Barefoot running Pros and Cons
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Statistics have shown that 30% of runners are subject to injury every year.
In his 2009 best selling masterpiece “Born to Run”, Christopher McDougall passionately advocated barefoot running and he is not alone: recent studies have proven that running barefoot enhances stride and prevents injury, and above all it is far more enjoyable than running with shoes.
Still, some renowned doctors beg to differ and argue that it could stimulate more injury and have long-term damaging effects on the feet. Others believe that although running shoes do in protect the feet, they could substantially impact the ankles, hip, and the most problematic area of all: the knees!
So, where to go from there?! This article sheds some light on this controversial issue. Enjoy!
Barefoot Running Advocates Testimonials
“I thought ‘This rocks’ and stopped looking for my flat shoe…” as Michael Legault, a 50+ contractor, explains. Legault’s story with barefoot running is rather unusual. After getting a black toenail during a marathon, he took off his flatfoot running shoes 2 miles before the finish line and the rest is history!
As for Efrem Rensi, barefoot running was his cure from chronic Achilles tendon problems after he tried every imaginable alternative: “I bought a motion-control shoe and walked around, but things really didn’t get any better,” Rensi attests.
Ken Bob, a passionate barefoot runner, ‘s website was the answer to Rensi’s prayers. As shocked and astounded by this “weird hippie” look, Rensi decided to give it a shout and the results were staggering! His Achilles tendon problem became much less intense and he managed to complete Oakland Running Festival, which a 26.2-mile marathon, barefoot in just 3 hours and 33 minutes!
He considers wearing cushioned running shoes a “fad” practice!
For Ted McDonald says, who was featured in McDougall’s “Born to Run,” barefoot running was the only solution he could find for a very common problem: unbearable lower back pain. You name it, he tried it as far as traditional solutions goes. He kept exchanging one running shoe after the other but all was in vain until he decided to set his feet free.
Guess what, not only did his lower back pain disappear but he also managed to become the only barefoot runner in the Copper Canyon Mexican ultra-marathon. Still, McDonald is not a barefoot running fanatic as he occasionally uses the popular feet-molding shoes with a pocket for each toe, known as Vibram FiveFingers shoes. Now he considers wearing cushioned running shoes a “fad” practice!
Michael Sandler, turned his passion for barefoot running into a mission by teaching people how to master it slowly but surely through his book “Barefoot Running: How to Run Light and Free by Getting in Touch with the Earth”.
Sandler was first introduced to barefoot running after a tragic bone breaking accident. When nothing else worked, he went for barefoot running and never looked back.
In his book he addresses all the fears other runners would feel about this experience. He asserts that in the long run, your feet will harden enough that even rocks or glasses won’t tear them up. “My skin has gotten stronger over the years, but it doesn’t look like caveman feet,” Sandler says.
Sandler recommends that new barefoot runners should take the gradual approach. First, walk barefoot. Then start running on grass and/or cement to strengthen your feet skin. That’s it! Now you are ready to run barefoot anywhere you wish.”It feels incredible,” he says. “When you are connected to the ground, you see it in a different way. You are no longer watching the scenery pass by, you are part of it.”
What Do Barefoot Running Opponents Have to Say
Dr. Lesley Wolff who is a foot and ankle surgeon, a marathon runners coach, educated in biomechanics and the director of the San Francisco Bay Area Podiatry Group is completely against barefoot running. On top of that, he has been running in shoes for 35 years.
To him, barefoot runners are taking a huge risk due to “The repetitive pounding on the ground without protection, I think, is ridiculous,” he says. Not only runners may get injured by accidentally stepping on objects like nails and glass (mind you this point was covered by Sandler above) but the man-made hard terrains that runner mostly use makes the running shoes cushions an absolute must.
Perhaps the most valid point that he mentioned is that the fat pads on the feet bottoms get thinner overtime which make barefoot running a long-term risk that is “doomed” with problems.
Scientific Evidence That Backup Barefoot Running
Some Harvard University doctors believe under certain conditions that running with Vibram FiveFingers shoes or barefoot are safer than running with cushioned shoes. Without the cushion, the foot exerts less pressure on the heel which could otherwise lead to stress injury.
On the other hand, forefoot and mid-foot striking is enhanced by running barefoot. The strikes of these particular areas, as studies reveal, have less impact force on the body compared to heel strikes.
In another study, effects of barefoot running on the knees, hips and ankle joints was compared against running in modern running shoes.
The study was conducted on 68 young healthy runners 37 of which are women. They were provided with running shoes and each of them had a chance to run using the running shoes and barefoot in order to compare the difference using a motion analysis system.
The researchers observed increased joint torques at the ankle, knee, and hip with running shoes compared with running barefoot. 54% average increase in the internal rotation torque of the hip, and a 36% increase in the flexion torque of the knee were observed when using running shoes compared to barefoot running.
The study concluded that although contemporary running shoes serve the purpose of protecting the feet, they do have straining effects on these three critical areas.
As you see, the pros of barefoot running far outweigh its cons and the saying goes: ”You can’t learn how to swim until you put your feet in the water”. So, jump in give it a try and reap all the rewards barefoot running has to offer.
Have fun!
Are you a barefoot runner? We’d love to hear about your experience in the comments below!
If you look around the Internet you will see that many, many runners are going minimal and even barefoot. Almost always “Born to Run” has been cited as the motivational force.
I have been running barefoot now for a few weeks. Initially my intention was to run and train “naturally” where training barefoot would only play a small part of a larger whole. To my own surprise the sensation of running barefoot has been just fantastic.
I have been documenting my experiences at http://blog.moyasportslog.com. If you are interested I invite you to follow my developments.
By the way I found your site only today. Compliments on the webdesign and best of luck!
I’m so sick of this topic. Can we please acknowledge there are pros and cons on both sides and move on. Barefoot running is no silver bullet for all runners. If all shod runners put an equal amount of time into hip strengthening excercises as they do reading articles about why they should be barefoot running, injuries would drop dramatically.
Next!
Gotta agree with Jeff on this one. I don’t think any new article is going to change anyone’s mind. However, each article is good for folks who are new to running or want to give a minimalist or barefoot a try. I’m testing it out for one simple reason: The minimalist shoes I’ve looked at are cheaper than my trainers. I’m all for saving a a couple bucks if it works out.
I just found your website today and enjoyed the pros and cons article and found it interesting.
I started running barefoot about 8 months ago (mainly on the beach) as it is safer than on the pavement (less gravel,glass and heat etc) – BUT – then i discovered the 5 fingers!
The reason I started barefoot was because I was unable to run in shoes due to ball of foot pain (Mortons Neuroma). This completely disappeared when I took off shoes!
The 5′s are a god send as I now easily run about 60 K per week (and more in the summer)!
Good to share comments – In my case, I would never go back to shoes, in fact I can’t – as I’m in too much pain and can’t even do power walking in them.
I agree with other comments – one feels truly more’free’ when you can feel the ground. One skips along more easily. I’m in my 60′s and intend to build up more miles.
Hi I am hoping that someone can give me a little assistance with info and/or advise as I am fairly ignorant about running other than the joy of shin splints in my past.
So my concern is for my 12 year old son…
He is very lean- (5 feet tall, 77 lbs) just joined his school cross country team. This is his first running experience, and has shin splints. There have been a couple of days when he could barely walk. This is ruining his enthusiasm, which is a real drag since this is his first school team sport.
So I’m wondering if:
A. this is to be expected and has to be endured by the beginner,
B. the pain should have subsided after a few weeks,
C. there is a possibility that his training may be causing future damage.
So…
My concern is that the coach has the kids running barefoot on uneven terrain- hard dirt with volcanic rocks in the high desert with big clumpy mounds of wild grass plants. Apparently there has not been instruction on proper foot strike, body lean, etc., so I can’t figure out if I am being a paranoid Mom or if there is a point to this. They run downhill for about 20 minutes and do drills. They train 5 days a week for 2 hours, with all-school meets weekly.
Does this seem like an odd training style for these kids, or should I kind of butt out?
I sure hope someone sees this and can help us.
Thanks…Stef
You’ve answered your own question, Stef. Your son is injured, that means something is wrong. Maybe he needs shoes. Maybe he needs to rest more. Listen to your mom instincts and start asking that coach a lot of questions about his or her philosophy and strategy. Talk to the other parents (who else is injured?). Talk to a sports doctor, or a sports physiotherapist. Talk to your son – is he still having fun or is it becoming a drudge? Ask enough questions and you will know what to do.
Thanks so much, Tori, for taking the time to reply to my post. I just bought him new shoes and the salesperson is an experienced cross country runner who really seemed to be knowledgeable. The thing is, if the kids don’t get to wear shoes at the beginning of every day, what’s the point of having them? I am an unemployed single Mom, so I really don’t have the financial resources to have a sports physiotherapist do a thorough investigation, and of course it will take a bit of time for an appointment. Meanwhile, I’m worried about further damage. I do plan to ask lots of questions, and thank you for suggesting this. It hadn’t really occurred to me to talk to other parents, but I will. Have you ever heard of barefoot training for this age group at a beginner level?
I ran in shoes for the first 3 years in high school XC. Gosh, those 3 years were filled with me always getting this tingling sensation in the spine, lower back pain, knee pains, and awful heel pains. Like those other guys, I brought those shoes with HUGE supports that costed alot of money, but it did not stop the pain. So near the end of my junior my friend mentioned something about Born to Run, and I had to get that book. Read it, was amazed, and converted fully to minimal/barefooting.
I’m not kidding when I say this; but when I did convert to barefooting, I managed to run longer, have none of those pains I just listed, and my foot strike gait completely changed from heel strike to the forefoot. Yes barefoot opponents, barefooting doesn’t make you faster; my 3 mile time is only at 17:43, but I have not been injured anymore, asking for ice, or taking any days off (well I still do for school work). I just wish the local podiatrists, my own parents, and some teammates can understand the benefits. Why not just try it themselves?
As for potential barefooters/minimalists: start out slowly, walk around barefoot around the house, then after a week, walk outside just to get use to it. Eventually, start jogging barefoot, but keep the mileage down. After at least 4 weeks, then you would increase the mileage. I have not seen full commando barefooters in the XC races I ran in, but like me and two others on my XC team, I have seen one or two with the Vibram Fivefingers. Alot of times these days, alot of runners cooling down after a race or after a run, run barefoot, which is great because they know they wouldn’t have to take a week off later on in the season due to injury.
For those wanting to buy shoes: I’m going to be straight up when I say this; all the stuff at the sports store that they say about pronation correction, cushioning, heel to toe strike stuff, how barefooting or minimal shoes are bad, that’s pure marketing junk. Originally, the modern shoes mission was to promote a different kind of running that was thought to be faster and to gain more ground as in the philosophy of Bill Bowerman. Now it’s just to look cool and to make money. The companies that try to back up their products with health stuff or medical stuff, it’s pure junk. Don’t trust anyone when they say that Vibrams or Nike Frees or whatever minimal shoe out there sucks or is not good for you. They’re just afraid of losing money.
For Mrs Stephanie: If the coach is not giving instructions on how to run properly while barefooting, he’s obviously a terrible coach who wants more injured runners than healthier runners. My advice is that your son should continue barefooting, but running on the balls of his feet so that that part of the foot can absorb the impact. Trust me on this one. As for his feet, it needs to be toughened up gradually. Once again, if the coach radically wanted runners to run barefoot in that condition, he’s one maniac. Your son should slowly transition to it, then he should do the workouts.
Great comment Daniel! Thanks!
Yes, Danial…thank you for your comments, and you provided info that I can refer to as he works through the process of finding his routine. Just a side note; I believe that there is, in fact, a coaching dilemma here…not only has there been no real coaching provided, but recently I emailed his coach regarding another kid on the xc team assaulting my son between school and practice, and I never even heard back!
I am a 57 year old male who was a chronic heel striker and suffered knee, hip and back pains. About 4 months ago a friend lent me a book on barefoot running. I was very skeptical about what I read. I was surprised to see comments from a doctor I knew saying positive things about barefoot running. Since I run with my dogs early mornings (5-7AM) I thought I would at least give it a try and not bee seen by many folks!. Despite being a runner for years – I ended up with incredibly sore calf muscls. That eventually went away and then I ended up with bad pain in the metatarsal area on both feet. Research provided the answer to that – the metatarsals had bonded together with cartlidge because I had very rarly gone barefoot for the past 50 years – and the barefoot running caused that to break up. Now that that has all gone – I have to say that my knee, back and hip pains have all cleared up. I make sure I land on the forefoot even when I am running in my running shoes. I still enjoy running barefoot – most days anywhere from 1 to 3 miles and then with shoes for the same distance. I had hoped that the soles of the feet would have thickened up more and stop the little rocks from hurting so much when I catch one underfoot. I have not had any blisters of any kind nor bruises from barefoot running nor have I “rolled” an ankle since bareoot running and transitioning to forefoot landing. Those darn rocks though – will the soles thicken up?? I really can’t see me donning the Vibrams 5 Fingers shoes – maybe in another life!
Ronnie, your feet will definitely thicken up. I am a chronic barefooter in the summer, but I am extremely sensitive to cold feet in the winter, so every spring when I get to take my shoes off and go into the garden and do the yard work barefooted, it always takes several weeks for my tender feet to harden, then I can hardly feel it when I step on those little pebbles. I am just getting into more barefoot walking and possibly running and the forefoot strike definitely uses different muscles, so it is a slow transition all around, to train your muscles and to thicken your feet. Do you go barefoot when you are not running? The more you are barefoot on different surfaces, the thicker your soles will get. It also goes away over time, if you are only going barefoot once a week for your run, that may be why you are not developing thicker soles.
Hi Mary – thanks for the advice.
I am increasing my time barefoot around the house and yard. I have increased to 4 miles barefoot almost every day. I just hoped the process would have been a little quicker. Luckily we don’t have very cold weather – the coldest the ground gets is the low 50′s so I will be able to keep running throughout the winter. Unless I get an injury I intend to keep running barefoot.
Just to let you know on the so called scientific evidence that supports barefoot running… I have read the Harvard study that this author proposes is the proof to the legitimacy of barefoot running and no where does it say that running barefoot is safer in fact here is a quote from the study itself “Is There Anything Wrong With Heel Striking in Running Shoes? Not necessarily! Many people like to run this way and do so without injury. But some runners get repetitive stress injuries each year (estimates vary from 30-75%) and one hypothesis is that heel striking contributes to some of these injuries. We emphasize though, that no study has shown that heel striking contributes more to injury than forefoot striking.” All this study shows which they say if this author would have read their abstract is that forefoot running puts less stress on the body which is well known already. Just a side note if you didn’t know already forefoot running can easily be done in shoes or without. I am just tired of proposed experts on blogs reinterpreting data for their own use and people accepting it as fact.
Hi Seth,
I have to agree with you that running on the forefoot can be done in shoes. What is difficult is making the transition after many years of landing on the heel. I personally found that it was extremely difficult without barefoot running first. I don’t believe in the hype associated with barefoot actions – e.g. you can save gas by driving barefoot! For me it is a means to an end – I did have bad knee and hip pains – and rolled my ankles regularly while running with a heel strike. Barefoot running has enabled me to run on the forefoot in my regular training shoes and as I said in my earlier post – the knee and hip pains have totally disappeared and have not rolled an ankle at all.
I believe that the key difference in those who land on their heels and don’t get injured is the distance the foot is extended when landing. The further the extension – the more chance of injury.
In the meantime I will continue to run barefoot for part of my runs – not all of them. It will be intersting to see what the long term effect is.