[bravotwozero]

I don't know about running, but walking barefoot, or using shoes that do nothing more than simply cover your feet, is probably the best thing you can do. Your feet have gone through thousands of years of evolution to become the perfect shock absorbers.

Researchers (at Johns Hopkins I believe) found that people who used more expensive brands of running shoes with more cushioning actually were MORE likely to suffer from knee injuries! The problem is that well cushioned shoes impair your body's proprioception (position sense), which makes it difficult to determine how much force to use when landing on your foot at the end of each stride. As a result, many people end up landing on their feet with too much force, making them vulnerable to injuries.

There's a really good article I once read on the issue, I'll try and see if I can dig it up.