Shoes, yay or nay (part one)
Part one on SHOES
Recently, there have been some articles on “running” shoes…..so I figured I may as well add my 2 cents worth:)
In the articles, there are 2 sides of the fence, running barefoot (or a “barely there shoe”) or wearing footwear. Both have good arguments. Running barefoot may get your feet dirty, land you in a hospital because you stepped on nail, but YOU ARE running natural, so therefore taking a high risk of self inflicted injury is ok for ya. Running/walking in shoes may not be natural, but you are would like to protect your feet from what is on the ground. Shoes with proper inserts (Super Feet) may also help your body.
Some say that shoes are just a waste of money, others claim that the Kenya’s also run barefoot, so we should as well (will it make us faster? I don’t think so).
I would like to point out that in these articles I have read, not one has mentioned HIGH HEELS. These kind of shoes are clearly the worst kind of shoe, so before we start running with naked feet, maybe we should spend less time in high heels (guys you have it easy in this area) and make sure that we are in supportive footwear.
While I do support the naked feet concept, I do feel that the proper running shoes will help you not only with your running/walking/exercise, but also may protect you from diseases & unnecessary hospital/ER visits.
I think growing up barefoot is a great idea…your feet have room to breathe, grow & avoid squeezed toes! And walking in the fresh grass is just plain fun with bare-feet!:) Going barefoot at an early age also helps prevent issues later down the road (just my personal thoughts though).
On the shoe’s side, I do recommend that shoes that you are “fitted” for. This means going to a specialty running store & I also highly recommend Super Feet. These are inserts that go inside of your shoes (take out the wafer thin liner, it doesn’t give your foot any support). They give your arch support & help to give your body alignment.
While the Kenya’s & other people may train in bare-feet, we are not all the super elite runners, so I think sticking with shoes is a good idea. These are just my thoughts….I know I am going to stick to wearing my shoes ’cause I don’t feel like visiting the ER for self induced trauma.
Part two to come soon!
disclaimer: these are my thoughts alone, feel free to take or leave it:)
Sarah:
Hi. I do think that shoes are key when running. Going barefoot around the house or on the beach is one thing but not when exercising.
Gerard
I’m really intrigued by the barefoot running concept. I think there’s something very appealing about “simplifying” in all aspects these days. I don’t know much about the shoes that are supposed to simulate barefoot running, but maybe they offer some protection for the feet? I do know that if you switch to this type of shoe, you’re supposed to do it gradually, because many small muscles in the feet that we don’t use need to be built up.
Used ot run barefooted on grass fields and wore gymnastics footwear for races - very thin rubber soled shoes with very light canvas uppers - almost like running barefooted but some protection (Not much will protect you against a direct nail strike…) Just a thought for those “Natural ” runners..
Back in high school, whenever we would run mile repeats on the track, some of us would go barefoot. By running barefoot, some felt that they had better grip to the grass and the fact that you don’t have shoes weigh you down, you felt sort of “free”. The problem is, you race in shoes, so if you get used to running without shoes, racing with them may be a difficult transition. However, I think everybody should try running barefoot at least once. It’s quite an experience IMHO.
Running barefoot on the beach maybe ok, in the mountains where I’ve started running would be lunacy! Stick to some well designed footwear and as Sarah says get them fitted properly by someone who knows what they are doing. Personally I’ve just switched to the inov-8 Flyroc 310 and they are fantastic!
MM2
The point of the ‘barefoot’ running movement is based on recent research that show one of the unintended consequences of our dependence on well supported, stabilized shoes is that runners develop weaker feet muscles and shorter Achilles tendons. There is also a propensity to land on the heel. When people run barefoot, they never land heel first, and that’s because they experience the proper proprioceptive cues that have been engineered into our feet through a couple million years of evolution (it hurts to land heel first barefoot.) So, the movement to barefoot running is really about returning to a correct running gait where you land fore-foot/mid-foot first, and your weight is directly underneath your center of mass. I don’t think you have to actually run barefoot to re-learn proper running form. I bought a pair of Nike Free that I use for short (5-6) mile tempo runs and intervals. The flexibility has helped strengthen my foot muscles and correct some form problems. It also helps me in my longer runs. The first few runs caused a lot of soreness in my calves simply because I wasn’t used to running that way, but now I’m glad that I made the switch.
This whole debate crops up periodically and generally polarises opinion. FWIW I now run most of my miles in low profile, low cushioning shoes which to my mind give yo uthe best of both worlds - they protect your feet from the ‘nasties’ on the ground but still encourage you to land on the mid-foot and give agood feel of the ground.
I’ve just done London marathon in my preferred shoes inov-8 roclite 320PKs - yep, I now wear trail shoes for the road, and so do many others around here, and we all think they beat the heavy, cushioned road shoes hands-down.
Good luck with the step-up to 100.
It is too bad Nike messed up by giving the Free shoe an elevated heel - they missed part of the point of running barefoot. Their Zoom Waffle XC (a $35 shoe) provides a much closer to barefoot experience than the Free series shoes.
I do about 30% of my mileage barefoot (May-November). In 35 years of running, besides running 100+ mile weeks in my twenties, it is the best thing I have ever done for my running. I used to be a heel striker, and I used to get injured. I don’t do either anymore, even when I run in shoes - which are always XC flats, both on and off road. I admittedly can’t run and race barefoot as fast as I do wearing shoes. That and cold NJ weather in winter are the only things that really keep me using shoes.
I am kinda glad all runners are not jumping into running barefoot for several reasons. The selfish reason is it retains my training edge over people that stick to the shoe company marketing brainwashing about the need for their expensive stuff, that continue to run with poor inefficient technique, and continue to get injured. I’m also glad because for most people used to elevated heels, cushioning & support, jumping into it will lead to injuries. Runners should never change something in training abruptly, even if it is a return to the running technique we were genetically designed to perform. It takes a year or so to slowly add barefoot running to your training.
I have been a member of the online barefoot running community for a few years (see runningbarefoot.org) - and I know this is hard to believe, but people just don’t get cut by glass or step on nails. It is the #1 fear cited by people to fault running barefoot, but it just does not happen. The hazards out there are exaggerated, you tend to avoid them as you would if shod, and your foot is a lot tougher than you have been led to believe. Your foot is more likely to get brutalized by the inside of a shoe, via blisters and chafing and resident bacteria.
I used to be all about shoes. I run, but I also do parkour, so having that extra cushion was nice for taking big drops, but I soon found out that those shoes were deforming my feet, they were weakening them, putting them into atrophy, and making it nearly impossible to get perfect form on the techniques of parkour, especially running. I bought some Vibram FiveFingers, but even then, that blockage of sensory input from the rubber on the sole was still too much, I could run so much fast and further just barefoot after I got into it, and it FELT good! My feet became stronger, my toes spread out, my form while doing techniques was way better too, and my feet don’t stink anymore! I don’t wear my VFF unless I have to like if I go to the gym instead of my backyard and workout. I ran 9 miles to my friends house on asphalt, some parts pretty rough, then I trained for a few hours and ran 9 miles back home, all barefoot. I couldn’t do that before with shoes without being exhausted from bad form and tired feet. If you start small and slow and build up the right way instead of speed into it, I believe most will stay barefoot as much as possible even when running.
Also, what happens when you wake up in the middle of the night, or you’re swimming somewhere, and there’s an emergency and you have to run barefoot somewhere? It’s good to be prepared for these situations, never rely 100% on anything but yourself, your own body. The “It will never happen to me” mentality is a VERY dangerous thing, and so many people die or are hurt each year because of that mentality.
I believe in mastering my body, that means hand to hand combat, running/parkour, swimming, climbing, lifting, throwing/catching, quadrupedal movement, sliding, apnea, and brachiating, and going barefoot lets that mastery be possible, and it makes it easier. We don’t need shoes, we never did. If it’s literally freezing out or the ground is just to sharp or you need camouflage or protection when entering combat, just wear well made moccasins, not boots or shoes like they make them today. Imagine if you put shoes on your hands, they would weaken, atrophy, deform, smell, just like a cast.
Make it so that all you need to be happy and survive is your own body, mind and spirit. We are endurance beings, we are naturally athletes, and have been since humans have been on Earth. Running shoes have only been here for a few years compared to how long we have been going barefoot. I feel firsthand that I’m healthier, happier, more self reliant and better prepared by going barefoot, and I’ve only been going barefoot for a few months! WOOHOO!
I hope this helps!
I switched to barefoot a little over a year and a half ago. Prior to that, I had given up running for about the fifth time, and I figured the last time. Every time I tried to run consistently, I ended up injured. The older I got, the sooner problems popped up. Plantar fasciitis, piriformis syndrome, hip flexor spasms, knee pain, the works. I had the latest greatest motion-control shoes and orthotics. Didn’t matter.
Initially, I started to do some foot exercises to try to get rid of my plantar fasciitis. Keeping shoes with my orthotics in them next to the bed was no longer helping. After reading about how walking and running barefoot were really good ways to strengthen your feet, I started doing some barefoot walking. The PF vanished. I was having lots of fun. Why not try running one more time, I thought?
I did go through a period of calf pain and readjustment. I’m still adjusting, but after fifty years in shoes I’ve got to expect that. The amazing thing is that I can run again at all! And it’s a blast! I run through glass all the time, with good technique it’s not an issue. Nails have to be stuck through a board to be dangerous. I used to carry tweezers just in case, but now I just go run since I’ve had zero injuries. Zero. Some of my running is in the mountains on rocky trails since I live in Colorado. Running downhill on rough trails takes a bit of learning how, but once you get it, it’s so liberating that it’s hard to describe.
This is a great resource if you’re interested in learning how: http://runningbarefoot.org/
Anyway, I doubt that I’d have tried it without being virtually crippled first but I’m so happy now that I could wet myself. I’ve done a lot of hiking barefoot, in moccasins, and with huarache sandals and it’s wonderful. No more heavy clodhoppers for me. For the first time in my life, my feet actually feel good as opposed to either hurting or not.
Folks blessed with good technique can run in shoes without injuring themselves. The rest of us need to change something. Here’s a couple of tests: Go run. If you can hear your feet hitting the ground, injury awaits. Run through something where you leave tracks, soft dirt, wet surface onto dry, snow, whatever. Go back and look at your tracks. Can you draw a straight line through the footprints where the balls and big toes of the feet are? Do the toes point forward? If not, look out, you’re hammering your body. The younger you are, the more you can get away with, but it will catch up to you if you keep it up.
A couple of warnings: If you try a forefoot/midfoot landing in “normal” ie thick-heeled running shoes, you’re asking for a stress fracture. Only try it in low heeled shoes like flats, moccasins, Vibram five fingers, etc so that your foot can flatten out and pronate naturally. If you try running barefoot or in minimal shoes, take it slowly. Most people start to have so much fun that they go way too far, too soon. The older you are and the more years you have spent in shoes, the longer it will take. If you’re eighteen and spend the whole summer barefoot, you can probably just go for it.
A lot of folks worry about what others will think. Out of maybe 500 comments that I’ve had, I think that only one was negative. Most folks are interested. With a gray crew-cut, I don’t give off many hippie vibes and folks are pretty tolerant out here, so YMMV.
Do you trust five million years of evolution, God(or both), or a big shoe company? Take your pick.
Good luck, Gordon
This is from a 55 yr old barefoot runner (male). I began running barefoot five years ago.
You cite the same unreasonable fears that non-barefooters imagine: “feet dirty” — hey use soap! Feet are easy to clean. They aren’t nearly as dirty as stinky feet locked up inside dark, damp, sweaty, mildew infested shoes!
“land you in a hospital because you stepped on nail: — the only times I have ever stepped on a nail were when I was wearing shoes.
“taking a high risk of self inflicted injury is ok for ya” — The worst injuries I’ve had were caused by the shoes I wore. Twisted ankles, plantar faciitis, etc. Running barefoot has eliminated such injuries, plus it has strengthen my arches and my ankles.
“protect your feet from what is on the ground” — what’s so bad about what is on the ground? This is an irrational fear.
“Shoes with proper inserts ” — you wouldn’t need inserts if you didn’t wear shoes. Inserts are just an artificial fix to an artificial problem. You don’t improve your feet by disabling them even further.
“proper running shoes will help you not only with your running/walking/exercise, but also may protect you from diseases & unnecessary hospital/ER visits” — I take the premise that there are NO proper running shoes. There are only some running shoes that are less improper than others. That is like saying “proper arm casts will improve piano playing.” Shoes cause more injuries and more diseases than they prevent. They put more people unnecessarily in the hospital and the ER than going barefoot does.
Instead of speaking from what you only imagine the facts to be, I invite you to come read from other barefooters and learn about how they (those who actually DO it) feel about it.
check out this site (among others) runningbarefoot.org
Ryan
Vancouver, WA
Well, it’s kind of hard to take you seriously when your very first assumption (and all it is is an assumption) against bare feet is simply wrong: “land you in a hospital because you stepped on nail.”
If you step on a nail when shod it’ll go right through the plastic/rubber sole and into your foot. And along the way the nail will pick up Pseudomonas Aeruginosa from the inside of your shoe (that’s part of what makes your shoes smell) and give you are much greater chance of getting an infection and landing in the hospital. See “Soft tissue and bone infections from puncture wounds in children,” by Terese J. Laughlin, David G. Armstrong, Joseph Caporusso and Lawrence A. Lavery. The Western Journal of Medicine (Feb 1997). People who step on nails shod are much more likely to get bone infections.
But what about glass? Well, most people look where they are stepping when they run. But in addition, stepping on glass is not particularly hazardous. I do it deliberately in front of people just to freak them out. The thing is, skin is relatively hard to puncture (particularly skin on the sole that has built up a bit). Now, you can slice skin if you slide it against something sharp, but if you are sliding your feet while running, that’s your problem right there. In addition, the glabrous tissue of the foot has a lot of give, so the glass has no way to get a purchase on making a puncture. Finally, glass actually weathers pretty quickly, so most of the stuff you see lying around (and if you look closely, you will see that there is a lot less than you imagine) has lost most of its sharpness.
oh - about those experts who will fit you with proper-fitting shoes? They only have a limited choice of shoes in their stores. What are the chances your feet really truly do properly fit in one of their three or four available shoe designs? What if your feet actually fit better in one of their competitor’s shoe designs. Do you think they would tell you to go shop at one of their competitor’s stores? Also, don’t you think they will recommend the shoe that gives them the biggest profit mark-up? The only expert who could truly fit your fit properly would be a custom-shoe maker. How many of you are willing to pay not just hundreds of dollars for mass-produced shoes (made in China?) but pay thousands of dollars for a truly custom fitted shoe, that you will have to replace for another thousand bucks in a few months? Mass produced shoes are for mass produced feet. Since every foot is individual, there is no shoe that will fit properly.
Ryan - again
Great blog and comments. I remember the track team at high school doing 100 yard repeats barefoot next to the football field. I’m going to try it for some variety. My gait is such that I don’t pronate enough or hardly at all so I need a really sturdy running shoe and I’m constantly wary of twisting an ankle. I just got a pair of New Balance 431 and I love them.
I think its even dangerous to run barefoot. At least for a beginner. Most of the people need at least some kind of pronation support in their shoes. Going barefoot means no support at all. That can lead to serious injury and might be really painfull after running. If you wanna run, go to a running store and try a few more shoes, not just one or two. They should have some kind of videoanalysis and they should ask you about your feet problems, like too much or too less pronation and stuff like that. A good running store allows you to run a few meters outside the store to test on real ground.
Even with my modest one year of barefoot experience, I can tell you that nothing short of a freak accident will put you in the hospital, assuming you train correctly.
Everything about the foot is designed for intimate contact with the ground. The skin on the bottom of the foot, even if you wear shoes everywhere, is much much thicker than the skin anywhere else on your body. The sole of the foot has more nerve endings in it than any other body part. Your feet contain 1/4 of the bones in your body and have an intricate yet extremely rugged musculature. If you have never worn shoes, or if you slowly condition your feet to their proper health, then the naked foot can take much more punishment than most people give it credit for. Just think, if we were supposed to wear shoes and turn our feet into neglected stumps of appendages, then they would not have become such a remarkable feat of “engineering”.
I have run barefoot along asphalt, concrete, wild grass, and manicured lawns. I have never gotten injured so badly that I could not either take care of it during my run or finish my run and tend to it at home. Your skin toughens, your eyes learn to watch where you step, and you feel the ground. Care must be taken, but the transition is absolutely wonderful. I used to run with motion control shoes because I was deemed an overpronator. I had chronic hip pain at the age of 16. I was advised to take 2 months off of sports to recover. During that time I discovered running barefoot and slowly worked my way in. It has been amazing. Absolutely no more hip pain, and running is actually enjoyable. You don’t realize the entire world of sensation you block out with shoes until you shed them. I have also become much more aware of my body, which has improved my posture, helped me learn when I work too hard, etc. I could go on forever about how great it is. Now, it’s track season and I have to wear shoes for workouts. Running has become an almighty chore, I get terrible shin splints, and all my pains feel very unnatural.
I don’t recommend that everyone switch to total barefoot running, but I strongly encourage people to look at the information available and make the decision for yourself. At the very least, incorporating barefoot work into your training will strengthen your feet, make you more aware of your stride and your body, and hopefully be a pleasure as well
But no matter what you choose, be healthy!
PS: A google search of “barefoot running” will open a world of info.
I was born with the handicap of being barefoot!
Fortunately, I have been able to take this difference and make it an advantage. I have discovered a lot about barefooting after more than 5 decades of going barefoot whenever practical, and nearly exclusively for the past 12 years, including completing hundreds of short races on trails and roads, and 69 barefoot marathons, as well as one 50 kilometer trail run.
First of all, healthy feet don’t require protection. They provide protection.
Feet cannot become healthy, flexible, or strong, as long as they’re protected from fresh air, flexing, and exercise by shoes.
We are not designed to run on ANY surface, without being able to feel our soles interacting with that surface.
Our feet WANT to feel the ground beneath our feet. If they cannot, we are likely to try to slam them into the ground with far greater impact than we would if we were barefoot, and could feel our feet touching the ground.
If we start going barefoot, walking barefoot, and eventually running barefoot, we will learn to stand, walk, and even run, more gently, gracefully and naturally.
If we interact with the earth more gently, the “obvious” hazards, glass, sticks, stones, etc., become much less of a problem.
At the end of one trail race, several of the shod runners, who were finished behind me, were complaining about their feet bruising through their shoes, because of the gravel. My feet were fine, and I even ran faster than those complaining.
I have completed 69 full marathons (so far), on trails, and on roads, during the past 11 years, with practically no problems (other than being tired and having sore muscles afterwards, mostly because of not enough training).
Furthermore, there are tens of thousands of sweat glands in the feet. This is no benefit for, or indication that we should, being shod. Sweat is problematic when the feet are suffocated inside shoes.
Contrarywise, the sweat glands provide natural and comfortable cooling for the bare foot.
One should learn to run naturally, barefoot, before working up to the handicap of imprisoning our absolutely amazing feet inside confining shoes.
Have fun,
-barefoot kenbob
“I was born with the handicap of being barefoot! Fortunately, I have been able to take this difference and make it an advantage.” Loves it! By far the most intelligent comeback I have ever heard, Ken Bob. Priceless.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts Sarah and allowing the public to comment. I have been a barefoot runner for 10 years and a barefoot walker for the last 27. I am 47 and in excellent health. I have rarely had any injuries to my feet because I was barefoot. In fact, I injure my hands FAR more often than I have ever injured my feet. Life is so much more fun barefoot. I have saved a lot of money by walking/running barefoot over the years. I no longer suffer from shin splints and running is a joy! Our feet are designed to be free and no amount of support, protection, etc. can be better than simply being barefoot as we were intended to be. I’m not so foolhardy to go barefoot when it’s very cold outside (at least not for more than a few minutes), so I use a treadmill instead for those occasions. In any event, I hope you will at least give it a try. Check out the new running barefoot forum on the Runners World website (http://www.runnersworld.com/community/forums/index.jsp?plckForumPage=Forum&plckForumId=Cat%3aRunner+CommunitiesForum%3a887b8e6c-ecb8-4ae7-a3ef-0f12bf559034).
Take care!
Victor
Thanks for your thoughts on barefoot running!! Like I said in my write up, I was just stating my thoughts. I actually grew up barefoot and I love it! I just know for my running, that I prefer shoes:) Cheers!!
Thanks for taking the time to check out my thoughts!! Have a GREAT day!!
Thanks for taking the time to write a comment! As I mentioned in the write up, I love bare feet (grew up that way) I just know that for my running style I need shoes (and yes, I have tried running barefoot:))
Thanks for taking the time to let me know your thoughts!! Happy running!!
Thanks for your thoughts Dennis:)
I agree….if you have a good running gait, then barefoot running is a good choice. However for my body, I know that I need support having some bad injuries:)
Thanks for taking the time to let me know your thoughts!!
Again, the write up was just my thoughts…nothing set in stone, nothing against barefoot runners:)
Hi, nice post. I have been wondering about this topic,so thanks for sharing. I will definitely be coming back to your posts.
Hi, interesting post. I have been pondering this topic,so thanks for posting. I’ll likely be coming back to your blog. Keep up great writing