Body Blog: Let’s Go Running…Barefoot?

March 29, 2010     Posted in Body, Fitness

Last week while I hopped on the treadmill for my afternoon jog, I looked next to me and spotted some guy wearing these. I thought it might be some sort of joke – they did look rather similar to gorilla feet, and that’s sorta funny – until I saw another guy walk in wearing similar shoes. (Or whatever you’d call them….)


By Samantha

I was really confused until the next day when I was catching up on my reading (PopEater, CollegeCandy, actual News, Newsfeed) and came across an article boasting the benefits of running barefoot. Which, I deduced, was what those guys were mimicing, without having to actually touch their bare feet to the nasty gym floor.

Yes, according to researchers at Harvard, the best (most beneficial and safest on your body) way to run is SANS SHOES. Though it doesn’t seem to make sense to most of us, runners who say no to their Nikes hold their feet differently, thereby making themselves less prone to injury. The study went on to find that when running without shoes, runners hit the ground with the balls of their feet first, rather than with their heels. Which is a good thing.

The conductor of the study, Daniel Lieberman, said that runners who run barefoot have an “astonishingly different strike” and that “by landing on the middle or front of the foot, barefoot runners have almost no impact collision, much less than most shoe runners generate when they heel-strike.”

That’s all fine and good but, um, but what about that whole pavement, dirt, sand, BROKEN JAGER BOTTLES, aspect of running barefoot???

Liberman claims that “Most people today think barefoot running is dangerous and hurts, but actually you can run barefoot on the world’s hardest surfaces without the slightest discomfort and pain. All you need is a few calluses to avoid roughing up the skin of the foot.”

A few calluses? Okay, I’ll be sure to tell my pedicurist to not remove them next time.

The upsides to running barefoot include a springier step and more engagement of your calf and foot muscles, stated the study. Another upside is a slightly improved level of control. “When you run barefoot, your body precisely engages your vision, your brain, the soles of your feet, and all the muscles, bones, tendons, and supporting structures of your feet and legs. They leap to red alert, and give you a high degree of protection from the varied pressures and forces of running.”

Downsides? Jager glass.

But seriously, people have been running barefoot since…the beginning of time? It can’t be that bad. If you do decide to shun your Shox, start by running on a slightly softer surface, such as sand or dirt trial. Otherwise, not to be outdone but running au natural, Nike has their own line of “barefoot” running shoes called Nike Free. They give you the feeling of running barefoot without the calluses. Or weird looking gorilla shoes.

30 Comments on "Body Blog: Let’s Go Running…Barefoot?"

  1. starhedgehog says:
    Mon, 29th Mar 20106:11 am 

    There's actually 3rd option for those "gorilla feet" and Nike Free's, just google Feelmax. I personally love them, and have been using them for a year now.

  2. poverty_dieter says:
    Mon, 29th Mar 20108:29 am 

    My boyfriend is IN to barefoot running. Loves it, and says it's the best type of running he's ever done. I'm afraid I'll cut my feet on a random beer cap or something…

  3. Mary Pat says:
    Mon, 29th Mar 20109:21 am 

    I really enjoy running around barefoot. Shoes make my feet feel claustrophobic so it's kind of a win-win situation for me but yes, jagged glass can really hurt so shoes probably are safer!

  4. maddieconway says:
    Mon, 29th Mar 201010:28 am 

    yeah i have seen someone running in those feelmax and he was just running normally. they give you some protection/traction but then it doesn't have the structure of shoes. they're for climbing too i think.

  5. Cymbaline says:
    Mon, 29th Mar 20101:13 pm 

    Running through a golf course is the best, also a little safer as far as minding the bottom of the footsies.

  6. dreamlivedream says:
    Mon, 29th Mar 20102:31 pm 

    I had a lot of ankle issues, and my hairdresser told me to try running barefoot. It's helped strengthen my ankle dramatically over the last year!

  7. Michael Odza says:
    Mon, 29th Mar 20105:40 pm 

    There are lots of blogs now about barefoot running, and "barefoot running shoes" and a rapidly growing selection of such shoes, and of course, arguments about which are truly barefootish…Having repeated achilles tendinitis problems myself, I've just done a bunch of (web) research, and think I will start with surf shoes! They have a tough but thin sole, some of them breathe, and they're a whole lot cheaper than the Feelmax, Vivo, Nike, New Balance and other alternatives, so are a good way to test the, um, waters, so to speak. Alternatively, you can make a Tarahumara sandal yourself. The Tarahumara Indians of Mexico routinely run 50-100 miles across thorn- and rock-strewn desert in the ultimate minimalist sandal. Instructions (or made-to-order) at barefootTed.com

  8. Lakia says:
    Mon, 29th Mar 20105:43 pm 

    I used to enjoy walking barefoot until I stepped on something lol… it hurt badly

  9. Summer says:
    Mon, 29th Mar 20106:13 pm 

    I can only imagine the hell my body would put me through should I decide to eliminate shoes. I like my arches for now, thanks.

  10. Laurie Allen says:
    Mon, 29th Mar 20108:29 pm 

    The barefoot thing rules! I teach Nia and it's done barefooted. Your feet and ankles get super strong. Try it….try Nia!

  11. littlelamblx says:
    Mon, 29th Mar 201010:39 pm 

    im going to try running bare foot but i have ridiculously ticklish feet, dont enjoy sticks or stones much, but.. hopefully will find time to swing by the track and try it

  12. Jen says:
    Mon, 29th Mar 201011:23 pm 

    I would never go running completely barefoot, but the Vibrams allow you to run effectively barefoot without dealing with the pain of gravel roads or broken glass.

    I tried running in mine for the first time yesterday. 3-4 miles pain free. It's the first time in years that I've been able to go more than a mile without debilitating arch pain. My lower calf muscles are a different story — but at least this is the good kind of pain!

  13. skillets says:
    Tue, 30th Mar 20102:11 am 

    What about some kind of thick sock to prevent random cuttage?

  14. Wanderer says:
    Tue, 30th Mar 20103:26 am 

    I don't know about running barefoot but I am always barefoot around the house… My mom and now my husband are always behind me to wear shoes but somehow the feel of being barefoot is different

  15. the violator says:
    Tue, 30th Mar 20104:35 am 

    hmm, lets see here: running barefoot can give all those wonderful advantages like those shap, pointy pebbles that embed in your feet. the occasional piece of broken glass that will slice you up good. and of coarse the infection that will result from this.

    nope. shoes are better.

  16. Abigail says:
    Tue, 30th Mar 20106:43 am 

    I work at a pool where I teach swim lessons and lifeguard, I wear the Vibram shoes eveyday! They are wonderful for not slipping on deck and having a class full of kids laughing! I also use them for rock climbing and running. They are the best!

  17. Bilbo Baggahoe says:
    Tue, 30th Mar 201011:34 pm 

    I put goat stomachs or wrap cat guts around my feet when barefoot running. They absorb glass shards and cigarette butts during the run, as I live in the ghetto. Also, smoking PCP before and during the run accentuates my calf muscles and helps me to pick up fellow lady joggers.

  18. Kaplan says:
    Fri, 2nd Apr 20103:29 pm 

    If you could go to any country for free, where would you go and why?

  19. Miller says:
    Sat, 3rd Apr 20103:37 pm 

    Do you have a love of your life?

  20. Jones says:
    Tue, 6th Apr 20101:25 pm 

  21. Ray says:
    Tue, 13th Apr 20103:35 am 

    Why do people lie?

  22. Amy says:
    Thu, 5th Aug 20104:18 pm 

    I admit the fact that running barefoot is not that easy at first time….But this is much challenging and more fun than usual running…:D

    zbsports

  23. GeoffreyHale says:
    Sun, 8th Aug 20108:27 pm 

    Buy shoes to run barefoot? Just take your shoes off! =)

    Even if you don't live near trails and beaches and grassy fields, just take your shoes off. You'll be surprised how not dangerous your streets are. As for the broken Jager bottles, the natural sensory arousal (vision -> foot placement) of barefoot running will have you darting around shards of Jager in no time. And with enough callouses, shards of Jager bottles won't bother your feet at all. Just watch out for hypodermic needles.

    Happy barefooting!

    http://www.geoffreyhale.com/blog/

  24. @b1ackplague says:
    Sat, 8th Jan 201112:02 am 

    So instead of a little pain from the roads ( if your smart you wont run on those pebbles or glass) you (and I am 100% positive despite what you say) suffer even more from injuries by wearing shoes.

  25. @b1ackplague says:
    Sat, 8th Jan 201112:08 am 

    You realize your arches are shot because of running shoes right? If you were to suspend your arm, as in using no arm muscles at all, with string or another means for several years straight (thus, not using it at all) you would probably assume it would become incredibly weak. That's exactly what running shoes do to your arches, it cradles them. The best cure for falling arches is……barefoot running! It uses the natural muscles in your feet, strengthening them so they become more arched again. Ask the American record holder in the mile, Alan Webb, who had flat feet in high school….

  26. anthony says:
    Fri, 13th Jan 20125:53 pm 

    post your facebook ticklish feet cutie :)

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