aardvark, my daughter tends to walk either forefoot or sort of placing the foot down rather than heel first, I seem to remember reading somewhere that it's because of shoes that we all start to heel strike from an early age (I used to heel strike excessively probably also due to joining the army at an early age, can't exactly march forefoot, it'd be a bit quiet!).
rb, when I first started walking barefoot (in the vivo's) I tried walking on my forefoot which actually looked like I was walking on my tip toes (my wife couldn't stop laughing) Since then I sort of place my foot down so it is mid to forefoot landing first with the heel lightly touching as if you put your heel down first and there's a small stone underneath it causes quite a lot of pain as obviously there is no give. If man was built to heel strike surely we would have excess flesh under the heel bone to absorb some shock, instead of the arch of the foot, calves and thighs used when forefoot striking? maybe the major trainer manufacturers could go into plastic surgery and insert an air cushion? I've been forefoot running for a year now, and to answer your question on slow pace I still land fore/mid foot and touch the heel down, bent legged and directly under the body.
