Some shoe brands, like ASICS and Saucony, have responded to this research by redesigning the traditional running shoe to help correct undesirable pronation. pronation.” Reinventing the Running Shoe to Promote Natural Gait The least amount of pronation takes place when running barefoot.” The study’s authors suggest that “In order to reduce the risk of injury, running shoes should be improved “with respect to torsion and. According to a 1991 study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, “Excessive pronation is accepted as a good indicator for various running injuries. Neutral pronation even distributes the weight across the whole foot.Ī certain amount of pronation is natural, but the foot seems to pronate a lot more in running shoes than when running barefoot.

Underpronators put too much pressure on the outside of the foot, and overpronators put too much pressure on the inside. If you get this side-to-side rolling motion wrong, you may be more likely to injure yourself. Running shoes also increase the amount of pronation, the side-to-side rolling motion of the foot. Traditional running shoes encourage a front-to-back rocking motion, with the runner’s weight landing first on the heel of the foot, and then transitioning to the front. In order to design an effective “minimalist” running shoe, shoe manufacturers have carefully studied how barefoot running works. That’s why running shoe manufacturers have sought to engineer a compromise between barefoot running and protecting the foot. Okay, so you’re probably not ready to strip off your shoes and clothes and go running down the scalding hot asphalt street heedless of broken beer bottles, rusty nails, and discarded syringes. What if we tried that? Rock and Roll Makes for Good Music, but Bad Running Shoes So why are the Tarahumara such great runners? What if it isn’t that the Tarahumara-a culture that still lives like our ancient ancestors-have somehow invented something new? What if, instead, they’ve simply preserved an ancient capacity that the rest of us modern, technological humans have lost? What if we all have the capacity to run ultra-marathons at 80, and we’ve just messed it up by wearing fancy cushioned running shoes? The Tarahumara run naked, either barefoot or with only thin leather sandals on their feet. We caught and killed animals by chasing them until they lay down from exhaustion and gave up the ghost. Before we had edged weapons, humans were “endurance hunters.” We weren’t the fastest creatures on the savannah, but thanks to our sweat glands, we could go long distances while other creatures tired quickly. McDougall thinks the Tarahumara have tapped into a capacity from deep in humanity’s evolutionary past. They’re not doing 26 miles they’re doing 100, 150 miles at a time, and apparently without injury, without problems.” As McDougall said at TED, “deep into old age-70 to 80 years old-these guys aren’t running marathons they’re running mega-marathons. One aspect of that traditional way of life is running marathons. Living in a remote region of Mexico called the Copper Canyons, the Tarahumara have maintained their traditional way of life with relatively little impact from modern technology. McDougall takes his inspiration from a reclusive tribe of Mexican Indians called the Tarahumara. According to McDougall, running shoes may be slowing us down and causing injury by interfering with our natural gait. Through this book and a subsequent TED Talk, McDougall popularized the idea that humans evolved to run barefoot, and we shouldn’t try to technologically “improve” upon the running equipment nature gave us. The V-Run has also been designed to hold up well on smooth and more unpredictable surfaces, while a stretchy mesh upper means you get a secure, snug fit.In 2010, journalist Christopher McDougall published Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen. Whatever your stance, buyers reap the benefits of Vibram's latest outsole technology here, which keeps things light but also offers plenty in the way of durability. Some argue that the splayed toes goes against the barefoot mantra of allowing the feet to behave as they would if shod in nothing at all, while others find that having the toes locked in place is slightly more comfrotable and lends itself well to scrambling and climbing situations. But with the V-Run, you're getting something that maintains an unmistakable visuals, while being deliberately designed for running in harsh environments. Vibram and its webbed foot-style design approach to barefoot running shoes is arguably the most iconic - and off-putting, in some cases. For: Traction across variety of terrain, Stretchy upper, Good for running and gym work

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