INERTIA: A Therapist's Thoughts

Carrie Truebenbach provided the following response to a reader's question,

"I am not especially familiar with this shoe yet. That being said, it is a "shoe" with minimal to no cushion. For most people this style of footwear (mimicking barefoot running) would be difficult to adjust to, as the majority of runners (85 percent) are heel strikers to some degree. This pattern of gait is facilitated by the typical styles of shoes, including running shoes that we wear daily. To tolerate a shoe such as the Five Fingers, without getting injured, your running style would need to be very neutral and efficient — even if you were wearing it for competition only.  So I would likely not recommend this style of footwear for many runners ..." 

Thanks Carrie!