Can I run barefoot in the winter?
Source: flickr - doegox
Winter means many different things, to many different people. To me, it means snow, ice, and a windchill up to -15F (-26C). Based on your locale, you will have to adjust things to fit your needs. I have written at length about barefoot winter running advice, options, clothing, and experience.
The reoccurring question is, “Can I run barefoot in the winter?”
The answer, which rears its head for most running related questions, is “it depends on…”.
Your body.
It’s important to tell yourself that just because someone else can run barefoot in the snow, doesn’t mean you’re capable of it.
Once you’re done with that thought, remind yourself that the human body is capable of amazing, and often mind baffling feats.We are each an experiment of one. Set your mind right, so you’re able to experiment with your body correctly.
Your environment.
There are four key factors which will impact your ability to run in the snow: snowfall, temperature, windchill, and the road salt situation.
Snowfall is important to consider because running in snow above your ankles will have a drastically different feel and impact on your body heat than running with the snow solely beneath your soles.
Temperature and windchill both affect the duration of the time you can experiment before you reach a dangerous situation.
Road Salt can cause all sorts of problems. If your neighbors salt the sidewalks you may find them painful to traverse. Even more problematic is the effect of the salt. Water that would have normally been ice, or remained snow is now a liquid whose temperature is below freezing. Stepping in a road “puddle” or getting your feet wet with this below freezing mixture can accelerate foot damage.
Your ability, and desire, to adapt slowly.
Just as learning to run barefoot took patience, learning to run barefoot in the snow will take a similar patience. The risk of too much, too soon though is vastly different.
In the warmer months, you find yourself with blisters or cuts. In the winter, you will find yourself with frostbite.Be sure you learn the warning signs so that you can take corrective action immediately.
Don’t let barefoot run scare you though, just be safe — try it, experiment and see what works for you. I’d love to hear about your experiences, both success and failures. It helps me learn more.
Just remember: always have a backup plan to prevent frostbite and don’t push it!
Resources for learning more:
- Frostbite. Know what it looks like, what it feels like, and how to heal it if you find yourself with it.
- Barefoot Rick’s Winter Running Diary and Discussion. You’ll find 5 years worth of anecdotal information and his discussion with the NY Times.
- Additional guide and thoughts from the MapleGrove barefoot guy.
I know it’s a common fear, and I don’t want to skew the discussion, but I’ve run barefoot over winter in the past without an issue. In fact, the one time I actually got frostbite, I was using an icepack to help with plantar fasciitis I developed from, you guessed it, running in highly structured shoes.
As with everything in barefooting, it’s all about common sense and using your best judgement.
What does winter mean for you Tim? What type of temperatures and environment?
And I agree with the “best judgement” for sure!
I went barefoot most of the winters I lived in Rochester, NY – 100+” of snow per year (Seattle, too, but that’s like wet, sloppy spring, not winter ;) ).
I’ll agree that road salt can be a be a bit rough, but the snow and ice never bothered my feet. You’re exactly right though, Rob, just like with starting up you’ve got to be patient and take the time to acclimate.
I just went looking for others running in vff in the winter to see if there were other ideas. I was glad to discover your site. I consider myself a 50yo retired Ultimate frisbee player. (25 years of great fun!) I discovered the vff shoes existed about 3 years ago but only bought my own pair of Bikila LS this last September. It is also worth noting that I was never someone that ran for fun – it was always a means to stay in shape for the things I love to do. The vffs are helping to change that for me!
These Bikilas were great – a little sore in the calves and achilles at first and I took it slow. As I added time I was beginning to enjoy myself more. Actually this year, because of the rain and flooding of trails some of my favorite trails were under a foot of water, which added to the fun before it got below 40 degrees. Actually, one icy morning run it felt like I had something sharp in my heal. So I took off my shoe and it was just the feeling that comes from a frozen heal.
Now that winter is here, in NH, I too am faced with running in the snow and wet. As the cold weather creeped in and frozen feet became an issue I cut a old pair of soccer socks just at the ankle, bringing back the 80′s leg warmer look! I’m not too worried about appearances at 5am. I also bought two pairs of smartwool merino wool toe socks. This combination definitely helped me add some time to runs before my toes froze up. One morning I noticed my feet were chilled even before I headed out. That was not good, so I gave myself a few minutes of foot massage to increase circulation and get blood flowing. This worked like a charm! I could go further and more comfortably. I haven’t tried the chemical warmers yet, but I haven’t ruled them out either. Thanks for sharing your experiences.