I have been an advocate of barefoot running and minimalist footwear for running for nearly a year now. After I began suffering from IT BAND SYNDROME I bought my first pair of VIBRAM FIVEFINGERS early last fall, and now I’m running again, injury free. Lately I’ve been looking at the new VIBRAM BIKILA and the SOFTSTAR RUNAMOC for running, and I’m also really digging the VIVOBAREFOOT for everyday wear.
I stumbled across this great article called YOU WALK WRONG all about how wrapping our feet in padding and “support” tends to prevent the 200,000 nerve endings in your feet from doing their job. It’s a very long article, but if you are someone who walks a fair amount on a daily basis (as most of us are) then it’s worth the time. The diagram below is taken from the article, and illustrates exactly what I’m talking about in practice.