Thread: Pain-Free Running - Shoes NOT Required.

How many times do you hear from someone who doesn't run because they have pain? And then they complain they don't have the right shoes. It's not about the shoes being good or bad and its not about the surfaces you are running on - it's about the WAY in which you run. Period. Most people rely on the shoes in order to support the body... this leads to dependency and a weaker foot/ankle structure. The foot is a master of engineering - FAR more advanced and capable than any shoe. Try running barefoot for a mile or so and pay close attention to the different technique you use than you do when you wear a shoe. The tibialis anterior muscles are very small thin muscle group designed to bring the foot upward (dorsiflexion). This muscle group was not designed for load bearing use, but when we heel strike run this is exactly what we are doing. If you compare the muscles of the lower leg you will see that the calf muscles are HUGE in comparison to the tibialis. This is because the calf was designed for heavy load bearing activities - like running. The calf is your shock absorber or "spring" to keep the act of running smooth and flowing - not jarring like it is when you strike with your heel. Imagine driving your car on a rough road with no springs or shocks. When your heel strikes the ground first your tibialis muscle is engaged hard to try and take up some of the shock with the very small joint distance from the heel to the ankle. By doing this you send that shock right up to the knee and to the hip. Do this over and over for a few miles and you will of course develop problems like most people complain of. Having this small muscle group fire over and over again trying to carry the load of your entire body will lead to a lot of pain eventually a host of other joint problems from all the jarring and hard shocks associated with bad form. This is why running gets such a bad rap by so many people as "jarring", "high impact" and "shocking" to the joint and connecting tissue. Most people are just doing it wrong.


Alter your technique so that you do not strike the ground with your heel but instead with the ball of your foot. This keeps the load where it belongs - on the calf. Your stride will become shorter - this is natural. Your foot contact should happen more underneath you rather than out in front of you. The only time your heel should be touching (not hitting) the ground is after the weight has been absorbed and carried by the calf muscle. For some runners the heel never actually touches the ground - it may just get very close. While the foot is in the air both the tibialis and calf muscles should be relaxed. Once you start unlearning the bad habit of heel strike running you will notice a couple of things - you will be able to run farther and faster with less effort, and you will notice your calves doing a lot more work and getting sore easier and faster - these are all good signs. If you do it correctly your tibialis muscles will barely be used at all. Most of the people I have taught this technique to have found a renewed love of running.

There is one caveat to barefoot running that must be observed. You must take it very slow at the beginning. This kind of running can take a serious toll if not done in extreme moderation until the foot and ankle joints, muscles and ligaments have a chance to adapt. It's best to start out by running only a segment of your usual distance barefoot. Run the majority of it with your usual shoes, but make sure even in your shoes you are not heel strike running. If you normally run 3 miles then start by trying a barefoot distance of 1/4 mile followed by the rest wearing your shoes. After a couple of weeks increase the distance to maybe 1/2 mile. Pay close attention to how your feet are adapting and feeling in the recovery time. Adjust your distances accordingly. It can and usually does take a bit of time to get your feet in shape for full distance barefoot running, but once you get there you will find that you won't want to use shoes anymore.

Nice read, but I guess it's supposed to say 'heel', not 'heal'.
About this technique, if you're not used to it, it might be difficult to learn if you wear track shoes. At least I have admit that I fell on my nose on the first time I used track shoes.

Originally Posted by mate88

Nice read, but I guess it's supposed to say 'heel', not 'heal'.
About this technique, if you're not used to it, it might be difficult to learn if you wear track shoes. At least I have admit that I fell on my nose on the first time I used track shoes.

Thanx for catching that - not sure why I thought it was spelled heal and not heel. BRAIN FART!!

Yes track shoes - at least the sprinter kind really dont have any tread on the heel at all, but why do we only have to run like this when we are sprinting? The answer?

We don't. We shouldn't.

Originally Posted by malcomb

why do we only have to run like this when we are sprinting?

It puts a lot of stress on your calf muscles, man I can't even walk today normally after running some 7 kilometer in 40-45 minutes with this technique yesterday. I think it has a lot to do with your speed, it simply suits better when you are sprinting. But, yeah, maybe you're right, maybe we should always do running this way, not only do you seamlessly run faster, but your muscles probably grow faster too.

Originally Posted by mate88

It puts a lot of stress on your calf muscles, man I can't even walk today normally after running some 7 kilometer in 40-45 minutes with this technique yesterday. I think it has a lot to do with your speed, it simply suits better when you are sprinting. But, yeah, maybe you're right, maybe we should always do running this way, not only do you seamlessly run faster, but your muscles probably grow faster too.

Yes thats perfect - when I went full time running barefoot, my calves hurt like hell for a couple of weeks - but its just an adjustment period for them - trust me, once they get used to it they will be bulletproof STRONG! Also it's not really about running faster - I was just using the sprinter as an example of the natural running technique human beings should be using at all speeds. The typical running shoe we have all come to know as standard is where the problem lies. It doesn't encourage natural proper running form - it hinders it.

malcomb, thanks for all the great info and it's certainly made me think. A couple things I just wanted to add:

While it certainly isn't natural for people to wear running shoes, it also isn't natural for people to be running 20+ miles a week as many of us do. Putting in that kind of distance on sidewalks or paved paths is going to be really hard on your body without some sort of protection and cushioning. While the foot is a marvel of evolution the same can not be said for the knee. I know many athletes, myself included, who have had knee problems some even requiring surgery. The knee has a hard time standing up to years of athletic activity, and without the weight distribution and cushioning of a proper athletic/running shoe I can imagine knee pain and damage being worsened.

One thing that every runner should be conscious of is the positioning of every other part of their body besides their feet and legs. How you position your pelvis, how engaged you keep your abs, even how you move your arms will have a significant impact on your comfort and effectiveness as a runner.

That said I find the information you posted incredibly interesting. I've always had a somewhat shorter stride and don't extend my legs far out in front of me. The result is that my heal takes much less of an impact compared to most people. I never realized why this always felt more natural to me, but it does and it has served me well.

The bottom line is that people's bodies are, at a high level, designed to sustain life and reproduce, everything else is secondary. We've decided that running for health and pleasure are things we want to do and everyone who engages in these behaviors should do what is most comfortable for them while at the same time keeping an open mind about different techniques.

Thanks again for the interesting read.