6 ms·

Id say that running without shoes is only a good idea if you plan to die quite young, and therefore wont be needing your feet, ankles and knees in old age.

jd 15y ago
Nobody advocates running barefoot on asphalt. And yes, running can wear out your joints, but even if you wear running shoes.
- patricklynch 15y ago
  "Nobody advocates running barefoot on asphalt." Here's a Harvard professor who advocates running barefoot on asphalt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=7jrnj-7YKZE#t=329s http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v...
  - jd 15y ago
    Interesting. Thanks for the link.
  - noelwelsh 15y ago
    Same Prof that is covered in the OP's article.
- tomelders 15y ago
  They will certainly wear out faster without shoes, no matter what you're running on. Evolution is somewhat limited in what it can do. It must build upon things that are already there, over very long periods of time through subtle genetic mutations. Just because evolution didn't grace us with air cushioned soles and decent bridge and ankle support doesn't mean it's no good for us. Evolution had a lot less to play with and did the best it could. Humans made it better. I do find it odd that some people like to look back at the way humans did stuff in the past and somehow arrive at the conclusion that it's better for us. They invariably neglect to take into account the pitifully short lifespans our ancestors had. We also lived in caves, but I don't see many people eager to do that these days. And then there's stuff like the Palaeolithic diet which is absolute nonsense that ranks up there with Hal-Al and Kosher butchering. That became a rant... I had no idea it bothered me so much.
  - Game_Ender 15y ago
    This at least has some evidence. The guy pushing barefoot running has done some a study showing you put less stress on your joints when running barefoot then with shoes. I believe it had something to do with running with a better stride then when in padded shoes because your feet now have more feedback information. Just found his website here: http://barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/ http://barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/
    - scott_s 15y ago
      My understanding of the mechanics are simple: when you heel-strike, your heel hits the pavement hard, and the shock is absorbed by your knee. When you toe-strike, your ankle can act as a spring and absorb the impact over a greater period of time, meaning your joints experience less force. I think it's the toe-strike versus heel-strike is what's important. Running shoes just encourage heel-striking.
  - ta12121 15y ago
    Actually, there have been studies that show that the more expensive your running shoe, the more likely you are to get injured. People think they need running shoes because they run incorrectly. You are not supposed to land on your heel. This is something you can only do with super padded running shoes.
  - eru 15y ago
    > They will certainly wear out faster without shoes, no matter what you're running on. Why should your body `wear out' from activity? Are humans some kind of clumsy machine that wears out from friction?
    - scott_s 15y ago
      Well, yeah. Our joints are mechanical. (Note that I am agreeing with the notion that our bodies wear out, as do all machines. I am not endorsing the parent post's claims about shoes being better for running.)
- mythobit 15y ago
  No, running doesn't ruin your knees. Rather than rewrite the wheel RW Daily does a fine job including links to research. http://rwdaily.runnersworld.com/2012/02/no-running-does-not-ruin-your-knees.html http://rwdaily.runnersworld.com/2012/02/no-running-does-not-...
pmahoney 15y ago
I'm not an expert by any means, but I've scanned the literature using what tools I have, and the impression I get is this: (sorry, I don't have all my references handy) * Running (with shoes) is not a predictor of osteoarthritis (see http://www.jaoa.org/content/106/6/342.full http://www.jaoa.org/content/106/6/342.full). Elite athletes (running vastly more than typical recreational runners) do exhibit more signs visible in X-Rays, but do not report symptoms at a higher rate than any other group. * Reliable predictors of acute injury are "too much, too soon", history of past injury, and, oddly, old shoes. (See http://www.time-to-run.com/footwear/mechanisms.htm http://www.time-to-run.com/footwear/mechanisms.htm). Matching the type of shoe to type of gait (as running shoes stores often attempt to do) has never been shown to reduce injury rate. * It is possible to run with shoes and without injury. (I did it for 10 years; my old coach for 30+). * It is possible to run barefoot on concrete and asphalt without injury. (I've done it for 5 years; others have for longer). Those last two anecdotes don't speak to long-term injury, but I'm not terribly worried for two reasons: The first is the lack of correlation between running in shoes and osteoarthritis. The second is that the foot-achilles-knee is a spring-like appendage with vastly more play than 1/2 inch of EVA foam. Anecdotally again, I feel no pounding when running barefoot on concrete.
- glanch 15y ago
  Is it safer/healthier to run on grass than concrete? I like to run laps on a soccer field near my apartment rather than on city sidewalks so I don't have to deal with traffic. But I seem to be the exception in my neighborhood. I see tons of people running down the streets, but nobody running on grass. I assumed that a softer running surface would create less impact on my joints and prevent injury and reduce wear and tear on my body. But I could be wrong. Just curious.
  - dpark 15y ago
    Probably depends on how you run. If you're a forefoot striker, running on asphalt is probably better than running on grass, because the vast majority of the impact will be absorbed by the calf/foot muscles. The danger from stepping in a hole or tripping over an object hidden in the grass probably outweighs the minimal increase in impact from running on concrete (not that either of these should actually be a significant danger). On the other hand, if you're a heel striker, the reduction in impact might be worth it. Stomping on concrete with your heels sends a lot of force through your ankles and knees.

jd 15y ago

Nobody advocates running barefoot on asphalt. And yes, running can wear out your joints, but even if you wear running shoes.

patricklynch 15y ago
"Nobody advocates running barefoot on asphalt." Here's a Harvard professor who advocates running barefoot on asphalt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=7jrnj-7YKZE#t=329s http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v...
- jd 15y ago
  Interesting. Thanks for the link.
- noelwelsh 15y ago
  Same Prof that is covered in the OP's article.
tomelders 15y ago
They will certainly wear out faster without shoes, no matter what you're running on. Evolution is somewhat limited in what it can do. It must build upon things that are already there, over very long periods of time through subtle genetic mutations. Just because evolution didn't grace us with air cushioned soles and decent bridge and ankle support doesn't mean it's no good for us. Evolution had a lot less to play with and did the best it could. Humans made it better. I do find it odd that some people like to look back at the way humans did stuff in the past and somehow arrive at the conclusion that it's better for us. They invariably neglect to take into account the pitifully short lifespans our ancestors had. We also lived in caves, but I don't see many people eager to do that these days. And then there's stuff like the Palaeolithic diet which is absolute nonsense that ranks up there with Hal-Al and Kosher butchering. That became a rant... I had no idea it bothered me so much.
- Game_Ender 15y ago
  This at least has some evidence. The guy pushing barefoot running has done some a study showing you put less stress on your joints when running barefoot then with shoes. I believe it had something to do with running with a better stride then when in padded shoes because your feet now have more feedback information. Just found his website here: http://barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/ http://barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/
  - scott_s 15y ago
    My understanding of the mechanics are simple: when you heel-strike, your heel hits the pavement hard, and the shock is absorbed by your knee. When you toe-strike, your ankle can act as a spring and absorb the impact over a greater period of time, meaning your joints experience less force. I think it's the toe-strike versus heel-strike is what's important. Running shoes just encourage heel-striking.
- ta12121 15y ago
  Actually, there have been studies that show that the more expensive your running shoe, the more likely you are to get injured. People think they need running shoes because they run incorrectly. You are not supposed to land on your heel. This is something you can only do with super padded running shoes.
- eru 15y ago
  > They will certainly wear out faster without shoes, no matter what you're running on. Why should your body `wear out' from activity? Are humans some kind of clumsy machine that wears out from friction?
  - scott_s 15y ago
    Well, yeah. Our joints are mechanical. (Note that I am agreeing with the notion that our bodies wear out, as do all machines. I am not endorsing the parent post's claims about shoes being better for running.)
mythobit 15y ago
No, running doesn't ruin your knees. Rather than rewrite the wheel RW Daily does a fine job including links to research. http://rwdaily.runnersworld.com/2012/02/no-running-does-not-ruin-your-knees.html http://rwdaily.runnersworld.com/2012/02/no-running-does-not-...

pmahoney 15y ago

I'm not an expert by any means, but I've scanned the literature using what tools I have, and the impression I get is this: (sorry, I don't have all my references handy) * Running (with shoes) is not a predictor of osteoarthritis (see http://www.jaoa.org/content/106/6/342.full http://www.jaoa.org/content/106/6/342.full). Elite athletes (running vastly more than typical recreational runners) do exhibit more signs visible in X-Rays, but do not report symptoms at a higher rate than any other group. * Reliable predictors of acute injury are "too much, too soon", history of past injury, and, oddly, old shoes. (See http://www.time-to-run.com/footwear/mechanisms.htm http://www.time-to-run.com/footwear/mechanisms.htm). Matching the type of shoe to type of gait (as running shoes stores often attempt to do) has never been shown to reduce injury rate. * It is possible to run with shoes and without injury. (I did it for 10 years; my old coach for 30+). * It is possible to run barefoot on concrete and asphalt without injury. (I've done it for 5 years; others have for longer). Those last two anecdotes don't speak to long-term injury, but I'm not terribly worried for two reasons: The first is the lack of correlation between running in shoes and osteoarthritis. The second is that the foot-achilles-knee is a spring-like appendage with vastly more play than 1/2 inch of EVA foam. Anecdotally again, I feel no pounding when running barefoot on concrete.

glanch 15y ago
Is it safer/healthier to run on grass than concrete? I like to run laps on a soccer field near my apartment rather than on city sidewalks so I don't have to deal with traffic. But I seem to be the exception in my neighborhood. I see tons of people running down the streets, but nobody running on grass. I assumed that a softer running surface would create less impact on my joints and prevent injury and reduce wear and tear on my body. But I could be wrong. Just curious.
- dpark 15y ago
  Probably depends on how you run. If you're a forefoot striker, running on asphalt is probably better than running on grass, because the vast majority of the impact will be absorbed by the calf/foot muscles. The danger from stepping in a hole or tripping over an object hidden in the grass probably outweighs the minimal increase in impact from running on concrete (not that either of these should actually be a significant danger). On the other hand, if you're a heel striker, the reduction in impact might be worth it. Stomping on concrete with your heels sends a lot of force through your ankles and knees.