7 Barefoot Running Myths
Zola Budd
Barefoot runners know what works for them, but the shod community has a lot of common running misconceptions they throw out as truths or “what-ifs”. This list is an attempt to dispel those myths, or at least bring reasonable doubt into their statements.
I always encourage people to be pragmatic above all else and to question their beliefs, whatever they may be. Only through introspection and questioning can we be sure we are on path we wish to be running down.
My hope is that this list will help those who are on the fence regarding running shodless and give clarity to those who already do, but are stuck for specific answers for friends, family, and internet trollers.
1. Barefoot running is going against decades of research, studies and common sense. Those decades of research are actually more like decades of market research. There are no studies which show that running in shoes reduces the risk of injury despite specific inquiries for them.
As for common sense ruling out running barefoot — is your common sense run by corporate marketing? If you stop and think about what truly makes “sense”, placing your feet in padded boxes is at least debatable.
2. You’re going to step on glass and rocks. Using your eyes while running is important. What your eyes see, your feet don’t step on. It’s the same principle that keeps you from hitting pedestrians while driving your car. Simple observation will lead you around most obstacles.
Small rocks and bits of garbage on the sidewalk or trails quickly become non-issues. It takes a few months to adjust to the new sensations and once that is completed the pebbles aren’t even in your mind. It is true, while barefoot running, you may step on a rock! I can’t dispel that myth, but I can say, it’s not going to kill you.
Running on gravel is no different than running on pavement other than it takes a lot more practice to get comfortable with.
There are risks associated with running barefoot though. Running with shoes provides obvious protection to externally acting forces, whatever those may be. For this reason many people are more comfortable in minimalist shoes. This provides the layer of physical, and sometimes mental protection they require from the environment.
3. You should listen to your podiatrist. When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail, but they are definitely listening to the barefoot sentiment.
Traditionally trained US podiatrists are not experienced with barefoot as a lifestyle. The US population is simply shod 99% of the time so how could they have many day-to-day experiences with shodless folk?
Never trust those whose livelihood depends on your purchasing products and services (orthotics) from them. This isn’t to say that all podiatrists are one solution fits all idiots, but that you shouldn’t blindly follow the instructions of someone who may have a vested interested in taking you down a specific path.
There are exception to this rule, as any rule, but should you listen to your podiatrist, or listen to your body? There have been many testimonials by people who have gone against their podiatrists wishes, attempted to run/walk barefoot and reaped tremendous benefits. They have also opened their podiatrist’s mind to the possibilities that barefoot strengthening can provide for their clients.
4. Pronation is unnatural. This is simply wrong. Pronation is the natural, inward roll of the foot. Some pronation is a good thing since it absorbs some of the impact when you run.
5. No Elite runners run barefoot. Running can be lucrative to a select set of elites. Once you drop off the very top tier, getting money to train becomes more difficult. Running companies sponsor a tremendous amount of athletes in the US, including collegiate sports teams. When companies sponsor the athletes, don’t you imagine they have a clause in the contract requiring them to wear that companies brand? Why else would they sponsor them?
The athletes need money, the shoe companies need their products tied to elites so that normal runners will be convinced of their effectiveness. The formula works.
Despite this there are many well known barefoot “elites”, here area a few.
Bruce Tulloh, Zola Budd, Neville Scott, Abebe Bikila, Herb Elliott, Doris Brown
6. You can’t run barefoot in the snow. You can run barefoot in the snow, it just takes time and effort to 
evolve your skills. With that said, just because you consider yourself a barefoot runner doesn’t mean you have to be barefoot all of the time, even in the snow.
If your feet are too sensitive to be out running through the snow, it’s logical to put some coverings on them. Whether those are running shoes, minimalist shoes, sandals, water shoes, garbage bags — whatever works for you.
Going out for a barefoot run in the snow after running in shoes your entire life might be a ludicrous endeavor. Winter may not be the best time to start running barefoot outside.
Many people have access to the treadmill though, which can be the perfect winter place to begin your shodless experiences in a controlled environment.
What better time to experiment with being barefoot than in the offseason?
7. After 20, 30, 40+ years of being shod, my feet need shoes. It’s becoming obvious to even those who disapprove of full time barefooting that training in barefoot strengthens feet.
Shoes support your feet. The more shoe, the more support.
Simply because your feet have always been in shoes is no reason to keep the status quo. Different people will have different levels that they can tolerate initially. Then, through iterative progress, strength and endurance can be built up. Treat being barefoot like you would any training regimen — start out slow, listen to your body and build.
What have I missed? What would you like to hear more about?
A great 8,9, and 10 from Barefoot Josh, thanks Josh!
8. Modern surfaces are much harder than the soft earth our ancestors ran on, therefore we need cushioning.
Our ancestors ran on many surfaces, some of them with all the hardness of concrete with none of the smoothness. In fact, to a barefoot runner, a hard surface means predictability and are easy to run on. As a barefoot runner, I’m probably biased. My observations don’t disprove the claim. However, there is no evidence for the claim, either. It’s speculation made by people who never run barefoot.
9. You have to be tough.
Toughness is a liability for those wishing to learn to run barefoot. Wimps learn faster, with fewer risks of injuries. Pain is not something you run through without shoes. Pain, to the barefoot runner, means bad, inefficient form.
10. It’s dirty.
OK, that’s not a myth. But the implication, that a shoe is more sanitary than the street, is.
Excellent Post!
8. Modern surfaces are much harder than the soft earth our ancestors ran on, therefore we need cushioning.
- Our ancestors ran on many surfaces, some of them with all the hardness of concrete with none of the smoothness. In fact, to a barefoot runner, a hard surface means predictability and are easy to run on. As a barefoot runner, I’m probably biased. My observations don’t disprove the claim. However, there is no evidence *for* the claim, either. It’s speculation made by people who never run barefoot.
9. You have to be tough.
- Toughness is a liability for those wishing to learn to run barefoot. Wimps learn faster, with fewer risks of injuries. Pain is not something you run through without shoes. Pain, to the barefoot runner, means bad, inefficient form.
10. It’s dirty.
OK, that’s not a myth. But the implication, that a shoe is more sanitary than the street, is.
Nice list!
Great stuff Josh, I love the additions, especially 8, I do hear that now and again. “Pounding the pavement” always sounds, so, well, painful. I’m adding these to the list, with you getting credit. If you want them removed let me know.
I’ll have to speak to my agent.
Ha ha.
Put em up, glad to contribute.
The term is unshod or shoeless, not “shodless.”
Very true. However did you ever try to get a domain called unshod.com, or shoeless.com? Not so easy. So instead I call it shodless because what the heck, it still gets the point across.
To me a hidden foot injury came to light while wearing really expensive running shoes (I had just bought them because I wanted to run more on my forefoot using the Pose method).
I went to see the doctor and she referred me to a podotherapist. They fitted me with special in-lays for my shoes, but walking became even more uncomfortable.
Then I read about barefoot running and gave that a try. Now I wear watershoes at the beginning of a run and take them off 2 or 3 k’s before home. I have noticed I run faster and better when running barefoot. People stop and stare (even here in liberal Holland), but for me it is the way to go.
Wim.
I got a feeling that running barefoot can be painful on our feet. I think wearing a minimalist shoes is a lot better. It can give protection to our feet.
@Sand Sock Girl,
It depends. Of course you have to get used to running barefoot, but I have noticed that the beginning was the hardest. The first time I ran barefoot for a longer distance (2,5 K) I had terrible blisters (I must admit it wasn’t wise of me to have done so). Now I can run about 7 or 8 K’s. I feel the grid and rough patches under my feet, but I noticed how quikcly the feet respond to such things. Sometimes grid sticks to my feet, but with a twist of the foot or a slight scraping on the floor while running, the dirt is cleared.
It looks worse than it is. I would compare it to riding a motorcycle. Outsiders say that it is dangerous, and it can be, but through experience and the developing of ones senses, many dangers can be avoided or even prevented.
Use your head and be smart.
why does everything I lookup about barefoot running use the same facts/myths like it was copied and pasted from that same paid vibram five finger research?
I don’t understand the point you’re making Dano. Barefoot running has nothing to do with VFF’s. VFF are a type of foot covering. This article talks specifically about being barefoot. As in, sole, meet ground.
Great post. I think the myth that feet need shoes with “arch support” is one of the dumbest myths also. I have started running in huaraches and VFFs this year, and my feet, ankles and knees never felt better. One of the first questions I always get from people who see me in my unusual footwear is: “What about arch support?”
I am tempted to create a T-shirt with the St. Louis Arch, and underneath it, “But does it have good arch support?”
Do you know of many shodless pronation runners? If so, how did they get started? I have orthodics because of no arch and bad ankles, but I would love to try to get to the point where I could run shodless, I just don’t know where to begin…
Thanks!
Rebekah. Most people pronate when they run barefoot. A certain amount of pronation is natural.
Think about your arches as buildings. They’re weakened if you support them from underneath. Shouldn’t that be the same with your feet? The issue is that your arches will take time to develop and strengthen. Orthotics shortcut the process.
I have written about “How to get started” previously, which I believe is a slow and graduated process. In your case, the process may be even slower depending on how your body reacts. I imagine you’ve utilizing shoes and orthotics for some time, so one would expect the process of moving the other way to take some time as well.
To get in contact in more “group” talk, check out the very active “barefoot yahoo running forum“. Or see other links on the right side of the page!
Seriously now, running barefoot (or even minimal shoes) in snow is just nuts (except for maybe 15 minutes.)
I can’t personally do snow barefoot. I did run 500+ miles over last winter in VFF Flows.
I’ve been hearing a lot about barefoot running lately and it does seem to make sense to me. Another myth might be that we as a race have been wearing shoes so long that we have evolved away from barefoot running being safe (similar to how we are evolving away pinky’s or little toes) however, seeing the trend and hearing how people are adapting to it quite well would indicate that we humans are still quite moldable and able to adjust to whatever we decide to adjust to.
We’ve been wearing shoes for a few thousand years at longest, in evolution terms its a microsecond, not long enough to start evolving to make shoes indispensible.
I haven’t started running barefoot or in minimal footwear I still run in my very expensive Mizunos until I finish my marathon in 7 weeks (first ever) and then they are gone, I’ll train the summer away barefoot. Cant wait!
Streets might be “dirty” but your dirty sweaty fungus ridden shoes aren’t anywhere near cleaner, unless you’re the frequent shoe washing type, that is. Shoes are a breeding ground for many different types of fungus and bacteria. It’s a different kind of “dirty”.
I wonder if barefoot running would be more difficult for a runner with high arches who supernates and who impacts more on the balls of his feet. Can barefoot running be helpful to such a runner? That’s me and for 2 decades of running in shoes I have had pain issues in the balls of my feet. Podiatrists have been of very little help to me. I’ve tried to land on my heals but that feels unnatural for me and I just can’t do it for very long.
Barefoot running can be beneficial to most runners, as it provides a more direct feedback loop between the body and the ground. Your best best is to experiment with some short duration barefoot running and what feels naturally to you. Running on your heels will definitely not be one of those options. Why not try easing yourself into the process, like I’ve explained here? If at any time you feel things starting to go south, ease off.
A little experimentation can only help you figure out what’s best for you. Good luck!
I saw this blog and thought I would pop in and give my story. I have been a runner for about 16 years now. I run about two to three times per week just to stay in shape and as a stress reliever. I have ran two marathons (10 years ago not recently) and consistantly do 5Ks and other trail and “fun runs”. Two months ago I started running the Vibram FiveFingers. I was running Pearl Izumi’s prior to that and had been a big New Balance and Asics fan prior to that. I don’t run anything other than VFFs now. In two months, my legs, feet, and everything feel much better. I am 5 8′ and about 200 pounds and run with a heavy gate. The first time I wore the shoes it changed thew way I ran and so for the past two months they are all that I wear. My fiance has also changed over to them as well and she loves them. We love them so much we started a website and hope to get others to share their story. And so there is no questions, I am not affiliated with or associated with Vibram in anyway. And as other minimalist gear comes out I will try them as well; however, in the two months that I have been wearing these, and based on info from other minimalists I have spoken with, I highly doubt I will be heading back to the cushioned world.
Hey Rob, thanks for the post. I started suffering from shin splints, knee pain, and hip pain a couple years ago. I would get through a few runs but would usually have to take it easy for a couple weeks to recover and wait for the pain to subside before I could run again. In short, I was getting nowhere fast. I’d heard about people running barefoot and started doing some research on the subject. It made me realize my heel strike form, which I always thought was the correct way to run, may have been causing many of my problems. Anyways, I decided to bypass the minimalist footwear altogether and go straight barefoot. Over the last two months I’ve gotten up to 33 minutes barefoot. I’ve experienced soreness in my ankles (which goes away), but mostly in my calves. My calves obviously needed alot of strengthening. However, I’m getting comfortable with the mid-forefoot form, and the whole experience has been amazing. You really don’t need the minimalist footwear, I recommend that people go unshod unless its really cold or whatever. I’m hooked, and I currently don’t have a pair of running shoes :)
abebe is and will remain the number one runner in the world!!!!!!!!! no one can take that away from him.
I’ve been told that if I run barefoot then I will lose the fat on the soles of my feet and start hitting bone, and that’s why we need to wear shoes. What is a good counter to this argument?
The entire purpose of the fat deposits, especially in the heel area is to act as natural padding to bone impact. If you’re landing on your heel, then you should definitely keep wearing shoes, or plan to transition to a midfoot stride. If you have a midfoot/forefoot stride, then the small amount of impact on your heel/fat is exactly its purpose.
I had had the experience of damaging some of the fat there (thinning it out) from some trail running and my heel landing on a rock. Apparently this is a type of injury that other athletes get from time to time. I looked up the best way to tape it on the internet, so that the fat is forced back of the heel temporarily and was back on my way. The injury itself was minor and took about a week to heel.
I have been running barefoot for at leat 30 years, I land on my toes without any jarring of my legs and my calves have strengthened to cope. I have learned to look where I am going, and in soft ground I leave very little trace of my passing, on earthy woodland tracks I often surprise foxes and badgers who have not heard my quiet approach. My feet are tough enough to cope with practically any surface, but still soft enough to appreciate the feeling of dewy grass, soft earth and snow. I still wear shoes when people expect it, but there are very few occasions when I actually need them, I have been up and down Snowdon barefoot without any problems except trembling calves towards the end of the descent, simply due to being out of practice. If the temperature is only just below zero and I keep hands and head warm enough I can do 10 miles or more barefoot in snow quite easily and my feet retain enough feeling to really enjoy the experience, but I tend to stick to quiet paths to save answering the same question again and again, no they really are not cold! This winter has offered the chance to do a lot barefoot in the snow, and I have made the most of it, you would be surprised what you are capable of.
My advice? start as soon as you can, build up gently and add the sense of touch to the running experience, you are missing out!
I always wonder why people equate VFF to barefoot running. The VFF simulate the experience, but it still isn’t “barefoot.” I do think it’s necessary for people to try barefoot running on soft surfaces and with very short distances first (I make my athletes do barefoot striders on the football field at the end of practice). Once they get used to the feeling and the proper foot strike, then they can start doing more. I now have athletes going barefoot to do their entire mile warm up on the grass, plus their 800 warm down with striders on the grass. They enjoy the feeling before and after. But, again, not for everyone and some athletes are more advanced than others with the foot strength. Some athletes who are very flat footed complain excessively about running barefoot on the grass. However, they almost always feel more pain when their running fully shod on the track. Thanks for a good blog post (even though I’m coming to this one very late).
It’s amazing that in the year 2011, barefoot running is in it’s infancy (again :)
The ignorance & misconceptions about the human foot, as it pertains to running?.. Predicatable.
Everybody knows…
If you challenge your muscles by weight lifting, you get bigger & stronger…
Everyone knows a 400lb bench presser and a 600lb squatter.
If your challenge you knuckles with makiwara, a small girl can learn to break boards…
Kick truck tires 4 hours a day & you too can break Louisville sluggers across your shin!
If you challenge your heart; run/swim/cycle, you can eventually run marathons…
Everyone knows a marathon runner/ triathlete.
If you challenge your spine and legs by stretching you can eventually kiss your own butt!
Who among us has not experienced an amazing stretch at one point in their lives?
Woman have learned to walk in shoes, with their heals up to 5 inches off the floor…
all the while destroying their feet, in the name of fashion or vanity.
You can become a human pin cushion, stretch your neck 5 inches, have 2 inch earlobes…
You can stretch your lips to look like a duck over time…
It is now common knowledge that a typical man can permanently increase his “size” by 30%…
by employing thousand year old exercises!
The average man, woman or child that takes 10 minutes a day to walk their dog gently in bare feet will not be able to deny the amazing transformation of their soles over just a brief a 2 week period.
I’m a newbie to barefoot running.
I run/walk the dogs at night barefoot.
I wear Vibrams during the business day (no shoes, no shirt, no service, right?)
And I will tell you that after only 3 weeks I am truly beginning to cure a year-long case of Plantar Fasciitis that I acquired by running “forefoot style” in shoes with orthotics.
I’ll be starting a blog at barefoothank.com shortly, documenting “timeline” style my barefoot experiences.
I will be Key West Hash House Harriers first full-time barefoot hasher.
Thank you Caballo Blanco, Chris “Oso” MacDougall, Barefoot Ted and to the guru himself “Barefoot Ken Bob Saxton”.