A recent New York Times article, “For Running Shoes, It’s Fit First and Price Last,” got the attention of many triathletes and runners. In it, Lesley Alderman discussed minimalist running shoes, being barefoot, and the use of inexpensive options over high tech footwear. Alderman cited two studies that basically showed what’s most important in finding a good shoe: “fit first and price last.”  The piece also highlighted one runner’s favorite trainers: A $25 pair of Champion shoes that she bought at Target.

Searching for the perfect running shoe is an ongoing endeavor. Through the years advertisers have given the sport a whole list of slang words and phrases that not only are misguided, but harmful because they make it seem like they know what kind of shoe you need. It’s like saying blue is for boys and pink is for girls. Even Alderman uses some of this industry jargon in her Times article: “Pronators, those whose arches roll inward, for instance, may need a shoe with motion control, which may be a bit more expensive than neutral shoes.” Motion control and neutral shoes are names the industry uses to help consumers buy a certain shoe. By using scientific terms like pronation, the advertising works.

Recently, triathletes and runners have taken notice of the harm caused by built-up running shoes.

But something else is going on here, something that is doing an injustice to runners and triathletes. In a 1997 British Journal of Sports Medicine paper, Dr. Steven Robbins, a biomechanics expert at the McGill University Centre for Studies in Aging, stated that “deceptive advertising of protective devices [in shoes] may represent a public health hazard and may have to be eliminated presumably through regulation.”

Robbins discovered that expensive running shoes aren’t worth the money and may even increase the risk of injury. He found that overly thick soles cause a loss of balance. “It’s a myth that thick soles offer the most protection,” he told reporters after his landmark study was published.

Subsequent studies by other researchers confirmed Robbins’ findings. Runners in thick-soled shoes were more than twice as likely to suffer injuries as runners in thin soles. Robbins even went on to suggest that athletic shoes should be classified as “safety hazards” rather than “protective devices.” His red-alert warning was certainly not the message footwear giants like Nike, New Balance, or Reebok wanted the public to hear. Almost all running shoe companies make some good shoes. Your job is to find the one that fits best because mass-produced shoes simply can’t take into consideration the wide range of feet (see my article here on how to find your perfect fit).

The Times article also mentioned the minimalist shoe trend, another word that makes me cringe. It’s an industry term created to sell more shoes. “Barefoot shoes” is an oxymoron. Many such shoes are the same oversupported, thick-soled trainers and racers that have been on the market for years, just with new names, and still artificially support the foot in ways that will lead to injuries.

Take the Vibram Five Fingers shoe. Can you just slip your toes into this glove-like shoe and run off? Sure, if your toes are straight. That’s what I did when first tried them on—I was very impressed with the nearly barefoot feel. But when your toes are pointed all in different directions, sliding them comfortably into this “glove” of a shoe is easier said than done. If your toes want to go one way while the shoe is made for more “normal” feet, there’s a clash. It means rubbing skin on synthetic materials, which can lead to blisters.

Going barefoot can be an important and therapeutic component of triathlon training.

The Times article also mentioned barefoot running, which had been getting a lot of press lately. But barefoot running is nothing new. I’ve spent more of my life barefoot than shod, because it’s the best workout for the feet. As a competitive sprinter in high school and college, I would sometimes race barefoot—not just because Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia won the 1960 Olympic marathon running barefoot, but because it felt right. When I ran my first marathon in New York City in 1980 in one of the simple, flat, low cost shoes, it coincided with a significant turning point for the shoe industry—it suddenly started making a very different shoe, not because of any scientific research, but rather marketing strategy. Running shoes became laden with all sorts of newfangled cushioning, thick waffle soles, shock-absorption, and rigid heel support. Runners were seduced into accepting the new “more is better” trend, buying shoes that, in reality, contributed to skyrocketing injuries.

Recently, triathletes and runners have taken notice of the harm caused by built-up running shoes. Christopher McDougall’s bestselling book, Born to Run, significantly influenced this consumer trend toward barefoot running and minimalist footwear. A few weeks ago, Christopher visited me to gather information on his new book, and to discuss his training. We took time to ponder the barefoot running scene. He runs barefoot, or sometimes with sandals, because his feet were nearly destroyed by running shoes. He will be running the New York City Marathon barefoot.

When I used to lecture at triathlon and running expos, I would give a demonstration of the running-shoe injury paradox. After I first cited a variety of medical studies dating back to the 1950s on how shoes can cause foot, knee, hip and back problems, I would have an athlete run across the stage or up and down the aisle in his running shoes, pointing out the abnormal heavy heel strike that the cushioned shoe sole caused. Then I would ask the volunteer to take off the shoes and run barefoot. To the audience’s astonishment, the athlete’s stride transformed into a beautifully arched and light prance reminiscent of world-class runners.

What I suggest, instead of searching endlessly for the perfect shoe, is creating a better foot. No, not in the lab or with prosthetics: with healthier feet. That way, more shoes will better fit your feet, thus reducing the risk of potential foot, knee, hip and other injuries. The main problem with most running shoes is that the human foot was anatomically designed to provide a flexible yet durable platform to allow the lower body to move along the ground. (Our closest living relatives, the orangutans and chimpanzees, use their feet primarily for grasping and climbing; they seldom walk very far.) For eons, man walked, trotted, loped, and ran barefoot. Because the foot is not dainty or fragile, it doesn’t require a stiff, unyielding container to protect it from impact. But when encased in an excessively built-up running shoe, the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the lower extremities begin to atrophy, leading to what one exercise researcher called “wimpy feet.” Instead of the foot and lower leg acting as shock absorbers, it’s the shoe doing the work—which in turn causes a weakening of the foot.

I don’t suggest everyone throw away their shoes and become barefoot runners. That too can be just as problematic as wearing the wrong kind of shoes, and the transition must be made slowly. But going barefoot can actually help fix your feet, and can be an important and therapeutic component of triathlon training. I recommend that triathletes regularly walk barefoot to help maintain better foot function, and recovery from injury. This “workout” can be done at home or work, or coupled with training such as walking barefoot for 15 minutes as an easy warm up before your swim session.

The more we understand about our feet, the better we can care for them and even fix them when their function goes astray. Our feet must last a lifetime. They’re subjected to more wear and tear than any other body part. Just walking a mile, you generate more than sixty tons—that’s over 120,000 pounds—of stress on each foot! Fortunately, our feet are actually made to handle such natural stress. It’s only when we interfere with nature that problems arise. Almost all foot problems can be prevented, and those that do arise can most often be treated conservatively through self-care by being barefoot.

Read more about feet and running shoes in Dr. Philip Maffetone’s “The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing,” or read an excerpt here first. Dr. Maffetone is a frequent contributor to lavamagazine.com, where he writes the column House Calls.