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Duncan Ingram
Susan Lester
Adv. Gram and Comp
4th October 2011
Biomechanical Aspects of Modern Running
Everyday there is an increasing number of injuries between not only young but
veteran runners as well. Endurance running pertains mostly to the runners, but with every
machine it requires specific parts to run it or in this case running shoes to power ones
self. Podiatric principles and biomechanical engineering can have a positive impact on
the modern day running shoe.
The rapid introduction of new shoe technology is affecting peoples running habits
and their injury rate. Although it does not seem logical at first, “Humans have engaged in
endurance running for millions of years, but the modern running shoe was not invented
until the 1970s”(Lieberman).Considering that the modern shoe has only been around for
forty years there is a possibility that it is not even necessary. Since millions of years of
one technique has served as an efficient supplement to the new standard it should not be
much of a change from what the human body is used to in order to provide protection and
efficiency. It is also interesting to note that “The air not only protects the foot, it controls
its movement”(Belsie).Air is an effective alternative to the rubber soles most shoes
contain including the positive benefactor that air is lighter than rubber already giving air
the edge. With air having a competitive advantage over rubber more resourceful uses may

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be put into affect to test the adaptability of the resource. In addition air may also be used
in order to stabilize the tendons and ligaments in the ankle that are not easily trained by
beginner runners. This will not only be making a safe alternative to running barefoot and
possibly injuring the ankle, it will also create the stability muscle that the foot needs in
order to become stronger. And so, the way the shoe affects movement can also cause
many differentiations with the biomechanical aspects of the body. So it is evident that,
“Biomechanical differences include increases in external force loading rate, higher tibial
acceleration, flatter foot placement, higher ankle joint stiffness and earlier EMG intensity
for the tibialis anterior”(Nigg).From this biomechanical aspect it can be concurred that
running shoes put large amounts of stress and flexion of which the knee and ankles are
not prepared to accept. Making injury not only inevitable but also increasing the rate at
which it comes to fruition. Wearing these shoes is the primary cause for injuries among
athletes. The body’s response to the running shoe is to increase the speed at which the
tibia is required to turnover putting increasingly large amounts of stress on the ankle
joint. Undoubtedly the way that our technology is advancing is too rapid of succession in
order for the human body to keep up. With this new things are being developed in order
to remove the risk factor from running and create habitually safer runners.
Throughout the history of these new shoes society has only worried about three
things: protection, style, and instant gratification. This has caused humans as a whole to
become not only weaker but also tender in the foot and ankle region. As Amby Burfoot
discussed with his colleague “We had to run on huge, rounded cobblestones that were
completely unyielding," Kelley says. "They had no 'give' at all. I remember that I was

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afraid of slamming down too hard on them” (Burfoot).Running barefoot is a feat within
itself which requires practice to maintain a pace for an extended period of time. If the
extenuating circumstance of running on rough terrain occurs the foot and the person
could encounter several severe issues. Running across cobblestone is very unsettling in
the belief that a heel injury might occur do to lack of protection on the foot. This is why
Kelley the woman who was interviewed by Amby Burfoot was growing an anxiety abut
the situation at hand not that the actual running would affect her , but the thought of
becoming injured do to alack of protection. On the other hand, “In 1960 Ethiopia's Abebe
Bikila, the greatest Olympic marathoner of all time, won the first of his consecutive gold
medals sans shoes in a world record 2:15:17” (Burfoot).He ran barefoot for two
marathons and not only completed them but set a world record barefoot which means that
you do not need shoes to be efficient or a successful runner. With this suggestion also
comes unspoken truth as well, this Ethiopian practiced predominantly without shoes
which could be one of the large contributing factors to his rate of success. Parallels also
appear when designers, “had to put enough cushioning in their shoes to protect the heel,
but not so much that a runner's foot would "wobble" and get out of sync with the working
of the knee” (Belsie).When the suggestion was finally made that professional runners
wear shoes during races the next step came along of what to make them out of and one
initial idea was a foam cushion. The biomechanics suggested that a runner could have
such a thing as to much support creating a weakness and making the body unstable. So
the only solution was to find the exact amount of cushion that a normal lower body could
handle and test it to see if it does as Laurent Belsie suggested and if it contains any

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“wobble” at all than it is apparent that there is an excess amount of padding which is not
needed in order “to protect the heel”. For this purpose biomechanics have made it a goal
to establish a solid and safe state of protection over a runner’s foot. However, none of this
could be done without the current advancement of shoe technology.
To consider another phase of the issue, podiatrists and biomechanics are both
working tediously on new technology to create the best possible shoe for people. This is
all helping to solve the crisis of injury do to improper form from shoes and poor design.
In order to prove, “Their theory:” that “Modern man does spend too much time in shoes,
and this weakens many of the foot and leg structures” (Burfoot). This suggests that
considerable discoveries have been made from running barefoot that it actually helps
your body stay strong. These podiatrist also believe that as a whole to much time is spent
in the shoe and that going without is not always a bad thing it , but if breaks are not taken
from shoes it could cause major problems including diseases such as patella femoral
syndrome and falling of the arches. In some respects, “kinematics and kinetic analyses
show that even on hard surfaces, barefoot runners who fore-foot strike generate
smaller collision forces than shod rear-foot strikers” (Lieberman).Engineers have been
making many positive moves forward in technology including this one in which they use
graphs and charts to analyze the force output due to gravity on the feet. They are
suggesting that running barefoot and fore foot striking are the best possible ways that
engineers are aware of to help prevent injury and strengthen ligaments and tendons.
Since,” This difference results primarily from a more plantar flexed foot at landing and
more ankle compliance during impact, decreasing the effective mass” (Lieberman).

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Accordingly the engineers believe that if the foot is plantar flexed it is more likely to
decrease the active mass the body has over the ankle. Suggesting that in order to reduce
the impact of landing it is required to land on the toes creating an almost spring like
pattern to stay efficient while running. Without a doubt engineers and podiatrists are
coming out with new ideas every day all of which they plan on continuing until they have
designed the perfect shoe. Engineers have been looking forward since the invention of the
shoe and have not stopped designing since. Although it does not seem true at first, “I’m
not putting on huaraches, though" says the native woman to Cynthia Gorney about the
sandal that all of the men of the village wear. Engineers are looking forward in order to
design new shoe but they are also looking in the past to use its design elements in the 21st
century. One type of shoe that the engineers neglectfully use all too often is the huaraches
of which they base their minimalist running pattern. Interestingly enough, “The Company
that has made the biggest splash with a new cushioning technology is Reebok
International in Stoughton, Mass” (Burfoot). With new advancement in Reebok
technology every day the perfect running shoe is becoming ever present in many eyes.
They have slowly been making their shoe thinner and thinner giving it the huaraches look
and feel. This new cushioning technology has caused a new boom in the market of which
they all are designing newer and more innovated ideas such as lighter and more effective
not to mention much thinner than most and all of this is for the world’s best running shoe.
Engineers have migrated a great distance from the early running shoe designs making it
better in almost every way and it shapes how one runs everyday.
The facts seem to indicate that a future in this field is not only optimistic, but vivacious in
every aspect. There are many sensible designs still to be discovered however. This will be

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leaving plenty of opportunities for the next chivalrous biomechanical engineer to bring
new ideas to fruition.

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Works Cited
Belsie, Laurent. "Running-shoe makers kick the foam habit." Christian Science
Monitor 13 May 1997: p14. Print.
Burfoot, Amby. "SHOULD YOU BE RUNNING BAREFOOT?" Runner's World Aug. 2004:
p61-63. Print.
Gorney, Cynthia. "A PEOPLE APART." National Geographic Nov. 2008: p78-101.
Print.
Lieberman, Daniel E. "Foot strike patterns and collision forces in habitually
barefoot versus shod runners." Nature 28 Jan. 2010: p531-535. Print.
Nigg, Benno. "Biomechanical considerations on barefoot movement and barefoot
shoe concepts." http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/
detail?vid=3&hid=127&sid=75f1ff33-589c-476c-965e-ecf0e1a15cec%40sessionmgr113&bda
ta=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=45483918. Ed. Department of
Kinesiology and University of Calgary. EBSCO Industries, 2009. Web. 9 Sept.
2011. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/
detail?vid=3&hid=127&sid=75f1ff33-589c-476c-965e-ecf0e1a15cec%40sessionmgr113&bda
ta=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ>.

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