The popularity of Vibram Five Finger shoes and the book "Born to Run", by Christopher McDougall has provoked a movement of "barefoot" running and questions from running communities.
Barefoot running proponents contest that by running without shoes, people will naturally run with a forefoot striking pattern. This is supposed to be more efficient and promote pain-free running. Advocates of barefoot running also claim that using cushioned footwear while running has produced a generation of runners with atrophied foot muscles.
A study led by Dr. D. Casey Kerrigan, in which 68 (37 female) healthy, absent of injury, runners were examined while running on treadmills, suggested that "joint torque forces found in his study may contribute to the long-term risk for osteoarthritis, particularly at the knee and hip." However, the scientists still conclude that more research needs to be done, as foot-striking patterns were not examined and other factors could also be responsible for injuries to runners.
The podiatric community is unanimously opposed to running barefoot. They argue that running shoes were designed to protect our feet from ground conditions and sharp objects and provide shock absorption from running on hard surfaces; thus, preventing both acute and chronic injury.
Dr. Steven Rosenberg, a holistic podiatrist based in Santa Monica, California, explains that the foot is comprised of 26 small bones with multiple joints. Without the support and cushioning of appropriate running shoes, runners become vulnerable to a multitude of overuse injuries, such as stress fractures, tendinitis, plantar fascitis, metatarsal bursitis, and others.
Dr. Rosenberg adamantly states that the only safe option to running barefoot would be to do so on soft sand; however, even then one would need to be cautious of any sharp objects below the surface.
If runners are concerned about strengthening the muscles in their feet, barefoot strength/functional movement training in a controlled environment (where they are not at risk of dropping weights on their feet) is recommended to improve proprioception and foot strength.
Runners are free to formulate their own opinions. Since running is a ballistic sport, with or without shoes, conservative progression while increasing volume is most often recommended to prevent injury.
Resource: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/718663
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