Sierra Blogging Post Archives

More and more people are choosing to run barefoot, claiming it's better for your feet and body than running in shoes.

But is running barefoot really better for you?

Some researchers say yes - they believe our feet were healthier before we had the luxury of padded running shoes.

A recent small study, comparing modern feet to feet of two-thousand years ago, concluded feet were, in fact, healthier two thousand years ago when no one wore shoes. (Of course, we don't know if that's because they were barefoot or because they didn't walk around on pavement and concrete all day.)

Small studies have also shown that running barefoot somehow lessens joint impact by 12% and requires less energy than running with shoes. It's possible barefoot runners land softer in the middle of the foot, put less strain on the rest of the body and are better able to use their toes to push off, creating a more natural foot strike.

“The way your foot hits the ground in a highly cushioned shoe is very forceful,” says Dr Najia Shakoor, the lead author of a study featured in the article. “When you are barefoot you have a natural motion from your heel to your toe. We now think that's associated with more shock absorption.”

Of course, there are the obvious dangers - glass, blisters, bruising and infections to name a few. And not everyone is sold on barefoot running.

“Wearing no shoes is brilliant if you grew up walking or running this way like Kenyan athletes who have unlimited access to sandy and soft, grassy ground,” says Lorraine Jones of the Society for Chiropodists and Podiatrists.

The problem is most of us run on road or paved trail, which is extremely hard on our feet and bodies. I, for one, can't imagine running barefoot (unless I'm on the beach). I love my Asics.

What do you think? Do you run barefoot or does the sight of someone running (or walking) barefoot make you cringe?

Quick Tip: Jones recommends if you want to try barefoot running, to start slowly and let your soles thicken and muscles and ligaments adapt. “If you are going to try, start gently by taking off your shoes to walk for 15 minutes a day, then 20 and build up that way."