The study, diagnosis and treatment of the feet, ankles, and lower leg is known as Podiatry.
The term podiatry originated in the USA and refers to a Doctor of Podiatric medicine who is qualified to diagnose and treat conditions that involve the feet. There are specialist branches of podiatry such as surgery, biomechanics, geriatrics, sports medicine etc. In English speaking countries podiatry is known as chiropody and is practiced by chiropodists but the jobs are very similar with minor differences. Plantar fascia is a thick fibrous mass of tissue that originates in the heel bone and goes along the sole of the foot towards the toes and the painful condition that occurs in this tissue is known as plantar fascists. This condition which is usually caused by long hours of standing related to occupation is said to affect nearly two million Americans. It can also be caused by too much weight constantly bearing down on the feet. The condition starts with a pain in the heel which gets stronger, rather than eases, when the muscles are warmed up, but is more intense in the mornings when taking the first steps. Another symptom of the condition is that the patient has difficulty bending the foot so that the toes are bent up towards the shin thus restricting ankle movement. This condition can cause knee pain which applies mainly, though not solely to runners. A podiatrist will usually examine the foot and how a patient stands and walks before deciding on a diagnosis and recommend treatment such as resting, stretching or wearing special shoes and in some cases will recommend taking corticosteroids. Medial tibial stress syndrome is the formal name for a painful condition of the shins known as shin splints.
It can occur when jumping, sprinting and running. One reason for the problem is the overuse of one muscle which is often suffered by athletes repeating a particular activity regularly thus putting too much stress on the shins. This can lead to stress fractures if the condition is not treated. It is usually diagnosed by pain worsening during exercise rather than easing when warmed up. Anti-inflammatory drugs, rest, and the use of cold compresses are the usual treatment for this. Barefoot running is not the norm in modern times though famous athletes such as Zola Budd were well known for it. The advances made in shoe design have tended to indicate that running with shoes is a better alternative to running without. When running barefoot, the emphasis is based on the balls of the feet whereas the emphasis is changed to the heel and the area around the back of the heel when wearing running shoes. It has been argued that wearing running shoes with the stress on the heels may cause repetitive stress problems but barefoot running is thought to be healthier because the weight distribution is more evenly spread.
There is no concrete evidence as to which is better though most sports authorities recommend that running shoes be worn.

Additional Resources
Plantar fasciitis