Abstract of Minimalist Shoes

Minimalist running as well as barefoot running has achieved lots of considerable popularity with the supported of a bookseller “Born to Run”, certain detailed scientific journals which described the advantages of barefoot running. On the other hand, within the preceding years, further supplementary indication has been generated for this matter. This article covers up the existing evidence presented on the functions of minimal shoes in the market before the book, and also the future forecast to this trend, will it disappear or else, it would be stable.

Introduction of Minimalist Shoes

Background of Minimalist Shoes

Running in minimal shoes and barefoot started to get its significant acceptance from the running communities ever since the bestselling book titled with “Born to Run” written by Chris McDonald published in 2009. The book has inspired motivation to a continuously enduring movement in fewer amounts to develop exponentially throughout a few years ahead (McDonald, 2010). This has also directed to extreme attention in the context of running, along with the conventional media around the advantages of minimalist running or barefoot, followed by numbers of books, as well as websites enthusiastic to the cause.

At the first phases of the movement, there were only a few of researches that presented the advantages within the injury terms by using the mechanical features which designed into running shoes that were appealed to avert plus causing the injuries of running. This fact was largely publicized as being suggestion not to use any shoes. The social media was also facilitated numbers of significant claims around the indication that promoted the minimal shoes or barefoot running.

Despite the fact that there is manifestly a decrease of minimalist shoe popularity, still, there rests a sturdy market in this style of shoes. In fact, the popularity has been seen in the preceding decade, where the lightweight along with the low-heeled shoes was extensively worn out. The frenzy made by the above-mentioned popular book as well as the following media publicity simply shaped unconfirmed favoritism for a specific style of shoes (Bowman).

Research Objectives of Minimalist Shoes

This research has some objectives, as mentioned below:

To find out the market of minimalist shoes before the book “Born to Run” published

To find put the future forecast for the trend of minimalist shoes

Research Questions of Minimalist Shoes

The questions that will support this research are:

What is the economic point of view regarding minimalist shoes?

How the market trend of minimalist shoes before the book “Born to Run” published?

What are the advantages of wearing minimalist shoes for running?

What is the future forecast for the trend of minimalist shoes?

What is the future forecast in an economic point of view for the minimalist shoes?

Literature Review of Minimalist Shoes

Daniel P. Perl,  Adam I. Daoud, and Daniel E. Lieberman (2012) propose that designed for totally high-tech features, the contemporary running shoes might not really work to progress the performance otherwise avoid injuries of a runner. A number of runners are persuaded that they would perform better with shoes that are designed a bit more than thin scarfs intended for the feet, or else with barefoot. Many of medical professionals strike down this concept. The consequence from this is an intense argument within the running circles, fighting an idiosyncratic group of barefoot runners along with the scholars contrary to the running-shoe as well as the creations of sports-medicine (Perl, Gouda, & Lieberman, 2012).

Furthermore, Jason Billboard (2010) also mentioned that it has also stimulated numbers of inventive footwear. Some newcomer companies such as Vibrator, Terra Plano, and also Feel max are exciting the current running-shoe situation with a design of thin-sole which meant to mix the advantages of running barefoot through a shield layer. This change en route for minimalism to have a substantial effect on not just running shoes. Instead, as well on the wide-ranging  market of sports shoe (Billboard, 2010).

In the meantime, according to David W. Jenkins (2017), the number of minimalist shoe sales with have embarked  in 2014, despite the fact that a total sales of running-shoe have increased faintly. In 2013, minimalist shoes were the main class to shrink, falling through a third to . Meanwhile, the total market of running-shoe developed marginally to , based on the data commencing the business tracker. This is considered as a rapid reverse aimed at a category of shoe that had a leader and extremely developed within running shoes. The minimal shoes sales were presented as the fastest-developing section in running shoes within the initial two years of this era, and in the year of 2011, it approximately growth to around  as of the previous year (Jenkins, 2017).

Methodology on Minimalist Shoes

To review the latest evidence about the trend of minimalist shoes along with its market, benefits, and future forecast, a comprehensive literature review was performed. The database of the literature review is from authentic books and journal articles. For this reason, the proper methodology has been conducted in the research to support the analysis for the trend of minimalist shoes.

Analysis of Minimalist Shoes

The results that we can see from the literature review presented that the market of minimalist shoes has growing rapidly since the book “Born to Run” published in 2009. In fact, the amount of minimalist shoe sales with embarked  in 2014. In addition to this, numbers of newcomer companies mentioned above such as Vibrator, Terra Plano, and also Feel max are growing their products into the current running-shoe situation with a specific thin-sole design.

Conclusion on Minimalist Shoes

From literature review and analysis, we can conclude that the trend of minimalist shoes has started before the book “Born to Run” published in 2009. However, its popularity was getting increased after the book was established. Even though there are some arguments between the runners feel more comfortable to run with minimalist shoes or barefoot with the medical professional who totally against this perception, but the future forecast of minimalist shoes is that, this trend would remain to stay for years ahead. The reason is due to there are numbers of runners convinced that they would perform better with typical shoes that are designed a bit more than thin scarfs intended for the feet, or else with barefoot.