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Shod runners tend to heel strike due to the designs of the modern shoes, which have thick heels to reduce the impact force from the ground. When running barefoot, however, some runners tend to shift to a forefoot striking pattern to avoid such impact, which is equivalent to 2–3 times the body weight. [22]
mid-foot strike – heel and ball land simultaneously; heel strike – heel-toe: heel of foot lands, then plantar flexes to ball; Sprinting typically features a forefoot strike, but the heel does not usually contact the ground. Some researchers classify foot strike by the initial center of pressure; this is mostly applicable to shod running ...
In this configuration, the foot is able to absorb and damp the large loads encountered during heel strike and early weight acceptance. [17] The forefoot, with its long metatarsal and relatively long phalanges , transmits loads during the end-of-stance phase that facilitate the push-off and transfer of forward momentum.
This rolling inward motion as the foot progresses from heel to toe is the way that the body naturally absorbs shock. Neutral pronation is the most ideal, efficient type of gait when using a heel strike gait; in a forefoot strike, the body absorbs shock instead via flexion of the foot.
Additionally, they should choose a shoe with a slight heel-toe drop (the difference between how high the shoe is in the heel versus the forefoot), which can minimize impact forces and ankle stress ...
When comparing different populations of habitually barefoot runners, not all of them favour the forefoot strike. A 2012 study focusing on 38 runners of the Daasanach tribe in Kenya found that a majority of runners favoured a heel strike instead of a forefoot strike. [16]
With a heel strike, this phase may be just a continuation of momentum from the stretch reflex, gravity, and light hip extension, offering little force absorption through the ankle joint. [28] [30] [31] On the other hand, a mid/forefoot strike helps in shock absorption, supporting plantar flexion from midstance to toe-off. [31] [32]
Barefoot running is thought to improve running form by encouraging forefoot striking. The collision of the forefoot with the ground generates a significantly smaller impact force in comparison to striking heel first. [29] However, barefoot running leaves the foot unprotected from stepping on sharp objects.