Actually, Chi Running trains you to do a midfoot strike by its approach to body alignment and lean. You can do this quite well in running shoes. I started running in October, trained by a Chi Running instructor. No injuries yet. As a former dancer, I find that the basic body alignment principles of Chi Running make good sense. But I still wear the kind of running shoes my sports podiatrist recommends. I don't think the approaches are mutually exclusive. I know I personally could never run barefoot.