Common Question: Should My Heel Touch the Ground?
When running barefoot, the foot strike (I prefer the term foot "kiss") often receives unnecessary focus. New barefoot runners will spend so much time trying to master the nuances of the "perfect" foot strike, they will ignore more important elements such as posture, relaxation, etc. I routinely instruct people to do whatever feels natural. The idea is simple- if you follow my advice of starting on a smooth, hard surface, foot strike will take care of itself. If you land with a heavy heel strike or overstride, pain will ensue. Giving detailed instructions cannot account for the natural variation in anatomy. We're all different. As such, our foot strike will look slightly different. I land on the lateral side of my sole and roll my foot inward. Others land more towards the center of their midfoot. How you do it is mostly inconsequential as long as you can accurately react to the feedback from your feet. There is one issue that ar...