages that include both humans and our extinct relatives. This form of locomotion (bipedalism) has been around for millions of years, and we have been unshod for more than 99% of that time1.

Also a GREAT accompanying video (must watch!!!!!!):
The Barefoot Professor: by Nature Video
Harvard professor Daniel Lieberman has ditched his trainers and started running barefoot. His research shows that barefoot runners, who tend to land on their fore-foot, generate less impact shock than runners in sports shoes who land heel first. This makes barefoot running comfortable and could minimize running-related injuries. Read more here and find the original research here


Even more:
Letter: Foot strike patterns and collision forces in habitually barefoot versus shod runners:
http://www.nature.co...ature08723.html
Humans have engaged in endurance running for millions of years1, but the modern running shoe was not invented until the 1970s. For most of human evolutionary history, runners were either barefoot or wore minimal footwear such as sandals or moccasins with smaller heels and little cushioning relative to modern running shoes. We wondered how runners coped with the impact caused by the foot colliding with the ground before the invention of the modern shoe. Here we show that habitually barefoot endurance runners often land on the fore-foot (fore-foot strike) before bringing down the heel, but they sometimes land with a flat foot (mid-foot strike) or, less often, on the heel (rear-foot strike). In contrast, habitually shod runners mostly rear-foot strike, facilitated by the elevated and cushioned heel of the modern running shoe. Kinematic and kinetic analyses show that even on hard surfaces, barefoot runners who fore-foot strike generate smaller collision forces than shod rear-foot strikers. This difference results primarily from a more plantarflexed foot at landing and more ankle compliance during impact, decreasing the effective mass of the body that collides with the ground. Fore-foot- and mid-foot-strike gaits were probably more common when humans ran barefoot or in minimal shoes, and may protect the feet and lower limbs from some of the impact-related injuries now experienced by a high percentage of runners.

Not all running shoes are created equally. I've been enjoying my Newton Gravity shoes -- their design basically enforces a barefoot running style. I had a nice 8 mile run in them last weekend.

You can buy specific running shoe's for your footprint type. http://reworkingfitn...01_archive.html Plus alot of people have bad mechanics which get exagerated when the feet are elevated, ie when wearing shoes. Typical running shoes don;t provide much protection for running on hard surfaces, also running long distance is un-natural and bad for your skeleton.
Best bet is to pick the right shoe and run on a forgiving surface, learn good technique and cut down on the marathons.

Edited by Solarclimax, 19 February 2010 - 10:27 PM.