Ideal Running Foot Strike: Does It Even Matter?!

[@chrisbarbanica8161]

One of the benefits of mid-foot strike is that as a focus of minimal running it is reducing overall stress on the joints, allowing the muscles to absorb shock and moving the natural pronation from the knee, to the ankle, which is evolved to handle that. If you look at the heels of a running shoe of a heel striker, you will see over time that the heel wears away on one side of the shoe. We used to use a glue gun to fill that void back up, preventing, for a time, a pronated foot strike, but thus also torquing the knee. Clearly if you are glueing you’re shoe heel to deal with uneven wear, this Is not a natural landing alignment. Now that I switched to minimal shoes my shoe heels no longer wear away and my knee doesn’t get twisted over time while my muscles take more of the stress, instead of my joints. You can also midfoot strike in regular running shoes (non-minimal) but it is easier to fall back to heel striking when you have loads of cushion. Your foot wants to feel the ground so it pounds harder to get that sensory feedback. The down side of mid-foot strike is that it stresses the calves but there are stride adjustments to account for that. If you are a mid foot striker you should also focus on calf strength and flexibility to avoid Plantar facia issues. No one Should be forefoot striking unless they are sprinting, or “tipping” as my track coach used to call it. Total death to calves over the long haul . I cringe when I see joggers doing this. I agree that speed, fatigue and terrain might cause one to alter strike alignment but that is the exception, not the rule, and it is how you run in the main that mostly determines injury potential, not the 10 percent of the time you are forced to adjust to an altered strike by circumstance. One other benefit of mid-foot strike is that because one is using the leg muscles to absorb stress there is no need to replace shoes after 300 miles. I wear my shoes until the uppers wear away, and I get holes in the mesh, or if they start to blister my feet. Total myth that you need to replace every 300 or so miles. You shouldn’t be relying on the shoe’s cushion to handle impact stress, that just makes the shoe moguls happy.

[@austintheson4823]

I agree. I've been running with mid-foot strike, and I don't feel any pain in my running anymore for the past months!

[@olirc]

If I need to remind myself of technique while running, I just think 'running on eggshells'. Also a good way to describe it is, you're basically creeping. Just creeping as fast as possible.

[@JasonFitzgerald]

That's a fine cue, but it's not helpful when you're trying to run fast. Speed = power, and if you're not landing hard and putting a lot of force into the ground, you won't be running fast. So it's important to understand when and when NOT to try to run on egg shells.

[@thenayancat8802]

I'm no physio, but I'd imagine a big issue is whether you're hitting the ground dead on, or whether you're absorbing some of the momentum into your stride. Can be pretty sore if you land directly onto a straight knee!

[@JasonFitzgerald]

Very true. Which is a great reason why focusing too much on foot strike is a one-dimensional look into form. It's just not that simple! A good example is the "proprioceptive heel strike" I discuss in the video 👍

[@brycekopper2841]

I've always tried to be a fore foot striker. I have a 1/2 marathon in a week and will try the run/walk method. Jason, which foot pattern would be the best? My knees have been aching in training as I've tried to run as much as possible on my fore feet. Your podcasts are great. I'm a new listener but a long time runner.

[@manutd9899]

Thanks for another great informative video!

[@simont6439]

Can't change your stride? This is just wrong. I changed from a heel strike to a forefoot strike (FFS) in 2010, and never looked back. In the beginning I ran too much on the ball of the foot, until I realized it was wrong. The correct FFS is a dynamic continuum from a tense foot with high heel separation at sprinting speeds, towards a relaxed foot with low heel separation at medium to low speeds. The latter is what is mistakenly called a "mid-foot-strike". It's not, it's a FFS. It's a very clear signal that determines when a heel strike is used, that is the double-top impact force with a much faster force-increase. This is also a common cause of shin-splints.

[@parrotbrand2782]

True..i used to heel strike..then i changed to toe strike and I won 2 marathons and an Olympic medal.

[@HS99876]

Good video

[@thespacetime]

when answers are based on feel not science for such a question that really needs scientific proof

[@Bryan-fb8dh]

I disagree. A lot of people heal strike because their trying to sit straight up as they run. Lean forward like your chasing something and your feet will land almost even with the pad of the foot touching first.

[@JasonFitzgerald]

Not only did you spell "heel" and "they're" wrong, but you mistakenly believe runners should not run with an erect posture. The forward lean is a good thing, but to claim that you'll have a forefoot strike just because you lean forward is bananas. Bryan, if you don't know much about running, you should not be giving out advice.

[@kc0dxf]

Have to disagree. I've been a student of the pose method for 15 years. I was able to modify my stride significantly when I first started using it. Running barefoot and heal striking is pretty much impossible and not what the human foot was designed for.

[@lekcindr]

I find this piece to be erroneous and irresponsible. To reference fast runners with a heal strike most definitely DOES NOT equate to their heal striking form being the most efficient form, even for them. Skip to (9:20 to learn how to run SLOW with a forefoot foot-plant and 180 steps per min).