The Great Running Shoe Debate: Barefoot vs. Cushioned

Here's Why You Should Have BOTH Barefoot and Cushioned Running shoes if your goal is to maximize performance and health long term.

Running Products I recommend (including both types of shoes)

The "Barefoot"/ Minimalist Running Shoe I recommend is the Altra Escalante and the more cushioned shoe I recommend is the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 both linked on the list above.

Books I recommend (Including Human Locomotion book I referenced):

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Comment below if you have any questions!

Disclaimer: This video does not have any affiliation with, or any recognition, sponsorship, or endorsement by, the NSCA. CSCS® and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® are registered trademarks of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Information contained in this video or otherwise provided by The Movement System is for educational purposes only, and does not substitute professional medical advice or consultations with healthcare professionals. Always consult with a medical professional before making changes to your exercise routine.

✅ Let's Connect:

[pauljimenez]

Hey Matt, a few notes on this video

1.) I don’t think anyone in the barefoot running community would consider Altras as barefoot shoes. Barefoot shoes have much less cushion (vivobarefoot, xero, shamma sandals, and vibrams). I would put altras in just the zero-drop category.

2.) it is possible that humans were evolved to be persistence hunters. We were never the fastest mammals, but due to the way our body regulates heat, we could outlast other mammals in a long distance, easy paced run. All of those animals could easily beat us in a short sprint though. Professor Dan Lieberman talks about this in the book Born to Run.

3.) the tarahumara natives of Mexico that the book delves into have only ever run in sandals and use running as a means of travel. I think the book said they regularly run something like 50 miles on a day. They’ve also won some ultramarathons that they’ve competed in.

It feels hard to say definitively that long distance running is something that is relatively new in our history.

[thedykshow]

Best decision I have made was going to a barefoot shoe, been wearing the Hykes Escapes and love them, soo comfy and my feet feel so good. Feel like I have been lied to all these years with regular shoes and Never going back to regular shoes.

[KenanTurkiye]

I got an old table tennis shoe (very flat) (Mizuno Crossmatch Plio RX4) and I use them in the gym for weightlifting and sprinting on the threadmill.
But use Asics Novablast 2's for sprinting and uptempo running outside and the track.

[erichinkle]

I do agree that we should wear both! Though I want to add that we were evolved to run long distance to run down our prey. Humans were evolved for better endurance than our prey. So I think there should be some slight change to when we wear each.

When we wear barefoot shoes we should avoid hard heal strike.

If you’re standing for super long periods of time for a job or something, then wear padding.

Runs that are both long AND high intensity can have padding for the shoe.

For long, slow runs, we should alternate.

[healthy-natural-]

I have been using them, I am using the Hykes Pinnacle barefoot shoes, it took me awhile to get used to them but now I will never go back to regular shoes, my feet are so much strong and I love how I feel so much more connected with the trail. Try and see you may like it.

[madeleinehx]

I have worn barefoot shoes (vivos) everyday for the past 8 years and started regular running for health in the last year or so with no issues. I genuinely just feel so comfortable in them.

HOWEVER, I just did my first 10k, and I want to try shod running to see if it improves my performance, but now I'm worried I might be too used to barefoot! 😂

[mwb]

The fact of the matter is is a heavy heel strike due to an elongated heel cushion is worse for you than running barefoot the Barefoot will help you distribute your weight naturally on the front part of your foot around the ball increasing the strength of the archway and overall increasing the strength of your feet and eliminating the heel strike all together

[geckojack]

Do you know ultra shoes make thicker more cushioned wide toe box shoe

[dogwink]

I came to similar conclusion. Humans didn't evolve to, as Back to the Future 3 put it, "run for fun", so the barefoot shoe argument for performance distance running loses strength. We evolved to walk and sprint, so that's what minimalist shoes seem to be for.

[grimmjonog]

I've been using padded shoes for walking long distances and flip flops or sometimes flats for short walks. I've been doing barefoot in my home gym for a while. I wouldn't recommend flip flop walks for people that aren't used to wearing flip flops, I've been wearing them my whole life.

[jasmine-rojas]

didn't humans evolve to do long distance running/intermittent running as persistence hunters?

[FisherMan-bhdn]

Evolution is a fairytale. Sorry but I can't take you seriously.