Barefoot Running?

Furious-Dave

Hi everyone. Just thought I'd raise the topic here. There has been a short debate over on Self Defense and Martial Arts about barefoot running. Some saying that it has benefits and others saying it's a load of bull. One article that was post was this http://www.sportsci.org/jour/0103/mw.htm
What are the opinions of experienced runners on here.

Peace.

thirtyfoot

I wouldn't advise someone who has never run barefoot to suddenly take it up as their muscles would just not be adapted to it. However, some coaches do recommened low intensity running in barefeet on grass or sand to build up strength in your feet. Indeed, many young kids who start running will at first do lots of their running in barefeet (well the ones who don't have access to a track and train on grass for example). There have been examples of athletes at the highest level (Bikila is the best example) who competed on road in barefeet but unless you have done it all your life you'd be asking for trouble. The gains got from having less weight on your feet isn't worth the risk of serious injury.

Furious-Dave

Thanks for the reply Tingle. i also found an article about the 1st and 2nd place runners of a marathon in New Mexico who both ran barefoot.

Peace.

ecoli

there may be some truth behind the notion that it strengthens ankles and feet esp if we look at the design of the original nike free they were designed with no support to be a form of simulating bare foot running designed with strengthening the ankles and feet

jeffontour

Reading Born To Run by Christopher Mcdougall recently I had my interest in this topic heightened.

Anyone else read or reading this and found themselves tempted to try a pair of Vibram Five Fingers out? If so has anyone come across a bricks and mortar stockist in Ireland, I reckon you'd want to get the fit bang on with them.

At the very least I'm wandering round the house without the flipflops from now on.

Puck

jeffontour wrote: »

Reading Born To Run by Christopher Mcdougall recently I had my interest in this topic heightened.

Anyone else read or reading this and found themselves tempted to try a pair of Vibram Five Fingers out? If so has anyone come across a bricks and mortar stockist in Ireland, I reckon you'd want to get the fit bang on with them.

At the very least I'm wandering round the house without the flipflops from now on.

Just read that book myself. Brilliant book, couldn't put it down and tore through it in no time. And yes I was tempted to try out some five fingers (as ugly as they may be) but have bad experience just ordering regular shoes over the internet with regards to fit so I would also need to find a bricks and mortar place. Haven't found one yet.

Running Bing

jeffontour wrote: »

Reading Born To Run by Christopher Mcdougall recently I had my interest in this topic heightened.

Anyone else read or reading this and found themselves tempted to try a pair of Vibram Five Fingers out? If so has anyone come across a bricks and mortar stockist in Ireland, I reckon you'd want to get the fit bang on with them.

At the very least I'm wandering round the house without the flipflops from now on.

Asking for injury....to your ego. Ridiculous looking things:P


I think barefoot running (or running in as little shoe as possible) is the right thing to do but as Tingle says after a lifetime of your feet, ankles and lower legs being coddled and compensated for its asking for injury.

I think if you very gradually phase it in over a long period running in very light shoes can work (lots of people do all their training successfully in racing flats). I did 5 miles barefoot at the start of summer and absolutely loved it, felt great and I ran faster, but I wouldnt do it often because I dont want to take the risk of my legs not being able to handle it (and I dont really get the opportunity as Im surrounded by concrete).


As for things like nike free and the Vibram shoes they always seem a little gimmicky to me. Whats the difference between them and a really light racing shoe without much support?

crosbie

Puck wrote: »

Just read that book myself. Brilliant book, couldn't put it down and tore through it in no time. And yes I was tempted to try out some five fingers (as ugly as they may be) but have bad experience just ordering regular shoes over the internet with regards to fit so I would also need to find a bricks and mortar place. Haven't found one yet.

Just read this book myself and suffering with huge hero envy!! I have tried a few miles barefoot and found it tough but manageable. Generally if I do a longish run - say 10-12 miles - in the park I usually take the shoes off after about 7 miles and run down the chesterfield av barefoot carryin my shoes..... I do get some funny looks. It works really well after a shower of rain as the ground gets really springy. I think any more than this would be a leap too far from most people and im doin this to transition to a lightweight shoe.... i have tried the nike free and they are slightly different from a lightweight trainer and do give the foot muscles a good workout. As with all things running-related try to develop this slowly and see how u get on!

jeffontour

Running Bing wrote: »

Asking for injury....to your ego. Ridiculous looking things:P

Ah, but if you'd ever seen me after or during a long run(or lots of times before) you'd know I'm no stranger to looking ridiculous!

I'd like to try them as a bridge towards spending more time barefoot, not necessarily running in them though. That would take a while for me I think as I've got stupidly sensitive feet.

Looks like we may be building a bit of movement, bulk order perhaps? Any takers? I'll investigate sources and sizing guides as required.

aero2k

Running Bing wrote: »

As for things like nike free .....shoes they always seem a little gimmicky to me. Whats the difference between them and a really light racing shoe without much support?

I have Nike Free 5.0 and Asics DS Racer (racing flats with a little support). They weigh pretty much the same, the Nike were €5 or €10 cheaper, they are a lot more snug around the forefoot, the sole has a better grip and they are a bit more cushioned than the Asics. They are also (even) more flexible. They feel like what I imagine running barefoot would feel like - I haven't been brave enough to try actual barefoot running yet. I've only run about 20 miles in them so it will take another while including some long runs to give a full assessment.
I agree on the gimmicky thing; if I was just going by the Nike website I'd probably have steered clear but I'd never heard of them when I found them by chance in a shop and I liked the feel and fit.

scottreynolds

jeffontour wrote: »

Looks like we may be building a bit of movement, bulk order perhaps? Any takers? I'll investigate sources and sizing guides as required.

I am hooked 100% in ending my dependeny on €150. I agree whole heartedly with much of the coverage in the book ... with 14 weeks to go till my 50 miler I'm not changing just yet but come December I want to start running in shoes with as little support as possible.

crosbie wrote: »

Just read this book myself and suffering with huge hero envy!! I have tried a few miles barefoot and found it tough but manageable. .......As with all things running-related try to develop this slowly and see how u get on!

Any update crosbie --- 5 miles barefoot sounds mad to me at the moment.

Puck wrote: »

Just read that book myself. Brilliant book, couldn't put it down and tore through it in no time. And yes I was tempted to try out some five fingers (as ugly as they may be) but have bad experience just ordering regular shoes over the internet with regards to fit so I would also need to find a bricks and mortar place. Haven't found one yet.

Couldn't put it down either i am hooked ...... Several cool website links from searching from the book like barefootted.com or the copper canyon ultra.....

Amazotheamazing

Interested in this myself, again after reading Christopher McDougall's Born to Run, and Jim Hogan's "The Irishman who ran for England" (a little known book about a Irish man who won the European Championship Marathon in 1966 in a British singlet after the Irish Athletics system turned it's back on him).

I've had bad knees for a quite a while, and while Amphibian King have cured them to some degree, I'd like to try and strengthen my legs further through barefoot running.

However, I would like to read a counter argument to the book, I presume barefoot running has it's detractors as well as it's adherents. One of my friends has had lower back pain and arch pain after running for several years now, which has prevented him from running any more marathons and restricted him to minimal training really. I'm especially curious to see if barefoot running can "cure" him when expensive insoles and physios haven't. Hopefully it won't be another false dawn for him.

scottreynolds

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Interested in this myself, again after reading Christopher McDougall's Born to Run, and Jim Hogan's "The Irishman who ran for England" (a little known book about a Irish man who won the European Championship Marathon in 1966 in a British singlet after the Irish Athletics system turned it's back on him).

I've had bad knees for a quite a while, and while Amphibian King have cured them to some degree, I'd like to try and strengthen my legs further through barefoot running.

However, I would like to read a counter argument to the book, I presume barefoot running has it's detractors as well as it's adherents. One of my friends has had lower back pain and arch pain after running for several years now, which has prevented him from running any more marathons and restricted him to minimal training really. I'm especially curious to see if barefoot running can "cure" him when expensive insoles and physios haven't. Hopefully it won't be another false dawn for him.

I'm very interested in the science as well. Been looking around at a few websites but lot of the evidence is anecdotal from both sides - and unfortunately its biased one way or the other. I think its a try it and see approach. I'm going to look into it more December but for sure I think I'll give it a go -- it just makes sense to me. I'd do it more for long term benefits rather than for fix injuries.

There are of course loads of stories like this that inspire .. http://planetultramarathon.wordpress.com/2009/01/10/barefoot-running-the-soul-of-a-runner/