Poster 344 Injury in Ultramarathon Runners and its Association with Foot Strike Pattern and Gait Characteristics

What do people think about running barefoot/with minimalist footwear? A thematic analysis

“…For example, in a retrospective study, individuals who habitually landed in a heel strike had 2.7 times more moderate and severe injuries compared with those who habitually landed in a forefoot strike (Daoud et al, 2012). However, other research has found no such differences (Hoo, Krabak, Kasmer, Vandeleur, & Ciol, 2015) and there is currently no compelling evidence to support or refute the claim that running barefoot or with minimalist footwear reduces injury rates (Kaplan, 2014). Unlike running in conventional running shoes, barefoot runners do not have any footwear cushioning, a lack of which may increase the risk of bone injury in the feet and the strain on the lower extremities (Ridge et al, 2013).…”