4 ms·

We need to make science based decisions, not marketing based decisions. This article is dead on. In the absence of science (and sometimes in its presence) we sh

We need to make science based decisions, not marketing based decisions. This article is dead on. In the absence of science (and sometimes in its presence) we should look to history. What we find in indigenous cultures, besides just the Tarahuma runners is barefoot or minimal shoe wearing people with very few feet problems. Wearing a cast around your foot all day is not a good idea! Personally, I recommend a mixture of barefoot and the vibram five fingers or other minimal shoes.

glymor 18y ago
It's a tautology to say that people who could run before running shoes were invented didn't need running shoes, it ignores the possible runners that dropped out. Running is a mechanical process. If there is something wrong with your feet, say your arches are too low or too high, or if one of yours legs is longer than the other, you will have problems with your gait that will likely increase your chance of injury. I don't see how history plays into it.
- gregwebs 18y ago
  The point is people didn't need to "drop out" because they weren't getting hurt. History gives us knowledge we can apply to even mechanical concepts. We don't need to reinvent the steam engine, we can just look it up in a text book. Likewise, we don't need to try to reinvent running or the human foot when our inventions are not as good as the original.
  - glymor 18y ago
    The point is people didn't need to "drop out" because they weren't getting hurt. You have no evidence for this statement. The Lore of Running is a good reference if you're a runner I suggest getting it. One of the things the author deals with was the introduction of running shoes to the existing athletes at the time. It did make much difference and for some it caused problems. But there are now athletes who couldn't compete without them. As an example how would you deal with flat-feet historically? Looking at how armies have handled it just excludes you from fighting.
    - gregwebs 18y ago
      Historically people rarely had flat feet until they wore shoes their whole lives. This would lead one to conclude that flat feet are strongly caused by wearing shoes. This is reinforced by the fact that flat feet can often be cured by stretching and strengthening the muscles of the feet. You can see now that these ideas are making their way into the scientific literature, although they aren't actually doing the needed studies yet. http://www.nzma.org.nz/journal/121-1272/3024/ http://www.nzma.org.nz/journal/121-1272/3024/ You are right that scientific peer reviewed research on barefoot native cultures (and barefoot running in general) is hard to find. But when you recognize that it is scientifically proven that shoes decrease cushioning and increase joint stress, you start to think we haven't progressed much from them. http://www.mskreport.com/articles.cfm?articleID=2980 http://www.mskreport.com/articles.cfm?articleID=2980
jrussino 18y ago
I recently had the chance to pick up a pair of Vibram's Five Fingers: http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/ http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/ I saw these shoes about two years ago in ID magazine when the original won a few design awards. Essentially, they are meant to provide a near-barefoot experience while protecting the soles of the feet and providing some traction. Wearing something like this goes against most of the advice I've received about shoes; as someone with flat feet, I've always sought out shoes with good support, motion-control, etc. However, I find them strangely appealing. Whenever I run/play frisbee on soft surfaces like grass I find it very comfortable to go barefoot. I don't think I've seen enough evidence to be convinced that there is something wrong with common running shoes, but I'm excited to try these anyway.
- gregwebs 18y ago
  Its great that you are experimenting. Be prepared for people staring at your foot-like shoes. You may want to try keeping your vibram five finger running on grass or at least dirt, and getting into it as gradually as possible, although if you already do frisbee barefoot you might be ready to go at it hard. Our feet did not evolve to constantly run on concrete, although they still absorb more shock than any running shoe. You may also want to try practicing raising your arches by gripping the floor in such a way that your toes bend backwards and you make contact with the big toe and little toe ball of the foot.
huherto 18y ago
ahh. I live in the tarahumara region. Some times a little girl may run next to you. She may wear a big skirt and some really crapy shoes with a little heel. It is humbling.

glymor 18y ago

It's a tautology to say that people who could run before running shoes were invented didn't need running shoes, it ignores the possible runners that dropped out. Running is a mechanical process. If there is something wrong with your feet, say your arches are too low or too high, or if one of yours legs is longer than the other, you will have problems with your gait that will likely increase your chance of injury. I don't see how history plays into it.

gregwebs 18y ago
The point is people didn't need to "drop out" because they weren't getting hurt. History gives us knowledge we can apply to even mechanical concepts. We don't need to reinvent the steam engine, we can just look it up in a text book. Likewise, we don't need to try to reinvent running or the human foot when our inventions are not as good as the original.
- glymor 18y ago
  The point is people didn't need to "drop out" because they weren't getting hurt. You have no evidence for this statement. The Lore of Running is a good reference if you're a runner I suggest getting it. One of the things the author deals with was the introduction of running shoes to the existing athletes at the time. It did make much difference and for some it caused problems. But there are now athletes who couldn't compete without them. As an example how would you deal with flat-feet historically? Looking at how armies have handled it just excludes you from fighting.
  - gregwebs 18y ago
    Historically people rarely had flat feet until they wore shoes their whole lives. This would lead one to conclude that flat feet are strongly caused by wearing shoes. This is reinforced by the fact that flat feet can often be cured by stretching and strengthening the muscles of the feet. You can see now that these ideas are making their way into the scientific literature, although they aren't actually doing the needed studies yet. http://www.nzma.org.nz/journal/121-1272/3024/ http://www.nzma.org.nz/journal/121-1272/3024/ You are right that scientific peer reviewed research on barefoot native cultures (and barefoot running in general) is hard to find. But when you recognize that it is scientifically proven that shoes decrease cushioning and increase joint stress, you start to think we haven't progressed much from them. http://www.mskreport.com/articles.cfm?articleID=2980 http://www.mskreport.com/articles.cfm?articleID=2980

jrussino 18y ago

I recently had the chance to pick up a pair of Vibram's Five Fingers: http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/ http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/ I saw these shoes about two years ago in ID magazine when the original won a few design awards. Essentially, they are meant to provide a near-barefoot experience while protecting the soles of the feet and providing some traction. Wearing something like this goes against most of the advice I've received about shoes; as someone with flat feet, I've always sought out shoes with good support, motion-control, etc. However, I find them strangely appealing. Whenever I run/play frisbee on soft surfaces like grass I find it very comfortable to go barefoot. I don't think I've seen enough evidence to be convinced that there is something wrong with common running shoes, but I'm excited to try these anyway.

gregwebs 18y ago
Its great that you are experimenting. Be prepared for people staring at your foot-like shoes. You may want to try keeping your vibram five finger running on grass or at least dirt, and getting into it as gradually as possible, although if you already do frisbee barefoot you might be ready to go at it hard. Our feet did not evolve to constantly run on concrete, although they still absorb more shock than any running shoe. You may also want to try practicing raising your arches by gripping the floor in such a way that your toes bend backwards and you make contact with the big toe and little toe ball of the foot.

huherto 18y ago

ahh. I live in the tarahumara region. Some times a little girl may run next to you. She may wear a big skirt and some really crapy shoes with a little heel. It is humbling.