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213 Comments
- dagnabbit, on 04/22/2009, -8/+85I think I agree with the guy at the end of the article: Bare feet just aren't meant to support running on modern day hard-top surfaces.
Especially if you've worn running shoes your entire life. Just because an Indian tribe runs barefoot doesn't mean you should throw away your Nikes. - inactive, on 04/22/2009, -8/+81Check these out.
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/ - V3NOM, on 04/22/2009, -2/+52Running two miles on grass in barefoot feels fine. But try going on the road and your feet will be destroyed.
I like to do accelerations in the grass and barefoot at the end of my workout. When you try to run fast barefoot, there's less support than with trainers, so your body has to run with good form to handle it without injury. Doing this helps improve my form over time even when I'm wearing shoes.
So barefoot has its place, but I couldn't do it for all of the miles I run. - Hardataq, on 04/22/2009, -4/+46Sounds like a great idea until you step in cat *****.
- jasdf, on 04/22/2009, -5/+46There is no way that I would ever run barefoot. Who wants to get a nail in you foot when you are 5 miles away from home?
- geodebug, on 04/22/2009, -1/+39I know. I have five nails in each of my feet right now!
- anexanhume, on 04/22/2009, -3/+36Not to mention it's dangerous (glass, nails, other things) and not socially acceptable.
- dogatemypron, on 04/22/2009, -1/+24If you have ever stepped on the asphalt barefoot in Las Vegas during the summer, you know that shoes are a good thing.
- evilevil, on 04/22/2009, -0/+21cat *****, seriously? you mean dog *****, right?
- FurtThePirate, on 04/22/2009, -0/+18right. but you don't have to feel it between your toes.
- CoD4, on 04/22/2009, -0/+18Them kenyans don't give a *****, they'll win the ***** marathon regardless
- inactive, on 04/22/2009, -2/+19I am, and it's true.
- TheHerk, on 04/22/2009, -8/+24There have been hard surfaces and running humans for many thousands of years. Even if you have worn shoes your whole life, we wore our feet for much longer. Evolution is a wonderful thing. Studies indicate we are less prone to injury(immediate and long term) when not shod.
If the heel hits first the energy is absorbed by cartilage in the knee. If the ball hits first the energy is absorbed by leg muscles as intended.
I'm barefooted as much as society allows. - amabaie, on 04/22/2009, -3/+18Interesting question. I'm not sure I would want to run barefoot.
- Twenty, on 04/22/2009, -1/+15Ultimate frisbee + grass - shoes = perfect
My shoes are pretty good, but I always take them off for frisbee. - Jeepinator, on 04/22/2009, -3/+17Running shoes are designed for a different type of surface than our feet are. If I ran on a track or asphalt for 10 miles I would be in some serious pain. However, I can run for many miles on soft grass barefoot. I have actually run for some very long distances just around my old high school's football field. It's nice to go barefoot sometimes, but with the surfaces we run on today, it's just not practical or really possible. The shoes save our skin and our joints on hard surfaces. I know that shoes do work. I occasionally have to wear an old pair of shoes because my god pair is soaking wet from a previous day's rain run, and i notice the difference every time, especially after my run. Sometimes my heels hurt or my knees joints feel slightly inflamed. Top dollar running shoes really can be worth it for someone who runs as much as I do. Asics Nimbus for life.
- greghunt, on 04/22/2009, -1/+15I have a pair of these, they're awesome. They take a few weeks to get used to, but are well worth it.
I don't think I could go back to running in regular shoes ever again though, they just feel so cumbersome.
I'm going to try some full on barefoot running soon as well, to try and toughen my feet up.
Running barefoot feels great, you can feel the ground, and quickly adapt your running style. You also don't have to worry about getting your feet wet and running through puddles and streams. - eruk, on 04/22/2009, -0/+12lets just say ***** in general
- Justavian, on 04/22/2009, -0/+12Except when everyone else is wearing cleats and stepping on your toes!
- hiro, on 04/22/2009, -2/+13If my balls hit the ground first, my leg muscles would be the least of my concerns!
- inactive, on 04/22/2009, -1/+11Wow! It never fails how stupid hte analogies are on Digg.
You are FAR more likely to get a foreign object in your foot if you are barefoot outside than getting food poisoning at a restarant. And d03boy takes the cake of stupdity (as usual) when he doesnt seem to care that while nails can get through shoes, it is MUCH less likely to do so than just your feet alone. - bobbi21, on 04/22/2009, -3/+13I think anyone who's ever tried running barefoot in streets and sidewalks can tell you it's not very fun...Maybe if you're done it your entire life and have a centimeter callus down there it'll be fine, otherwise, I'm not gonna risk cutting my foot open.
- Czechxican, on 04/22/2009, -1/+11I used to run quite a bit, about 6 miles every day, and then more when I ran track and cross country. I will admit that while some shoes are better than others, I did notice that I seemed to be a bit faster when running barefoot. I have thick callouses and it never bothered me to run on asphalt or cement. I think there is something to this because I certainly felt as if my foot was absorbing the shock better than any shoe. My ideal shoe would be the sock type with a thin covering to protect your foot.
- d03boy, on 04/22/2009, -1/+11Nails can go through shoes therefore shoes are bad.
- Acqua206, on 04/22/2009, -0/+9Ooh,then I can be 5'8" instead of a Napoleonic 5'7".
- IndianXC, on 04/22/2009, -1/+10After reading this last week in the print edition I went and did an easy 20 minutes in the field by my house. It felt great, there's something primal and pure to be said for running barefoot.
- dandandantheman, on 04/22/2009, -1/+10I think minimal covering to protect the SKIN (not all this "technology" for supporting the ankles or knees) is all that is necessary.
A healthy person shouldn't need any more technology than their own leg muscles and proper walking style.
The absence of practical wisdom in favor of strange trends... the downside of modern man. - stereosaurus, on 04/22/2009, -0/+9Running on hot pavement is the best because it forces you to run faster; no slowing down to walk when your feet will stick to the blacktop.
- najackbair, on 04/22/2009, -0/+9I started running barefoot about 2 years ago after I got a knee injury caused from over pronating (lT syndrome). My favorite surface to run on is smooth cement. It takes time and practice to be able to do that. I had to start by running mostly on grass and slowly transition over to cement. it is all about form. with the proper form you can run on most surfaces. it took me about 6 months of consistently running barefoot until I learned good form. I still use shoes on occasion (nike Free 4.0) but I always run barefoot style (front to mid foot "strike"). I can run 4 miles on cement without issues. they idea that our feet can't handle hard surfaces just isn't true. Your feet will need to be condition and strengthened first but cement is my favorite surface to run on. My feet are wider and more muscular since I switched to barefoot running.
- drewsheldon01, on 04/22/2009, -0/+9Analyzing the form of 753 runners, biomechanical researcher Benno Nigg found that 80 percent of runners (videotaped in two races) ran with a heel-to-toe motion; 45 percent of the faster runners (those with a 5-minute, 18-second-mile pace or better) ran heel-to-toe-thep;
What is a "thep"? - angusm, on 04/22/2009, -1/+10Various people have commented that shoes are needed for protection on asphalt. The Tarahumara (Raramuri) live in fairly arid mountain terrain, where even the roads and tracks are mostly loose dirt and rock. It's a surface that's probably even tougher on the feet than asphalt. On the other hand, they have been doing it all their lives.
- joketter, on 04/22/2009, -0/+9Injury rates are high in runners in the first place. http://digg.com/u11aK1
It takes about 1,500 steps to jog a mile. Shoe or not the chances of getting injured are high. - dandandantheman, on 04/22/2009, -0/+93st
- JCEEZ, on 04/22/2009, -0/+8It's all fun and game, until you step on a piece of broken glass barefoot.
- Justavian, on 04/22/2009, -0/+8I never run on pavement. I do a lot of long distance trail running, so i guess i'm perfect for the bare foot angle according to the article.
Here's the important question - how long does it take to condition your feet so that you don't bleed profusely after 100 yards on a mountain trail?
Also - is it even possible to condition your feet to the point where sharp rocks and roots and sticks and other hazards won't affect you? - Cerebron, on 04/22/2009, -0/+8The amount of hard surfaces we are surrounded by has increased dramatically of late, and few people have ever run regularly on these new surfaces, namely tarmac/asphalt/concrete, etc.
- geodebug, on 04/22/2009, -2/+102nd article I've come across in two days. I liked this one better: http://tinyurl.com/cerpyu
Interesting excerpt:
In a paper for the British Journal Of Sports Medicine last year, Dr Craig Richards, a researcher at the University of Newcastle in Australia, revealed there are no evidence-based studies that demonstrate running shoes make you less prone to injury. Not one.
It was an astonishing revelation that had been hidden for over 35 years. Dr Richards was so stunned that a $20 billion industry seemed to be based on nothing but empty promises and wishful thinking that he issued the following challenge: 'Is any running-shoe company prepared to claim that wearing their distance running shoes will decrease your risk of suffering musculoskeletal running injuries? Is any shoe manufacturer prepared to claim that wearing their running shoes will improve your distance running performance? If you are prepared to make these claims, where is your peer-reviewed data to back it up?'
Dr Richards waited and even tried contacting the major shoe companies for their data. In response, he got silence. - Sniper, on 04/22/2009, -1/+8Whoever says running barefoot is a good idea has never run barefoot on a hot sunny day on pavement.
- GoKings, on 04/22/2009, -0/+7Sounds great until: You hit hot ground, step on glass, step in animal poop, stub your toe, step on a sharp stick, wreck your foot on a rock, or shred your feet on asphalt.
I usually do the barefoot thing when I play football on grass. It gives me extra speed, traction, and a better feeling of the field. It's great until someone steps on your foot. - geodebug, on 04/22/2009, -1/+8Skin washes out quicker than treads.
- Funkleft, on 04/22/2009, -0/+7As much as like shoes for fashion I tend to like being barefoot. My only issue with it is that it leaves my feet rather dirty. I find that, to me, one of the best functions of a shoe is allowing me to simply slide off the dirt and walk politely on a clean surface.
- bradleyland, on 04/23/2009, -0/+7Are you saying I shouldn't run in the litter box?
- Serinus, on 04/22/2009, -0/+7A lot of that is solved if you have calluses from running barefoot your whole life. It's the transition from shoes to barefoot that's really the issue.
- Trigonometron, on 04/22/2009, -1/+81- Just because we have technology doesn't mean that our bodies can keep up with it. Thus, you get injuries even with a "safe" shoe.
2- Just because we have technology doesn't mean we have any clue as to how or why we evolved. Example: recent science is repealing the notion that Carbs are good and Fat is bad.
3- No one ever said you have to run barefoot on concrete, that sounds painful. First step is running on your toes, which can be done on hard surfaces using...modern day shoes. - decapitor, on 04/22/2009, -0/+6I'll have to look into those. A bit pricey for so little material but still interesting concept.
- Czechxican, on 04/22/2009, -1/+7Callouses. I have like an inch thick callous on my heel and about 1/4 inch everywhere else. It helps a ton. You would probably feel sharp rocks and sticks, but to a lesser extent.
- inactive, on 04/22/2009, -0/+6stepping in ***** is the least of my worries. At least in LA, where there is a lot more concrete than grass and dirt.
Stepping on glass, nails, some junkie's used needle... these I'm more worried with. - jsuther, on 04/23/2009, -0/+6Do they get stinky quick since socks are not an options with these?
- d03boy, on 04/22/2009, -0/+6Tracks used to be sod. We changed them to rubber because we wear shoes.
- baddriver, on 04/22/2009, -1/+7Run barefoot: http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/
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