In the February 2010 issue of Runner's World "Barefoot Ken Bob" Saxton shares his enjoyment of barefoot running with readers across the nation. The idea behind barefoot running is that our feet were made to run and shoes only impede this natural motion. In the article, Saxton talks about the stimulation of the ground on his feet, faster race times and lower injury rates among runners who do not wear shoes. Saxton, who is the founder of runningbarefoot.org, claims that he could not break 40 minutes in 10k races until after he started run them barefoot and also says he knows hundreds of runners who would not be running today if they had not discovered barefoot running because of injuries they experienced in running shoes (Burfoot, 2010). While all this is just opinion and anecdotal evidence, many benefits of barefoot running have been researched including a decreased risk of injury and improved running performance.
The first problem with running shoes is an increase in the amount of running related injuries. Running is a demanding activity and has high rates of injuries. Many of these injuries are thought to be a result of impact forces and overpronation, however, despite the large amounts of money that go into designing running shoes, these injury rates remain high (Hart & Smith, 2008). According to research by Warburton (2001) based on studies comparing barefoot running and shod running and on information from countries where barefoot running is more common, barefoot running is associated with less acute ankle injuries and less chronic lower leg injuries.
Another big concern with running is performance times. In this case, the concern is that the extra weight of the shoe will increase running times. It does not seem like a little shoe could really have the much impact but there is research that backs this up. Warburton's (2001) research found that running barefoot decreased the energy cost by approximately 4%. This may not mean much for the average recreational runner, but at a higher level this could decide who wins and loses a race.
Clearly there is a lot of evidence to support barefoot running, but that does not mean you should just start doing all your runs without shoes. When starting barefoot running, it is important to start slowly and allow your body to adapt to the new conditions. Warburton (2001) recommends 30 minutes a day of barefoot activity to allow the soles to become stronger and to allow the muscles of the foot to adapt to this new way of moving.
I am not entirely convinced that barefoot running is a good idea, however I certainly will not being trying it while we still have all this ice and snow on the ground.
References
Burfoot. (2020). Barefoot running. Runner's world.
Hart, P. & Smith, D. (2008). Preventing running injuries through barefoot activity. Journal of physical eduation: 79.
Warburton, M. (2001). Barefoot running. Sportscience: 5.
I found this article very interesting. I have a friend that works at Schoeller shoes who told me this concept about a year ago. Being a dancer, I have some knowledge about the foot and movement. With dance, I know many girls had different arches of the feet which made it training different for each individual in terms of wearing shoes or not. It would be interesting if more studies down the road will show more effects of running barefoot in terms of performance and any injuries. As far as I know, I do not know of anyone who actually runs barefoot. This could be part of the environment (with snow and ice) or the rough roads in which I usually run.
This is a very interesting article. As a runner, I have always been under the impression that running shoes aided a runner and were meant to give good support. Especially when all running shoe advertisements display their benefits on form, support, or improved performance. I would be interested to see further research on the topic to see if it agrees with this article.
I think that this is a very interesting topic, I read an article about this over Christmas break that broke down the anatomy of the foot and how it is affected by shoes. I also wonder though if this could possible bring up some unfair advantages though in racing. Not every person's foot is able to go without support. SOme people have very high arches or even fallen arches, so how do they get an advantage in a race if there is the option of running barefoot but they are not able to due to physical needs? I also think that it would be very stressfull on the foot to run without shoes, the support that shoes provide I don't believe limit a runner all to much. The way they have made them so airodynamic these days its almost as if you were barefoot while running, the only difference is you have a little support for the bottom of your foot.
This is very intriguing article and topic. I think this could be a very cool trend and new breakthrough in running but I definitely think people should take this with some reservations... Such as the fact that we as a people have become used to wearing shoes so an abrupt change might have very detrimental effects. I know you talk about this and I think that is good. Definitely seems more natural to run barefoot and I do love being barefoot so that could be fun!
I think this is an interesting concept. I have always liked running on sand and have never thought to run barefoot. I have heard of some serious weightlifters that did not wear shoes for better balance. I would not be opposed to running barefoot. I just would not want to step on a rock and roll my ankle. I would also not want to get a bad injury.
I have always wondered if barefoot running is actually good for you or not. I see more and more people doing it now and talking about it. Very interesting subject to do research on.
During the Twin Cities marathon this past Fall, I saw a few runners who were either barefoot or simly wearing socks. I overheard some people saying that it was more beneficial to run barefoot, but I'm not sure which side I believe. Running shoes do seem to be a big hype, and marketing scheme, but at the same time they protect your feet from a lot of dangerous things that may be in your path while running. I think it is important to have that protection as you run because of the amount of pressure that your feet take on. It seems as though there are pros and cons to running barefoot, but I am not sure I am willing to take the risk of injuring myself my possibly stepping on something harmful during my run.
A couple years ago Nike came out with the "Free" line, designed to mimic barefoot running. these running shoes use a heavily slitted running platform and no air cushioning, and rely on phylon foam as the sole cushioning system. They shoes sell really well, but from a marketing perspective, they were designed to be sold as a shoe a runner can alternate with, and still use their cushioning shoes for heavy running days. I'm a big believer that if we have the technology to cushion our stride, we should use it!
I read this article and enjoyed it very much. I feel that I can sprint faster without shoes. Barefoot sprinting offers a sense of freedom that you don't get with shoes on. although, I would not run barefoot for a long distance because I feel shoes would offer my feet more protection from the elements.
For some reason running barefoot just doesn't sound that appealing to me unless I am running on grass, but let's be real, how often can you go for a run and run on grass all of the time! With that said, I believe that shoe companies are making shoes specifically to act like you aren't even wearing shoes at all. Shoes are meant to protect your feet and give cushion and stability, and I feel like not wearing any would hurt your feet and possibly damage them with all of the impact while running. If it really does make you faster then great, but with technology these days I believe that shoes are just going to become more and more like a barefoot while still giving some much needed cushion.
I'm sure that barefoot running depends a lot on the terrain that you are crossing. I could see how once you got used to barefoot running and using all those different muscles, it would be ok to run on soft surfaces like sand or grass. However, I feel that hard ground would probably provide too much force and not enough support on the arches of bare feet. Still, the anectodal evidence in this article is very interesting.
I have read in a few magazines that barefoot running is the new thing as well. Nike started with their Free line years ago, and other shoe companies are joining the bandwagon. It makes sense that the foot would become stronger without shoes. I would really like to try this out sometime, however, I feel like Minneapolis is not a city that would be very safe to run barefoot in (broken glass and other stuff).
I think you should have looked up more peer reviewed studies on what actual research says about running barefoot vs. with shoes. I feel that running barefoot can be very hard on the ankle, foot, and knee joints because their is not padding between the surfaces to reduce the impact force. There is a big difference when wearing old shoes with little support due to wear and a new pair of shoes with good support. I did a 5k in my old shoes and you could practically feel the bottom of my foot just by touching the bottom of the shoe. After the race my knees hurt so bad I was almost in tears. The next 5k I did I got new shoes and everything was perfect.
Yes it would be interesting to see more articles on the benefits (or lack of) running barefoot. I feel that there are many pros to running with shoes and have never seriously considered running with nothing. I also feel that not wearing shoes would limit where I could or could not run. Based purely on the concept of running barefoot I find unappealing. I feel we have had running shoes made continuously for a reason and wouldnt think twice about not running barefoot.
I would be more worried about running on a rock more than the comfort level. I grew up on a farm, and over the many years spent playing outside barefoot yeilded a slew of injuries. From steping on nails or glass to a bruised footbed from rocks, it all hurts like hell and can lead to a worse injury down the line. It would definately be interesting to see what the professionals would say about this topic in depth. I personally do not see any advantages in running barefoot.
Well this article defiantly brings me back to the days when I was younger and running around the yard, I have always felt lighter on me feet well barefoot running but I think that it has as much to do with running with shoes(added weight) as it does being natural. Personally I think that although barefoot running can improve performance why would anyone do it. For one thing I would never run on streets bare foot due to glass and other trash and another is they just don't make grass tracks in my area.