There is no evidence that the sales campaign of "barefoot technology," wedgie shoes that sell for $199 at Nordstrom's to relief-seeking arthritis sufferers, aid walkers and runners in any. In fact, there is mounting evidence that barefeet is the best way to go. And, no, they don't help us burn fat!
"I assumed the people who were giving me advice—running shoe people and doctors—knew what they were talking about. I can pin the tail on the villain and say they absorbed the party line of the sports shoe manufacturers who came up with the logical scenario that impact shock hurts. The disturbing thing is there's no evidence it's true.
We're being fleeced. It's a pure marketing and product thing. Modern running shoes let people run with their foot in front of their hips, picking up two feet of stride. You can't do that with the naked foot—it hurts. One of the mysteries out there is that if any shoe in existence really helped prevent injuries, you'd see that in an ad. But you don't. Over and over again, you're told you must go to a specialty running store. They'll say if you're doing something wrong, you need to buy something to fix it.
http://www.usnews.com/health/blogs/on-fitness/2009/4/28/born-to-run-christopher-mcdougall-says-humans-evolved-to-run-like-the-tarahumara.html
