Hong Kong minimalist shoe running experiment sets stage for better treatment of heel ailments

A study which found that running in shoes with a minimal cushion can increase foot muscle volume by about 8 per cent could lead to better ways to treat heel pain.

The research by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Harvard Medical School found that the 20 runners involved, when running in minimalist shoes, had to land on the front of their feet, which boosted the mean volume of the runners’ external and internalfoot muscles by 7.05 per cent and 8.8 per cent respectively.

Minimalist shoes are defined as shoes that are highly flexible and include a minimal amount of heel-toe drop, arch support, stack height and weight, according to the study’s lead researcher, Dr Roy Cheung Tsz-hei.

According to Cheung, the clinical significance of the research could be enormous for rehab treatment for a condition called plantar fasciitis, which is the most common cause of heel pain. Cheung said the study suggested that strained plantar fasciitis could be rehabilitated and strengthened by running without shoes.

Cheung said the aim of minimalist shoes was to create the experience of running barefoot.

“We used magnetic resonance imaging to examine muscle volume. The muscle became bigger.” Cheung said.