Hey,
Here's a cool video comparing barefoot running and running with sneakers.
Notice that the knee almost locks when the heel strikes first, which is particularly bad without a meniscus as is my case.
OTOH, when the ball of the foot strikes first, the whole leg acts like a big spring (and damper). Next week, I'll try running in my FiveFingers every other day and see how they feel at the end of the week.
http://www.feelmax.com/ has some more normal looking shoes that are almost like running barefoot.
090514 This explains a good deal about the ability of eastern and midwestern indians to run or simply keep going day and night over long distances without faltering, stop to grab a quikee meal, and then do the same thing all over again, time after time (as Champlain and the huronoric indians did after that first firearmed attack on the iroquois near Lake Onondaga, NY; and it explains a good deal about why the Masai could run across arid lands for days on end without stopping.
Posted by: The Good Doctor at May 14, 2009 10:19 AM