Many of these barefoot running articles that have been coming out now are citing research done by Dr. Daniel Lieberman, professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard. The study is conveniently layed out on a webpage titled "Running Barefoot or in Minimalist Footwear" and is a great way for newbies or people interested in an alternative type of running to get a start and feel comfortable with the idea. Each page is very clear, using simple writing, pictures, and videos to aid the reader into understanding the barefoot revolution.

Our ancestors used to run to chase down food, like gazelles and antelope, which means we were born to run (kind of like the book "Born to Run"). Running is a good thing, even though about 30% of runners get injured every year. When the popularity of running exploded in the 1970's, new shoe companies like Nike tried to solve this problem and make the experience more comfortable by introducing shoes with lots of cushion, which in theory absorbed the shock of the ground impact. The cushy heel, however, caused runners to change their gait, creating a population of heel strikers. The heel absorbed the impact from the foot, but transferred the shock up the leg to the knees and back, creating an all new problem. Heel striking was never an option for runners before this new age of shoes, but now about 75% of the population are doing it. Runners are basically forced to heel strike in modern shoes, unless they excessively point their ankle downward, because the elevated heel catches the ground before the foot reaches a nearly flat clearance point. Barefoot running is gentler on the joints, as the weight should be centered over the hip upon impact, thus evenly distributing the force.

There's also a YouTube video which you can watch here:

For more information, check out the birthdayshoes.com analysis of the study by Justin Owings. And if you'd like to start barefoot running, but need a little confidence boost or running partner, head over to barefootbenny.com!