Shoes. Shoes. Shoes. Esculier et al (2015) define a minimalist shoe as: “Footwear providing minimal interference with the natural movement of the foot due to its high flexibility, low heel-to-toe drop, weight, and stack height, and the absence of motion control and stability devices.” The first litmus test that should run through our mind concerning any type of shoe is: are minimalist shoes comfortable for you? If so, all questions are solved. If not, then the goal is to find a shoe that is comfortable from 10 feet to 20+ miles. A previous post here mentioned that when it comes to shoes, COMFORT is key. Keep this in mind when it comes to all running shoes.

Additionally, a recent article looked to discover if there are any benefits to minimalist shoes. Using 23 qualitative studies out of 583 discovered, Linares-Martin et al (2022) discovered several interesting metrics concerning minimalist shoes. They found:

1. Improvements in the ability to use oxygen and run faster (running economy)

2. Better stride frequency (steps per minute)

3. Lower vertical movement of the center of gravity (less oscillation up and down)

4. Less double limb support time and ground contact time

What happens in the body?

1. Enhanced forefoot support at ground contact

2. Increased knee stability leading to greater foot and ankle mobility

3. Reduces impact load at the knee joint

The take away = if you prefer to be barefoot and tend to gravitate toward minimalist shoes for running and activity, have no fear as they are as good as any other shoe.

– Dr. Dan, PT, DPT, Synergy PT & Wellness