Looks like we can save all that money on special shoes: Barefoot
Running: How Humans Ran Comfortably and Safely Before the
Invention of Shoes "Running barefoot or in minimal shoes is fun
but uses different muscles," said Harvard professor Daniel
Lieberman. "If you've been a heel-striker all your life, you
have to transition slowly to build strength in your calf and
foot muscles." (Credit: Image courtesy of Harvard University)
ScienceDaily (Feb. 1, 2010) — New research is casting doubt on
the old adage, "All you need to run is a pair of shoes."
Scientists have found that those who run barefoot, or in minimal
footwear, tend to avoid "heel-striking," and instead land on the
ball of the foot or the middle of the foot. In so doing, these
runners use the architecture of the foot and leg and some clever
Newtonian physics to avoid hurtful and potentially damaging
impacts, equivalent to two to three times body weight, that shod
heel-strikers repeatedly experience. "People who don't wear
shoes when they run have an ast