SNRC Corner: Considering Minimal Running Shoes? Prepare Properly!

Thinking of Trying Minimal Shoes?  Be Sure to Transition Properly!

Irene Davis, PhD, PT, FACSM, FAPTA, FASB

Spaulding National Running Center

With the recent interest in barefoot and minimal footwear running, runners of every level are considering making a change. Most traditional sneaker runners land on their heels and are classified as rearfoot strikers.  This type of landing is associated with an impact force in early stance that has been shown to be related to running injuries.  In contrast, barefoot runners land on the ball of their foot with a mild forefoot strike (FFS) pattern that is absent of the impact force (Figure 1).  However, a forefoot strike landing increases the demand on the calf and arch muscles. Many runners switching to minimal footwear or barefoot have mixed results because they simply try to do too much too soon. For our patients at the Spaulding National Running Center to have the best results, we recommend transitioning to be done slowly and with proper preparation.

Before hitting the roads or trails with your new minimalist shoes, make sure to consider:

-       If you have been a rearfoot striker and wearing supportive running shoes with elevated, cushioned heels, transitioning will take some time and patience. 

-       The worst time to make any major changes is right before a race. 

-       Keep in mind that it often takes a number of months before you are running your pre-transitioning distance without any soreness.

Landing on your forefoot increases the demand on the calf, and removing support from your arch requires these muscles to also work harder. Therefore, you need adequate calf and arch strength and endurance to sustain a forefoot strike running pattern. 

We recommend 2 simple exercises to address this: calf raises and arch doming. 

Both exercises are best done barefoot.  For calf raises, stand on one foot (you can lightly hold onto a stable object for balance), and raise fully up on the ball of your foot while keeping your knee straight.  Begin with 3 sets of 10 and progress to 30 continuous repetitions, and repeat on the other foot.  For arch doming, again, stand on one foot.   Then press your toes flat (not flexed) and raise your arch upwards (Figure 2) holding for a count of 5.  Begin with 3 sets of 10 and progress as with calf raises.  Once you are able to complete 30, well-executed, repetitions of both exercises, you are ready to begin running.

More on minimal footwear next…..stay tuned!

Dr. Irene Davis is the founding Director of the Spaulding National Running Center (www.runsnrc.org), Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Mass.  Dr. Davis has been conducting biomechanical research on runners and their injuries, as well as treating runners for the past 25 years.