Irene Davis Lecture on Running Shoes, Form, and Injuries: A Must Watch for Anyone Interested in the Minimalist/Barefoot Running Debate

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Last night I came across a post on one of the Birthday Shoes forums that contained YouTube links to a lecture that Dr. Irene Davis gave earlier this year. Dr. Davis is one of the top researchers in the field of running biomechanics and an expert on the treatment of running injuries. She recently left the University of Delaware to become the head of the Spaulding National Running Center at Harvard Medical School. She is also a barefoot runner.

The presentation in the videos below is one of the best scientific overviews of the current state of knowledge on shoes, form and injury that I have seen, and Dr. Davis makes a strong case for why she believes that the modern running shoe is potentially a contributing factor to the high incidence of running injuries in modern society. The first audience member to ask a question in the Q&A calls it a “biomechanical tour de force” on this issue – I tend to agree, as my position is almost entirely aligned with that of Dr. Davis. If you have a free hour, the entire presentation is an absolute must watch.

If you enjoyed the content of this post, consider reading Pete's book - Tread Lightly: Form, Footwear, and the Quest for Injury Free Running (see ad below).

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