What We Can All Learn From Barefoot Running
I recently came across this great presentation made by Dr. Daniel Lieberman in March last year (2012). If you have an hour to spare, the video is well worth a watch...
Dr. Lieberman has been at the forefront of barefoot running research in recent years. It's really interesting, and refreshing from a coaching point of view to hear a scientist promoting the concept that it's not the shoe (or lack of shoe) that matters, but the running form of the individual - regardless of footwear choice. Very much a case of Form Before Footwear :)
In addition to the clear call for more research, particularly running form based research, I also wholeheartedly agree with the statement that we're "having the wrong debate" as a running community - worrying more about the footwear or lack of footwear, rather than how the runner is moving as a whole.
I highly recommend sitting down with a coffee and watching this presentation, as Dr. Lieberman explains his hypotheses and findings far more eloquently than I ever could!
