My god, yes. I had knee and ankle pain while running, then also while walking. Too much padding was allowing me to walk incorrectly. After being ‘prescribed’ flat, flexible, low-stack shoes, all the pain went away. My toes are more spread out and my abductors are thicker. Nice gains!
(Still, your mileage may vary, I included lots of exercise specifically for the transition. And still run in Altras.)
In Born To Run they cite a study that surprised it's own authors. The more expensive the running shoe, the higher the rate of injuries i.e. the better the damping the weaker the foot and legs. And another one that showed the impact on the leg is 7 times higher in running shoes than barefoot. On mobile may provide links later.
[edit] Unable to find the one i searched but found this article claiming a 2-3x times bodyweight impact on the legs when wearing shoes.
> A large majority (68%) of runners participating in the study experienced no new injuries after starting barefoot running. In fact, most respondents (69%) actually had their previous injuries go away after starting barefoot running.
I know! This and ‘Exercised’ are what got me running. Both excellent, evidence-based books. I run in Altras for the transition, but hope to eventually have the legs for running in something that qualifies for barefoot (rise/stack/flex).
(Still, your mileage may vary, I included lots of exercise specifically for the transition. And still run in Altras.)