Conventional wisdom suggests that the best way to prevent injury when running is to buy the bulkiest, most heavily padded shoes you can find. It definitely makes intuitive sense – would you rather jump up and down on what amounts to a mattress, or raw concrete? Yet despite the prevalence of this notion, there is no scientific evidence to back it up. None. And though Nike, with its high-tech testing labs, would beg to differ, there’s not a scientist in the world who would prescribe bulky shoes to an otherwise healthy runner. In fact, they might even discourage you, as use of running shoes is actually linked it an increased risk of injury. All you need to do is look at the two-hundred thousand or so years of human evolution in which we ran without shoes – and did it extremely well. So do some research, and consider ditching the shoes. Your legs will thank you, and your x-ray technician will commend you on your sturdy, uncompromised bone structure.

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