A brief gait analysis of a pretty famous barefooter from a pretty famous study…
OK so we know this rather famous person is on a treadmill, so yes, there is a component of preload to the hip extensors, as well as an increased deceleration component (but those are topics for another post!), but there is some great stuff to look at here.
1st off, note the great technique: mid to forefoot strike, good toe dorsiflexion (although it could stand to be a bit increased to help prepare for even better tripod contact), and good ankle rocker. You can see his excellent shock absorption, through midfoot pronation, ankle dorsiflexion, knee flexion and hip flexion. Also check out the awesome action of his peroneals on his L leg, driving that 1st ray down to the ground for a great foot tripod and prelude to supinaion
But did you notice something else? How about the lack of hip extension? He barely gets past zero. How about the flexion at the waist? We bet his hip flexors are tight! Is some of this caused by the treadmill? Probably, but we would need to see some non-treadmill footage to be sure.
The Gait Guys….No gait is safe from us