Tagged with "vibram five finger"

Running in Vibram FiveFingers allow and promote a natural running form very close to that of running barefoot but offer the additional advantage of providing the protection of a Vibram sole to reduce the risk of underfoot puncture or cut injury from ground debris.

Which part of your foot strikes the ground first has a significant effect on the efficiency of your running form. Many experts used to argue that the outside back edge of your heel should strike first, then as momentum moves your body over your foot, you should push off from the big toe. This technique requires a stride length that places your foot ahead of your body and means that you are landing with an almost straight leg that contributes to deceleration and causes strain on your body.

Recent scientific studies suggest that a different approach is more efficient. Investigations into the differences in foot strike between running barefoot and running in conventional trainers. When running barefoot there is a clear tendency to reduce stride length which results in landing mid foot allowing the arch of the foot and leg to absorb the energy and spring back to release the energy. This has the advantage of propelling your body forwards whilst reducing the strain on your body. Although the landing is midfoot, the heel is still allowed to make light contact with the ground as momentum moves your body over your foot.