In all cases it is prudent to observe and not go past your limits. Overdoing it will yield blisters, calf pain, and many other types of ailments. This is part of the tearing up of the bottoms of the feet that people experience — they are simply doing too much, too soon. You wouldn’t start training and week later run a marathon, why would you think you could go out and run 5 miles barefoot without ever having run barefoot before?

I’ve written about (and sometimes revise) the best method of getting up to speed.

As Brandon succintly points out in the comments below, which I think is worth adding here so it doesn’t get lost:

Form is a very important part of the answer to this question. You want to lift your feet, instead of pushing off with them. If you run like you do in shoes, you will rip your forefeet to shreds. The idea is to lean forward, slightly to use gravity to “pull” you, so you don’t need your feet to push as much. With this lift, there is much less friction and therefor less/no damage to your feet!

I hear people write off barefoot running simply because they do too much and find themselves hurt. Apply some common sense here.

Have something to add? I’m always listening.

Zola Budd

Barefoot runners know what works for them, but the shod community has a lot of common misconceptions they throw out as truths or “what-ifs”. This list is an attempt to dispel them, 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?

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.

The root of the issue is that the person asking the question is starting with an assumption (I need shoes) and asking about the base (the feet), instead of starting off at the base, and asking a question about making an assumption.

Let’s start with the facts:

1. We were born barefoot — completely naked.
2. Running shoes are a fairly recent invention.
3. We evolved to be runners.

Given that we start off life without shoes, and we evolved to be runners, it would follow simply that we are born to run without shoes. If we leave out culture, peer/parental pressure/indoctrination, and look purely at physical reasons we would wear a foot covering, what would that list look like?

1. To provide warmth and/or prevent heat loss.
2. To protect the skin against extreme hot or cold.
3. To protect the skin against protrusions such as jagged rocks, thorns, cacti, etc.

With that said, the simple answers to the question  “why wouldn’t you run barefoot?” are:

1. Too hot, the skin on my feet will burn.
2. Too cold, my feet will get frostbite.
3. I’m running over a field of broken glass and syringes, blindfolded. Or less sarcastically stated: I’ve kept my feet in shoes my entire life and I’m afraid to let them out, because they are incredibly sensitive.

If you’re currently running in shoes, ask not why I choose to go barefoot, but why you choose to go shod. Is it because that’s how people always have done it?  That’s simply not true.  Is it because you’re afraid of the scorn and odd looks from others? Is it because you’re afraid your feet will respond as if you’re the princess and the pea?

Well, why?!

(1) Feedback Loop. The difference between what you feel when your feet are directly touching the ground versus touching the ground through shoes is immense.  The most sensitive areas of your body are your hands, lips, face, neck, tongue, fingertips and feet. Covering any of those areas would obviously reduce sensitivity, correct?

Here’s a simple exercise to illustrate the difference: take an object and hold it in your hands.  Feel the texture, the firmness, the warmth, the shape.  Now put a glove on your hand.  Try the same thing.  You can still kind of tell what the object is. The texture information disappears, along with your assessment of the object’s heat and your ability to apply correct pressure.  This is what happens when you put a glove on your foot!

Of course the thinner the (foot) glove, the more feeling that can pass through, though it can never be the same as without that glove. That information isn’t earth shattering, it’s obvious once we apply reason.

When a person makes a transition from the typical running shoe to a more minimalist shoe, think of it as a person taking off their heavy duty mittens and putting on a pair of thin gloves. The sensation at first can be overwhelming as new information is being provided. Logically, removing the thin glove will provide even more feedback.

While we run (or other exercise) we are forcing our body to adapt. I would prefer to give my body as much information as I can in order to change in the most beneficial manner.

(2) Cost. Things cost money.  You only have so much money.  With me so far?

If you don’t spend money (or as much money) on shoes, you’ll have money to spend on other items, or to save for that special day you find out the chimney in your house is now leaking.

There are hundreds of thousands of people whose sole job is to convince you to buy things. They don’t care what it is, their job is to sell what the company tells them to sell. Market it, spin it, convince you that you can’t live without it.

The story of how the diamond has been marketed is a great example of people being sold something they don’t need.

(3) Being barefoot bothers others. For some reason, folks hate seeing things that are different. It irks them to no end when you don’t conform. Seeing you barefoot can make people very uncomfortable.

Why is he barefoot?  Doesn’t he know he’s going to catch some awful disease, step on a hypodermic needle, and follow it off by crawling through a field of broken glass? There is a social stigma attached with being barefoot in places where others do not expect it, which can be pretty much anywhere.

When not running, or some other form of strenuous exercise, minimalist shoes serve mostly to protect those around you from feeling this anxiety.

There is a great statement on twitter regarding this very thing: “Minimalist shoes fulfill the need of those around you for you to not be barefoot.” -@rmgraham

What are your thoughts on the differences between the two?

Barefoot/Shodless. Frostbite is a serious concern as temperatures drip into the 30F and below and snow settles onto the ground. Cities spray the roads with salt and other chemicals, lowering the freezing point of water and creating a more caustic environment for skin. These are serious concerns and should not be taken lightly. They should also not be feared without being understood.

Being barefoot in the winter takes adaptation, just like any other type of activity that your body is not used to. The trick is to adapt slowly.  The question is, can we truly adapt to such a thing? At this time I don’t have an answer for you. My limited experience with running barefoot outside has involved numbness in ~30F weather.  I promptly stopped, got inside, warmed up, and went back out slightly shod.

Perhaps I’m erring on the side of caution but the purpose of running barefoot is to increase the sensory perception and feedback. The moment things start to get numb, I am in a situation where I can easily overextend, over-stride, or simply overstep what I am capable of.  Not to mention the heightened risk of frostbite.

Barefoot Rick has written some fascinating information regarding his barefoot running over the past 5+ years. The pictures are not for the squeamish and show him with various stages of frostbite and other injuries.

It’s definitely possible to run barefoot in the winter; the jury is still out on the duration, adaption time and risk of lasting injuries.

Socks. Pulling on a pair of running socks (or wool socks) and just going out for a run seemed like a reasonable idea. After all, it’s still pretty close to barefoot right?  Well, not so much. The wool socks bunch in the front and felt extremely awkward. I had to take them off half way through 8 miles and run the rest barefoot. They did manage to keep my feet warm.

The running socks were no better. These provided very little warmth and the actual “sole” of the sock would have worn through after another 2-3 runs.

Just socks is not a viable option.

Vibram Five Finger Classics with Injinji Socks. The classic VFF have no strap over the top and are the most minimalistic of the Vibram options. Coupling these with the Injinji toe socks provides a warm and wicking solution. The actual running in “classics” is difficult since the elastic around the back pinches at the heel. If you remove this elastic the heel of the shoe is difficult to keep secured.  Perhaps you will have better luck with this setup, however it is not feasible for me due to these limitations.

Vibram Five Finger Flow. Marketed as “ChiRunning in colder temperatures or crossing a stream with your kayak, the FiveFingers Flow provides comfortable barefoot protection”, these definitely kept my feet warm. The 1.2mm Neoprene lining and 2mm EVA footbed provide the thermal insulation and protection.

Despite having a thicker sole than I would like, these have proved the best solution for me, thus far. The feeling is as close to barefoot as I can simulate while retaining feeling in my feet.

Since the shoes cover the entire foot, they do not feel as though they are going to slip off, like the VFF classics which allows for a more natural gait. As long as you are used to running barefoot, your form should allow to adapt to these without too much effort.

Treadmill. Barefoot running on the treadmill should not be dismissed as a winter alternative. Even if you are going to adapt your feet to the cold, the treadmill can help.

I’ve used the treadmill to both log miles barefoot and to warm up before heading out the door. I find that having muscles loosened up and my body temperature higher helps me ease into the cold without stiffness.

Snowshoes. I have yet to attempt this. Once there is some snowfall here in Michigan I will be trying my new Atlas Run Snowshoe. I’ve never “shoed” before but it sounds like a great way to run through the winter trails.

Feedback?

So how do you run in the winter?  What have you done to keep your little footsies from freezing solid? I’d love to read about your trials and tribulations.

Edit: A more comprehensive winter running article is also available.

References

• Injinji Socks – aka, the toe socks come in all sorts of heights, material types, and colors.  I have used them with my classics and found they are comfortable, albeit expensive.
• Vibram Five Fingers

1. Run a mile on gravel twice a week. Gravel is one of the most difficult surfaces to traverse barefoot. It requires light and agile steps, coupled with a relaxed attitude that embraces the discomfort. Since running barefoot is all about receiving feedback and making adjustments, an unforgiving surface provides the perfect recipe for maximum results. You may not make the mile the first time, or the second, or perhaps ever — but any time spent receiving such wonderful feedback is worthwhile.
2. Travel everywhere barefoot. There was a time when walking barefoot in the store, at school, around the house didn’t even turn a head. In many countries, this is still the case.  Unfortunately in most “developed” countries, barefooting makes you come across as a social pariah.  If you live in the U.S. like I do, you are in one of the most anti-barefoot places in the world. This complicates the task of traversing your everyday barefoot. There are no laws against going barefoot in stores; unfortunately in the U.S. many stores will set dress codes of their own. Stores who claim their policy is based on Health Department laws are misinformed or simply lying. For example, the state I live in (Michigan) has this to say about being barefoot:
   

   Some Michigan restaurants and supemarkets display the warning sign “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service – by order of the health department.” Although such signs may represent the attitude of store management, the requirement is not based upon any Michigan law. Michigan’s food safety standards address employees involved in food handling and do not regulate the attire of the customer.

   In most places, it is also legal to drive barefoot. In Michigan for example, they specifically tell the police:

   There is nothing in the Michigan Vehicle Code that prohibits barefoot driving. Careless or reckless driving would really be a stretch, as an argument could be made that a barefoot person has more control over the pedals.

   Obviously a lot of my research is U.S. centric, since that’s where I live. I suspect if you do similar research for your area, you will find similar results.  Know your rights and exercise them, no one will do it for you.

3. Run on as many different surfaces as you can. Your body is built to adapt.  Running on sidewalk, blacktop, gravel, dirt trails, rocky trails, grass, the track, etc. are all ways to shock your body into paying attention and adapting to the task it is performing.
4. Ditch the transitions. Shodless running means no transition shoes.  No Vibram Five Fingers, no sandals, no water shoes.  Although I have nothing against these, and think they are useful in some circumstances, the truth is they block feedback.  Anything between your soles and the ground is a barrier. Running shoes just happen to provide a huge barrier, whereas transitional shoes provide a limited one.  Want to run barefoot?  Then do it truly shodless! If the Nike Free is “like running barefoot”, and that’s been their actual motto, how about you save the $85 dollars and don’t buy a solution to a problem you don’t have — consumer culture be damned.
5. Explain shodless running to friends and family. Folks can be cruel with things they don’t understand. If you’re a human, you may have noticed this.  What better way to examine your barefoot feelings than to explain it to someone else.  The next time someone stops you, shouts at you, is exascerbated by your bare feet — stop — and calmly explain things to them.  Articulating how and why you feel barefooting is a good idea may open someone’s eyes.  Questioning preconceptions is difficult, especially with multi-billion dollar companies cramming conformity onto the public. Knowing barefooting works is one thing, but understanding why being shodless is beneficial can help take your training to a new level.

Avoiding Injuries

The best way not to get injured is to avoid it like the plague.  Easier said than done, but trying to follow some basic principles will help.

1. Listen to your body and respect its wishes.  Sense what is going on when you run, what feels right and what you know to be wrong.
2. Gradually work stresses into your routine.  Back off if necessary and regroup.

Avoid: Too Much, Too Soon

As it’s been stated before, jumping into running barefoot is a recipe for disaster.  There are different muscles and different stresses that one isn’t used to.  Pressing this too quickly will usually lead to injury.  If this point hasn’t been driven into your brain yet, take a moment and let it hit you.  Just because you want it, does not mean that your body can handle it.

The next step, and one that I have perhaps fallen for recently, is a different form of too much, too soon.  If you’ve been running shodless for awhile, you are aware of and have been pushing your limits for some time. Problems arise when you push past that invisible millage limit too quickly, or for some, at all.

Building an aerobic base is the key to quality distance running.  This means running “easy”, but using the amount of millage as the stressor on the body.  A conservative approach involves adding no more than 10% every 3-4 weeks, or 1 mile per run per week.  So if you ran 6 times a week, you would increase at most 6 miles, but more conservatively, 10%.   Even with these limits in place though, one must remember to listen to their body.

Just because an increase worked well for you last month does not mean that that same increase will have the same effect on you.  Running more miles means more time on your feet.  More time on your feet means more time for imperfections in your gait to cause problems.  Remember that twinge you felt in your calf?  That’s now a tear.  Remember the slight pain in your arch at the end of a few runs?  Now you’ve got serious pain.

Listen to your body, respect it from a third persons perspective.  If a friend asked you, should I run when I have a twinge in my calf, and you’d answer “take a day off”, but won’t do the same for yourself, you need to have a heart to heart with yourself.  Injuries always delay training, usually much longer than preventive measures would have taken.

It is better to have avoided the injury than it is to recover from it.

Avoid: Poor Form

As miles increase, so does the stress on the body.  That is the whole purpose of increasing miles.  Your form however begins to get tested more and more.  Things that were originally non-issues have the potential to slowly work their way into problems.

But isn’t running longer supposed to improve my running economy?  Well, yes it is, but only if you can stay healthy through it.

Run only as long as your form allows.  Ride the line of form fatigue, but cross over at your own peril.

Avoid: Bad Luck

We’d all avoid bad luck if we could, but sometimes it’s just not possible.  A stumble during inattention, a slip on wet leaves, a car slides too far across the crosswalk.  Wait a minute though, these things sound like things that we at least had some control over.  That’s because they are.

Although a slip is an accident, practicing caution and cognizance can reduce the chance of accidents.  Be mindful while you run.

Recognizing Injuries

There are way too many different way to hurt oneself, stemming from the many different way to run incorrectly. I won’t delve into those, but will deal with injury on a more general level.

Recognize: pain

Pain happens, it’s how you deal with it and understand it that determines the outcome of your battle. There are two types of pain in my mind, sharp pain, and fatigue pain.

Sharp pain is a shock, splitting, piercing pain in a single area that was otherwise operating fine.  These pains can be cause my muscle strains, breaks, fractures, pulls, and other serious problems.  That’s why if you feel a sharp pain in any part of your body your immediate concern is to analyze it, often times stopping the run.  Most times you will decide to “walk it in”, as the risk of running through the pain is extreme.  If you are familiar with the sharp pain (perhaps a side stitch), you may feel comfortable attempting to run through it.  If the pain does not begin to subside after 5 minutes or so, you’d best not attempt further as you are only causing damage.

Fatigue pain is the result of a system strain in your body.  Whether that be aerobic, muscular, or full body, this type of pain is something you want to routinely ride and conquer.

Dealing with Injuries

You’re hurt.  You tried not to get hurt. You listened to your body, but you’re hurt and it sucks.  Hell, it happens.  It’s no fun, but the road to recovery to paved with chances to learn.

First off, don’t run if you feel pain for more than 5 steady minutes.  Yes, it’s that simple. Pain is your body’s way of telling you it has problems.  Sometimes those problems can be resolved after warming up, but more often the problem requires your body to repair itself. In those cases, rest.  Pay the price your body demands and use the time to assess what went wrong so that next time you can avoid it.

If you are unable to determine where you took a wrong turn, it may be in your best interest to videotape yourself running, or get someone to watch, or to receive a professional assessment.

Running is evolution, adding the good, and removing the bad — remember that this takes time.  Evolution is a slow, but incredibly powerful process.

Resources for dealing with specific types of injuries:

• When To Run, When To Stop
• Common Running Injuries

ChiRunning focuses exactly where barefooting does, “Body Sensing”, which in essence is simply telling you to observe your body, feel what’s happening, and adjust accordingly — barefeet are perfect for that!  The book also stresses being absolutely relaxed. All of the mantra’s line up perfectly for how I’d like to be able to run barefoot.

Here are the key points which match well with shodless running:

1. Pick up your feet instead of pushing off. You are propelled forward by a slight lean (1″ – 4″) depending on your desired speed.  When running barefoot you obviously don’t want to be apply extra friction on the bottoms of your feet by pushing off.

2. Keep your cadence at 180 steps per minute regardless of your desired speed.

3. To increase speed, increase your lean forward and your stride length.

4. Stay absolutely relaxed and observe your body.

5. Gradual progress — you don’t just start trying to be a Chi Running master, you ease your way there through a series of exercises, over months.

Does anyone else have any experience with this? Thoughts? I’d love to hear them. Interested in picking up the book, it’s $10 on Amazon: ChiRunning: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running

How to get started

I’d suggest proceeding through the following steps, being sure not to move onto the next one until you’re sure of yourself. Running barefoot is nothing like running with sneakers for the majority of us. There is no opportunity for heel striking, there is no tolerance for faults, your body must adapt. The good news is that your body evolved exactly for this purpose!

1. Start walking around the house barefoot. Walk around your home, your apartment, your yard — wherever your normal travels find you. Remember what it’s like to feel the ground beneath you. There are an incredible number of nerves in your feet that are neglected when covered.
2. Begin walking outside, as far as you can handle, without getting blisters. For most folks this will be as little as a quarter mile, or as much as a full mile. You will feel the plantar skin gradually become thicker as it adapts to the stresses of being barefoot. Perform these walks for at least 3-4 weeks on any surface you can tolerate. The more variety, the better off you are.
   
3. Time to run! Begin running in small amount, being certain you’re not going so far as to get blisters. For most folks this will be the same as your initial walking, anywhere from .25 miles to a full mile. Be sure to listen to your body and shut the running down before you feel overwhelmed. At this point your calves, feet, and ankles should strengthen and they may tighten up quickly (especially your calves) if you overdo it.

   Make sure you run easy — easier than you think you have to. Listen to your body and most of all, relax! Plan on spending at minimum 3-4 weeks just learning how to run without those pesky sneakers.

   If you’re already putting in a set number of miles per week in sneakers, this stage can get particularly difficult. I suggest completely dropping your weekly mileage back to the 0 mark and base building from there. For many of you this will seem ludicrous. Run barefoot for a few days and see if it’s so silly then. You’re learning to run all over again — although there have been people who have reported success with gradually splitting miles between shoes and barefooting; I am not one of them. Making the switch all at once will help keep your focused on your new and improved stride. Besides, running is for life, remember?

4. Mix it up. As you get stronger you can begin to add tempo runs, fartleks, and some track workouts. The only thing that I would save until last are interval workouts on the pavement. This seems to be the most abusive and hard to control style of barefoot running. Not until you have a solid and springy form can you perform them.
   

Alternative Footwear Options

There are a number of options available for supplementing barefooting. As you progress into running, I’ve found that I enjoy doing a partial barefoot run, coupled with a lightweight “shoe”.

I use “shoe” very loosely in that it only need be a sole. Vibram Five Fingers have been my barefooting shoe of choice. They are light-weight, very versatile (you can wear them just about anywhere, and I do), and most of all, they protect the sole of your foot. You can easily get a thousand miles out of these, making them economical as well.

There are some things (broken glass, crushed gravel, etc) that just aren’t worth running over. And there are times when I do not feel like running barefoot as I find it a bit more abusive on my soles, especially the concrete.

Other people have reported success with something as simple as aqua socks. There are a lot of choices out there and there are no wrong answers, so long as the enclosure around your foot is thin and not encumbering.

Finally, don’t buy the Nike Free. Nike claims it mimics the sensation of running barefoot. How about just doing the real thing and not giving money to the company that started this whole mess to begin with?

Running Form

Describing the best form for barefoot running is difficult since everyone is built differently.

The general idea is the run with short, quick, and light strides. Your stride rate should remain at 180 steps per minute regardless of your pace.

Allow your feet to land directly under your center of gravity, beneath your hips. The front part of your foot should hit the ground first (good luck landing on your heel). Your overall posture should contain a slight forward learn. At no point should you feel like you’re slapping the ground with your feet and there should be no shock reverberating in your bones.

Parting Thoughts

There’s no scientific data that running shoes reduce injury. In fact, a case can be made that they actually increase injury rates. Don’t let anyone tell you differently, regardless of their background. If someone insists you’re wrong, you need arch support, you need orthopedics, you need an enema — make them prove it. Just because something is common practice doesn’t make it right.

Barefoot running isn’t going to make you immune it injury. Many people overdo it right off the bat and get injured, thinking that just because they are running barefoot they are invincible. Be smart about it and you will be rewarded accordingly.

Resources for learning more

This has been only the briefest of introductions. If you’re interested in learning more, I recommend the following websites & books.

On the web:

• Running Barefoot – The original resource for barefoot runners. This covers just about every aspect you could be interested in.
• Barefoot Ted – Fascinating blog of a barefooter who has been all over the world.
• Barefoot Running Community on RunningAhead – Forum for learning about barefooting. Ask questions from experts to noobs.
• Sports Science – Summary: Running barefoot is associated with a substantially lower prevalence of acute injuries of the ankle and chronic injuries of the lower leg in developing countries, but well-designed studies of the effects of barefoot and shod running on injury are lacking. Laboratory studies show that the energy cost of running is reduced by about 4% when the feet are not shod. In spite of these apparent benefits, barefoot running is rare in competition, and there are no published controlled trials of the effects of running barefoot on simulated or real competitive performance.

Books:

• Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
• ChiRunning: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running