Running Foot Strike: What It Is and Why It Matters
- Dr. Annie Barnes, DPT, OCS
- Jun 4
- 3 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
When your foot hits the ground during a run the part that lands first, also known as your "foot strike", can have a significant impact on performance, injury risk, and overall biomechanics. Understanding foot strike can help runners and clinicians make informed decisions about training, footwear, and injury prevention.
What Is Foot Strike?
Foot strike refers to the area of the foot that initially contacts the ground during running. The three primary types are:
Rearfoot strike (heel strike) – The heel touches the ground first.
Midfoot strike – The heel and ball of the foot land simultaneously.
Forefoot strike – The ball of the foot lands before the heel.
Biomechanical Differences
Each foot strike pattern results in different ground reaction forces and loading rates:
Rearfoot strikers tend to have higher impact forces and longer ground contact times (Hasegawa et al., 2007).
Forefoot and midfoot strikers generally show reduced impact loading, potentially lowering the risk of some injuries, especially stress fractures and patellofemoral pain (Daoud et al., 2012).
However, changing your foot strike without guidance can cause new injuries, such as Achilles tendinopathy or metatarsal stress injuries, due to unfamiliar load patterns (Altman & Davis, 2012).
Does Foot Strike Affect Injury Risk?
There is no single best foot strike for everyone. Injury risk is multifactorial, involving training volume, footwear, strength, and individual biomechanics. Some studies suggest rearfoot strikers may be more prone to certain injuries, while others emphasize adaptation and consistency over strike type (Goss & Gross, 2012).
Should You Change Your Foot Strike?
You might consider adjusting your foot strike if you:
Are dealing with recurring lower limb injuries.
Have had gait analysis suggesting a mismatch between your strike pattern and biomechanics.
Are working with a physical therapist or running coach who recommends it.
But be cautious—sudden changes can overload tissues that aren’t conditioned to handle new forces.
How Physical Therapy Can Help
At our clinic, we help runners optimize their stride by:
Performing running gait analysis
Identifying imbalances and weaknesses
Creating a personalized strength and mobility program
Guiding a safe, gradual transition if foot strike changes are needed
We look at the full picture—your history, mechanics, and goals—to help you run stronger and stay injury-free.
Ready to Learn More?
If you’re a runner dealing with pain or just want to improve your form, book an appointment with our team today. Our physical therapists are movement specialists who love helping athletes reach their goals—safely.
Click HERE or call us at 828-242-0343 to book your consultation today.
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References:
Altman, A. R., & Davis, I. S. (2012). A kinematic method for footstrike pattern detection in barefoot and shod runners. Gait & Posture, 35(2), 298–300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2011.09.104
Daoud, A. I., Geissler, G. J., Wang, F., Saretsky, J., Daoud, Y. A., & Lieberman, D. E. (2012). Foot strike and injury rates in endurance runners: a retrospective study. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 44(7), 1325–1334. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e3182465115
Goss, D. L., & Gross, M. T. (2012). A review of mechanics and injury trends among various running styles. US Army Medical Department Journal, 62–71.
Hasegawa, H., Yamauchi, T., & Kraemer, W. J. (2007). Foot strike patterns of runners at the 15-km point during an elite-level half marathon. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 21(3), 888–893.
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