(Credit: Adobe Stock)

Most runners are heel strikers. This is an interesting phenomenon in the sport of running, because it’s not the only option. The differences between heel strikes, midfoot strikes, and forefoot strikes are many—why the bias? Understanding this could be the answer to one or more injury woes common amongst runners. Let’s dig a little deeper to see what we find.

What Is a ‘Foot Strike’?

Foot strike refers to the moment when, and way in which, your foot hits the ground during activities like jumping, walking and running (obviously here, we’ll be focusing on running). Different foot strikes affect the body in different ways, and are often studied for their theorized differences in performance and injury risk.

Different Types of Foot Strikes

There are three main types of foot strikes in runners. Heel strike, midfoot strike, and forefoot strike. The following is what characterizes them. 

Heel Strike

In a heel strike, the initial ground contact occurs with the heel of the foot. This means that the heel makes contact first, followed by the rest of the foot.

Man about to land in a heel strike. (Credit: Adobe Stock)

Midfoot Strike

In a midfoot strike, the middle part of the foot (midfoot) makes initial contact with the ground. This means that the heel and forefoot make contact simultaneously or nearly simultaneously.

Woman landing in a midfoot strike. (Credit: Adobe Stock)

Forefoot Strike

In a forefoot strike, the front part of the foot (forefoot), including the toes and ball of the foot, makes initial contact with the ground. The heel may or may not make contact afterward.

Man landing in a forefoot strike. (Credit: Adobe Stock)

Differences Between Heel Strikes, Midfoot Strikes & Forefoot Strikes

Contact with the ground is only the start of what makes each of these strikes different from one another. For the sake of simplicity, we’re going to turn this into a dichotomy between heel striking and mid/forefoot striking. There is a lot of grey area between mid-forefoot strikes, but very distinct differences between both of them when compared to heel striking.

Heel Striking

Heel striking is landing on your heel (rearfoot) and having the rest of the foot follow. Landing on the rearfoot is often associated with a longer stride length and a higher impact force, as the heel absorbs much of the shock. Running shoes enable us to run heel-first on hard surfaces, as this is quite painful if you were to try doing it barefoot. 

This raises some questions as to if our bodies are designed to heel strike. We’re not born with running shoes on, and they only really became popular with innovation from Nike in the 1960’s and 70’s. Nonetheless, it is by far the most common way of running, and how most runners naturally strike the ground.

(Credit: Adobe Stock)

Advantages

The main advantage of heel strike running is that it aligns with the natural inclination of most distance runners. There is less of a learning curve if you don’t have to learn an entirely new foot strike. Heel striking also places less strain on the calf muscles, and there’s some evidence that it may be more efficient at slower running speeds.

Disadvantages

The heel is a round ball, and thus has an inherent inconsistency when landed upon. There is also a tendency to overstride with heel striking, which has a braking effect because the foot lands out in front of you. As momentum carries forward, the heel makes contact and the rest of the foot slaps the ground; these and other factors contribute to heel striking having higher overall impact. 

Mid-Forefoot Striking

Mid-forefoot striking is more of a natural way of running. There has been a burst in popularity for this style of running in the western world, spurred in no small part by the release of Christopher McDougall’s book, Born to Run, in 2009. Since then, the popularity of minimalist and barefoot-style shoes has steadily grown.

Many top-level distance runners use a mid-forefoot strike. Two factors will naturally move one from a heel strike to a mid-forefoot strike; increasing speed (it’s hard to sprint with a heel strike) and minimizing the cushioning in your running shoe or wearing no running shoe at all (it hurts to heel strike with no cushioning). The latter note, in particular, is interesting to keep in mind. 

(Credit: Adobe Stock)

Advantages

Taking a long-term view of the human body (before running shoes were invented), this is a more natural way of running. There is less transition time from stance-swing, and the foot tends to land more directly under the runner’s center of gravity. Mid-forefoot runners land with their toes more pointed, which helps them absorb impact. Better dispersion of force and more efficiency.

Disadvantages

Most runners grow up wearing shoes that facilitate and encourage heel striking. The body (and all its tissues) adapts to this style of running, making it very hard to transition otherwise. Short-term injury risk for moving from a heel strike to a mid-forefoot strike is high, because activation of the foot and lower leg is going to increase quite drastically. 

Comparison: Heel Striking vs. Forefoot Striking

Heel striking and mid-forefoot striking represent two distinct approaches to foot placement during running, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. In the literature on running biomechanics, performance and injury risk, you can find evidence to support and oppose both styles, which can be confusing for everyone in the sport, especially beginners.

In general, we recommend you go with the one that suits your needs. If you’re an experienced runner who is accustomed to shod running/heel striking, stripping down your running to build it back up as a mid-forefoot striker might not even be feasible. If you’re a beginner who likes the feel of minimalist shoes, perhaps you work on building up the barefoot-style strike, instead.

Training for All Foot Strikes

Regardless of the way in which your foot hits the ground, it’s important to train your body to be strong, flexible and mobile to keep up with the demands of running. That’s why we invented Dynamic Runner. A world-leading mobile app and online training platform designed to keep runners healthy and pain-free. Sign up with us for a 7-day free trial by clicking here!

Written by Eric Lister – Certified Personal Trainer & Corrective Exercise Specialist