Foray into Barefoot Running (Born to Run)

So you may have picked up on this already, but I've adventured into the world of barefoot running. Well let me be more explicit now and then clarify later in the post, I've become a minimalist runner, which in this community is an important distinction, but for the majority of shod runners we're all considered the same.  In actuality I would say that mostly we are all in the same brother/sister hood community of running; the minimalists and barefooters that is.  Most barefooters utilize some minimalist shoes, and many minimalists enjoy barefoot running and certainly the philosophy and style of the purist barefooters.

Now wait a minute, you're throwing all kinds of terms out there you say. Well let me define a few basics, after all I did promise some clarification later =)

Barefoot Runner or Barefooter - person who runs barefoot / sans shoes / no zapatos / soles of feet touch the Earth

Minimalist Runner - person who runs with a barefoot style but chooses to wear a typically non padded shoe offering "minimal" protection to the foot. Most minimal shoes maintain a zero heel drop, meaning there is not a raised heel on the shoe. Traditional running shoes have an 18 mm difference between the heel and the forefoot padding with the heal being raised. What actually qualifies as a minimilist shoe is also a hotly debated topic among the community which is a lengthy post all of it's own.

Barefoot Running Style - a form of running characterized by a forefoot or midfoot strike (in opposition to the traditional heel strike running style), a quick and light running cadence (foot strikes per minute typically 180 for barefooter and closer to 140 for a traditional heel strike runner), a shortened stride such that the runner's foot lands beneath the body and not ahead, and finally a slight forward lean while running (think of falling forward and your next step keeps you from faceplanting and momentum going straight ahead). Now I don't expect anyone to read this brief description and then be able to go out and do it.  Just basic knowledge today my friends.

Thanks be to The Running Nut for this image =)

Shod Runner - Person who runs in normal running shoes

Vibram Five Fingers (VFF) - A brand of minimilist style running shoes that look like crazy monkey shoes because of the individualized toe pockets. The shoes fit like a glove for the feet, come in different styles for a variety of terrain and purposes, but all are intended to provide the user with a better "ground feel" or an as close to possible barefoot experience while still offering the individual protection from anything that might fall beneath the foot. These shoes were made highly popular by the National Bestseller book Born to Run by the legendary Christopher McDougall.

Born to Run - Yep, just read it and enjoy. Even if you have no desire to run; it's an adventure biography of sorts and a light fun read that just might change the way you think about running. It did for me.

So there is your intro. You will find some barefoot purists who will run in shoes under no circumstance and look down on us minimilist runners who do. You will find some minimilist runners that will never go barefoot. But what you will find is that the vast majority of the community, whom is super friendly and excited to share, does some form of both. It's simply practical to have some sort of foot protection when urban running around broken glass, pebbles and the like.  But if you honestly look where you're going, and you better, it isn't nearly so bad as one might think and lots of people successfully do it barefoot. Running rough trails and limestone paths is another tricky barefoot feat, and again there are people who do it and do it well. Me, I prefer some limited protection to my feet but have aspirations to be able to run some shorter races completely barefoot. So for now, I'm a minimilist shoe runner that embraces the barefoot philisophy. I don't think I will ever make the transition to being a purist barefoot runner (though if I did I would never look down on the minimilist), because it's not practical for me. It takes an incredible amount of time, patience, and dedication to run long distances barefoot.

I in no way look down on shod runners and am/will be feet down outrun, outrained, less injured than loads of traditional heel striking shoe wearers. There are similar running styles to barefoot that I consider to be pretty much the same. The main one I have run into, and took a great class on, is called Good Form Running. I essentially see it being the same as barefoot running style while wearing traditional padded running trainers. It promotes the same midfoot strike and cadence running as barefooting.  I in fact made the transition to barefoot style by first embracing Good Running Form.  From time to time I lace up my old Asics when I feel my weary feet may need a break. It can take a while to build up all those muscles in your feet that traditional shoes keep us from using and strengthening. Be sure to check the link to my friend Adam's Good Form Running Class at the end of this post,  it's FREE to take!!!!

It is widely thought that barefoot running (and similar styles) greatly reduce the injury rate for runners. My personal experience is that I have completely eliminated chronic shin splints that have plagued me as a runner. There is a lack of empirical study and time to support this, but opposingly, there is zero evidence that running shoes cut down on injury rates. Shoe companies have been challenged and cannot produce the results. If running shoes are so high tech, why do so many people both professional and a mature get so many injuries? Shouldn't we have cut that down to nearly zero? The fact remains that runners get running injuries no matter how they run. Think about how long man has been running and when Nike produced the first running shoe. Yeah, so sometime from the beggining of mankind until 1968 when Nike founder Phillip Knight first began selling shoes out of the back of his car.

I own two pairs of minimilist shoes as can be seen below. Look for reviews of each soon. I love them both, but they are very different shoes.

Vibram Five Fingers Komodsport LS

Merrell Trail Glove

Good Running Form Website:

You can sign up for the Runner's Forum class here through their homepage.  I believe the class is offered most Tuesday nights. It's a short information session followed by Adam filming each of the attendees running and then playing it back in super slow mo, one shod and once barefoot =) I plan on going back for another class just so I can see my progression. There is no more informative feedback than seeing your form in slow motion! It's enlightening and productive.