There a rather interesting article at New York Magazine, dealing with the whole idea of whether or not shoes are good for your feet. Their conclusion: they're not.
Amongst other things that they note are the conclusions of several scientific studies indicating higher injury rates in runners wearing more expensive shoes with greater cushioning than are found in those wearing cheap, uncushioned shoes.
“If you can imagine a really big, insulated shoe on your foot, when you walk, you kind of stomp on your foot,” says Dr. Najia Shakoor, the studies’ lead researcher. “The way your foot hits the ground is very forceful. As opposed to a bare foot, where you have a really natural motion from your heel to your toe. We now think that’s associated with more shock absorption: the flexibility your foot provides, as well as a lack of a heel. Most shoes, even running shoes, have a fairly substantial heel built into them. And heels, we now know, can increase knee load.” Another factor, she points out, is that when your foot can feel the ground, it sends messages to the rest of your body. “Your body tells itself, My foot just hit the ground, I’m about to start walking, so let’s activate all these mechanisms to keep my joints safe. Your body’s natural neuromechanical-feedback mechanisms can work to protect the rest of your extremities. You have much more sensory input than when you’re insulated by a thick outsole.”
They also note the conclusions of a 2006 study by a group of Chicago rheumatologists that their test subjects observed a 12% lower impact on the knees when walking barefoot rather than wearing walking shoes. A study conducted at McGill also noted that the more padding a shoe has, the higher the force with which an athlete's feet hit the ground.
Perhaps it's time to try some of these barefoot-style shoes that the article mentions.
