could argue that running with heavily cushioned and con trolling shoes is actually unnatural and may contribute to the high rate of injuries that modern runners experience today. Clearly there are biomechanical differences between barefoot and shod rearfoot strikers running, and these have been documented well in the literature. However the injury risk associated with barefoot running is largely unknown. A paradigm shift in the way we think about footstrikes, foot- wear, and even treatment of the foot may be emerging. Well- controlled, large-scale, prospective injury studies are needed to determine whether shedding our shoes while we run is truly good for our health