Bryn Mawr Wellness is sponsoring and participating in the “Run For Your Mind” 5k walk/run on April 26th at 9 a.m. We encourage you to walk/run with us! 

It’s a common question asked of chiropractors: Is it okay for me to run barefoot?

Much of the body’s movement and support depends on our feet, which means we should be careful with them. Of course, many years ago, human beings did not rely on the support of shoes. But those humans also were not standing, walking and running on hard, flat surfaces all day. Nonetheless, there are some compelling arguments for running barefoot.

Daniel Lieberman, a professor of human biology at Harvard, conducted research in 2010, looking at runners who went from barefoot to wearing shoes and vice versa. He found that barefoot runners placed more impact on the front or middle of the feet, rather than the heel. This resulted in less repetitive-stress injuries. And then there are other studies that have shown that both barefoot running and minimalist shoe wearing resulted in more serious foot problems than runners who wear traditional running shoes.

Scientific research has yet to provide a clear consensus on the issue of barefoot running. It remains a controversial topic in both the running world and the medical world. As with many forms of exercise, there is no right answer that can be applied to all athletes and runners. Chiropractic care and orthotic support are encouraged to be used, with the occasional “break” provided to your feet in the form of going barefoot when doing leisurely activities around the house, etc.