Effects of technological running shoes versus barefoot running on the intrinsic foot muscles, ankle mobility, and dynamic control: a novel cross-sectional research.

The study was cross-sectional and compared runners who already chose technological footwear or barefoot running, so it cannot show that footwear caused the differences. There was no non-runner control group, so it is unclear whether the barefoot runners' foot muscle and ankle mobility values are better than a general population or simply typical of barefoot runners. The paper did not measure running gait or ankle and foot mechanics during running, so it cannot link the ultrasound and mobility findings to running technique or injury risk. Participants were experienced runners who had run regularly for at least 1 year and were injury-free in the previous 6 months, so findings may not apply to novice runners or people with current lower limb problems. The direction of the flexor hallucis longus thickness result is inconsistent between the results text and Table 2, making that specific finding hard to interpret. The sample size was calculated for one muscle measure from a small pilot, not for all outcomes. Measurements were taken only on the dominant lower limb, so bilateral differences were not assessed.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The supplied text does not state who funded the study.

Do not conclude that technological shoes weaken intrinsic foot muscles or that barefoot running should be prescribed to strengthen them. The study compared existing groups at one time point, did not randomise footwear, and did not measure changes over time or running mechanics.