Forefoot vs Heel Strike Walking-A Closer Examination

Forefoot strike walking vs. heel strike walking. This video gives a closer examination of these two different types of foot strike. This video compares forefoot strike to heel strike walking techniques, giving a direct visual comparison as well as looking at the history and research on human walking technique.
The idea for promoting forefoot walking as the correct alternative for walking technique compared to heel strike began with the popularization of barefoot running. Some barefoot running advocates extrapolated the benefits of forefoot or midfoot strike running to the mechanics of walking. This video will show why that is not a valid comparison. Forefoot and midfoot strike running has been a historically demonstrated form of running throughout human history, and the development of padded shoes may have resulted in more common heel striking with running. This is because running results in many times the force load on the body than does walking. Running also does not gain increased efficiency by landing on the heel.
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Walking with heel placement, when done correctly, does not place major impact forces on the body. Heel placement walking also has far superior economy of movement when compared to either midfoot striking or forefoot striking with walking. The minimal advantage of force reduction in forefoot strike walking is outweighed by the decreased efficiency. Furthermore, people who walk correctly with the heel do not suffer damage from it, so there is no reason to switch to a less efficient means of walking.
The problem that results in confusion is that many people walk badly on their heels. They drive off the back foot, pushing the heel forcibly into the ground. These are bad mechanics. The fact that a minority of people do not heel strike correctly, thereby causing harm to themselves, does not mean heel striking is incorrect. The goal should be to educate people at an early age on proper walking technique. At the current time this is not done because the vast majority of people and doctors are not aware that incorrect walking technique can cause so much harm.
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00:00 Introduction
01:08 Proper Heel Placement
02:05 Improper Heel Placement
03:00 Forefoot Strike
04:04 Midfoot Strike
04:50 History and Research on Foot Strike
05:57 Side by Side Comparison
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