That’s the mantra of the grandfather of the movement, Ken Bob Saxton, a veteran of 77 barefoot marathons. His stance is clear: “Our own feet are our best running coaches.” Ted MacDonald, another mentor to many advocates
via
BarefootTed.com, agrees, saying, “Barefoot running is about tuning in to your own body’s highly sophisticated set of inte- grated awareness systems, which communicate through feelings and senses that are being collected in real-time as you move.” Critics of barefoot running point out that no conclu-
sive clinical study has yet been done that contrasts injury rates between barefoot and shod runners. While researchers inves- tigate this dynamic, anecdotal evidence from barefoot runners continues to support the beneficial nature of the practice.
wear shoes that do not interfere with natural foot function.
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Joseph Froncioni offers a helpful
analogy. He likens the use of the modern running shoe to our re- liance on baby formula in the mid-20th century. Through clever marketing and the endorsement of the medical community, baby formula manufacturers convinced the American public that their formula was superior to a mother’s natural breast milk. A few decades later, research totally disproved the claim. Of course, there are some conditions under which mini- malist shoes can be highly advantageous, such as on rough trails or in extreme temperatures. In these cases, a minimalist shoe that allows the body to run in the most natural manner
Barefoot running allows individuals to push their limits
and reach new running goals. So, try taking your shoes off and have some fun!
Jason Robillard is a barefoot running instructor, founder of
Barefoot Running University, co-founder of the Barefoot Run- ners Society and author of The Barefoot Running Book. He also consults for the shoe industry. Watch for news of his family’s cross-county tour this summer at BarefootRunning
University.com and their blog,
RobillardAdventures.com.
to Dr. William Rossi. We can save our children from this fate by purchasing proper shoes that allow freedom of movement. The American Podiatric Medical Association recommends “... lightweight, flexible footwear made of natural materials.” The goal is to
Feet that are mostly confined inside restrictive, padded shoes tend to grow weak and deformed, according
routinely run up to a hundred miles at a time, wearing thin, flat sandals they make out of used tires and leather straps.
can work well. That generally means flat-soled shoes without a raised heel, but with a wide toe box that allows toes to spread out; these are typically made of lightweight, flexible materials.
Barefoot Tips
For anyone interested in barefoot running, learning about it may be as simple as kicking off your shoes. Most people can successfully make the transition by reacting to the tactile feedback they receive from the ground or other amenable surface. Everyone will benefit from these few basic tips from the experts:
n Keep an upright posture n Take very short, light, quick steps n Land on the ball of the foot, and then gently allow the heel to touch the surface
n Keep knees bent and arms and legs relaxed n Be patient; start with a quarter-mile and then slowly increase distance
Modern barefoot runners are encouraged by the example of Mexico’s Tarahumara Indians, who
June 2011
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