Foot Strike

There is a controversy among runners about foot-strike. Should a runner hit the ground with the heel, the midfoot, or the toe? Some runners are very passionate about this question.

In an effort to give information about this aspect of running technique, I am presenting information from web sites and books that discuss the question. If you know of other web sites that discuss foot-strike, please email me the links.

Summary

This section summarizes the pros and cons of the different types of foot-strike that are being used. Once a runner knows his/her stride, the runner can do exercises to counteract the weaknesses of that stride

Foot-Strike	Pro	Con
Heel	Stretches the calf muscles. Less stress on calf muscles and Achilles tendon. Better shock absorption than the other two methods.	Contributes to over striding, slower running, and poorer form.
Midfoot	Better shock absorption, less stress on calf muscles and Achilles tendon than toe-strike	Less shock absorption than heel strike.
Toe	Less stress on knees and ankles. Reduced stride. Contributes to better form, and faster running.	Keeps calf muscle contracted, contributing to shin splints, Achilles tendonitis, and muscle pulls.

Details

About.com Sports Medicine

A normal foot strike lands flat or on the outer-back portion of the heel and then rolls onto the sole and ends with the push-off from the ball of the foot.

A heavy heel-strike can lead to excessive traumatic forces and actually slow you down.

Landing hard on the midfoot or ball of the foot places more stress on the achilles tendon (which will contract to counterbalance the force of the strike). This is seen often in sprinters. For these runners, stretching the calves and achillies regularly is recommended to reduce injuries.

A System for the Measurement of Impact Force in Footwear

Measurements of the energy absorption by the soles of running shoes have shown that running shoes vary considerably in the amount of energy absorbed. The conclusion I draw is that we should choose shoes based on our foot-strike pattern.

The results demonstrated considerable variability between shoes for different speeds and for both toe and heel strike. Discussion here is based on the shoes which score well for both heel and toe strike energy measures and how these results relate to retail cost. Shoe F for example is the highest performing shoe for heel strike at both speeds but rates low for toe strike. The shoe is moderately priced but rates high for energy and would be more appropriate for low intensity joggers or walking where heel strike is predominant. Shoe D is also well priced and performs well for fast heel and toe strike and is therefore more appropriate for a higher performance runner. Shoes A and B are effective for toe strike at both speeds but performance is relatively low on heel strike. These shoes are more appropriate for the more competitive runners who perform at higher velocities and require more effective fore foot energy absorption. Shoes D and E both perform well on heel strike over toe strike but vary with speed.

Dr. Stephen M. Pribut's Sports Pages

Some say to run on the ball of your foot, others say contact the ground with the heel. We take a middle of the road approach. Studies have shown that good long distance runners usually contact with the midfoot. Slower runners contact between the midfoot and the heel, faster runners a bit further forward. We feel that only sprinters or short to middle distance runners should contact the ground with their forefoot or the ball of the foot. While there may be exceptions to the rule, this is a good way for most beginning and intermediate runners to start out. It allows for better shock absorption, less stress on the calf muscle and Achilles tendon, and better rolling forward onto the next stride. Your muscles then end up being used in a similar manner to how you walk, and this is the pattern of muscle firing and contact pattern they are accustomed to.

Dr. Pribut serves on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine (AAPSM), is the current President of the AAPSM and also serves as Chair of the AAPSM Shoe Committee.

The Pose Running Method

Conclusions: Pose running was associated with shorter stride lengths, smaller vertical oscillations of the sacrum and left heel markers, a neutral ankle joint at initial contact, and lower eccentric work and power absorption at the knee than occurred in either midfoot or heel-toe running. The possibility that such gait differences could be associated with different types and frequencies of running injuries should be evaluated in controlled clinical trails.

"Reduced Eccentric Loading of the Knee with the Pose Running Method", Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: Volume 36(2) February 2004 pp 272-277

The Runner's Repair Manual, by Dr. Murray Weisenfeld

When you run, you should land on your heels--not on the balls of your feet. Your heel should hit the ground first--then your arch comes down--then the ball of the foot and toes. You take off from the ball of the foot--and you're into your next step. Landing on the balls of the feet is bad for you because your calf muscle never gets a chance to stretch. It stays contracted. That's how calf muscles get short and tight. Any kind of running makes your calf muscle shorter and tighter, but running on the balls of the feet makes it worse.

The Runner's Repair Manual is an old book, copyright 1980. Thus, the text may not reflect advances in sports medicine. However, Dr. Weisenfeld, a podiatrist, treated many elite runners, and his comments are based on his clinical experience with his patients. In addition he consulted with seven doctors, two trainers, and an expert on running shoes as he wrote the book. Thus, even though his comments were written over 25 years ago, I think they have value, because they are based on the clinical experiences of those persons. Weisenfeld apparently felt that the cons of toe strike outweighed the cons of heal strike

To be added...

�

If you would like to receive occasional notices about changes and additions to this site, send an email to Allen Leigh at the address given below and request that you be added to the email list for the Running Injury Free site. I respect your privacy, and your address will be used only for occasional notices and will not be given to anyone. Put Running in the Subject so my spam program won't delete your email.

The information in this site and in my podcasts is for informational purposes only; it does not constitute medical or physical therapy advice. For medical advice, consult a physician. For physical therapy advice, consult a physical therapist.