Born to Run? The Endurance Running Hypothesis thinks so!

Coming from a backpacking/hiking perspective, there are limits for the human foot and situations where, yes, you are likely to be better off wearing something very supportive. Our feet are not all terrain, simply most-terrain. A good pair of boots can help increase grip, protect from ankle injuries, protect from sharp terrain, protect from cold/water, and cushion extra loads you may be carrying which your body isn't used to. Too many people get hurt in the wilderness due to underestimating the value of good footwear.

Not saying running doesn't benefit from the foot's natural design, just that it's not perfect for everything.

 

^^I should have mentioned that if I do go hiking I'll most definitely wear a supportive boot. Mostly becausee of the terrain like you said.

 

Yes and no. Humans have lived and survived in these environments long before the invention of the hiking boot. The tarahumara indians live in the copper canyons of Mexico, crossing extreme terrain on a daily basis wearing nothing more than a strip of old car tyre tied to their feet. They won the Leadville 100 in record time wearing the same.

If I tried hiking in the woods wearing the same it would be an utter disaster as my feet are not used to walking with out shoes so I would benefit from proper hiking boots. Our feet have become weak from wearing modern shoes which undermine our foot and indeed our bodies natural rhythm. Our feet are the 3rd most sensitive part of our bodies and contain 20% of our bones. They are designed to feel the the ground beneath us and flex and move to maintain balance, grip and absorb the shock of our feet striking the ground. When our feet cant perform this function other parts of our bodies have to compensate which can lead to ankle, knee, hip and lower back problems. Arch support is a classic example. Any engineer will tell you the quickest way to weaken an arch is to push up underneath it.

I used to wear Merrell trail running or hiking shoes (not the boots) as I found them very comfortable and durable. I have switched to Onitsuka Tigers now, an Olympic running shoe from 1966. These just have a thin rubber sole and do not try and support my foot in any way. At first they were uncomfortable to walk far in as my feet would get sore but now they are used to them and I find my old Merrells very uncomfortable to wear as I can feel them pushing into my arches. The Onitsuka Tigers are a progression to strengthen my feet so I can eventually start running in my five fingers but even then I will have to take it slowly, build up my muscle strength in my feet or I will injure myself.

 

Bump!

The BBC is currently running series called the "Origins of Us" which looks at our evolution. Surprisingly they give the running man hypothesis a lot of credence. It's well worth a watch on iPlayer if you get the chance. Hippoz you might enjoy it.

 

Hmmm, one thing though...the modern running shoe is made for the modern underground.
Our feet may run well on "soft" grounds, but on our "modern" hard surfaces, running without added dampening will cause back and joint injuries over time.

 

No it wont.

 

I do remember reading quite a bit a while ago on the pros & cons of running barefoot versus running in trainers.

Personally I'd rather use the trainers and avoid any potential issues with running through dog poop, broken glass and other nasties... If it's somewhere safe - such as an indoor track - then I doubt I'd have any problem going barefoot or wearing something like those Vibram Five Fingers.

Over the years I've had the importance of good footwear drilled into me. I used to do a lot of hillwalking/hiking (especially when I was in the Air Training Corps) and ill-fitting boots, or boots that offered no support, would utterly kill your feet. Not to mention really shafting your ankles and/or tendons... The thought of not wearing any footwear at all for any kind of exercise is still a little odd to me.

 

This is actually quite fascinating. It seems strange in modern times to think of doing all these things without some kind of modern footware but when you think about it, Humans have been around far longer than the running shoe. Gonna have to buy his book I think.

Now stop posting interesting things, I'm meant to be working

 

I've ditched my vibrams for some Merrell trail gloves. There are much easier to live with than the vibrams and I can get them on my feet in seconds instead of ten bloody minutes with the five fingers. I did a six mile two and half hour hike with them and they were great. Calfs were getting a bit sore by the end though. Wearing normal shoes feels really weird now though. I couldn't go completely barefoot as the skin of my feet is just too soft but with the minimal shoes you really learn to watch where your putting your feet.

The series on iplayer is well worth a watch if you have the time but it wont be up for much longer.

 

Funnily enough after years of using the fancy specially made nike and adidas running shoes which never failed to give blisters and sore ankles, i've found the most comfortable shoe i've ever worn for running to be a pair of converse all stars off of amazon for £30. Causes no issues for me running whatsoever even after 6 miles.

Think i will need something a bit thicker in the sole to keep warm for winter however.

 

There's no such thing as devolution (in nature).

 

Tis indeed an interesting subject, which I have dipped in and out of for some years, but to little depth.

OP's enquiry is focussing on running's importance to our hunting. As I read OP's post I was thinking, "Well evolution is isn't all about hunting, it's about survival, surviving better than the others. Perhaps we've survived because we can run long distances" - makes migration and self-defense easier.

On the subject of running shoes: nearly all mainstream running advertising and literature is based on the idea that as you run you land on your heel and roll onto the fore-foot. I never land on my heel when running (I do when walking but that is completely different activity to me) - I land on the mid-foot/fore-foot and that's where all my shoe-wear is, on the outside of my fore-foot/mid-foot. But having said that I always run in modern running shoes. The idea that Nike sold the world a product it didn't need is not new to me, but I've never looked into it enough. Surely if there was a real basis behind this notion it would be explored and disseminated into general social conscious by now...

 

Nike and all the other big shoe manufacturers have been asked for the scientific basis of their shoe designs and none have been able to provide anything. The designs are driven by the marketing departments. There have been a few peer reviewed studies that have indicated the bad effects modern running shoes can have.

 

Wow now there's an arguement.
Well than the data the dutch army medical corps collected over a couple of decades is wrong, and all these guys just imagine their worn-out backs.
I'll tell my dad and he can tell his medical service, I'm sure they'll be relieved.

 

My point is walking/running on a man made surface is not anymore harmful than a natural one. We did not invent hard surfaces and the ones we did tend to be pretty flat. The theory is our feet are so sensitive to whats underneath them that they naturally correct our gait and the force we our feet strike the ground and modern shoes interfere with that process.

I am not aware of the Dutch studies and I personally do not have the knowledge to question them but I assume being the Army there were probably wearing boots, carrying heavy loads and doing lots of marching and drills.

 

Okay skim read the thread but

When I read an article on the bushmen of the "whatever in africa" that went injury free the article mentioned that they ran in barefeet over mostly softer terain than tarmac and most importantly
"THEY USE A DIFFERNT TYPE OF STRIDE"
the choose to only lift their legs up slightly - just enough to clean the ground. the writer said that we ( the west ) tend to lift our foot up and then slam it down. Trainers have helped us get away with slaming the foot down technique. Also in another book Running injury free by Joe ellis and he said that the running surface makes a big difference to the amount fo injuries. ( flat is v good to prevent twists and sprains ) but assuming your on a flat surface he ranked them
1) soft smooth cindered track
2) artificial surfaced track
3) soft smooth dirt trail
4) flat smooth grass
5) asphalt ( softer than concrete ) street or path
6) hard drit track or trail
7) concrete sidewalk or raod
also any banked or cambered surface is really bad as is non smooth surfaces that can twist and strain your feet. what he didn't mention were running machines which I assume would be pretty good.

other good advice if you do get injury is RICE - rest , ice, compress, elivate. When you get an injury ice to start with it prevents swelling so that blood can still flow and start repairing the injury. if the injury swells it will restric the blood flow.

I gave up cycling because my bike was killing my knees. running because it was boring and wasn't helping my knees NHS don't give a crap and I can't/won'tpay for a private appointment. so exercise is out for me at the moment. but do give the lifting up your leg lowerstyle of running a try it's an intersting way of running but it doesn't come naturally.

One more thing there is ( i am told don't know original source) evidence that exercise of the wrong type can infact wear out your body rather than help it.

cardio low impact is best.

 

The thing I always tend to find is sport science has the habit of going in circles. One thing I have realised is cross training is important to prevent injures. If you focus on one sport you tend to get hit a plateau and get injuries. Mixing things up always seem to work for me. Having said that i'll probable read the book.

 

I have been running barefoot as part of my warm up in kickboxing and jiujitsu. I can tell you that once you start building up the wasted foot muscles, it's not actually that bad. Granted it's indoors and not for long distances. But it really showed me how we aren't using our feet properly.