AN EXPLANATION OF THE INFLUENCE ON DECIDING WHICH TYPE OF FOOT STRIKE TO USE WHEN RUNNING BAREFOOT OR IN MINIMALISTIC SHOES

ABSTRACT Buying minimalistic shoes does not mean that you know how to use them. Salespersons are rarely competent to give adequate advice how to transition to new shoes. The same happens when someone chooses to run barefoot. So, the aim of the present experiment was to find out whether giving or not giving an explanation of the correct technique of foot placement in barefoot running and running in a minimalistic shoe influences the frequency of rear-foot strikes in natural, rear foot strikers when running barefoot or in minimalistic shoes.  Thirty-nine subjects (age = 34.9 ± 6.9 years, height = 174 ± 9 cm, mass = 73.1 ± 13.8 kg), randomly divided into four groups participated in this experiment. Subjects in groups 1 and 3 did not receive an explanation, while groups 2 and 4 did. Besides the difference in explanation, there was also a difference in the shoes worn during the intervention. Subjects in the groups 1 and 2 ran barefoot, while subjects in groups 3 and 4 ran in minimalistic shoes. The initial state of the foot strike patterns was measured in classic running shoes. During the intervention subjects ran according to the group they were in. 80% of the subjects in groups 1 and 3 took the most steps in a rear-foot strike pattern (Mdn = 100) while only 21% of the subjects in groups 2 and 4 took the most steps in a rear-foot strike pattern (Mdn = 15.7), U = 64, z = -3.619, p (0.00) < 0.05, r = -0.58 . The results show that an explanation and demonstration of the correct technique of foot placement in barefoot running and running in a minimalistic shoe is important when someone decides to switch from classic running shoes to minimalistic shoes or to go barefoot.