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Choosing the proper footwear is becoming increasingly difficult for active individuals.

The latest trend in fitness footwear is the minimalist shoe. You may have seen people walking around or exercising in those funny looking Vibram Five Fingers. Merrell and New Balance shoes. Even Nike is getting in on the trend and creating shoes that make us feel like we don’t really have any shoes on.

To understand why the minimalist shoe is becoming so popular in fitness, we have to understand the potential problems with its alternative. Most modern running shoes are designed to cushion and stabilize the foot and to transfer weight from the heel of the foot to the ball of the foot. These well-meaning innovations may have created some unintended consequences over the long term.

First, consider that if a shoe does all the cushioning and stabilizing work for you, how can the muscles of the foot, ankle, legs adapt to get stronger? There is value in strengthening foot muscles just as there is value in strengthening abdominal muscles, and minimalist shoes provide the opportunity to do just that. 

Furthermore, we cannot ignore the possibility that a foot or ankle consistently requiring excessive cushioning and stabilization may have some orthopedic issues that should be diagnosed and treated beyond using the shoe as a band-aid.

Another potential concern with the modern running shoe is that it promotes weight transfer from the heel to the ball of the foot. This can be a problem in the gym as well as on the running track, where gait and posture can be the difference between great results and chronic injuries. 

In the gym, it’s important to be mindful of alignment and technique when lifting weights and many of the most effective exercises require maintaining one’s body weight on the heels. Now imagine asking someone to do loaded squats on a downward sloping mattress. It’s extremely difficult to maintain proper alignment when lifting on a sloped, cushioned surface, but this is essentially what we are doing when lifting weights in cushioned running shoes.

The modern running shoe design is coming into question even in the running community itself, as minimalist shoes gain popularity. Minimalist shoes discourage heel strike running and promote a running gait that resembles more closely that of early hunter gatherers as suggested by evolutionary biologists.

The New York Times recently published an article on foot form and running injuries, referencing a study published online in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. The study found that runners who had been identified as having a predominantly heel striking running pattern were more prone to running injuries.

Some see minimalist shoes as having some potential to prevent these types of injuries.

This trend is right on point, but approach it with caution. First, seek out a professional who can assess your posture and gait to make sure that you don’t have any serious alignment issues that need to be addressed. Making the switch requires gradual adaptation and it’s best to slowly ease into it. Start by wearing your minimalist shoes indoors at first and gradually start taking short walks outside before doing any high impact activities in your funky new shoes.   

Tania Tetrault Vrga is owner and head trainer at CrossFit Winnipeg. Send questions to her at.tania@crossfitwinnipeg.com.