What is bare foot running?

Advocates of barefoot running argue that the running shoe is overrated.

About barefoot running

• Shoes deaden the foot's ability to sense and adapt to its surroundings. Caleb Wegener, a podiatrist and competitive runner, says: "A lot of the technique changes that we think occur with running barefoot on firmer surfaces seem to come from the foot anticipating the loading forces" - in other words, the foot striking the ground.
• Wegener points out that people tend to run more lightly when barefoot. Motion studies show that, compared with runners in shoes, barefoot runners have less than half the contact time with the ground, a shorter stride length and higher stride frequency.
• Barefoot runners also tend to point the feet down in the air, then land with a flatter mid-foot strike to protect the heels, and they have a greater bend at the knees that acts like a shock absorber. So shunning the shoes would benefit runners who heel strike and/or land with a straight knee, both of which can cause knee, hamstring and hip problems.
• Shoes give artificial support, which creates "laziness" in the foot and ankle muscles. Add the greater contact time with the ground and there's more potential for excessive motion of the foot - a leading cause of running injuries.
• Brisbane physiotherapist Michael Warburton published a paper that assessed much of the research on barefoot running after noticing "a reasonably high proportion of runners" competing barefoot in Queensland cross-country races. He concluded that running in shoes is about four per cent less efficient than running barefoot due to weight and the damping effect of "support".
• Warburton says the support structures of a normal running shoe restrict natural motion, forcing the foot into a specific push-off motion that may lead to injuries and a need for orthotics.
• Warburton says that running in shoes appears to increase the risk of ankle sprains, either by decreasing awareness of foot position or by increasing the twisting torque on the ankle when you stumble.

Shoes vs barefoot running

• Michael Warburton points out: "Running shoes play an important protective role on some courses, in extreme weather conditions, and with certain pathologies of the lower limb."
• South Africa's Zola Budd was the poster girl for barefoot running due to the world records she set in the 5000 metres. Now retired, she wears shoes for her daily 16-kilometre run. "As I got older, I had injuries to my hamstring," she told Britain's The Guardian in 2005. "I find that wearing shoes gives me more support and protection from injuries."
• It's difficult to find arguments with the pure mechanics of barefoot running, but its practicality is questioned.
• "If barefoot running is such a superior way to train and race, why aren't there more runners doing it and why have there only been a few notable elite athletes over the past 50 years that won races running barefoot?" asks Kevin A. Kirby, associate professor at the California School of Podiatric Medicine.
• Wegener points out that running shoes also partially absorb the extra pressures created by foot misalignment (for example, highly arched feet). Without the absorption, higher pressure can be a direct cause of pain, which can cause a protective adjustment in technique that in turn could lead to injury.
• The American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine warns against barefoot running in all but ideal conditions, saying that on soft or slippery surfaces, shoes are required for traction, otherwise you are prone to Achilles or plantar fascia problems (ligament inflammation along the base of the foot).
• Have the best of both worlds. If you always do warm-up runs or a short training run each week barefoot, you'll begin to build strength around the feet and make technical changes (less heel strike, more knee bend and so on), that will carry over to running in shoes

Tips for barefoot running

• Running barefoot can make your calves tight and fatigue your feet at first, since you might be "waking up" muscles you've barely used since you were a child.
• Start accumulating 30 minutes of barefoot walking a day to allow the muscles and ligaments to adapt and your soles to toughen. Spend some time walking on the balls of your feet to strengthen the foot and ankle. Progress to jogging, then gradually increase time and intensity.

When to choose shoes

• Michael Warburton points out: "Running shoes play an important protective role on some courses, in extreme weather conditions, and with certain pathologies of the lower limb."
• South Africa's Zola Budd was the poster girl for barefoot running due to the world records she set in the 5000 metres. Now retired, she wears shoes for her daily 16-kilometre run. "As I got older, I had injuries to my hamstring," she told Britain's The Guardian in 2005. "I find that wearing shoes gives me more support and protection from injuries."
• It's difficult to find arguments with the pure mechanics of barefoot running, but its practicality is questioned.
• "If barefoot running is such a superior way to train and race, why aren't there more runners doing it and why have there only been a few notable elite athletes over the past 50 years that won races running barefoot?" asks Kevin A. Kirby, associate professor at the California School of Podiatric Medicine.
• Wegener points out that running shoes also partially absorb the extra pressures created by foot misalignment (for example, highly arched feet). Without the absorption, higher pressure can be a direct cause of pain, which can cause a protective adjustment in technique that in turn could lead to injury.
• The American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine warns against barefoot running in all but ideal conditions, saying that on soft or slippery surfaces, shoes are required for traction, otherwise you are prone to Achilles or plantar fascia problems (ligament inflammation along the base of the foot).
• Have the best of both worlds. If you always do warm-up runs or a short training run each week barefoot, you'll begin to build strength around the feet and make technical changes (less heel strike, more knee bend and so on), that will carry over to running in shoes.

Easing in

• Running barefoot can make your calves tight and fatigue your feet at first, since you might be "waking up" muscles you've barely used since you were a child.
• Start accumulating 30 minutes of barefoot walking a day to allow the muscles and ligaments to adapt and your soles to toughen. Spend some time walking on the balls of your feet to strengthen the foot and ankle. Progress to jogging, then gradually increase time and intensity.