Most of us who either run or exercise regularly count on a good pair of running shoes to help us along. This fact has spawned a multi-million dollar industry that touts the latest technology to protect our bodies from the rigors of running. Now, however, scientists are beginning to realize that running in bare feet just may be the way to go, casting doubt on some of those marketing claims by major shoe manufacturers.

The reason for this is because running in either bare feet or with minimal footwear encourages us to land on the ball or middle of the foot. This encourages us to use the architecture of our body to avoid the severe impact that results from “heel-striking,” which is more common when we wear running shoes. In fact, heel-striking can impact our feet with as much as three times our body weight.

Researchers arrived at their findings, published in the journal Nature, by examining the strides of runners from the United States and Kenya. The athletes fell into three distinct groups, which included those who run barefoot, those who wear shoes, and those who had worn shoes but had converted to barefoot running. What they found were distinct running patterns.

When wearing running shoes, which describes more than 75% of the people in the U.S., the tendency is to land on the heels. This can result in a force that is the equivalent of a 1000 mile per hour collision. For barefoot runners, landing on the heels is painful, so they land with a spring in their step in way that lessens the blow and distributes the force more evenly throughout the foot and leg.

Scientists believe that evolutionary forces have actually molded our feet for running with more pronounced arches that cushion the force of each step. This is in marked contrast to the feet of our ancestors, which had less pronounced arches. When you really get down to it, humans have been running with bare feet or minimal foot protection for millennia, and the concept of wearing running shoes is really a recent phenomenon.

Indeed, popular perception is that running with bare feet is detrimental, if not dangerous, but it turns out that, with the exception of some calluses, people can run barefoot on extremely hard surfaces without damaging or hurting their feet. Indeed, some experts believe that it would result in fewer injuries than if a person wore running shoes.

The authors of the study, however, caution that most of us have grown up wearing shoes, so if a person decides to run with less foot protection, they should do it slowly rather than jumping in with both feet (no pun intended). Part of this is because going “shoeless” makes us utilize different muscle groups that need to be acclimated to their new role, particularly in the feet and calves.

The research was conducted in the hopes of finding ways to reduce the huge number of injuries that plague runners today, some of which are rooted in the use of running shoes.

If you have questions or concerns, consult with your physician. Before embarking on any rigorous training programs, consult with a professional trainer. For more information about running without shoes, check out the website for Running Barefoot.