The focus of this study was to compare ground reaction forces produced in shod running vs. barefoot running during a moderate-intensity jog. Ground reaction force data was collected indoors on a 16-foot firm, flat surface using a force platform. Prior to data collection, each subject was asked to select a comfortable running pace. The subject-selected running pace was to remain consistent and was used for all trials. Each subject completed five trials barefoot and five trials in their personal running shoes at the subject-selected speed in a random order. No significant difference was found between the vertical ground reaction forces produced by shod (M=321.05, SD=58.11) and barefoot running (M=317.79, SD=57.98), t(df)=15, p=0.21. However, the calculated mean forces produced by shod running were greater than barefoot running. Results indicate that the differing ground reaction forces produced by shod and barefoot running most likely occurred on an individual basis and therefore cannot be generalized to a larger population.
