Why Run Barefoot?
You may have seen my recent post about my Vibram FiveFinger shoes. In that post I gave some good reasons to wear these shoes but I want to get a bit more specific. The main reason I got these was to run in them so that I could be as close to barefooted as I could be while having a little protection. So why run barefoot at all? There are so many running shoes out there that have the latest technology. Why go back to a more primitive way of running? Isn’t higher technology always better?
Not in this case. I want to provide you with a few reasons to consider running barefoot or in a pair of FiveFingers. (These reasons are based on my observations and study and not a scientific study. Feel free to disagree.)
First and foremost, it is the way we were made. All the other reasons are possible because of this one. The foot and leg are an amazing creation. Would you build a building designed to house eight hundred people and then, when the building opens, tell people that you would only be filling it to half capacity? Wouldn’t you want to fill it all the way up? I would. Your feet were designed to run a certain way. When we encase them in a shoe we lose much of their intended potential.
Running barefooted uses the arch of the foot and calf muscle the way it was intended: as a shock absorber. Running in modern running shoes promotes a heel first strike motion. When your heel strikes the ground first you are bypassing the mechanisms in your foot and leg intended to absorb the shock. This puts unneeded stress on your knees and other joints. Running barefoot promotes a front to mid-foot strike which utilizes the arch of the foot and calf as a shock absorber, lessening the stress on the knees. With less stress on the knees you reduce the risk of injury.
Using your feet and legs the way they were designed to be used will strengthen them and provide a stronger “base” for your body. You have five toes on each foot. Can you use them independently? Probably not. Try to separate your little toe from the rest of the bunch and you will probably find that it won’t do it. It hasn’t had to because of the shoes we wear. Strengthening your toes and the rest of your foot and lower legs will increase your balance and makes you less prone to leg injuries. It will be much harder to roll your ankle if it is stronger and closer to the ground (running shoes have a raised heel on them).
Your foot is naturally a very flexible part of your body very similar to your hands. When you put a running shoe on it you are putting a cast on your foot more or less. When you step on an object in shoes the rigid bottom causes your foot to roll either front to back or side to side to compensate. A barefoot or a FiveFinger shod foot will cup the object instead, reducing the risk of injury.
Your stride in running is very important. I spoke earlier about the heel first strike stride caused by running shoes. When you run this way you point your toe up as your heel comes down which puts your foot in a strained posture as it hits the ground. It can also cause overstride (taking too long a stride which puts even more strain on the knee). Running barefoot produces more natural and efficient stride. Your foot points down instead of up as it comes in contact with the ground in a more relaxed postion. It also creates a shorter stride that puts your center of gravity directly over the impact.
Last, but not least, it feels great. There is a certain amount of freedom that comes with feeling the terrain under your feet. This might not be the best reason to run barefooted but it sure does feel good.
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1 Comment
Well said Brian! The combination of the counterintuitive fact about wearing no shoes reducing injury and the let’s say unconventional look of the Vibram FFs makes it difficult to make the points you’ve expressed. But you nailed it!
Enjoy your barefooting/VFFin!