How and Why to Try Running Completely Barefoot
Running barefoot is like diving into the water: what is already quite fun becomes exhilarating and memorable when you are more intimately connected with your environment and your body. You can’t help but feel the nuances of the water temperature and notice your skin without a swimsuit, and running without shoes makes you pay attention to the world around you and listen to your feet.
Before I begin my running adventures without sneakiness, I want to be clear: I am not against shoes, and I am not even against running shoes. I have lived or lived – and ran – in very cold places (western Massachusetts) and very hot (northern Australia); places where the ground below is dangerous (lava fields of the Big Island of Hawaii); and others where I wouldn’t dare try my luck barefoot (Oakland, California seems to have broken windows all over the place).
That being said, I’ve run barefoot in more places than I’ve run, and with experience I feel more and more comfortable where I might have been afraid before. Here’s what I learned.
Barefoot is cool: history
I was raised by my grandmother, who grew up in Manhattan but spent the summer barefoot in the Adirondack. For her, bare feet meant freedom. She gardened, cooked, stacked firewood, and even shoveled snow without shoes. We competed to see who could stay barefoot on the street longer – she always won. In school or in the city, I wore 80s kids’ shoes, from super white Reeboks to jelly sandals, but they were filmed at home, just like my grandmother.
Living and working in New York in my 20s, I rarely walked barefoot. But I stumbled upon his special joys again when I was in my early 30s on my way out on a date. Imagine one of those August showers when the sky just opens up and people huddle under the eaves. It was a hot night, and I slipped dangerously over folded espadrilles. Usually I walked fast, even in heels, I slowly made my way through the rain. I ripped off my shoes in no time and put my feet on the warm concrete as the cold rain fell on my toes. I walked carefully, but when the rain came up again, I felt the need to run. And so I did. It was so free to race barefoot through the temporarily empty streets. I showed up at the bar, drenched and glowing, and I’m sure my fan found me strange. I tried walking barefoot again while jogging on a trail in the Connecticut woods. And since then I have not stopped.
Why run barefoot?
Barefoot running has grown in popularity over the past decade, with many serious runners trying it to treat tendonitis or other injuries – or to improve their strength or performance. Some go barefoot all the time, but many others just use it as part of their overall workout .
How good barefoot running is for your feet and body is a matter of controversy. Some studies have shown that running with or without minimal shoes helps with chronic injuries, but critics of these studies say they are not long enough or last long enough to be sure. A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine states that the effects of barefoot running are still in their infancy and: “… long-term prospective studies have not yet been conducted, and the link between barefoot running and injury or performance remains. insignificant and speculative. “
On the one hand, there are people who think that running shoes cushion their feet where they are needed and help people run faster and longer. On the other hand, those who think that shoes, and especially sneakers, are actually bad for the health of the musculoskeletal system. “The muscles in your foot can atrophy if you are in shoes all day,” said Stephen Preitbooth, a podiatrist based in Washington DC. Proponents of barefoot running say sneakers cause injury as humans evolved to run even long distances across a wide variety of terrain (including hard, flat tundra) without shoes or with thin-soled moccasins.
When most of us try to run barefoot or in barefoot sneakers, we automatically start running on the forefoot. This forward kick is a natural gait for most people, but we recognize it when we wear shoes as studies have shown that we compare children who wear shoes with those who do not.
Research into the causes of running injuries is ongoing, but research has shown that landing on the back of the foot creates high-frequency force that travels up the body and through the bones, potentially causing injury. Landing on the forefoot causes low-frequency forces to move upward into the muscles, which can disperse the impact. It’s actually uncomfortable to run barefoot with a heel kick.
What else is changing? You probably don’t need to worry about changing your stride or gait: A study in April 2017 in the International Journal of Exercise Science found that both experienced and inexperienced runners found the most effective stride for them.
Starting
Like anything new, easy barefoot jogging. Let’s start with barefoot running shoes (I love my Vivo Ultra ). They will make you feel how differently you feel when there is no pile of spacers between you and the ground.
Once you feel this, or if you’re already comfortable walking barefoot on the beach or elsewhere, you can try running on the grass, large parking lot, or packed sand next to the ocean, whichever is close at hand. I would suggest about 20 minutes a couple of times a week to get your legs used to being exposed – and you will have time to build up calluses.
Or, you can try running barefoot for the last quarter or third of your regular run, carrying the shoe in hand. When you feel confident, try a forest path or street; you can bring your sneakers or flip-flops with you just in case. Doing the same route multiple times will help you and your feet get to know the same place, and it becomes easier as you get used to running without shoes.
A brand new (sensual) world
The best part of running barefoot isn’t getting more strength, more balance, or more agility (although you’ll likely be recruiting micromuscles you didn’t know you were, and you’ll feel it the next day). It’s about how much more you will be aware of your body and the world around you.
You may notice how your legs and feet begin to automatically respond to small differences in terrain, or you may wonder how agile you have to be to avoid small obstacles. Listen to your body and tune in: where do you enjoy landing on your foot while running? How do your ankles feel? What are your toes doing? (Running shoes have little chance of helping you balance and tackle off-road terrain, and will take some time to re-master the job.)
You will also notice how the ground feels under your feet. If you choose a path in the forest or outdoors, the difference in temperature and dampness will be noticeable. You will anticipate the cool mud splashing between your toes in the shady spot of the trail, learn how to keep your soft rise from hitting even the smallest rock on the street, and figure out how to use the root of the tree to get your big toe purchase when you go up the hill. I found myself using my legs and feet more creatively with bare feet; I jump more, change stride length quite often and find that my calves and buttocks do more work as I run – I am always focused on finding the right place for my foot to land.
Calluses are your friend
About a dozen times when I have a pedicure, the woman caring for my feet is always trying to scratch my soles. I can’t stand it because I am so tickled there, and also because over the years I realized that these calluses are incredibly valuable.
Due to the fact that I go barefoot and sometimes run without shoes, I now have a thin but durable coating that covers most of the foot and heel. It gives me natural foot protection – made by my own body! Which is pretty surprising when you think about it. (You can still wash your feet well; just don’t shave off the blisters.)
Stay safe
Running barefoot becomes easier over time, but it is fun and requires concentration. Be sure to pay attention to where you put your feet. After running barefoot, it seems to me that running in sneakers is “numb” – it’s not so interesting. But when I’m not in the mood and want to grab a bite to eat while running, I wear minimal sneakers.
Yes, you are more likely to cut your foot while running barefoot than if you were wearing some kind of shoes. Likewise, if you only cycle in a bathing suit and have an accident, you are more likely to get serious scratches than if you even wear light cotton pants and a shirt, but cycling in a bathing suit is great. and we all weigh our risks. I have never cut my leg, never got stung or bitten by insects while running barefoot.
Running without sneakers isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. If you find it too uncomfortable, you can opt for minimalist sneakers. But I find that real barefoot running connects me to my body, the world around me, and my past in a way that makes me feel grounded and mindful.