Running Shoes: Good for Feet, But Damaging for Joints

Although running has numerous benefits to the respiratory, circulatory, and muscular systems, there are other consequences that are often ignored by those who run habitually.
In a study run by D. Casey Kerrigan, MD, researchers placed 68 habitual runners on treadmills to observe the difference between running barefoot and running in traditional shoes. Habitual runner was defined as someone who ran more than 15 miles a week, and had no history of musculoskeletal injury. In the study, researchers found that disproportionately higher levels of torque were applied to the hip, knee, and ankle when running in shoes, damaging the vital joints in those areas.