Posted on: Friday, August 22, 2003

Barefoot running not always good for the feet

By Casey McGuire-Turcotte
Special to The Advertiser

Is bare better?

You might think so, if you've read any number of recent articles in national magazines like Runners World and Health and Fitness.

Several issues have suggested that running without shoes for as little as 15 minutes a day can do wonders for your feet, making them stronger, more flexible, and giving the runner attached to them a better sense of overall balance.

The idea has to do with "stability," a kind of training that focuses on strengthening the little muscles in order to help the big muscles work better. Our feet are made up of more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments, which make them a prime area for stability work.

Podiatrist Dr. William A. Rossi, D.P.M, of Massachusetts, a consultant for the shoe industry, believes that many running shoes restrict the movement of those smaller muscles in the foot.

"Natural foot flexibility, toe spring, and heel roll are important facets of running that are inhibited by shoes," Dr. Rossi writes in an essay on running barefoot.org. "When the muscles aren't utilized, they become weak, and that can lead to injury."

Many people in Hawai'i have taken this school of thinking to heart, and swear by running barefoot on the beach or at the park as a part of their overall training regime.

Different in Hawai'i

While there is something natural and pure about letting your toes wiggle through the sand or grass while you move, local podiatrists warn that the advice in those magazines might not apply to us here in Hawai'i the way it does to those elsewhere.

Dr. Robert LaReaux, D.P.M., is a board certified podiatrist in Podiatric Orthopedics and Podiatric Surgery. He moved here from Chicago 17 years ago, and believes people in Hawai'i might not realize just how foot-bound the rest of the country is.

"Most of the research in national magazines is done on people who live on the Mainland where they usually don't take off their shoes except to sleep, literally," LaReaux said. "Sure it's important to stretch your toes and let your feet breathe, but here in Hawai'i, we do that almost everyday anyway —even just walking around the house. Most of those studies are aimed at people wearing shoes all day long."

Dr. Brigette Kuhn-Kerley, D.M.P., a podiatrist in Honolulu, says that for most people, running barefoot can do more harm than good.

"You are more prone to acute injury (such as stepping on a rock), muscle strain because of poor running form, and a lot of knee and ankle problems since you're feet are hitting the ground without the support and cushion of shoes," she said. "Strong feet are important, but running barefoot isn't the best way to do it."

A proper shoe

Kuhn-Kerley says the best thing you can do to ensure the health of active feet is to head to a running shoe-specialty store, such as The Running Room on Kapahulu or Runners Route in Ward Warehouse, and have a specialist pick a good shoe for your foot.

"Shoes can be a major cause of injury if they don't fit right, and most of us don't really know what our feet need in a shoe," she said. "A specialist can help eliminate a lot of the confusion."

So before you add any barefoot mileage to your schedule, keep in mind the amount of time you spend barefoot in a non-athletic environment. Chances are, those little muscles in your feet are stronger and more stable than you think.