Should You Toss Your Running Shoes and Just Go Barefoot?

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Great stuff. aww.usnews.com kicks ass.

Marie of AL 8:33AM March 11, 2010

This is why I read www.usnews.com. Marvelous post.

Rocky of AL 5:20AM March 11, 2010

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Tabitha of AL 5:05AM March 11, 2010

This is the reason I love www.usnesw.com. Love the posts.

Mohammad of AL 4:49AM March 11, 2010

Ms. Hobson has gone out of her way to not ask an expert. Why was that?
As a board certified podiatric surgeon and sports medicine specialist, I find it incredible that, without any supporting science, pundits are pushing barefoot running. For my practice, this is a good thing, but I took an oath to "do no harm", and I am ethically bound to do just that. The idea that barefoot running is somehow good for you defies logic, Admit it, it does defy logic.
The evolution in athletic shoe design and construction has been a result of a need, and not from some plot by shoe companies, as is being suggested by biased individuals with something to gain. Shoes that tout the feet being free to do whatever they can do, have lead to in a significant increase in runners presenting to my practice with overuse injuries. Too often, too many of these cases knocks them from their training for 3-6 months. (I have often wondered why these minimalist shoes, which are quicker and cheaper to make, cost so much?)
Don't you know when something sounds too stupid to make sense? Barefoot running is one of those stupid things. But, if you have to try it for an ego boost, go right ahead, but do not ignore warning signs of impending overuse syndromes.
And, running on the balls of your feet requires the calf muscle and Achilles tendon to forcibly keep your heel from hitting the ground, fatiguing the muscle, straining the Achilles and wasting a lot of calories you might need to finish a race. I don't know, but don't you think this is one of those, duh, things?
I am a runner. I run today so I can still be running tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, and in the next decade. I sure am not going to be stupid about my feet. Science guides my running, not my ego.

Dr. Robert S Steinberg of IL 8:02PM January 30, 2010

As a podiatrist, I have written extensively on the benefits of barefoot activity on my blog.
www.AmericasPodiatrist.com

DrNirenberg of IN 7:42PM January 01, 2010

I’ve been attached to my running shoes and I thought they were fine but I started to get back pain and a friend recommended I get new shoes at this place called Foot Solutions. If you haven’t heard of them I highly recommend a visit. I went and had a free foot screening done and they told me so much about my feet and how the proper shoe can help with other health issues which seem unrelated to your feet. I also didn’t realize that my feet could actually be sending me "early warning signs" of diabetes, arthritis and circulatory problems. They don’t just have running shoes they also have sandals and inserts made specifically for your feet which you can add to your heels. Try looking for a nearby location at www.footsolutions.com

Tyler Crespo of FL 2:49PM August 15, 2009

At least toss them for some of the time so your natural foot strength gets retained rather than withering away due to the support of modern shoes.
You don't run on the balls as someone suggested, you land midfoot slightly on the outside edge with a slight roll onto the front for almost flat. Knees bent slightly and your legs doing the shock absorption. It's a complex area.
Build up takes time and can reveal all sorts of problems your regular shoes hid and probably caused. Transition over the last four months has revealed my body has been hiding an imbalance from me that caused an injury by the right leg taking extra load. "Barefoot" has made it easier for me to notice getting out of balance while running.
I'm (back) up to double figure miles comfortably in marathon training using FiveFingers but agree with other comments, suitable alternatives seem none existent and FiveFingers for running only exist as an accident.
If joints hurt from barefoot running your style is wrong. The only thing that hurts (except pre existing injury) for me barefoot is my feet that are still building up to taking the effort and most of the hurt is just fatigue. The muscles in my feet (now well developed) are still getting used to the increased distances which the rest of me was used to.

alex 12:06PM July 29, 2009

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Qrsnkzwc of WA 9:19AM July 15, 2009

You've got to read the book, Born to Run before passing judgment on barefoot running. While primarily a travel-adventure book in the vein of Up in Thin Air and Walk in the Woods, it is replete with citations from peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Sports Biomechanics which indicate that expensive shoes, with their built-in orthotics cause greater injury than cheap shoes from Kmart. In fact, in one experiment just to prove the point that all the engineering "advancements" are nothing more than snake oil salesmanship, one researcher wore his shoes to a thin sole, then ran for additional months wearing his right shoe on his left and vice versa--without injury, all the while questioning the necessity of shock coils, forward thrusters, lateral stabilizers, etc. While there are no relevant statistics on the barefoot vs. shod debate (because there are not enough barefoot runners to make a statistical difference), one study found that as the price of the shoe increased (read: more cushioning, gels, arch support, pronation control), so did the injuries. Plus the book provides a good backdrop on the money/economics of the shoe business, which, coupled with the suspect science of 1970's podiatry, engendered the current frankenstein-ian shoe designs we see today. The book also implores us to look at the Kenyan running philosophy which requires barefoot running until the age of 17. Running mechanics analysis indicates that Kenyans and runners from other barefoot cultures run with horizontal thrust whereas Americans happily pound vertically down, slowly pulverizing their joints to mush. Personally, I have been running for weeks with sandals with a personally modified neoprene strap and in the beginning the muscles in my calves and my quads were experiencing incredible deep tissue soreness. But now that they've adapted sufficiently, I can run barefoot without problems. The best part? No knee pain (lateral ligament) which I used to experience in both legs whenever I upped my mileage (6-8 miles daily). I am now a convert. I recommend giving it a shot (intelligently/gradually of course).

Gene of MD 1:24AM June 28, 2009