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Barefoot Running is Bad For You!
Posted by | Posted in Barefoot Running, Training for Running | Posted on 24-02-2010
Ever since Chris McDoguall’s book, Born to Run, became popular (interestingly, long after it came out), the debate about barefoot running has become heated.
There was no big argument when Zola Budd ran barefoot, or when Abebe Bikila won the marathon without shoes.
But once “regular folk” started kicking off their kicks, it’s become a rhetorical battlefield out there — the converts touting the great benefits of barefoot running, and the critics assuring everyone that taking off your running shoes is akin to playing Russian Roulette.
Then the Harvard study came out, showing that when you run barefoot, you adjust your stride to put less stress on your body. And, right on the heels of it (pun intended), came editorials about how running barefoot is the worst thing you could do… though, most of those editorials came from people who own or work for shoe companies or shoe sellers.
Just yesterday, someone forwarded me an email saying “Well, I’ve seen people who tried running barefoot and they got injured! I’ve seen people during marathons, sitting on the side of the road in their Vibram Five Fingers, crying in pain!” And right after, I got an email from an Invisible Shoes huaraches running sandal owner, raving about how old running injuries they used to have are gone now that they’re out of shoes.
Mark Plaatjes, world champion marathon runner, physical therapist, and co-owner of the Boulder Running Company, has said that he doesn’t think most people have the correct body type for running barefoot.
Road Runner Sports sent out an email saying, “Well, if you run barefoot, you could step on something and really screw yourself up!” (that’s not the actual quote, which I’m too lazy to look up, but the gist of what they warned).
What amazes me about this back and forth nonsense is how enraged the anti-barefoot gang is getting, and how they’ve thrown out not only their logic and critical thinking skills, but how they’ve ignored what every well-known barefoot running coach has advised.
So let’s address some of the issues, as quickly as possible (which isn’t hard, since the arguments are simple):
- Barefoot running will give you plantar fasciitis, achilles tendonitis, ingrown hair, or male-pattern balding (or any other injury). Response: Runners in SHOES get the same injuries! Thoes problems, when they occur are not from “barefoot running”, they’re from OVERUSE.If someone you knew when to the gym for the first time, and did the workout that Arnold Schwarzenegger used in his Mr. Olympia days, they’d end up with all manner of injuries, soreness and overall inability-to-move-for-days-ness. But nobody would scream from the rooftops, “Weight lifting is bad for you!” They would say, to that individual, “Dude, you did too much too soon. Scale WAY back and build up to that slowly.”
Clearly, the cure for overuse is UNDERuse. Do less. The only problem is that the only way to know how much you can really handle, is by doing too much… until you’ve done that enough and gotten the hint.
I will concede though, that barefoot running form may have an overuse bias built into it, and that’s because the motion of absorbing shock is like doing “negatives” in the gym, doing more eccentric contractions of the muscle. With “negatives,” instead of contracting a muscle to move a weight, you try to resist as the weight pulls against you (think about a bench press in reverse — instead of pushing the weight from your chest, you try to keep a heavy weight from dropping onto your chest). We are much stronger in the eccentric direction, and it doesn’t give the same kind of “burn” you get from the concentric movement… but the next day, you realize you’ve done WAY too much work. This is similar to why walking DOWN a mountain feels fine at the time, but the next day you realize — due to the massive soreness — that it was harder than walking UP the mountain.
Nonetheless, it’s possible to get smart enough not to over train… just takes some practice.
- Some people aren’t built to go barefoot. Response: Not only is there no evidence for this, but what the barefoot running coaches all say is that by running barefoot you develop the skills, strength, and form that allow you to run barefoot.Now, there’s not any real science behind that argument, YET, either (some researchers are working on it)… but, come on, which makes more sense: That someone is physically unable to run barefoot or in minimalist running shoes (the way humans have run for hundreds of thousands of years), but is absolutely fine in shoes… or that, due to lack of use, they may need to build up the strength before they can run barefoot.
Besides, the only reason they would be okay in shoes and not barefoot, is because they’ve transferred the stress that the muscles and tendons and ligaments would have to deal with if they were barefooted (and get stronger by doing so) into the bones and joints.
Again, the message is, Go slowly! (seeing a pattern here?)
- You could step on something or, worse, IN something! Response: Yeah, so? But: a) How bad would it REALLY be?; b) How often is this REALLY a problem, or are you just imagining it happening without knowing the actual numbers?; c) Are these injuries worse than the various problems people have in shoes?; d) If you do step in poo… which is easier to hose off: your feet or a waffle-soled shoe?This argument, of course, cracks me up since I offer a solution on this website — get some huaraches barefoot running shoes and you’ll add a HUGE (but thin) layer of protection with a barefoot feel.
By the way, I’m a bigger fan of huaraches rather than Vibram Five Fingers, or Nike Free, or the other minimalist running shoes not because I sell huaraches, but because huaraches feel more like barefoot. The VFFs actually have quite a bit of support, the Nike Free have a big thick heel, and anything with an upper that covers your toes… well, it covers your toes.
Finally, what cracks me up about the anti-barefoot gang is the simple denial of the numbers. That is, there are a LOT of people taking off their shoes without a problem. WAY MORE, it seems, than those who have any of the easy-to-solve overuse issues. You don’t end up with a movement like the barefoot running movement without a high percentage of happy converts. This alone should, but doesn’t, temper their argument.
And, again, the answer couldn’t be simpler: Oh, if you’re going to try barefoot running, you may need to go WAY slower than you thought, you’ll have to learn to listen to your body in a way you haven’t, you’ll need time to build up strength to let you handle the same distances you may now be running, and you may want to get something to give your sole a bit of protection. Enjoy.
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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FEAR FEAR FEAR Based people! Talk about losing touch with the essence of being human. Withdrawal and distancing from life is a metaphor for tension and the fear/pain response. Opening and allowing and becoming more in touch with experience is the catch phrase of barefoot. Returning to innocence is well worth it.
C’mon people: get real. Do you know yourself/trust yourself anymore? We are talking about walking and running. Not some new big pharma drug. It is natural. Sure if you foot has been trapped in a shoe for many years, then it will take however long it takes for your foot to become a foot again after being an desensitized stub for so long. But is that any reason not to love your feet and let them love you back? All people of honor, I am calling you now! Become part of the barefoot revolution! If you are shy, then start with wearing socks. Then transition to flip flops. Then one day you’ll gain the extraordinary courage to….yes….I dare say…totally BAREFOOT!
Even I’m not barefoot runner, thank you for the common sense that this text offer to read.
I’ve had friends call me crazy for running barefoot and my general love of going with as little as possible on my feet (I’ll admit, it’s only been an obsession for the past year, but once I discovered what I had been missing – there was no looking back).
I’ve heard all the arguments but it’s mostly from people who don’t want to go barefoot and can’t admit that wearing shoes might not be a necessity.
I love my VFFs but I also REALLY love my huaraches too. VFFs are useful when I’m at work (it’s casual but not that casual) and I wear my huaraches whenever I’m out and about and can’t be barefoot.
Steven is right, huaraches feel much closer to being barefoot than VFFs. My feet don’t get hot and sweat like they do in the VFFs either.
If you don’t have a pair already – give it a try. They’re cheaper than the VFFs and, IMHO, better.
Kelly
when i shaved my head and covered myself in tatoos i went about daily life as normal,nobody ever gave me a sideways look, i am as normal as the next person.as soon as i took off my shoes i couldn’t run down the road without some comment or people crossing the road to avoid the escaped lunatic,I LIKE IT!i find it amusing that such a small thing can cause such a wide range of reactions.i especially like the way “regular runners” give a look between amazement and utter disapproval.the thing is it’s my choice,i enjoy to run now where as before it had become a bit of a chore,i feel that it’s a good thing for me i’m not going to try and force anyone to do it but i’ll always offer encouragement to anyone who fancies giving it a go,you never know they might actually enjoy it!
Gary.
If a shod runner gets an ITB injury or plantar fasciitis, and are out of commission for months or longer, people don’t even bat an eye. “It’s just part of the territory,” they say.
But if a barefoot runner gets a [rare] cut or even a blister, people seem quick to point their fingers and say, “HA! That’s what you get.” Never mind that the barefoot runner is back on the road in days, if that.
I don’t really expect this to change.
As with all things it depends on how things are done. It is not like you are going to discard your shoes cold turkey. I am working my way through to barefoot by using the running sandal. Barefoot would work only on a soft safe surface. Running the streets are not recommended. Minimalist footwear like the running sandal is the most prudent choice
Isn’t it up to the shoe manufactures to prove that their shoes actually reduces injuries? And not the other way around?
Just received the lastest Traning and Conditioning journal. The title article is “Baring Their Soles, The many benefits of barefoot training”. It is an excellent article on the pros and cons to barefoot training. A quoted study indicated that humans will be less careful with their foot mechanics when the footwear utilizes advanced technology.
Picked up the Army Times at a local event. There is a great article on running barefoot in the Off Duty part of the magazine. I forwarded the writer information on the running sandal since he did not reference them in the article. Maybe he will do a follow-up later.
Thanks, Ray. I was looking for a place to comment about that article, but it didn’t occur to me to contact the writer! DUH!
The “Anti-barefoot Gang”? Way to tear down that straw man. Seriously? A “Gang?” Obviously a company that sells shoes wants you to BUY their shoes. I’d would have thought you knew that… you sell shoes, right? Sorry, Invisible Shoes.
As a potential customer (Im reading this site right?), I find your attacks offensive. I wear shoes when I run, I have a couple great pairs of Nikes and Asics which I have run marathons in, hmmmm, no injuries…
Now, you may argue that people have been drinking the Nike KoolAid for the past 30 years, and I can’t say you’re right or wrong, but if running barefoot was the best way to run, wouldn’t people nearly universally be running barefoot by now?
Other than Abebe Bikila, who as you say “won the marathon” – name ONE world record in ANY footrace set without shoes. Track runs, road runs, trail runs, etc. Humans have not slowed down since we started buying and wearing running shoes. I think I’ll go with the experts and the results.
I’d like to try running barefoot, seems like there’s a lot of good that can be had, however I’m not an idiot or gang member. Just someone who loves to run.
Hi Bruce.
I can’t imagine you actually think I believe there’s a “gang” and that I wasn’t just being a bit hyperbolic in referring to some of the barefoot critics mentioned earlier (and implying others that I didn’t highlight)?
(re-reading this I realize that I sometimes use the word “gang” without any negative connotation; just as a synonym for “group”)
I’m not sure that I was “attacking” anyone (though I was confronting certain people’s arguments) or why, since I don’t know you and wasn’t writing about you, you would be personally offended. I never called you or anyone else an “idiot” as you implied.
I can certainly understand that you may disagree with any or all of the points I made (or how I made them, or whether I made them well or not). In many ways, the whole point of this post was to bring the various points to light and continue with the conversation.
That said, I don’t believe that people have been “drinking the Nike KoolAid”, nor do I think shoes are inherently the cause of injuries, nor do I think barefoot running is the best way to run in all circumstances. I’m a sprinter and there’s no way I could do that without my spikes (I do all my other training either barefoot or in running sandals, though). I also don’t think that comparing Olympians to “normal” humans is necessarily useful (even though I sort of did at the top of the post).
So, despite any reaction you had to my post, I hope that you do try running barefoot and see what you experience. Do keep in mind, though, the big admonition: START WAAAAAY SLOWER than you think you need to (both in terms of speed and distance), and give yourself plenty of time to rest, recover, and strengthen.
B – you miss the point entirely. Barefoot running is BETTER, not necessarily FASTER. Elite athletes have been breaking speed and time records with shoes for a hundred years. African tribesmen have been travelling hundreds of kilometres a day barefoot on long hunts for possibly thousands of years. People HAVE been running universally barefoot. They’ve been doing it to survive, not to set records and aim for bits of metal hanging around their necks.
I stumbled upon an anti-barefoot running website yesterday and couldn’t figure out why the guy was so very angry. I looked for some sort of “my horrible experience with barefoot running” post but couldn’t find anything of the sort. Just a whole lotta name calling and anger towards those who choose to run without shoes. I don’t understand the hostility. No one is making anyone do anything they don’t want to.
I’ve come back to running, having stopped about 10 years ago because of my knees. because of barefoot running. It’s not the going barefoot, it’s that going barefoot makes me use my core muscles, makes my stride correct–basically it makes me run “correctly” so that running is fun again and my knees don’t hurt! But, every article and everybody says GO SLOWLY, which is hard because running becomes fun. My question is–my endurance is increasing faster than what my barefeet can handle, so do I just keep my distances short until my feet catch up to my endurance or succumb to buying some minimalist shoes?
Going slowly is definitely the hard part… use your feet/sensations as a guide. If it hurts, STOP. If you think, “Should I stop?” STOP. If you think, “Ah, I’ll be okay for another half a mile,” STOP.
Minimalist shoes might let you go farther, but it depends on what surfaces you’re already running on. Huaraches don’t eliminate the need for your feet to catch up to your desires — bad form in huaraches, or any other minimalist shoe, leads to any/all of the issues that bad form barefoot does.
And once you start adding more padding (even the extra padding on the heel and ball of the foot that the Vibram Five Fingers have), you lose the feedback that tells you what “enough” is (as well as the feedback that tells you what “good form” is).
I have been running in Vibrams since January, and Huaraches just recently. “Bad knees” and “weak ankles” and lower back pain made even low-mileage running really painful, until I read about running Barefoot and decided to try it.
I love running again, I’m up to 5 pain-free miles, and most importantly, my knees, ankles, and back are loving me right back. Absolutely ZERO back or knee pain, I can touch my toes for the first time in my life (longer achilles now), and I have yet to roll my ankle like I did with regularity in my Brooks Adrenalines. The worst that’s happened is really sore calves early on, and blisters from my brief barefoot attempts.
I don’t even care if there are any more studies proving anything one way or the other. My body has given me all the evidence I need: the lower the heel, the better I feel. And the better I run. I can’t see ever going back to thick padded shoes again. It’s been a real eye-opener for me.
Strangers will always look at you like you’re crazy, but that doesn’t bother me anymore. Worse is the friends who know the whole story and STILL think you’re crazy. I think the anti-barefoot backlash I am experiencing with some of my friends has more to do with my born-again zeal than with my shoes. It’s VERY easy to make the leap that because minimal shoes have done wonders for my own health, that it’ll do the same for everyone else’s. The assumption that their way is worse than yours is what’s so grating.
Considering I’m not in the slightest religious, and get really irritated when someone tries to preach their gospel to me, I can totally see where they’re coming from. I’m now taking a new tactic of actively avoiding talking about it, unless asked a direct question.
I never felt so much in common with the holy rollers before. A truly weird situation to be in.
Honestly, I think there’s a sliver of truth in the “some people aren’t built to barefoot run”, but the reason is pretty terrible. Like the chinese used to “train” their girls feet to be small, we train our children’s feet for shoes. We were put in shoes nearly from the time we were born, and our feet are highly deformed because of it. You can tell, by looking at those same cultures who go barefoot all the time. Or the trouble country kids can have finding shoes that fit. Our baby toes are *not* supposed to be that tiny, but they were smooshed into growing that way.
That said, it’s hardly a deal breaker in nearly all cases. You won’t run/walk as well as you could’ve, but it’s still very doable and feet never stop growing unlike most parts of your body, so you can recover some. It’s better than the terrible gait shoes force you into for sure.
I am nursing an achilles tendon, due to stepping off a top porch step one too many times to avoid my four dogs anxious behavior that occurs when I step out the door to run. It is killing me to take time off from running. I want to be running barefoot on my beloved rural country backroads with my canine pack in the early dawn hours.
I had tight hamstrings that literally pulled my hips out of alinement when running in shoes. No shoes, no problems.
Hi all,
This is a fascinating discussion. Thanks, Steven, for hosting and moderating it.
Since reading Born to Run last year, I’ve read a lot of these online arguments. I totally agree with “Five Toed Sloth.” People are shockingly quick to think that one person’s decision to run or walk barefoot is an indictment of everyone else’s decision to wear shoes. I think “B” and his/her emotional post above is a great example of this. An evolutionary psychologist could probably explain this phenomenon in terms of “consensus seeking” or some such, but I’m not that person.
My Invisible Shoe kit arrived yesterday (very soon after I ordered it), and I’ve already got my huaraches assembled. They’re a fantastic footwear option, and I’m so proud I played some part in their creation. I hope nobody sees me wearing these and thinks I’m criticizing any of their life decisions.
All the best, -Adan
I’m with Gary; I kind of like people telling me I’m crazy. The first time I ran home barefoot from work I had kids pointing and yelling– amazing how colorful the language if our youth has become! I like that I’m expanding peoples’ concepts of what is possible when one is crazy enough to try new things!
Since I started doing barefoot training, I have suddenly developed an arch in my feet. Good bye expensive orthotics!
Same thing happened to me!
I’m very interested in the idea of barefoot running, but have always needed the most padded shoes available because of my bad joints- specifically, hips and knees. How is it possible to run on hard, unnatural surfaces like roads and sidewalks without that padding? Doesn’t it have to be bad for your bones and tendons?
Running barefoot was natural when we ran on grass and trail, and obviously I prefer that, but it’s certainly not always possible. Can someone explain how we can run on man- made surfaces without worsening problems in the joints?
The reason you can run on hard surfaces barefoot and not hurt your joints is that your body adjusts to the surface that you’re running on. The recent Harvard study shows that when you put people in padded shoes, they land harder, and with more force on the joints than when you’re barefoot.
When you don’t have shoes on, you don’t land with rigid joints so the force doesn’t transfer through them in the same way. Instead you land on bent ankles, knees and hips, and you use more of your muscles, ligaments and tendons. That’s why, in fact, people new to barefoot running report getting sore or tired much faster than they thought they might — they’re using their soft tissues in ways they haven’t for years, if ever.
And, the reason that a hard surface is the best, in the opinion of most the barefoot runners I know, is that you get the most feedback about how good your form is… which leads you to adjust to a more natural, lighter, easier style more quickly.
I have just started going barefoot and running in huaraches and I know when to ease up a bit so I don’t get injured. I have never felt better while running even when the soles of my feet get a little tender, which they still do. Having said that, I don’t understand arguments against going barefoot and how barefooting got such a negetive stigma.
I CANNOT WAIT TO RUN MY FIRST TRIATHLON BAREFOOTED!!
The problem is, our society is so friggin’ performance obsessed. I gotta get 10 miles. I gotta get under 7 minutes per. I gotta, I gotta, I gotta. Enough already!
So what if you have to go slower or shorter barefoot! Why are we all running in the first place? To win races? Hardly. To eat lots of cheese enchiladas and stay thin? Maybe, though there are other approaches for that. What if – perish the thought – we were running simply because we enjoy it?
I started barefoot about three weeks ago because my running had become very stale and I needed something new. My feet have never complained at all, other than some rough surfaces, and I’ve overdone training – resulting in sore Achilles tendons. Not because I had to reach a milestone, but because it honestly felt really good to run barefoot on a concrete bike trail. So now (thanks to this site), I’ll take a day or two off.
I look forward to running again. What’s that worth?
I had to stop running after a marathon and bike training because of bad knee pain swelling and Itb problems, the knee pain turned out to be runners knee! I started running again gradual in my shoes with insoles as advised after month off, could only manage few minutes and still knee pain. Rest again 2-3days then another attempt but still progressive pain. I thought my years of running were over! Got disheartened and depressed! Started reading born to run that I hadn’t picked up yet and became more intrigued about barefoot and these sandals…after a month of transition into barefoot and two weeks in VFF I have adapted very well, no more calf strain or sore soles very little blistering (been lucky must have tough feet already hehe) I’m lovin it…. Guess wot this past week my knee pain has dissapeared completely, ached bit to start but now nothing!!! I’m so pleased and even went on a longer run which felt great, I so missed them. I’m still sticking to gradual and my sandals arrived at weekend so am looking forward to trying these this week. I love the feeling of almost barefoot and how I land on my forefoot not my heels, I can see in the mirror how different I run now and it just comes naturally I don’t think I could put trainers on again lol I don’t even like wearing my shoes fullstop! I do laugh at the comments but most peeps are pleased I’m in no pain anymore and can see I’m alot more happy again as I was getting so down with all my injuries. I’m sticking this out and will keep my fingers crossed
I did too much barefoot running too soon and paid the price as I put too much pressure on my hamstrings. I foolishly believed that just because my body is used to running in shoes, it would happily run the same distance without them. Now that my body has adjusted everything is fine.
Started barefoot running/ hiking after reading Born To Run about three weeks now. I love the feel of a free foot but
living in Gilbert Az. need protection from the hot ground
after 9 am. Recently discovered aqua shoes as an alternative to anything else. They have a thin sole, offer some upper foot protection but still seem to get a little hot.
A good cheap starting point for newbe-barefooters.
toe protection
some total protection
What is upsetting about the barefoot running argument that has sprung up around “Born to Run” is that it is clouding the base position of the novel: running is an inexpensive and natural way for humans to experience the world! When misguided by the “you must run barefoot” rule, the position is lost.
What should be stressed is that RUNNING IS GREAT and barefoot running is a great way that you can allow your body to re-learn sensitivity to form and environmental factors. Five Toed Sloth is right on: dont bring it up. Let your obvious joy speak for itself! If people ask, dont prescribe, just describe your experience.
I love this site as a forum for discussion, as we are up against 2 generations of million dollar advertising campaigns for corporate dependancy. I hope that the focus remains on the joy of living and running instead of the fight to prove the shod wrong.
I totally agree, MM.
Last night, Lena and I saw Chris McDougall at a book signing here in Boulder. Someone asked why she should try barefoot running if she had no problems in shoes. Unfortunately, the answer that *didn’t* pop into his mind (or out of his mouth) could have been: Because it’s REALLY fascinating and fun. The information you get from your feet when you’re barefoot is unlike shoes in a way that can’t be described.
I like to tell the story about how I never run more than 100m at a time (that’s my competitive distance)… but on my 2nd barefoot run, I was so fascinated by the feelings and information in my feet, that I ran a 5k and didn’t even know it!
That’s a good story Steve.
Without specifically training, just going out and enjoying running in huaraches while focusing on proper form and technique, i was able to drop 13 seconds off of my 880m run (in combat boots). I was able to focus on proper form even while running in the boots (that have a nice 3 inch heel). I have always been a strong runner so I was not expecting such vast improvements in just one month of fun-running with the sandals! What a fine surprise!