I downloaded the audiobook and listened to it on my runs for the next several weeks- with my shoes on. Eventually, I was convinced to give it a try.
It can be a controversial topic, in part because shoe companies will find themselves in dire straits if everyone stops wearing their product, but mostly because if you do it incorrectly, you can hurt yourself. The truth is, you can seriously hurt yourself wearing shoes, as well.
Technique is important, however you choose to run. But recent studies have proven what traditional peoples have known all along — that running barefoot strengthens your feet and is a more natural way to run. Running in cushioned, motion-controlled shoes is like having your neck in a cast for a month — when you take the cast off, your neck muscles will be weak. You also pound your feet much harder with running shoes, causing problems not only with feet but knees and other joints.
When you first start running barefoot, your feet will be weak, so take it very slowly at first. It takes weeks and months to build up the strength necessary for faster or longer running, but after awhile, your feet get stronger than ever before. My thinking is to give it a try, and see how it works. Even more important that the strength of your feet is your connection to the earth. Read The Barefoot Philosophy for more. Running barefoot is about connecting with the ground, about feeling, about freedom and lightness, about fun.
Read Barefoot Ted on this for more — he knows way more about the topic than I do, and is an amazing resource. A contradiction? Of course — what would life be without contradictions and ironies? I mentioned my Vibram Fivefinger KSOs … Vibrams are the most popular of minimalist shoes that simulate barefoot running. The KSOs, from my research, are probably the best Fivefinger model for running. Why use Fivefingers? Do you need barefoot shoes like Fivefingers? You can go outside right now and get started, with no shoes.
Fivefingers allow you to learn the mechanics and form of barefoot running, build your strength, and transition into barefoot running, without the pain. Putting the Fivefingers on : It takes some getting used to.
So it was difficult putting the Fivefingers on at first, but I got used to it. That sounds complicated but really it takes less than 20 seconds per shoe. Keeping them smelling decent : Many people have complained that Fivefingers can start to smell bad after a few weeks. But then they started to smell, so I just followed the Vibram recommendation: throw them in the washer with a little laundry soap, and let them air dry not in the dryer. Whenever someone asks me this, I usually have more questions than answers:.
But as with any tool — barefoot running can be used appropriately and strategically to further your running goals. Running 10 miles barefoot is not a low-risk way to implement barefoot running into your training.
Strides are accelerations of about meters in length. Graph the effort and it looks like this:. And you can do some of those strides barefoot! Rather than do a lot of volume barefoot, adding just a few minutes of it at the end of your run can dramatically reduce the injury risk but still give you a lot of the advantages. Start with about a minute of running without shoes. Notice how it makes you feel over the following few days. Hopefully there will soon be an app for that.
For more, join me on Twitter and Facebook , and sign up for the Sweat Science email newsletter. When you buy something using the retail links in our stories, we may earn a small commission. Outside does not accept money for editorial gear reviews. Read more about our policy. Search Search. The barefoot running studies you know and love might be wrong. Twitter Icon. Now compare how the force looks when you land instead on your forefoot: Courtesy Nature The little spike is gone!
Courtesy Journal of Applied Phys The first thing to notice is that for each speed the rising slope of the overall force curve—the loading rate—is pretty much the same in all conditions. Filed to: Running Science.
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