The facts aren't in on whether barefoot running is actually causing the injuries or if the epidemic is coming from more runners trying barefoot running (more participants = a higher number of injuries).
But the article does make some compelling arguments for the idea that barefoot running can lead to an increased risk of injury. The injury that's most commonly seen in barefoot runners is plantar fasciitis, so of course that got my attention. According to the article, plantar fasciitis accounts for less than 15% of all running-related injuries, but over 90% of all barefoot-running-related injuries. That's certainly food for thought. It also made me remember that I first really started noticing my heel pain after I took a Zumba class at the gym -- and did most of it in my bare feet. Interesting.
It also points out a serious flaw in the chief argument of the book "Born to Run" -- that human beings are made to run long distances. And, by extension, that the best way to do that is in bare feet. The article quotes an expert who says, "If we say everyone is built to run barefoot, we should also say that everyone is built to fly a fighter jet without glasses. Except we don't all have 20/20 vision." In a nutshell, he's pointing out that we're all different -- each with our own strengths and weaknesses. We're not necessarily "born to run," or at least, not born to run barefoot. We can correct our vision with glasses, and can correct issues that impact our ability to run well with the right footwear.
Another reason to keep my shoes on my feet. But also to make sure they're the right ones: the article is very clear that the wrong shoes can also lead to injury, which makes me wonder about the purchase I made last fall ... I never feel quite right when I'm running long distances in those shoes. Could they have contributed to my plantar fasciitis? More thoughts on that to come.
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