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Biomechanics

Barefoot running strikes back

Nature volume 463, pages 433–434 (2010)Cite this article

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Detailed analyses of foot kinematics and kinetics in barefoot and shod runners offer a refined understanding of bipedalism in human evolution. This research will also prompt fresh studies of running injuries.

A commitment to walking and running on two legs distinguishes humans from apes, and has long been the defining adaptation of the hominins — the lineages that include both humans and our extinct relatives. This form of locomotion (bipedalism) has been around for millions of years, and we have been unshod for more than 99% of that time1. The uniquely specialized anatomy of the human foot2 is thus a product of barefoot bipedalism, which is still the norm in parts of the world. Lieberman and colleagues' biomechanical research on the subject (page 531 of this issue)3, therefore has implications for interpreting human evolution. It also has some potentially useful and thought-provoking implications for sports medicine and running-shoe design. (Full disclosure: I don't run any more, either barefoot or in shoes.)

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Figure 1: Different footfalls.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. William L. Jungers is in the Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook, New York 11794-8081, USA. william.jungers@stonybrook.edu,

    William L. Jungers

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  1. William L. Jungers
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Jungers, W. Barefoot running strikes back. Nature 463, 433–434 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/463433a

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