From Mexico's Copper Canyon Ultra to the Boston Marathon, Barefoot Ted McDonald is the unshod mascot, the Tiger Woods of barefoot running. Why do it? "Freedom and self reliance," says Barefoot Ted. "I am a strong believer in preserving oneself. If you're injured, then you're doing something wrong, with shoes or without." Ted claims that his cush-free philosophy rescued him from years of chronic foot pain, endured while trying to run in too-supportive trail shoes.
While you probably won't go out and run the Angeles Crest 100 in a pair of Vibram Fivefingers (which are basically rubber-soled foot gloves) like Barefoot Ted did, you can benefit from incorporating barefoot running into your training regimen. Good running shoes can compensate for bad running form. In most modern trail shoes, you can comfortably heel strike onto a foam, air, gel or spring-loaded landing pad. Supportive uppers can turn a sloppy foot plant into a sure-footed landing, enabling bad habits that stay with you down the trail.
Removing your shoes takes away the compensatory crutch, forcing you to improve your form in a hurry, or you're going to be in a world of hurt. Barefooting can also improve climbing ability, and lessen the impact on your knees and the chance of getting shin splints. Jenn Shelton, winner of this year's Rocky Raccoon 100-miler, has been running beach miles between life-guarding shifts for years, including around 20 miles of barefoot running into her 100-mile training weeks. "I grew up never wearing shoes," says Shelton. "I don't think about barefoot running as much as I live a barefoot lifestyle. And that's more important than finding the perfect stride." Even if you're not about to commit to the shod-free lifestyle, you can still get performance bonuses out of incorporating barefoot running into your training routine.
Biomechanical Benefits
Complete shoe dependence can lead to lazy feet. If not atrophy-inducing, too much foot-supported training can make your foot muscles apathetic and unresponsive. Taking off your shoes gets your feet off the couch. "Barefoot running develops the intrinsic muscles of your foot to give immediate ground feedback," says Washington D.C. sports podiatrist Dr. Stephen Pribut, D.P.M. "Foot muscles don't get a lot of exercise unless you're lifting marbles with your toes. Barefoot running stimulates those muscles." And that translates into better balance, more dexterity and, theoretically, fewer falls.
Shoes are soft, heels are hard
Barefoot running turns heel striking into an impossibility, and forces you to protect your bony heel by making shorter strides and landing on the middle or front part of the foot. Instead of swinging your foot in front, groping for the next stride, barefoot running keeps your feet beneath your center of gravity. "With the foot landing beneath the body, the knee is slightly bent and better able to absorb impact shock. This is easier on the knees," says John F. Connors, DPM, a sports podiatrist whose client base includes Olympic runners from all over the world. Barefoot running promotes plantar flexion, the calf-flexing movement you make when pointing your toes. "Runners in shoes tend to over-stride and land on their heels, which can cause excessive strain on the lower-leg muscles," says Dr. Connors. Alternatively, barefoot running, with its exaggerated plantar flexion, protects the heel with a cushioning mid-to-forefoot landing. At the beginning of the stride, increased plantar flexion will put extra work on your calves, over time building more muscle for those climbs.
Arguably, barefoot running has efficiency advantages. Branded schools of thought like the Pose Method and Chi Running claim that running with a short stride and faster cadence lets you run with less energy expenditure. Perhaps Dr. Connors has the best evidence for the shorter stride = better running argument: a watchful eye. "When I look at barefoot runners, they resemble some of the elite Kenyan and the Ethiopian runners that I treat," he says. But before you channel your inner-Ethiopian, consider the hazards of going all natural.
Barefoot Bummers
A more efficient stride and increased plantar-flexion push-off may condition you to run faster, but any speed increase is likely when you lace back up. "For most people, it's impossible to run barefoot at the same speed as shod running,"says Dirk De Clercq, head of movement and sports sciences at Ghent University in Belgium, and a leading researcher on barefoot running's effects. "It simply hurts too much." While proponents like Barefoot Ted have run several road marathons without foot protection, De Clercq is quick to caution against pavement pounding. "Everyone responds differently to barefoot running," he says. "What may be beneficial for one individual may be harmful for another."
De Clercq recently co-authored a study that found barefoot running actually increases runner's propensity toward pronation, which is what happens when the ankle bends medially inward to help cushion your landing. Over-pronating is a leading risk factor for lower leg injuries like shin splints. Likewise, runners with plantar fasciitis, over-pronation, supination, flat feet or posterior tibial tendonitis (inflammation of the tendon connecting the lateral foot to the calf muscle, which causes an unstable gait) should probably keep their shoes on.
Ankles aside, barefoot running can injure your heel too. While running unshod does reduce heel striking, De Clercq says that this alone can't compensate for the absence of a good shoe. "Barefoot running should only be done on surfaces offering shock absorption," he says. So forget pavement. Go for grass.
Whatever your training routine, make sure you're listening to the needs of your body. From a performance perspective, the point of barefoot training is to make yourself a stronger, better runner. Know what you need and what you can do safely. "The most important thing to know is that it is possible," says Ted.
Stripping Down: A beginner's guide
Don't Overdo It.
Cross-country coach Ryan Scheckel has his team warm up with eight minutes of barefoot jogging. This is enough time to work the foot muscles that get neglected inside a shoe. Dr. Connors tells his world-record-holding athletes to cool down with 12 minutes of barefoot striding. Beginners should start small. Sports podiatrist Stephen Pribut, D.P.M. recommends that barefoot novices start with short barefoot-training drills. Warm up and cool down with one minute of jogging, then work up to three minutes after a couple of weeks.
Survey the Scene
Grass is great. Take a barefoot warm-up in a city park. But stay away from the dog run. For a truly plush experience, ask permission to use a local golf course. "We do a lot of barefoot running in golf courses," says Coach Scheckel. Alternatively, a rubber running track can give you a safe place to open the throttle.
Apply Barefoot Technique
Use barefoot training to improve your shod running technique. Keep your stride short and land on your forefeet. Lean forward slightly at the ankles. Cushion your landings with bendy knees and a quick, light forefoot strike.
Shoe Savvy
Some shoe manufacturers go minimalist If you don't want to get "naked," you can still achieve some barefoot training benefits by running in minimally supportive footwear. You don't need to go completely bare to enjoy some barefoot benefits. And the shoe industry has caught on, making trail shoes that are the missing link between extreme minimalism and uber-ample support. "Everyone used to have these huge, foot stabilizing shoes," says Ryan Scheckel, head cross-country coach for Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. "The new thing is to have a shoe that allows your foot to flex." Thin soles let you feel the trail. Limited support puts you back in control. "Our philosophy is not to inhibit the natural function of the foot," says Graham Jordison, head designer and development coordinator for Inov-8. "Support is less of a requirement than most people think is needed only through a lack of muscular development or biomechanical function." Another manufacturer applying the lessons of the naked foot is Brooks. "The support needed on any particular foot strike is much less predictable during trail running, especially on extreme terrain," says vice president of footwear merchandising, Mark Nenow, "One way we enhance full-foot stability is to bring the foot closer to the ground with a thinner sole."
Pete Rognli is an intern at Trail Runner magazine. He has also written for Backpacker, Time Out New York, Boy's Life, Fresh Cup, Leading & Learning, Girl's Life and Chicago magazine. He wrote this article while barefoot.
This article appeared in Trail Runner magazine, issue #47 (SEPTEMBER 2007). Order your back issue now!
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